Many
progressives consider themselves to be ‘liberal’ in their ideals and thoughts,
so they align with the party that carries the name. They are not analytical or
deep thinkers. Their leanings are heavily socialist; they tend to adopt causes
for underdogs particularly people in far flung places.
Many
of you will recall protests and publicity campaigns aimed at corporations for
using ‘slave labour’, and ignoring human rights in overseas operations. Apple,
Cisco, H&M, IBM, Nestle, Nike, Nygard, Starbucks and Walmart and many
others have been targeted.
You
will also recall ‘blood diamonds’ and the condemnation of diamond mining in
places like Angola where human rights are absent, and profits are used to
finance banditry and civil wars.
Outraged
progressives fought for laws to prevent or restrict corporations from doing
business with regimes that failed to implement human rights ... and that
demanded bribes from foreign businesses.
That
is why SNC-Lavalin is before the criminal courts today.
We
have laws restricting Canadian corporations, and their subsidiaries, from
paying bribes to do business.
The
government that condemns other nations for failure to implement human rights,
and engaging in bribery, is not so ultraistic when the offender is Canadian --and
one of its darlings.
Ideology
and reality are often incompatible. A lesson lost on governments is that it is wise
to mind our own business, and ensure that Canada respects human rights for all
her residents -- and does not allow internal bribery.
We pay
a price for misplaced idealism.
John
Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg,
Manitoba
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