Neepawa Banner Perspective
A4
Hope for the future
Tundra
by Chad Carpenter
O
A Greek tragedy T
here will be some who say the comparison is extreme. Fair enough. But to counter that complaint, there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people in Canada that don’t understand the comparison and how it could affect Canada, or more specifically Manitoba. The comparison is the Greek tragedy that is unfolding and the situation in Manitoba. Greece can’t meet its loans and bond payments. They are basically out of money. The unemployment rate is 25 per cent and pensioners can’t cash their cheques. The banks have been closed sporadically so withdrawing money is nearly impossible. How did Greece get this way? Greece has been a volatile country for many years. During WWII they had the distinction of fighting in that war and staging a civil war at the same time. There are factions within Greece that really don’t like each other. After WWII, they started setting up more and more socialist governments. The government tried to do everything for everybody and provide early retirement to boot. The retirement age in Greece can be as low as 45. Many retire long before 60, which is ridiculous. The Greek leaders are very stubborn and the Greek unions are beyond stubborn. There’s political corruption and the Greek economy isn’t that robust at the best of times. Greece has been deeply scarred by socialism and the dogged determination of socialists who feel that the only answer to socialism is more socialism. Greece may be propped again up by the other E.U. countries or it may turn to Russia for help. It’s doubtful if the country will go bankrupt but that is exactly what the European bankers deserve, as they have lent loads of money to prop up Greece when the
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Ken Waddell flow should have been stemmed years ago. The situation is now so bad that people could lose everything, people could starve. Greece has moved from what was an uncomfortable position a few years ago to what is an untenable position now. What no one wants to talk about is that tanks could roll into Greece again. It’s happened before. Germany and France especially cannot afford to let Greece fail totally, their own banking systems would suffer a terrific hit with yet unthought of ramifications. So the comparison is extreme but in Canada we have relatively strong economy. That’s mainly because we have had a few strong provinces. Ontario, Alberta and BC have carried the rest of Canada on their backs. Manitoba hasn’t been a net contributor to Canada in decades. If it weren’t for federal bail-outs Manitoba would have been bankrupt a long time ago. Saskatchewan was the same way but now is strong but with potash and oil being fragile, they could fall back as well. Ontario is floundering and will likely go through the same “rust-belt” effect that swept the industrial United States. Rust-belt means mile after mile of locked up inefficient factories typified by rusting fences, roofs and walls. It’s a very discouraging scene and Ontario is going through that and Alberta may well be on the way.
Neither Greece nor Canada can avoid all the pitfalls of the world economy. The basic problem is that government and unions feel they can ride out tough times by basing the economy on government spending. Let’s face it, anywhere from a third to a half of Manitoba employees and businesses are now dependent on the government. Just sit down some night and add up all the people who have their pay cheque come from the government and it’s scary. The problem in Greece, in Ontario and in Manitoba is that we have waited upon our governments to do everything. On a more local basis, it’s not the job of government to host events like Canada Day or to build ski hills. It’s up to the people. But it’s doggone hard to do any of that stuff when the government, federal, provincial, municipal or school boards, need so much of our money to do their thing. On the whole, Canada will likely never get as far down the troubled road that Greece has, but the signs are there that we have already travelled part way. We have two elections soon, a federal and a provincial one. While far from perfect, the conservative party at both levels is our only hope to stay away from the Greek tragedy.
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ut in the community, I’ve noticed a trend. Over the last four years, the rising interest in social issues among today’s youth is becoming hard to miss. This is good news and it gives me hope for the future of our communities. Last week, I talked to a high school student who is preparing to head overseas to help with an agricultural project in India. She told me that it’s something she has always wanted to do and is very excited about the opMY portunity. PERSPECTIVE She isn’t an anomaly. Other locals students have already travate elled overseas to volunteer ackman tkinson with worthwhile projects in the developing world and many more I talk to want to. In just four years, NACI’s social justice group, called HOPE, has grown to include 75 students. These students have raised money for projects at home and abroad, including raising $10,000 over two years for the construction of a school in Kenya. Earlier this year, 33 students went to Winnipeg Harvest to sort and prepare food and clothing to be given to those in need. They have collected food for the local food bank. NACI isn’t unique. At schools across Manitoba, students both individually and as part of school affiliated groups are working to make a difference around the world. This is in sharp contrast to my peers growing up. Kids of my generation were aware of bad things going on in the world. We grew up with 24 hour news coverage of the genocides in Bosnia and Rwanda, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the beginning of high school shootings and the freeing and subsequent election of Nelson Mandela. We knew what was going on in the world, but we weren’t involved or engaged. Sure we raised money at bake sales, but it was always to benefit us– to fund a trip, or a program or some other project that we wanted. We limited our fundraising to pledges for the Terry Fox Run or collecting change for Unicef on Halloween. The last time such wide spread interest in social issues was seen was in the 1960s and I begin to wonder if activism skips a generation? The 1960s saw a huge wave of social activism and while much of it was centred in the United States, as always, there was plenty of spillover into Canadian attitudes and actions. In the 1960s and early 1970s, youth attached themselves to a range of social issues. The Civil Rights movement, which sought to end racial segregation and discrimination, attracted many socially conscious youth. The movement ultimately led to legislation that banned discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex or national origin. A big win for both the AfricanAmerican and Women’s rights movements. There was the hippie movement of religious and cultural diversity, non-violence, respect for individual rights and independence. Youth protested against government involvement in wars, most notably the Vietnam war, and nuclear proliferation. They marched in support of workers’ rights. For many of the people I know who came of age in that era, that culture of concern for the larger community remains. They are concerned about social issues, they are concerned about their communities and they are our most active volunteers. Today, many have retired but they are the entrepreneurs who built our towns. This drive for the collective good just doesn’t seem as strong in those of later generations, mine included, and we are noticing the effect. Talking with today’s youth gives me hope. I expect they will drift away from activism as they focus on school, their families or the early stages of their career. But we can all hope that as with their grandparents, they will one again look outwards, making lives better at home and abroad.
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