Ralph Nader and the GDP Canadian Saga

Nipawin - March 2, 2001 - by: Mario deSantis

corporation domination
I have a deep respect for the outstanding work of Ralph Nader to advance the causes to

protect consumers at large and democracy. However, in the complex world we live in we

can't make over simplifications. Nader spoke at the University of Toronto, lashed out at

the corporation domination of society, and mentioned that a hypothetical US left wing

government would have constrained the power of the big corporations and would have

studied a health-care system modelled on Canada⁽¹⁾.

side
show
He said that the electoral battle between President Bush and Al Gore was nothing else

but a side show since the people who make the decisions are the big corporations, who

dominate one department after another, one agency after another. Nader also stated that

the corporations tightened their grip on the political system by virtue of the surrender of

the Democratic Party and a weakening of the trade unions.

left or
right
I am a bit annoyed when I hear of a left or right wing government when our real problems

are ones of democracy, of poverty and social inequality. Certainly we need political parties

to advance our social and economic causes, they bring different leadership, different social

and economic perspectives, but again these political parties must speak a common language,

a social and economic language everybody can understand.

cultural
aspirations
The common language is that language which provides our well-being and therefore the

people active participation in our communities' life, having jobs, having healthy families,

having education, pursuing our social and cultural aspirations.

economic
vision
We don't have to have a fight against the corporation domination, we must just change

our language and pursue our social growth not because we increase our GDP but because

we live healthier lives. Our social and economic problem is not one of being more or less

capitalistic, or more or less socialistic; we can't change our social and cultural experiences,

but we can all pursue the social and economic vision to be healthier.

measured
Therefore, all of our political and economic efforts must be measured in terms of how these

efforts will affect our well-being, and not how these efforts will affect the GDP. As I already

mentioned in a previous article, we have social economists who are getting away from

traditional economic indexes of performance, and they are putting more emphasis on our

well-being and on how active social programs⁽²⁾ can increase our well-being⁽³⁾.

senseless
crusade
The corporation and the trade union businesses would just be a matter of consequence.

Therefore, the current strife of our Canadian bankers, business leaders and politicians

to rally our passion to overcome the US standard of living in the next years years⁽⁴⁾ is a

futile and senseless crusade.

Charles
Baillie
As the bankers have been making money at the expense of people at large⁽⁵⁾, so we have

Canadian Crusader Charles Baillie, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of TD Bank

Financial Group, preaching the bank's gospel that our goal should be to increase our

standard of living so that in fifteen years it is not just equal to the United States, but it is

better ... On average, we have to have 1.6% points faster growth than the United States,

every year, for fifteen years. If the U.S. economy were to grow on average 3.4% per year,

we would have to grow 5%⁽⁶⁾.

democracy
The GDP Canadian saga continues at the expense of democracy and for the ongoing

benefit of the bankers⁽⁷⁾, the government, big corporations and their friends.

------------References/endnotes:

List of relevant political and economics articles http://ensign.ftlcomm.com

1.
-
Nader blasts corporate domination, MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT, The Globe and Mail, March 2, 2001

2.
-
Growth, inequality and social protection, Roman Arjona, Maxime Ladaique, Mark Pearson OECD, January 26-27th , 2001 Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Ontari

3.
-
Business must not be as usual, and the "Dalhousie School" of Economics, by Mario deSantis, February 26, 2001

4.
Canada can outdo U.S. economy, Martin says, Alan Toulin, National Post, February 28, 2001

5,
-
The real challenge of David Dodge, Brian K. MacLean, Financial Post/National Post, December 26, 2000

6.
-
Address by A. Charles Baillie, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer TD Bank Financial Group to The Canadian Club, Toronto, February 26, 2001

7.
Profits up at CIBC, bank raises dividend, CBC Canada, March 1, 2001


Nipawin - March 2, 2001 - by: Mario deSantis

corporation domination	I have a deep respect for the outstanding work of Ralph Nader to advance the causes to
	protect consumers at large and democracy. However, in the complex world we live in we
	can't make over simplifications. Nader spoke at the University of Toronto, lashed out at
	the corporation domination of society, and mentioned that a hypothetical US left wing
	government would have constrained the power of the big corporations and would have
	studied a health-care system modelled on Canada⁽¹⁾.

side show	He said that the electoral battle between President Bush and Al Gore was nothing else
	but a side show since the people who make the decisions are the big corporations, who
	dominate one department after another, one agency after another. Nader also stated that
	the corporations tightened their grip on the political system by virtue of the surrender of
	the Democratic Party and a weakening of the trade unions.

left or right	I am a bit annoyed when I hear of a left or right wing government when our real problems
	are ones of democracy, of poverty and social inequality. Certainly we need political parties
	to advance our social and economic causes, they bring different leadership, different social
	and economic perspectives, but again these political parties must speak a common language,
	a social and economic language everybody can understand.

cultural aspirations	The common language is that language which provides our well-being and therefore the
	people active participation in our communities' life, having jobs, having healthy families,
	having education, pursuing our social and cultural aspirations.

economic vision	We don't have to have a fight against the corporation domination, we must just change
	our language and pursue our social growth not because we increase our GDP but because
	we live healthier lives. Our social and economic problem is not one of being more or less
	capitalistic, or more or less socialistic; we can't change our social and cultural experiences,
	but we can all pursue the social and economic vision to be healthier.

measured	Therefore, all of our political and economic efforts must be measured in terms of how these
	efforts will affect our well-being, and not how these efforts will affect the GDP. As I already
	mentioned in a previous article, we have social economists who are getting away from
	traditional economic indexes of performance, and they are putting more emphasis on our
	well-being and on how active social programs⁽²⁾ can increase our well-being⁽³⁾.

senseless crusade	The corporation and the trade union businesses would just be a matter of consequence.
	Therefore, the current strife of our Canadian bankers, business leaders and politicians
	to rally our passion to overcome the US standard of living in the next years years⁽⁴⁾ is a
	futile and senseless crusade.

Charles Baillie	As the bankers have been making money at the expense of people at large⁽⁵⁾, so we have
	Canadian Crusader Charles Baillie, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of TD Bank
	Financial Group, preaching the bank's gospel that our goal should be to increase our
	standard of living so that in fifteen years it is not just equal to the United States, but it is
	better ... On average, we have to have 1.6% points faster growth than the United States,
	every year, for fifteen years. If the U.S. economy were to grow on average 3.4% per year,
	we would have to grow 5%⁽⁶⁾.

democracy	The GDP Canadian saga continues at the expense of democracy and for the ongoing
democracy	benefit of the bankers⁽⁷⁾, the government, big corporations and their friends.

------------References/endnotes:

	List of relevant political and economics articles http://ensign.ftlcomm.com

1. -	Nader blasts corporate domination, MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT, The Globe and Mail, March 2, 2001

2. -	Growth, inequality and social protection, Roman Arjona, Maxime Ladaique, Mark Pearson OECD, January 26-27th , 2001 Chateau Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Ontari

3. -	Business must not be as usual, and the "Dalhousie School" of Economics, by Mario deSantis, February 26, 2001

4.	Canada can outdo U.S. economy, Martin says, Alan Toulin, National Post, February 28, 2001

5, -	The real challenge of David Dodge, Brian K. MacLean, Financial Post/National Post, December 26, 2000

6. -	Address by A. Charles Baillie, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer TD Bank Financial Group to The Canadian Club, Toronto, February 26, 2001

7.	Profits up at CIBC, bank raises dividend, CBC Canada, March 1, 2001