OT - was Re: ArcNet and the Pursuit of Multiple Topologies

From: Lawrence Walker <lgwalker_at_mts.net>
Date: Tue Oct 16 00:44:25 2001

 This is my last OT comment, since we ARE a classic computer mailing list
and just went thru that rash of OT msgs. Again, my apologies.
 Don the point that I was trying to make was not that you obviously have
foreign investment in the global economy, but that the US government exerts
it's considerable economic and media clout to further it's corporate presence
and ideology in countries around the world to the detriment of most of those
country's people.
 For example years ago an attempt was made to restrict the virtual monopoly
Hollywood has on the distribution of films in the Canadian market, thus
encouraging the production of Canadian films, which would be on the no
longer h-wood monopolized theatre booking lists. Jack Valenti, h-wood's
main lobbyist campaigned very vigorously against it in Washington and the
Can government was forced to bow to US pressure. We now have little or no
Can films being produced independantly.
 A similiar thing happened to advertising tax exemptions in the Can editions
of US magazines. Time, etc. just throws in a few extra pages, calls it
Canadian and gets all the benefits meant to encourage canadian press.The
Canadian government passed a act to disallow it amidst screams of outrage
from Time, Newsweek, etc., and then bowed to major US government
pressures less than about a month later.
 During the oil crisis, oil destined for Can was diverted to US ports which
ultimately caused PM Trudeau to set up a Can company to prevent this
happening again. As happened in the US when the big agribusiness corps
like Cargill forced the small farmers off the farm, the same thing is going on
here. But since Cargill and others are US businesses supported by thier
government there is much less accountability to the plight of the poor
farmers.
 Our medicare, beloved by all Canadians, is under threat now due to the
avericious propaganda by US assembly-line medical mega-corps greedily
eyeing the Canadian market and US government efforts to undermine it
through International trade agreements. At present if hit by a major medical
expense our homes are not at risk.
 Our lumber exports to the US were just hit with a prohibitive tax due to US
lobbying by timber interests, throwing thousands out of work (and
incidentally, increasing the cost to US consumers). Not to mention the
decimation of our manufacturing industry and more by the implimentation
and manipulation of NAFTA. These are but a few examples, the tip of the
iceberg.
 Of course,since, but for a few exceptions like CBC and local media, the US
media overwhelmingly controls what most Canadians see and listen to, we
are very much influenced by it to our own detriment in many cases.
 And this is to the US's closest "friend" and largest trading "partner". Imagine
what it's like for more distant countries.
 'Nuff said.

 Lawrence
 
>
> It is not my wish to extend an OT thread, but I would like to point that
> it is a multi-way street. At the same time that US companies are
> purchasing companies in NZ, CA, and others, AU, UK, DE, and others are
> purchasing companies in the US in such industries as Newspapers and TV,
> petroleum products, automobile manufacturing, etc. I do not know how it
> balances out in $$$, but there are big bucks going every way.
>
> - don
>
>
> On Mon, 15 Oct 2001, Lawrence Walker wrote:
>
> > As a Canadian, I can only second that and offer my sympathy. The majority
> > of U.S. citizens seem woefully ignorant of the affects around the world of
> > U.S corporate and foreign policy. And no, I'm not anti the US people. My wife
> > of many years was an US-American, as well as both my parents. I also lived in
> > the US several years and have many old friends and relatives there.
> > I've found them a warm and open people.
> > Since I have a claim to dual-citizenship I could have lived there had I
> > wished.
> > I prefer my country and it's social policies, like you, I'm sure. I don't envy
> > the US in the least. I just want to keep the things I love about Canada and
> > not have it become even more a subsiduary of the US.
> > N.Z. is more fortunate in that it isn't right next door to the beast and you
> > don't have a "free" trade agreement. A measure of US regard is that most in
> > the US don't consider the many peoples and countries in the Americas as
> > "American".
> > Sorry for the OT and I don't wish to offend my neighbors, but the US
> > bafflement at foreign resentment gets to me at times.
> > Now back to 'puters.
> >
> > Lawrence
> >
> > >
> > > > > A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of USA Inc.
> > > >
> > > > I hope you don't mind my asking, but is the US in disfavor with
> > > > the citizens of New Zealand?
> > >
> > > Not really. That comment isn't directed at the US, but at the
> > > last few NZ governments, who seem to have been bent on privatising
> > > all our public assets and selling them to big US companies. If
> > > it goes on like that, you're going to own the whole country!
> > >
> > > Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, +--------------------------------------+
> > > University of Canterbury, | A citizen of NewZealandCorp, a |
> > > Christchurch, New Zealand | wholly-owned subsidiary of USA Inc. |
> > > greg_at_cosc.canterbury.ac.nz +--------------------------------------+
> >
> >
> >
> > Reply to:
> > lgwalker_at_mts.net
> >
>



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Received on Tue Oct 16 2001 - 00:44:25 BST