Whenever I learn of a new authority replacing a totalitarian regime I hold my breath and hope that I’ll not see another birth of George Orwell’s Animal Farm — a novel that was an analogy of Stalin’s Soviet Union. Well-meaning leaders who give promise of great hope for a better life overthrow a ruthless system. Then the process is corrupted by self-seekers, who betray the hope and crush it with a secret-police organization while the original leaders are legally murdered and the betrayers live in luxury.
I’m holding my breath about Venezuela. A difference here is that the newcomers were elected to power and so far maintain power through the electoral process. As a result of cross-checking reports from political left to right it seems that Hugo Chavez is as good as his word. His so-called Bolivarian Revolution is of benefit to the vast majority of the Venezuelan population.
Not so in Ethiopia. In 1991 young rebels came out of the jungle and took power away from a totalitarian gang. There was great hope. But today that hope has been crushed as the gang from the jungle became thoroughly corrupted and rule as badly as those they overthrew. Since True North began publishing last December, a number of articles about Ethiopia have landed on my screen that speak of war crimes against their own people and against the Somalians. The current governing regime in Ethiopia appears to be entirely out of control by all standards of democratic experiments. Please see below a report by The New York Times.
Back on the home front, please be reminded that in a couple of days we’ll be back to another True North No Gas Friday. For the uninitiated True North No Gas Fridays offers the driving public an opportunity to hit back at price gouging by Big Oil. Our thesis is that governments large and small will not act to restrain the oil robber barons until voters register their insistence that they share in the record high profits in the oil industry by having to pay less at the pumps. As Big Oil scores record high profits, so do governments gain in taxes. There’s nothing wrong with profits, and taxes pay the way for living in a wonderful country like Canada — but there are limits. During World War 11 the government imposed the War Time Prices and Trade Board to prevent profiteering. Government today has the power to prevent gouging by Big Oil. However, Government will not act until Canadians show “that they’re mad as hell and won’t take it anymore.” By not buying gas on Friday you can demonstrate your objection without having to vote for one political party or another. Don’t by shy; just don’t buy!
See you Friday, but not at the gas pumps.
Looking forward
Carl Dow
Editor and Publisher
True North Perspective