THE RECORD
January 19, 2000

Fiat Lux

by Ed Deak

It is now a daily occurrence to hear of more giant corporations merging into worldwide cartels with their private armies, police forces, schools and whole universities with fully owned professors at their service. It was only a few days ago that Exxon and Mobil announced a merger with the plans to fire 16,000 human beings so they can realize $3.5 billion more profits per year.

Now we have the horror story of the largest merger in history, between the already too large Internet provider, America Online, with the already too large Time Warner corporation. Our billionaire controlled media, while not lauding it, reported the merger in a way to make it sound as the most obvious thing on Earth. No editor would dare to make any unfavourable comments on the advancement of global mind control with megalomaniacs like Conrad Black, Thompson and Murdoch breathing down their necks. To Black the control of the media is "fun", as some of his now unemployed editors found out.

What really surprised me is the approval of the merger by the dean of BC journalists, Hubert Beyers. I have a great respect for Hubert and although we never met, over the years we did exchange a few very friendly Emails. I hope we'll continue to do so, but his support of this merger is something I can't understand, especially since he was such a strong opponent of the MAI.

These disgusting mergers, plus the present Free Trade Area of the Americans, the US EC trade deal and most of all the Millennium Round of the WTO all include the text of the MAI. As our corporate controlled Chrétien government promised, now reiterated by Trade Minister Pettigrew: "We shall get what we want on the long run and there's nothing you can do about it. Democracy is dead and you'd better get used to the new corporate world order!" They may not be not using these exact words, but the intent is in their actions when they support unencumbered globalization and the loss of democratic decision making powers by their own peoples.

I don't share Hubert's beliefs that "While our Southern neighbours are marching confidentially into the 21st Century, Canada is, once again, timidly hiding in the familiar surroundings of the past." The only place our Southern neighbours are marching to is the traditional garbage dump of every inefficient and corrupt colonialist empire of the past.

The US economy is an outwardly beautiful, red apple, but rotten to the core behind the rosy facade. It is propped up by the influx of worthless, faith based, manmade capital from bankrupted countries, giving it a kind of drug induced, temporary euphoria.

Millions living on the streets. 43 million without any medical coverage. Tens of millions scraping by on temporary, below the poverty level jobs, often under inhuman conditions, insecure, stressed out and violent. Shootings in workplaces and schools. One percent of the population owning ninety percent of the wealth. Uncontrollable drug addiction, dysfunctional families with children growing up on TV commercials while wandering from house to house to satisfy custody orders, never experiencing the meaning of real homes and values. Less than half of the voters even bother to use their rights.

The Congress is a collection of paid off lobbyists, religious fundamentalists, con artists and camp followers. Just last week I read a list of how many of the Members have been convicted for various crimes and offences. Presidential elections are decided on the basis of the largest campaign funds, which means total corporate ownership of the government, elected by 27 percent of the voters.

This may be some brave new world, but I would sooner live in the familiar democratic surroundings of the past, even with the least remnants of free thought and common decency.

Unless one can read the Internet's uncensored reports and has to rely on controlled wire services, one could probably believe that these huge mergers are based on the intent to provide better services to the human race. So claimed Hitler, Mao and Stalin.

So, let me end up with the words of Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin on CNN, to show the real intent behind these mergers and the unlimited growth of corporations: "Global media will be and fast becoming the predominant business of the 21st Century. ....the media business is more important than the government. It's more important than educational institutions and non-profits.... We're going to need to have these corporations redefined as instruments of public service and that may be a more efficient way to deal with society's problems than bureaucratic governments. .....corporate dominance is going to be forced on anyhow because when you have a system that is instantly available everywhere in the world immediately, then the old-fashioned regulatory system has to give way."

Well Hubert, I hope you're not subscribing to such sentiments, because having the same, albeit longer fascist and nazi experience, I'd sooner be dead than have fascist road warriors with Mr. Levin's, or Conrad, or David Black's ideas running all over the countryside without a cop in sight. I still believe in a system of law and order, enforced by an elected government.

To be continued...............

Copyright (c) 2000, West's International