Not a time for relativistic pandering

By Letter to the Editor on February 29, 2020.

Re: “What comes next can’t be arrested away” Feb. 22

It’s disappointing that the writer quickly rising in province-wide notoriety for his tacit regurgitation of left-wing opinion won’t take a side in the illegal rail blockades. I guess arresting non-Indigenous anarchists seizing on the opportunity of gaining a little fame and notoriety by riding the coattails on the handful of legitimately disgruntled protesters, is too difficult a judgment call for some leftists to make. Never mind the impacts that resupplying the dwindling stock of chlorine necessary for sanitation and clean drinking water, propane shipments necessary for the care for livestock, and the long-term consequences of disrupting trade of commodities and being labeled an unreliable trading partner will make. This is not a time for relativistic “everybody has their own opinion” pandering.

But Mr. Schmidt makes a telling admission that even the wall-to-wall coverage of the CBC would never admit. This is little more than a proxy war of the left, seeking another avenue to curtail and harass the petroleum industry. Trying to create a nation-wide reenactment of the Standing Rock protests south of the border, with the likely next step, if the feds and the RCMP ever do decide to impose the rule of law, that celebrities and politicians will likely join the chorus of lament. In so doing, the legitimate grievances of unresolved land claims, native unemployment, and poor access to essential services on reservations will continue to fester.

But when Schmidt that the only positive outcome will be the undeniable push to “sincerely respond to the realities of climate change,” and “the existential threat it poses to humanity and the planet,” the sleight of hand is complete. What Greta Thunberg and David Suzuki couldn’t accomplish, George Soros likely will, with the media tut-tutting us all the way.

The fact is that our society has always been in a state of change. But there are other avenues to address concerns that the radical left continues to fearmonger. Premier Jason Kenney and our federal government should seriously consider diversifying our economy by considering the expansion of nuclear power, promoted recently by Premiers Moe, Ford and Higgs. Canada has tremendous untapped opportunity with fifth-generation nuclear power and thorium, which will be the only way we can meet Paris Accord targets, without upending our economy. The economic benefits, which could include partnerships with Native groups across Canada looking to diversify their opportunity for economic benefit, far outweighs whatever goals the current muddled desires of the protesters are communicating.

But make no mistake, that imposing the rule of law in this country is not an option if we are to continue as a united nation.