He mocked us..He mocked us, he mocked us..That Jack-in-Office at the PMO threw dirt as good, hard-working, God-fearing Albertans trundled off to the polls to have their say on transfer payments that have soaked us dry of billions of oil patch dollars for decades..The very man who, in recent years, has spent more time in the ethics office than any other politician in Canada, had the absolute gall to marginalize our province, and our premier, by saying the issue was “incredibly political.”.Regardless of how they voted (Elections Alberta reported 61.7% of voters said “yes,” to ending Equalization, with 38.3% checking “no”), they had a fair, democratic right to choose..“To eliminate equalization, which is what’s proposed in Jason Kenney’s referendum, is something that cannot be done by the federal government,” Justin Trudeau said with a sardonic smile..“It needs to be done by the federal government working with seven provinces or territories representing over 50% of the Canadian population.”.Sorry pal, that’s not true and you know it..If Alberta wants to opt-out, it can opt out … and praise God, someday that will happen. .That Ottawa-based baboon can’t stop us if we wish to go our own way. Especially if we embark on a balanced journey of provincial autonomy over the next decade. .To borrow a quote from his father — who had cajones — “Just watch (us)!”.The entire issue was summed up by the increasingly leftist Globe & Mail, with a disgustingly overbearing and insulting headline that read: “Don’t take Alberta’s referendum seriously.”.I won’t offer any further details, the headline was enough. .Between the Globe and the federal freeloaders in Ottawa, it’s not hard to figure out the West will never, ever be taken seriously or treated fairly and equally with the bully boys: Quebec and Ontario and their media cronies..The Eastern Laurentian elites will continue to screw us over. It will never stop. .And you know as well as I do, with the rapidly increasing national debt, it ain’t gonna get better..Not for you, me, or the generations to come..Columnist Rex Murphy summed up Alberta’s plight very well, in a 2019 piece in the National Post:.The Suzukis, the Sierra Clubs, the always railing Greenpeacers, the fund-raising behemoths of the eco-industry, and the swarms of petty NGOs, self-appointed activists, and trippy climate celebrities — Bill Nye the Foolish Guy may stand for them all — have feasted on the portrayal of Alberta energy as world-damaging, nature-offending and planet-despoiling..It was and is a gang-up on a global scale. One fragment, one singular project of an entire world industry in a little corner of Alberta has been painted as the villain of planetary disaster. Under the specious umbrella of “we must save the planet” and “global warming is an existential crisis” the energy industry of a single province has endured a vicious, unfair and fanatic assault..A while back, I was having a beer at one of my favourite establishments, the Border Crossing, down on 17 Ave. S.E..They make an escargot dish with melted cheese and toast that is to die for and a nice deck in the back where a guy can enjoy a nice Cuban cigarillo in peace. .Anyway, I was chatting with a fellow who did time in the “Big House.”.He seemed a good, hard-working fellow who made a mistake, paid the price and learned from it and then moved on..I asked him what was it like in there?.‘You don’t wanna go there, man … you don’t,” he said. The serious look on his face added to that sentiment..“But let me tell you something. If you ever do end up there, the biggest, toughest guy in the joint is going to come up to you and set you straight..“And you can’t back down, you have to show no fear and stand up to him.”.Terrible images raced through my head..“But what if he’s way bigger than me and tougher?” I pleaded..“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “If you don’t stand up to him then, you are done for.”.The reality of that discussion never left me. Knock on wood, I don’t ever end up in the clink!.But this, my friends, is exactly how we must deal with the pin-striped snakes in Ottawa..We can’t be afraid, we can’t back down … we look them in the eye, and fight back with every peaceful but effective, and hopefully legal means in our toolbox, and with every ounce of strength we can garner..They are nothing but a bunch of overpaid federal nabobs, led by the trumped-up party boy himself and backed by Mountie strong arm men..Recently, I was chatting with an esteemed friend of mine on Facebook — a man much more accomplished than I..He told me that the mere mention of Alberta with Eastern friends conjures up vitriolic hate and derision as if we were the bad guys..Other friends have told me the same..Well, that’s just fine, I don’t mind playing the part of Jack Palance in Shane, I don’t give a damn if they hate us. I really don’t..But damn it all to hell, one day they might just respect us and fear us..Take our money in transfer payments but block our pipelines and demonize us? .Sure, go ahead and embrace token Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s so-called Green restart. .See where that gets you. See if it pays your mortgage, your car payment, your daycare and your groceries..One day, mark my words, the West will rise. As forceful and beautiful as the early morning light on the Alberta foothills..To quote the great Winston Churchill, “Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning.”.Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .,He has worked in the media for decades, including as an editor for the Calgary Herald. He is also the military editor for the Asia Times.,.makichukd@gmail.com
He mocked us..He mocked us, he mocked us..That Jack-in-Office at the PMO threw dirt as good, hard-working, God-fearing Albertans trundled off to the polls to have their say on transfer payments that have soaked us dry of billions of oil patch dollars for decades..The very man who, in recent years, has spent more time in the ethics office than any other politician in Canada, had the absolute gall to marginalize our province, and our premier, by saying the issue was “incredibly political.”.Regardless of how they voted (Elections Alberta reported 61.7% of voters said “yes,” to ending Equalization, with 38.3% checking “no”), they had a fair, democratic right to choose..“To eliminate equalization, which is what’s proposed in Jason Kenney’s referendum, is something that cannot be done by the federal government,” Justin Trudeau said with a sardonic smile..“It needs to be done by the federal government working with seven provinces or territories representing over 50% of the Canadian population.”.Sorry pal, that’s not true and you know it..If Alberta wants to opt-out, it can opt out … and praise God, someday that will happen. .That Ottawa-based baboon can’t stop us if we wish to go our own way. Especially if we embark on a balanced journey of provincial autonomy over the next decade. .To borrow a quote from his father — who had cajones — “Just watch (us)!”.The entire issue was summed up by the increasingly leftist Globe & Mail, with a disgustingly overbearing and insulting headline that read: “Don’t take Alberta’s referendum seriously.”.I won’t offer any further details, the headline was enough. .Between the Globe and the federal freeloaders in Ottawa, it’s not hard to figure out the West will never, ever be taken seriously or treated fairly and equally with the bully boys: Quebec and Ontario and their media cronies..The Eastern Laurentian elites will continue to screw us over. It will never stop. .And you know as well as I do, with the rapidly increasing national debt, it ain’t gonna get better..Not for you, me, or the generations to come..Columnist Rex Murphy summed up Alberta’s plight very well, in a 2019 piece in the National Post:.The Suzukis, the Sierra Clubs, the always railing Greenpeacers, the fund-raising behemoths of the eco-industry, and the swarms of petty NGOs, self-appointed activists, and trippy climate celebrities — Bill Nye the Foolish Guy may stand for them all — have feasted on the portrayal of Alberta energy as world-damaging, nature-offending and planet-despoiling..It was and is a gang-up on a global scale. One fragment, one singular project of an entire world industry in a little corner of Alberta has been painted as the villain of planetary disaster. Under the specious umbrella of “we must save the planet” and “global warming is an existential crisis” the energy industry of a single province has endured a vicious, unfair and fanatic assault..A while back, I was having a beer at one of my favourite establishments, the Border Crossing, down on 17 Ave. S.E..They make an escargot dish with melted cheese and toast that is to die for and a nice deck in the back where a guy can enjoy a nice Cuban cigarillo in peace. .Anyway, I was chatting with a fellow who did time in the “Big House.”.He seemed a good, hard-working fellow who made a mistake, paid the price and learned from it and then moved on..I asked him what was it like in there?.‘You don’t wanna go there, man … you don’t,” he said. The serious look on his face added to that sentiment..“But let me tell you something. If you ever do end up there, the biggest, toughest guy in the joint is going to come up to you and set you straight..“And you can’t back down, you have to show no fear and stand up to him.”.Terrible images raced through my head..“But what if he’s way bigger than me and tougher?” I pleaded..“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “If you don’t stand up to him then, you are done for.”.The reality of that discussion never left me. Knock on wood, I don’t ever end up in the clink!.But this, my friends, is exactly how we must deal with the pin-striped snakes in Ottawa..We can’t be afraid, we can’t back down … we look them in the eye, and fight back with every peaceful but effective, and hopefully legal means in our toolbox, and with every ounce of strength we can garner..They are nothing but a bunch of overpaid federal nabobs, led by the trumped-up party boy himself and backed by Mountie strong arm men..Recently, I was chatting with an esteemed friend of mine on Facebook — a man much more accomplished than I..He told me that the mere mention of Alberta with Eastern friends conjures up vitriolic hate and derision as if we were the bad guys..Other friends have told me the same..Well, that’s just fine, I don’t mind playing the part of Jack Palance in Shane, I don’t give a damn if they hate us. I really don’t..But damn it all to hell, one day they might just respect us and fear us..Take our money in transfer payments but block our pipelines and demonize us? .Sure, go ahead and embrace token Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s so-called Green restart. .See where that gets you. See if it pays your mortgage, your car payment, your daycare and your groceries..One day, mark my words, the West will rise. As forceful and beautiful as the early morning light on the Alberta foothills..To quote the great Winston Churchill, “Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning.”.Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .,He has worked in the media for decades, including as an editor for the Calgary Herald. He is also the military editor for the Asia Times.,.makichukd@gmail.com
