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Here's the kicker from Gary Mason's latest, in the Globe:
...If Northern Gateway doesn’t get built, I suspect it won’t be because the federal government stood in its way...
Really?
Gosh.
The next thing you know Mr. Mason will be telling us that the Ethical Oilers and those British Columbians For Prosperity folks actually do have a wee bit of common cause with the Brothers K.
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Anyway, Mr. Mason did have something interesting from a super-secret, evils-of-access-type anon. source who is apparently a 'senior member' of the Harper government, whatever that means:
...Still, there is a raw political calculus that needs to be taken into account. Polls measuring support for the project in B.C. vary, but generally have shown that anywhere from 55 to 60 per cent of the province opposes Gateway and 40 to 45 per cent support it. Isn’t that enough to scare off a government that needs critical votes in B.C. to win another majority?
“Let’s say 60 per cent are against it,” he (the senior member) said. “And that vote splits between the Liberals and the NDP come the next election. Who are the 40 per cent going to vote for?”...
Why interesting?
Well, because, essentially, the super-secret, super-obvious, chichester cathedral-eating senior member told Mr. Mason that Mr. Harper and company actually do cater to the minority, not just during election season, but also while they are actually, you know...
Governing.
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What's this 'Ron Obvious' stuff all about?...'Tis explained here, kinda/sorta.
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6 comments:
His deep-cover source has also come to the obvious (except for the MSM stenographic crew) conclusion that the promised profits from LNG may never materialize.
That's a terribly accurate lay-out of what to expect in the next months.
Fed approval with First Nations in the courts with Enbridge.
What a waste of time and money and spirit. If the First Nations of British Columbia aren't desperate now, they will be after those fights. This is just another government policy towards the decimation of First Nations people.
I've assumed all along that Harper will call the Canadian Forces to protect construction and that they will have orders to shoot to kill. Now I think Harper will make sure the forces he calls will be the most racist and psychopathic units the Forces have.
There willl be blood.
The major national media will blame the resisters.
Most (most is 50% plus one remember) Canadians will buy the geovernment/media story and shrug it all off. Never forget the overwhelming racism of this fucked up country.
It does NOT matter what the level of support is across the province.
What matters is how that support translates into votes in individual ridings.
Any doubts? Ask Dix.
Racism is fucked up and so's Harper but neither are overwhelming the country. The standoff between BC First Nations and Northern Gateway exists because the province refused to obey Constitutional law that all BNA governments treat with First Nations before white settlement and development for 150 years, but which it is now legally compelled to do. The price to be paid for ever allowing racism to overwhelm the law is going to be huge; the cost to FNs for undoing this injustice is incalculable but the reward will be in the same order of significance as the world's second largest reserve of fossil fuel and the ability to stop a big part of its development dead in its tracks. Aftershocks from any violence to upset this monumental accomplishment would be felt for another century plus.
In the 146 years since the "Chilcotin War", so many things conspired to make FNs a small minority; smallpox and disenfranchisement ruled out strategic or democratic defence; FNs weren't allowed to hire a lawyer for almost a century of confiscations, deportations, poverty, state and church sponsored racism and criminal abuse ---enough to infuriate the mildest pacifist---yet when the prohibition was lifted these harshly victimized people were remarkably civil and impressively prepared to press for justice in court. The legal cases carefully brought since have been well put together and the court decisions are some of biggest of our time, with more to come. Putting it in other terms like electoral punditry often does misses the mark. Harper's recent behaviour suggests he isn't too worried about the electoral or partisan ramifications of Northern Gateway. Crazy bugger looks like he's gonna go straight and hard at the Constitution and take down any Supreme Court Justices get in his way...all eight of 'em (heh, heh,...)
good point, now we may know why Harper is so unhappy with the current Chief of the Supreme Court.
If Harper brings in TFWs for the pipelines, some can be counted on to shoot first and weld later.
Not that long ago the City of Edmonton had an advertising campaign aimed at retired AMERICAN military personnel, to work in the oil fields. Yes, AMERICAN retired military personnel. Why not Canadian military personnel? Most likely American’s would be more willing to shoot to kill than the Canadians.
It maybe Harper realizes it won’t just be FN who are willing to stand on a line and be shot. As I recall, Rafe Mair said he’d do it. There are others, who having lived a full and happy life, may see it as a good ending and doing something at the end. shooting FN still may get by the MSM but shooting little old white men and women, not so much. it will find them in front of a tribunal in the Hague.
I’m not in favour of these pipelines or the tar extraction. it is just too polluting. Now if it can be done with a whole lot less impact, at a slow rate, and the oil is kept in Canada for a continued supply of less expensive oil for Canadians I’m willing to listen. To destroy Canada’s environmnet so muiti national corporations and the government of China can make money, not so much. Then its see you on the picket line and let the government do what it wants.
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