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Like A Piece of Raw Meat, Harper Throws Canada’s Sovereignty On To Chopping Block
By Mark Taliano
“Those skilled in war subdue the enemy’s army without battle. They capture his cities without assaulting them, and overthrow his state without protracted operations. Your aim is to take the opponent’s country intact. This is the art of offensive strategy.”
These are the words of legendary Chinese general and tactician Sun Tzu, thought to be the author of The Art Of War, written before the time of Christ.
They are also words which describe the brilliance of modern day China’s strategy to control what is currently Canada’s “economic engine”.
If the FIPA corporate empowerment treaty is ratified, and the CNOOC takeover is finalized, then China will have effectively “colonized” us on many important levels, and our federal government will have been a willing accomplice.
The first hint of the take-over was Omnibus Bill C-38. This Bill eviscerates our environmental laws by making significant changes to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and it repeals the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, as well as the National Roundtable On The Environment Act.
Additionally, the bill repeals the Fair Wages And Hours Labour Act. This weakens our labour/social sphere in two ways. First, companies can hire foreign temporary workers, at low wages, and with few protections. Second, the resultant competition drives Canadian wages and labour protections downwards. MP Pat Martin explains it in detail.
The weakened legislative protections also impact foreign temporary workers. They are becoming easy prey for corrupt practices in their homeland.
Many reasonably suspect that the driver behind the bill, which abrogates our international responsibilities, and weakens our social and environmental sphere, is China.
More recently, another omnibus bill, this one Bill C-45, repeals the Navigable Waters Protection Act, and replaces it with the much weakened Navigable Protection Act. The NPA removes 99.7% of Canada’s lakes, and 99.9% of Canada’s rivers from federal oversight. In early December of this year, Canada had 2,000,000 protected lakes, and over 8,500 protected rivers. Now, Canada has only 97 protected lakes, and 62 protected waterways. Those few waterways that are protected with federal oversight fall overwhelmingly within Con electoral jurisdictions.
What this means is that if industry is looking to install bridges, pipelines, or dams on or over waterways near you, then they basically have a green light to do so. If you object, the federal government will not be there to protect your interests, unless of course, you happen to be in a Con jurisdiction that is protected by the NPA. Needless to say, launching a legal suit against a corporation the size of China is an expensive proposition.
Weakened environmental and labour laws have set the stage for the next assault on Canada’s integrity.
If the take-over of Nexen by China’s CNOOC occurs (the Harper government has given the green light to the transaction), and if the corporate empowerment treaty with China is ratified (FIPA), then the “conquest” is all but over.
The take-over of Nexen will add substantially to China’s already substantial Tar Sands holdings, which include Sinopec, Petro China, and others.
FIPA will lock Canada into a 31 year, binding trade treaty with China, which is an economic behemoth compared to Canada. Under this treaty, China will be able to control decision-making processes about our environment, our economy, and our energy interests, and the only legal recourse will be through secret tribunals.
The result of this “conquest” is that China gets the value-added refinery jobs, China sets petro prices, and Canada essentially becomes China’s unrefined fuel depot. What more could a colonizing nation ask for?
China will have effectively weakened our labour, social, and environmental spheres, all for the profit of their state-owned companies, without having fired a shot.
Sun Tzu would be impressed.
Mark Taliano is a Niagara resident and regular contributor of news and commentary to Niagara At Large.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your comments on this topic of this post below. Please remember that we only posts comments from individuals who also share their first and last names.)
Niagara At Large 
Exactly! Well written.
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In the Book Written by the Journalist from the Globe and Mail (?) Mr. Martin he stated that Harper HATES the Liberal Party with a passion that knows no bounds and from his, Harper’s words (When I am finished you will not know Canada) in many minds he hates Canada and Canadians almost as much.
Is he a proponent of the Bilderberg and if so that might explain his dedication to Dominance and rule without law?
It also seems there is that 1% who control the many assets of Canada who is his sponsor and along with his brain washed bulldogs he seems to come across as the prime bully in Canada. That they have literally destroyed Canada’s reputation in the world is more than enough to make most Canadians sick of Conservative Tactics
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The fact that we would have any business dealings with a country that has been proven to have executed covert hacking attacks on our government and private sector data networks is beyond me.
These attacks represent an act of war to me. They certainly do not warrant the green light to exploit and control Canada’s natural resources as a response.
The movie “Manchurian Candidate” comes to mind when I think of this deal and the eagerness Harper et al have exhibited to approve it. Oddly, a security report (about 2 years ago) highlighted Chinese government attempts to place Chinese agents in positions of political power and influence covertly.
There is a large NON-Chinese market for our natural resources. Why we can’t focus on those opportunities is frankly beyond me. The Chinese government can not be trusted. Is this who we want for a business partner?
On a side democratic note; Would Harper have won the last election if his platform included his intent to allow legislation like this to become reality? This is why this type of far-reaching legislation has to have public input before it is executed. While Harper may be PM, he has to take his direction from the real government of Canada on matters of this importance…. The Canadian people!!!
Sadly, just sayin…..
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My feelings are that the RCMP should arrest Stephen Harper for treason and charge him with doing business with the enemies,and none approval of the Canadian people. this should happen now, !!! Oil is a strategic commodity, The war with Japan was started over oil.. I don’t see any difference between then and now.
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where are our recall laws?
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I agree with that prognosis and feel that Harper should be impeached and removed from office then tried and charged as atraitor . If this were to happen it would negate any transactions made while under his leadership thus securing our economic and political sovereignty as well as preserve our environmental standards.
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Great Article! Harper got elected on the notion that he “had done a good job with the economy.” The unfortunate thing here is that when push comes to shove Harper’s policies resonate with a lot of Canadians who think that more is better. It is automatic mechanism that drives capitalism, and one to which the general public prescribes too. “If I have more, I am happy, if it is growing it is successful, if China has a big economy, we need to do business with them…” and so on. I think that we need an ideological shift in how we view the economy, but that it is a system that is has too many safe guards and self preservation mechanisms to be fixed in time. It is a prideful assumption that Canada’s government and economic system is the best system, so perhaps their ancient culture has manipulated the flaws in this young countries’ way of doing commerce.
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http://www.sqwalk.com/q/you-heard-it-here-northern-gateway%E2%80%99s-dead
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Bill C-45 and Bill C-38 are EXACTLY what the First Nations IdleNoMore ongoing protests are about. It’s not just a First Nations issue; it affects ALL Canadians, and they should be out on the rallies with us instead of sitting idly by as their prime minister sells Canada down the river to foreign corporations, WAKE UP, CANADA!!
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the old world way was to come in to a new land and make a Treaty with the natives, but not keep your word, I wonder how similar this is going to turn out to be for Canada, I like the new flag…
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Crucial error in this article is the all-too-common conflation of “China” the government or ‘nation’ with its power elite, ie., its business elites– the billionaires. The same sort of people who run Canada, make the laws, own the tar sands, and make the trade agreements. Thus, above you see comments about ‘traitors’, etc within the frame of nationalism and war.
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It’s unfair to the world’s economy to make such a dramatic change to the environment. The world needs sustainability to keep us at the bay of survival during these pressuring times with the lack of available drinking water and clean air along with the strides of a fallen atmosphere that brings solar flares at such an alarming rate is risky buisness . Therefore my allies and support goes to the “IDLE NO MORE” Movement which is being recognized worldwide
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This Chinese deal , reminds me of the Trojan horse that destroyed that city and nation, we invited a Trojan horse into our nation, we may never be the same again. we sold off a strategic resource for instant gain, this will go down in history as the time Canada lost it’s future. We are no longer masters in our own house.tell it to the natives they know how they lost out to the invaders. A famous communist once said that the” capitalists would sell the rope that will hang them.” that say’s it all.
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Why are Canadians so silent regarding this issue I don’t understand. We has Canadian have to take this matter seriously and stand up soon or all of our country wil be polluted to a point of no turning back.
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Sorry to say Mark, you are exactly correct in every respect. I shall follow ..
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Help fight FIPA:
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The problem with us Canadians is, everyone thinks someone else is going to do something . WE HAVE GOT TO GET IT TOGETHER AND FIGHT THIS POISONOUS HARPER GOVERNMENT!!!
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Hey Mark, your analysis is insightful and spot on. I read the PIPA pact last fall and I connected the dots as you have. The CNOOC takeover of Nexen must be seen within the wider context of the FIPA accord. I just recall thinking months ago why aren’t the media and more politicians seeing it for what it is, a “Trojan horse”? If FIPA is ratified and diplomatic notes are exchanged, then CNOOC will be able to take-over whatever company it wants in Canada and buy whatever land it wants, without being subjected to Foreign Investment Review regulations (such as they are since they too have been severely watered down under Harper). This is because under FIPA, any Chinese owned company will be treated as if it were simply a Canadian company.
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Well said!!
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It is Literally Going to take a Civil War/Revolution to Take back what Has been swindled away by Those most Treasonous amongst us and Their Greedy 1% Masters. How Do You Rub out, Commit Genocide on Canadians with Masses Of Imported 3rd world Indifference???? And the Truth Then Becomes what Your Three Shiny new 3rd World Indifferent Replacement/Competitors ”TELLS” you the &^%$ING Truth Is! Ask a Tibetan What Displacement Genocide Is?? Was the ”IRISH POTATO FAMINE” Displacement Genocide???? How Do You Swindle away a Nation’s natural resources with Masses of Imported Indifference???????
C E. Harnett
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