In the New World of the Bushes every problem is a problem of individual accountability and the American system is absolutely right. So with this Bush we have the invention of the war against the tactic of "terrorism" and the new legal definition of "enemy combatant" within the framework of executing regime changes under the political doctrine of unilaterally waging "pre-emptive wars."

President Bush has become the freedom preacher who best represents the ultimate hypocrisy of the Free Market, that is, the running of public policies as private businesses. For example, how can there ever be justification for waging an American unilateral war against Iraq, or against any other country, or against any tactical terrorism, with a privatised army? This is pure madness, which materialises with socially painful unintended consequences and personal tragedies. In this regard it suffices to mention the torture which took place at the Iraqi prison Abu Ghraib[1].

Hypocrisy is the culprit of our decadent democracy[2], and this hypocrisy is self evident in the running of public policies as private businesses. Last weekend I read two articles referring to the resignation of Jim Fergusson, CEO of the Saskatoon Health Region. These articles label Jim Fergusson as a double-dipper[3] and incompetent executive[4]; even though he resigned voluntarily, he is receiving a severance pay and a consulting contract with the health region. This situation is no different from what happened in Saskatchewan in 1993 when Hewitt Helmsing resigned voluntarily as CEO from the Saskatchewan Health-Care Association[5] and pocketed an undisclosed  six digit severance pay. We have an eroding public health care system for people at large and a profitable health care system for their CEOs.

The health care problem in Canada is that its public health care is run as a business, and I don’t buy necessarily the conventional reasoning that more money is needed in health care. Both Liberal leader Paul Martin and Conservative leader Stephen Harper have been promising more money for health care, but how credible are they when Martin has a personal doctor running a chain of private clinics[5] and when Harper wants to cut taxes?[6]

Hypocrisy is the main culprit of our social problems and our leading politicians have raised hypocrisy to the priced management skill to live with ambiguity and become Orwellian doublethinkers.. Are we being duped? I believe so.

References

Pertinent articles published in Ensign

Definition of HYPOCRISY: The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. An act or instance of such falseness. Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.

1. Hersh, Seymour M. Torture at Abu Ghraib American soldiers brutalized Iraqis. How far up does the responsibility go? Issue of 2004-05-10, The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040510fa_fact

2. deSantis, Mario Democracy is neither scientific polling nor privatisation, and we don’t need to compare apples with apples April 30, 2004 Ensign http://www.ftlcomm.com:16080/ensign/desantisArticles/2003_800/desantis893/applesNapples.html

3. Wood, James Opposition says former CEO double-dipping (pdf) June 05, 2004, The StarPhoenix, http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/news/story.html?id=739a5e74-521b-4abd-81d8-9ca5aaafccb3

4. SP Opinions Health board must explain (pdf) June 05, 2004 The StarPhoenix, http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/news/story.html?id=a69154fd-e2d5-4bcb-b459-f976d3a14d74

5. Wyatt, Mark Helmsing, SHA settle: Severance not disclosed September 29, 1993 The Leader Post, http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-article-HelmsingSettlement-Sept29-93.htm

6. Health-Talk Martin Denies Using Private Health Care May 9, 2004 http://www.healthtalk.ca/martin_05082004_7121.php

7. CBC News Tories promise $58B in tax cuts, new spending June 5, 2004 http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/06/05/canada/harper_platform040605

Picture credits: Original images, Paul Martin; REUTERS/Chris Wattie George Bush; AFT/Tim Sloan Stephen Harper; AP PHOTO/CP, Jonathan Hayward