Paul Si. Pierre es "

PAUL.ITICS & PERSPECTIVES

Colonel Lowery, the briliiant Kootenay editor, used to refer to vis- its by English journatists to western Canada as being like an icicle going down the back of your neck. They came, spent a week or two and went back knowing everything there was to know about British Columbia, all of it unfavorable.

Like most newspapermen, the colonel knew how easy it is to become an instant expert. You act as if you don't plan to go back to that restaurant. Yet you can't spend even @ short time in another country with- out a few strong impressions crowa- ing inon you.

Here are a few from a pleasant, short, generally aimless holiday trip across the United States from Pacific to Atlantic:

ROADS AND CARS

WHY CAN Canadians never catch up to Americans in car

travel? Why can't we cross the continent in three days on Canadian roads?

This whole trip was on four lane highway (No, 90 Interstite) and a good third ef that went through lands even more sparsely setded than southern Canada, How do the Yanks afford to have us ride on velvet all the way?

For one, they have better traffic law. Perhaps because of their historic devotion to individual freedom, their highway system assumes that drivers have common sense. We don’t.

In the ULS., when two lines squeeze down to one, there is usually just a sign asking for 45 miles an hour. No women with flags, No 15- mile-an-hour zones,

Toll booth slow downs? In the crowded East, beginning near Chicago, toll gates are thicker than cranberries in the bog. The signs just say “Slow.” It's assumed you'd rather drive slowly than get a faceful of conerete. Compare this with B.C. where we establish a 15-mile-an- hour zone a quarter mile from the booths which everybody, of course, ignores.

GRACE AND CHARM

Few nationalities are more friend- ly than your average American. New York is an exception, but there are no average Americans there. The ordinary citizen of the great republic is gracious and helpful. He bolsters your faith in the common people.

Then why do such decent people get such indecent governments? Few are as ruthless and conscienceless as American governments. Even the most popular of presidents do unfor- givable things. The Kennedy plot to murder Fidel Castro is only one example. Jimmy Carter was the only

Canadas Communication Stores "

« Are you wasting time in traffic every day? » Are you concerned about time rnanagement? a Are you concerned about your personal safety? = Do you need to be “in” when you're “out’?

SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS WITH A CANTEL CELLULAR PHONE! For more information cali

DEBBIE @ 644-6457

There is an alternative io the high cost of

BERGE, BAS HERS,

ape:

TONER RE LOFTY ASN

dealer service. ; A fully qualified BMW § mechanic with labour § rates that won’t leave § you broke!

TR EIEN A ARE BANDE ERE N EG TASAN AIRED BIEN BLP ARBRE RENAN

50% OFF*

ANY SERVICE OR REPAIR PLUS 1 YEAR FREE EMBLEM INSURANCE “APPLIES TO LABOUR ONLY BASED ON DEALER RATES, BMW'S ONLY

With over 17 yrs of BW exnerience, we pride ourselves on exceptional work & service at very reasonable rates.

FEEL FREE TO STOP BY & INSPECT OUR FACILITY

Accurate import Auto Service 142 W. 3rd St. North Van. 988-6949

president to comment publicly on this split in the American personality. He didn’t last long.

Despite what their newspapers pretend, Americans are estranged froma democracy and half of them have quit voting.

HEART OF DARKNESS

The heartland of indusirial America is now called the Rust Belt. Millions of manufacturing jobs have been lost.

Car companies are now proclaim- ing prosperity but by prosperity they mean higher dividends and higher pay for the obscenely overpaid auto industry executives. For the workers, it's poverty and despair. Detroit isn’t that much different from London after the blite.

Mazda of Japan is the only com- pany to open a new manufacturing plant in the Detroit area, For 3,500

jobs, it had 100,000 applicants.

WHICH AMERICA?

The American melting pot theory remains mostly that, just theory. Many countries make up the U.S. By temperament, New Englanders are farther removed from the California Crazies than from Eastern Canadians or the Englishmen whose tea they dumped.

The shopping mail has yet to con- quer New England. Srnall towns still have main streets with tiny shops run by people who’ ve been in the same business for gerierations, serving the same families.

MYTHS

American political lobbies are

Friday, August 19, 1994 - North Shore News - 9

Decent people, rotten governments

nore powerlul than ours. Few are inighter than the American Medical Association,

Among New Englanders, who live only two hoots and a holler from Canada, is an article of fain that every Canadian wakes each moming weeping salt tears that his country wus SO perverse as to establish Medicare and praying that private care make him healthy again soon.

ICs useless to suggest that it’s pure AMA fantasy, No facts can withstand a cannonade by a high

price American tobby, Also mem- bers of the U.S. Congress have fong been nutoriously buyable.

MEMORABLE

‘Tuis time, it was the Wall Drugs success story in the South Dakota hadlands, # muld-million dollar busi- ness begun in the worst of places at the worst of times by a poor man who had nothing going for aim except a dream. Never underestimate these people,

(Vv Cd gHoop A RELATIONSHIP SKILLS GROUP FOR ACOA’S & OTHERS WHO GREW UP TOO QUICKLY

Facilitator: Jan Spilman, R.N., M.Ed.

Thursday evenings: September 29 - June 22 (2 week breaks Christmas & Spring)

Location:

545 Clyde Avenue, West Vancouver

(Opposite the Park Royal Hotel Call 926-0609 for brochure/interview

(Previous Counsalling preferred)

LONDON OPTICAL’S

Style; Round Mola!

SAVE NOW

On today's best sunglasses

for fashion, comfort

and maximum UV protection - SERENGET!!

Also available in prescription jansas. Ask

for details

‘Value PLUS

Advantage

FREE 'No-Mafter-Whal GUARANTEE AGAINST BREAKAGE

FREE ADJUSTMENTS & ALIGNMENT

FREE AFTER CARE

HOT 1994 MODELS

STORES

NO ‘NO NO NO