As usual I develop my daily headache as I read the news. I have in front of me the first page of The StarPhoenix dated February 11/2004, and read the headlines:

• Auditor slams Ottawa for sponsorship fiasco
• Martensville prosecutors given sensitive data: Sterling
• Corporate directors view fraud as commonplace
• Penis enlargement suit carries big stick
• Obesity called a public health crisis

The federal governmental sponsorship program to promote Canadian unity after the Quebec’s 1995 referendum turns out to be a vehicle to line the pockets of elitist politicians and their patriotic friends. Auditor General Sheila Fraser is outraged at this fragrant abuse of federal money where $100 million has been paid for fees and commission out of a total $250 million sponsorship program. Also, we find out that the RCMP, who has been investigating this corruption case, was investigating itself as the same RCMP has been charged of improperly handling its portion of sponsorship money. To think that a federal government headed by the new neo Conservatives would be more honourable and more integral than the Liberal’s is the same as to think that the Bush administration has brought honour and integrity to the White House.

The Martensville’s sexual scandal is another evidence of the ongoing corruption in the Saskatchewan justice system dating back to the wrongful prosecution of David Milgaard at the end of the 60ies. We had on Thursday the disclosure of the collusion between Sterling’s lawyers and their Crown prosecutor Brent Bauer. In Saskatchewan, it appears that lawyers are united under one law, not the law for justice, but the law for looking after number one.

A survey by the accounting firm KPMG reports that accounting frauds are common in the invisible corridors of the corporate world. Enron, World Com, Tyco, Adelphia, Parmalat, Halliburton and the accounting firm Arthur Anderson are names of corrupt corporations coming to my mind.

I really don’t know what to say about the penis and the obesity articles, but I am sure you can measure the weight of these problems by considering that our educational system is being more privatised.

In October 1999, I discovered that the Government of Saskatchewan was giving the finger to the Saskatchewan people, but I was naïve. I have found out later that in this Free Market every government is really giving the finger to their citizens at large. Our language is being distorted with what I have referred to newspeak, money has become more important than people’s lives, and in the 90ies corporate executive compensation has increased by some 500 times.

Yesterday I learn from Edwin Wallace’s article in Ensign that the Canadian Wheat Board is downsizing by cutting down 135 staff positions. I also learn that Comcast wants to take over Walt Disneys and that Air France is merging with KLM. We have corporate downsizing and mergers for the newspeak purpose to cut costs, and then we have Lou Dobbs of CNN blaming Corporate America for exporting jobs. This is the Free Market, a world of Newspeak.

References

Pertinent articles published in Ensign

Thompson, Elizabeth Auditor slams Ottawa for sponsorship fiasco (PDF) February 11, 2004 CanWest News Service, http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/story.asp?id=5660AB04-D6DA-4F0D-96FF-D083F483EE0A

Steele, Sheila How many lawyers does it take to ruin a province? February 12, 2004 injusticebusters, http://www.injusticebusters.com

deSantis, Mario GOVERNMENTAL COALITION IN SASKATCHEWAN: A PRIVATE CONTRACTUAL DEAL AT THE EXPENSE OF THE ELECTORATE? October 4, 1999 Ensign,

Krugman, Paul The Class Wars October 20, 2002 The New York Times, http://www.class.uidaho.edu/cae/Krugman.ClassWars.htm

Wallace, Edwin Open letter to Larry Hill, Director, CWB Board of Directors, District three February 11, 2004 Ensign