The move by some American legislators to adopt a “buy America” strategy for their multi-multi-billion buy-out package is understandable. After all, if they’re going to invest up to a trillion of their dollars, do they really want the money to wash overseas? The critics inevitably cry “protectionism” – and point to dire warnings of a “trade war” that would take an already sick global economy and send it even further down.

Truth is – policy and politics is never as black and white as the ideologues insist. Local procurement strategies are a necessary and important tool in local policies. For environmental, energy and other reasons, a food procurement policy for City of Toronto agencies that sources local produce is a great idea. Similarly, the announcement by the Ontario government as part of its poverty reduction strategy in early December that it would review its procurement strategies to give a preference to social enterprises (such as those owned, operated or that employ low-income people) is terrific news.

The unrestrained trade advocates say that nothing – not equity, the environment, local economic development, health or any other concerns – should be allowed to interfere with the sacred flow of goods and services. These same advocates usually are deeply opposed to the free flow of people (they almost always demand ever tighter immigration rules).

If there’s anything that the collapse of the financial sector, which has pulled down much of the real economy, has taught us it is that we need to pay attention to not just one bottom line (return on investment), but also pay attention to health, social, environmental and equity concerns.

The hysterical and over-blown corporate gang-up on the Obama administration in recent days, aided and abetted by their friends in governments around the world, is entirely expected. Martin Luther King said four decades ago that every revolution brings an inevitable counter-revolution. Barack Obama’s revolution of hope is already being followed by an almighty howl from those who don’t want to lose control of the economy.

It’s entirely predictable.

It was October 29, 1929, that ushered in the great stock market collapse that in turn led to the great depression of the 1930s. The depression was probably the lowest point for market ideologues. There were times when it looked as if capitalism wouldn’t survive.

The growth of statism in the Soviet Union and elsewhere, and the rise of facism in Germany and elsewhere, challenged liberal democracy with its dependence on private markets.

Democratic socialism (including the election of Tommy Douglas and the Co-oeprative Commonwealth Federation, the first elected socialist government in North America, in 1944) also grew as the failures of markets were laid bare.

Of course, as we now know, market ideology began to assert itself during the second world war and kept growing. The growth of private markets were aided by liberal democratic parties – such as the Liberals in Canada and the Democrats in the United States – who campaign on socialist values but govern with a ruthless devotion to private markets.

The international neo-liberal agenda – called “globalization” – has been imposed on governments and economies around the world through economic and sometimes military force. But is the pendulum swinging away from market ideology and neo-liberalism.

Historian Eric Hobsbawm sees signs of the retreat of market ideology (though not as dramatic as the collapse of 1929). John Ralston Saul, in his 2005 book The Collapse of Globalism, is direct in his analysis.

One thing is certain. Human history is the story of change. Usually, that change is brought by an interplay of powerful forces. Sometimes, change bubbles up from people and human values.

Another thing is certain. Despite its elaborate mythology, market ideology has profoundly failed to meet basic human needs here in Canada, and around the world. Far from being the efficient distributor of resources claimed by its adherents, markets reward the powerful and punish the powerless.

- Michael Shapcott

Eat locally, think globally – that’s the wonderful theme for a terrific restaurant in downtown Halifax called the Wooden Monkey.

After spending a few days in Halifax, I am delighted to recommend two terrific places for wonderful food and great people:

- the Wooden Monkey is located at 1685 Argyle Street. They have a menu ranging from great seafood to wonderful vegan. Lots of local produce, lots of connections to local businesses. And a great old building that has been renovated.

- Annie’s Place is a tiny place on the second floor at 1513 Birmingham Street (just off Spring Garden). Annie herself commands the little kitchen, dispensing good food and great advice.

These are wonderful places with good food.

Enjoy your meals.

- Michael

Almost every media report from, or about, Iraq prominently features the number of U.S. military casualties – and often the number of British military casualties – but almost never do we read about the number of others who are dying.

Here is a box score, based on some recent estimates:

Number of U.S. military casualties: 2,788 (source: icasualties.org)

Number of British military casualties: 119 (source: icasualties.org)

Number of other military casualties: 119 (source: icasualties.org)

Number of Iraq military casualties: ???? (no one seems to be counting)

Number of Iraq civilian casualties: 655,000 (source: October 2006 study published by The Lancet)

An October 2004 study by The Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal, reported that the risk of death by violence in Iraq is 58 times higher than before the illegal U.S. invasion.

U.S. soldiers are dying at an extremely high rate in Iraq – and that’s a tragedy.

But the civilian casualty rate is unconscionably high – and that’s a catastrophe.

Why doesn’t the media include the civilian death rate in the second paragraph of every story about Iraq – just like they do with the U.S. military death rate?

The facts are pretty compelling.

- Michael Shapcott

Question:

Why is it that a failed, former New Democrat (Bob Rae) is wowing some Liberal delegates, when they could have an honest-to-goodness, effective and current New Democrat (Jack Layton)?

Answer:

Bob Rae delivers what the Liberals want, the appearance of something good, without the substance.

- Michael

The rumours are swirling that the right-wing Member of Parliament Garth Turner, who has been kicked out of the Conservative caucus, is being courted by the Green Party.

There is an honourable and appropriate course of action for Turner and the Greens. He should resign his seat, then stand in a by-election as a Green candidate. Let the voters decide. That’s the democratic way.

Instead of that, the Green Party are so anxious to get a toe-hold in Parliament and they know that they can’t get it through the traditional means – ie. have a candidate win in a riding – that they are prepared to embrace the cantankerous and far-right Turner.

This speaks volumes about the Greens. They claim to be a party of the “centre” (who doesn’t, these days), but they are lusting after the extreme fringes of Parliament.

It also speaks volumes about Turner.

- Michael

The report from New York that Hezbollah may have used a cluster bomb during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon underlines the urgent need to banish these inhumane weapons for once and for all.

Israeli, with the backing of the United States, rained as many as four million of these extremely nasty “bomblets” on Lebanon during their invasion – and many of them were “duds” which didn’t explode on impact. They could explode days, weeks, months or years later. The little bomblets, often in colourful jackets, are very attractive to young children.

That’s why international human rights advocates say “drop now, kill later”.

Cluster bombs are like aerial land mines. Land mines are now recognized internationally as illegal and against the conduct of civilized countries – though far too many countries still deploy land mines.

It was immoral and wrong for Hezbollah to deploy the cluster bomb. It is immoral and wrong for Israel, with its U.S. backers, to deploy four million of those bombs.

- Michael

There is politics in death, as in life. Some dead people are just more important than others.

Tyler Stanger is the name of the flight instructor who died when a small airplane crashed into an apartment building in New York City.

The other person on the plane was Cory Lidle, a baseball player. His name was prominently displayed after the tragic accident.

You had to scan a fair amount of media to find the name of Tyler Stanger.

- Michael

As I was jammed into the TTC subway car this morning, barely able to breath for the crowd, I was pondering the decision of Bell Canada to convert to an income trust – and dodge an estimated $800 million in taxes in 2008.

Bell is not just gouging the public treasury – and the rest of us taxpayers. All those who use Bell services will also pay, because they shouldn’t expect that a penny of that $800 million taken from their payments will result in better service or lower costs.

Bell users are paying the bills, but it’s the anonymous investors who will make the big gains. No doubt the bulk of them will get good “tax advice” – ie. a group of sharp lawyers and accountants who will help them to dodge their tax obligations.

So, it’s lose and lose all around.

Taxpayers will see valuable revenue lost as yet another big corporation evades its tax duties.

Bell users will see valuable revenue lost as their payments are drained from the company to feed investors.

This is no way to run a country, and no way to run a company.

Bell is not alone. It’s just the latest in a series of corporations that are taking advantage of clever advice to dodge their taxes.

Bell is voiding the basic contract that forms the basis of incorporation. Corporations are fictional legal entities, created by legislation. The shareholders who create a corporate do so to avoid individual liability and to achieve all the rights of “natural persons”.

The deal is that corporations, in exchange for these privileges and rights, have some basic obligations that all other “natural persons” also have. Including the obligation to pay their fair share of the tax bill.

After all, corporations enjoy all the benefits of our fax-funded public services: They get to use the roads (and transit); they get to hire workers who receive a public education; they get to use the public health system; they benefit from the “peace, order and good government” offered through our constitution.

Bell Canada, like a growing number of other corporations, wants all these advantages, but they want someone else to pay.

It’s time to re-examine the basic corporate pact. If they are not prepared to pay their fair share, then perhaps they should be denied the rights of citizenship.

If corporations like Bell Canada don’t want to pay taxes, then let’s establish a fair system of user fees to charge them the cost of the public services that they are enjoying.

- Michael Shapcott

Join the crowd and stand up to make poverty history on October 15 and October 17.

Click on www.makepovertyhistory.ca for more info.

I’ve been proudly wearing my white wristband for more than a year.

- Michael Shapcott