4 - Wednesday, June 3, 1992 - North Shore News Is Joe Clark father of new confederation? IF THE new constitutional formula now being thrashed out somehow becomes the law of the land of Canada, and this new Canada somehow hangs together as a federal state, there will be much to be said in praise of the country that can’t be said at the moment — and never could be, for that matter. Canada is a country forged by military conflicts. Each victory, while richly rewarding the win- ners, created a new order of losers, beginning with the hun- dreds of tribes whose home this was long before the two ‘‘foun- ding’’ races arrived from Europe. What happened from there was that each successive wave of im- migration created a new class of “natives,” i.e., people who grew up here and viewed the new arriv- als as invaders, giving rise, in turn, to new sets of conflicts that became structural. Canada is an enormous frag- ment of empire which broke off and became an empire itself. To this day, as in all empires. military force is the ultimate recourse of the powers that be, whether it is Pierre Trudeau reac- ting to the October Crisis or Brian Mulroney to Oka. The simple existence of a feder- al power structure guarantees its armed might will be used sooner or later to defend its own interests against those wishing to throw it out — at least any of them foolish enough to reach for weapons. So what? Well, the ‘‘so what’’ is that so long as Canada remains a geopolitical entity exerting its will internally through armed force, even against those who wish not to be part of it, some of us will be experiencing the equivalent of political rape every day of our lives. How does Canada rate, accord- ing to a United Nations report, as _the best country in the world to live in, then? My reply would be: look at the competition! Most people on this planet are oppressed by atrocious governments to one appalling degree or another. That ours is one of the feast awful of a terrible batch isn’t real- ly saying that much. If you don't believe our civiliza- tion can be iraproved — even our great and wonderful Canadian civilization —- you’re an anchor dragging the bottom. Obviously things aren’t fair. Obviously things should and could get better, The only real question is: how to improve things without wrecking what we already have? Canada is at best a flawed and imperfect cobbled-together parliamentary-style democracy, its political shape determined by suc- cessful major crimes of conquest in the past, which have the in- evitable effect of making things less than perfect now. But supposing much of the real- ity that is the basis of this criti- cism was about to be changed? Suppose a way was actually be- ing worked out to lift the yoke froni the necks of natives, share real powers with the provinces by intelligent decentralization, reform the loathsome Senate, and hand Quebec the keys to virtually whatever powers it wants just to keep it happy and in the family? All this would be pretty as- tounding. But if such a national transformation was truly in the works, it could very well mean that Canada is on the verge of becoming the most enlightened, egalitarian and evolved country in the world. Now there would be a Triple-E combo worth fighting for! Bob Hunter STRICTLY PERSONAL For those of us who care about the fate of the native peoples in what is now called Canada, it is more than heartening to hear Assembly of First Nations chief Ovide Mercredi declare himself ‘proud to live in Canada.”’ I’m impressed. Even Native Council of Canada president Ron George, who, as the representative of the truly displac- ed, the non-status and off-reserve natives and the Metis, admitted: “IT don't think we could have ask- ed for much more.”’ I've been to sea with Mr. George. ! have a great deal of admiration for his political acumen. If he thinks natives got the best they could, I'm impressed again. The word ‘‘historic’’ got thrown around a lot last weekend when Joe Clark called for a pause in the exhaustive and exhausting unity talks. Normally, ‘‘historic’’ is the most overworked word in a politi- cian’s vocabulary. , This time it might be justified. Either that or we have just witnessed an exercise in futility on a scale that makes the Spicer Commission look like mere fore- shadowing. i'm still not utterly convinced that the departure of Quebec wouldn’t be a good thing in the long run, especially if the world is evolving into a community of regions rather than imperial do- mains. To the extent that Canada is an empire in its own right — in terms of sheer physical mass the second largest in the world — it has to have an inherently totalitarian streak. By that 1 mean so long as Canada has a strong centre, power arrangements will continue to be distorted in favor of those regions that dominate the centre, i.e. On- tario and Quebec. For the regions — the Mari- times, the West, the North and B.C. — this will remain the main political fact of life until they reach 2 point where they stand on their own two feet, as Quebec is struggling to do. Short of going it alone, the provinces have to find some way of balancing their needs against those of the centre, If Joe Clark has found a way to satisfy the natives, the provinces, Senate: critics and Quebec, we'll have to build a statue of him someday, you know. Father of the New Confederation. In the meantime, ! actually find myself holding my breath. Fresh B.C. CHICKEN Halves Boneless PORK LOIN CHOPS Centre Cut 378 8.33 kg LB. EXPIRES JUNE 6/92 STORE HOURS OUNBAR & DOLLARTON Mon-Fri Sam-9pm Sat @am-?pm. Sun 9am-6pm OUNDARAVE WEST VAN. Mon-Wed 9am-7pm Thur-Fn 9am-Spm Sat Sun 9am-6pm tYNN VALLEY NORTH VANCOUVER Mon-Sat 8am-9pm nm 9am-Gpm CANVAS TIES ASSORTED COLOURS NDALS FOR LADIES “OR CHILDREN LA GEAR WORKOUT BLACK OR WHITE ACHE _ ASSORTED, PRICES EFFECTIVE JUNE 3 — JUNE 7 Selection will vary by store. » 2 Visit the Woodwynn Stere Nearest You... Woodward's Downtown 684-4967. New Westminster 521-1153. Guildford 584-1018. Lansdowne 270-9683. Coquitiam Centre 464-7539. Metrotown 433-6327. 1st & Renfrew 253-3437. Willowbrook Mall 533-5200. Haney Place Mall 467-0999. Park & Titford Centre 983-2626. Pert Alberni 723-1161. Victoria Maytair 385-1196. Courtenay 338-6533. Sevencaks 853-5689. Penticten Cherry Lane 493-1900. Kalowsa Orchard Park 763-9200. Salmon Arm 832-5077. Nelson 352-6515. Trail 364-5644. Chilliwack Southgate Centre 792-5943. 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