2010-02-24 Democracy, updates in the wake of the Prorogation of Parliament (Canada) followed by US Supreme Court decision on corporate financing of political parties.

The straws that broke the camel’s back.  Flash points.  Masses of people mobilizing in North America:

–         Dec 30, 2009.  Canada: the proroguing of Parliament to shut down public debate over Afghan detainees (among other things).

Three weeks later:

–         Jan 21, 2010.  U.S.:  the Supreme Court decision on corporate financing of political parties.

CONTENTS

(1)    EXCITEMENT:  DEMOCRACY SERIES

(2)    BRIEF UPDATE, MY TRIAL

(3)    UPDATE, AMERICAN SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CORPORATE FINANCING

(4)    SASKATOON – FAIR VOTE CANADA, SASK CHAPTER.  Join us this Saturday

(5)    SASKATOON – WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?  Saturday, March 20^th, 1:00 pm, STM Auditorium (University of Sask).  Mark your calendar!

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(1)    EXCITEMENT:  DEMOCRACY SERIES

George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn – – they all composed music using a theme and then variations on the theme.

My excitement lies in using the theme and variations on democracy, developed in this network, as input for a “What is democracy?” series of public discussions.  It’s broken, how are we going to fix it?

I can’t pass along a great musical score. But maybe collaboratively we can do better than the following.  What would you add?  Your input is welcome!

THE PREMISE I AM WORKING FROM:

Canadian democracy is sick.  One pill won’t fix it.

Our emails have covered these topics, all variations on democracy, problems and solutions:

1. The Canadian first-past-the-post electoral system has to evolve.
2. All jurisdictions require public and individual citizen financing of elections with an end to financing by corporations.   (Jurisdictions that currently have some form of such legislation:  Federal Government, Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick.  (We need it in Saskatchewan.  May I be so bold as to say that Alberta needs it, too!  along with other provinces and territories.)
3. Establish a separation of powers between the governance and commercial functions in Canada.   This includes getting the corporate interest out of the bureaucracy, out of Government agencies and out of the Universities.    (I used the recent examples of genetically-modified rice and flax to illustrate the disastrous consequences of our failure to understand the corruption that is inevitable when a society fails to establish this separation of powers.  Jane Jacobs’ book “Systems of Survival, A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics” provides the argument, if people have any doubt.)
4. Enforcement of the Rule of Law.  Everyone is equal before the law, a critical component of democracy.   (NOTE:  I talked with Gail Davidson from Lawyers Against the War  (Vancouver) in follow-up to bringing charges against the officials in Saskatchewan who were responsible for the arrest of George Bush when he came here in October.  Using Gail’s material, we (Sask.) provided the evidence and legal argument to the responsible officials a month prior to the Bush event.  They did nothing when they have a duty under the law.  ..  I will get an update out (it’s started).  The update includes a new effort by an American Law Professor to get the International Criminal Court to launch a prosecution of Bush and his colleagues.)
5. The power of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Privy Council have to be diminished, brought into balance.    “The Friendly Dictator”  (Jeffrey Simpson’s book on Jean Chretien) documents the concentration of power in the PMO.  And now we have Stephen Harper.   Also, the Privy Council makes many of the strategic appointments in Government, a “power behind the throne” that does not necessarily change when the Prime Minister changes.
6. “GOVERNMENT FRONTS” AND TRANSPARENCY     When Government-funded functions, departments, universities, etc. are called “Corporations” the meaning of words is further debased.   The debased language conceals Government funding AND public ownership  (just a few examples from Saskatchewan alone: SaskWater Corporation, University of Saskatchewan Corporation, Agwest Biotech, Information Services Inc. .. there’s a long list of examples.).   Transparency and accountability are lost.  Eventually public ownership is lost.     The Americans are currently fighting for an amendment to their Constitution to say that corporations do not have the same rights as citizens.  We need to define “corporation” in Canada.   “Government fronts”  need to go.  Entities that are publicly-funded are not “corporations”. Their name must show the connection to Government; the name cannot be used to disguise or conceal the flow of tax-payer money.
7.  My trial over the contracting-out of Canadian census work to Lockheed Martin (American military-industrial-government complex) raises issues of privacy of information in a democracy.   And issues of the rule-of-law and morality.

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Thanks to Grenville who writes:

1. Canada desperately needs fundamental Monetary Reform.
2. Ownership and control of the media, in all its forms, is concentrated in very few hands, giving the owners unfetterd power to make or break people, political parties, corporations.
3. We hear the cry from every party, and many individuals and organizations “They must be held accountable!” Fine words and sentiments, but exactly, precisely, what does it mean to be accountable?
4. Canada is not a “Free and Democratic” country, nor is Canada a sovereign nation.

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(2)    BRIEF UPDATE, MY TRIAL

My next court appearance is March 16^th.  Then April 20^th.

I expect March 16^th will be short.  I will go on the stand to give more evidence, but it will be focused on only one thing, the “privacy” nature of the information sought by StatsCan.  I don’t know what to expect of the prosecutor’s cross-examination of me which will also take place.

On April 20^th a lawyer will present the “argument” to the Court on my behalf, and the Prosecutor will argue the Crown’s position.

So April 20^th will likely be the more interesting court date?

ASIDE:   I did not see this connection until just recently:

• the Nazis (Hitler) and the Communists (Stalin) both embraced godless states; they outlawed religion – loyalty to the ideology.
• I believe we now have corporatocracy in North America, not democracy.
• Corporate behaviour is notoriously godless.  Lockheed Martin would stand at the pinnacle of godlessness …   OOPS!  I suppose there is one god and it is money.

FOR NEWCOMERS:

My trial over the contracting-out of Canadian census work to Lockheed Martin (American military-industrial-government complex) raises issues of privacy of information in a democracy.

Detailed information files on citizens is a characteristic of nazi/fascist/militaristic regimes.

The trial also raises the issue of our complicity in the enrichment of a corporation with a long record of serious court convictions, and that has been a major manufacturer of weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction, land mines and cluster bombs.

Canada is signatory to International Laws that prohibit these weapons, and we have our own laws that are even more stringent than the International Conventions.

How is it that we are awarding Government contracts collectively worth more than a billion dollars to these people?  Canadian foreign policy dictates that we are to impose sanctions against entities that break International Laws.  The rule of law and morality must be enforced.

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(3)    UPDATE, AMERICAN SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CORPORATE FINANCING

On January 24, 2010 we circulated “A Gift for global citizens:  U.S. Supreme Court gives corporations free spending on political campaigns”.

The decision (Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) set up a storm of protest in the U.S. that launched an effort to amend the American Constitution.

I signed up at this link and received a first update (below):

http://action.citizen.org/t/10315/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2190

There is also good information at:

http://www.thealliancefordemocracy.org/

Citizens in Canada and in the U.S. are working on the same issues of democracy versus corporatocracy.

an e-newsletter about the movement to curb corporate influence in politics and restore our democracy   Issue #1 • February 24, 2010We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of Public Citizen’s e-newsletter about the intersection of money and politics. This is part of the campaign we developed following the disastrous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts supporting or attacking political candidates. We’ll update you regularly with select news stories and blog posts, legislative developments and ways to get involved.New index highlights extraordinary corporate resources   (Links below no longer valid – italicized text) Corporations do not establish their “worth” through political and expressive speech, as the Supreme Court suggested recently in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, but through a different kind of statement altogether – the financial statement. What may not be quite so obvious is how extraordinary are the resources that corporations can mobilize as against what is now spent on elections.Consider: > Total amount spent on federal elections in the 2008 election cycle:    $5.285 billion > Revenues of top-selling drug Lipitor, 2007-2008: $27 billion Read Public Citizen President Robert Weissman’s column on The Huffington Post. Bayh explains his bye-bye Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) expounded in Sunday’s New York Times on why he is quitting the Senate. In addition to citing excessive partisanship, he says the burden of raising money takes a tremendous toll. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision will only make matters worse, he says. Bayh’s solution: a constitutional amendment, enhanced disclosure of who pays for ads and public financing of elections. Read Bayh’s op-ed. Something we can all agree on In these days of highly partisan politics, it’s refreshing to see people on the right and left agree. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows widespread disapproval of the Supreme Court’s decision to give corporations the right to spend unlimited money to influence elections. Eighty percent said they oppose the ruling, while 65 percent said they strongly oppose it. Responses were similar regardless of party affiliation. Learn more about a constitutional amendment Public Citizen recently hosted a Webinar for supporters who wanted to learn more about the Citizens United ruling and ways to blunt it. We explained why we need public financing of elections, legislation that gives shareholders a say over corporate funding of campaigns and, above all, a constitutional amendment clarifying that corporations aren’t people and don’t have First Amendment rights. Visit  www.DontGetRolled.org  to learn more!

(4)    SASKATOON – FAIR VOTE CANADA, SASK CHAPTER.  Join us this Saturday

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(5)    SASKATOON – WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?  Saturday, March 20^th, 1:00 pm, STM Auditorium.

EVENT NAME:  What is Democracy?  A Discussion on Democracy in Canada

Presentations by 3 panelists followed by audience comments, questions and answers.

This is an information and learning event organized by citizens who have concerns.    

DATE:  Saturday, March 20^th

TIME:  1:00 pm – 4:30 pm

LOCATION:  University of Saskatchewan, St Thomas More Auditorium

All are welcome!  Please join us.

Top-notch presenters.

No charge.  Pass-the-hat to cover expenses.