Tag Archives: Shock Doctrine

A Better World is Needed, Activism, Canada, Class War, Colonialism, Democracy, Economics, Haiti, Identity, Imperialism, International Relations, Neo-Conservatism, Neoliberal Economics, Poverty, Privatization, USA

A Happy Birthday for Haiti

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So I’ve just turned 45. What a sweet age!

Instead of asking people to only bring a quirky 45rpm record to my party next month, I’d rather give people an opportunity to donate money to the Canadian Red Cross for Haitian earthquake relief.

As many of you know, the case study in my master’s thesis was on how Haiti is the poster child for Canada pursuing, then undermining, the Human Security Agenda, with our economic exploitation of the country culminating in helping the USA kidnap Aristide on February 29, 2004 and flying him to the Central African Republic.

And many of you also know that I got my start in political awareness and international development work from Red Cross Youth seminars like this one over 25 years ago.

So, I’m fundraising in support of the Canadian Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. It’s estimated that three million people have been affected by the disaster, and 200,000 have been left homeless. Thanks to hundreds of local volunteers with the Haitian Red Cross—many of whom lost loved ones, the Red Cross was able to respond immediately. Please donate and help the Red Cross. Haiti needs your help.And they need your help more then I need presents!

Donate Now!

 

$45 for my 45th birthday, or more or less. Or maybe even $208 for Haiti’s 208th anniversary of the Haitian slaves declaring their independence. It’s up to you!

British Columbia, Canada, Class War, Corporations, Democracy, Economics, Health, Journalism, Media, Neoliberal Economics, Poverty, Privatization

National Post’s Medicare “Crisis” Editorial Ignores Tax Cut Trigger

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The National Post is consistent in its criticism of the “usual outrage” of people who still believe in public healthcare. In today’s editorial they normalize marketized solutions to the healthcare crisis. Then they blame universalists for wanting to create misery. There is one glaring problem with their editorial line, though:

Change will come. Governments can help facilitate it, or continue to enforce delays to everyone’s detriment.

via National Post editorial board: Finding ways to health-care innovation | Full Comment | National Post.

Why is there a funding crisis in healthcare?

Neoliberal governments have done more than facilitate it, they have caused it.

Thirty years of continental, national and provincial neoliberalism, particularly in tax cuts and privatization, have defunded governments’ ability to fund healthcare properly.

Then in proper Shock Doctrine style, the right wing media asserts the crisis, calls on the market to solve it, then criticizes people who think it’s a human right for all to have the best healthcare possible as stodgy.

Then they use rhetorical spin to make it sound like government policy is to perpetuate delays: “continue to enforce delays to everyone’s detriment.”

All the media has to do is neglect to mention the massive tax cuts, largely to the rich, that have created the problem in the first place.

It’s called the Shock Doctrine. Naomi Klein wrote about it. Gordon Campbell worships it with his golden straightjacket fiscal knives, and even after he “resigned” he will steer that policy until the very last day he is in charge.