I now note that our national debt stands at the trillions of dollars mark. That is American dollars. We all know that with the national debt at this level as night follows day our illustrious political leaders will increase our tax load and then proceed to give themselves a raise in one form or another.

In the reasonably near future we will go to the polls -- when the governing faction feels that the political climate is auspicious -- and elect a new group of politicians, again illustrious, enshrining their names with the lofty appellation of "Honorable" and thus continue the downward spiral of all things Canadian -- all in the name of "Free Trade".

I believe in order to fully understand a situation, and thus find solutions, we must first be aware of how this situation came about. Our answer for beginnings lie in the past.

Lets concentrate on the period of time encompassing the middle and latter years of World War II.

Direct quote from "A Peoples' History Of The United States": Roosevelt and Churchill off the coast of Newfoundland released "The Atlantic Charter" which saying that their countries seek no aggrandizement, territorial or other, and that they respected the right of all people to choose the form of government under which they would live. The charter was celebrated as declaring the right of nations to self- determination. There were exceptions however such as the French in Indochina.

What about the "aggrandizement territorial or otherwise" that Roosevelt had renounced? Direct quote: Quietly behind the headlines in battles and bombings, American diplomats and business men worked hard to make sure that when the war ended, American economical power would be second to none in the world. United States business would penetrate areas that up to this time had been dominated by England. The Open Door Policy of equal access would be extended from Asia to Europe. This policy explains American dominance in the Middle East and and its oil.

Direct quote: Hull said early in the war, "Leadership toward a new system of international relationship in trade and other economic affairs will revolve very largely upon the United States because of our great economic strength. We should assume this leadership, and the responsibility that goes with it, primarily for reasons of pure national self-interest.

Direct quote: The poet Archibald Mac Leish, then Assistant Secretary of State, spoke critically of what he saw in the postwar world: "As things are now going, the peace we will make , the peace we seem to be making, will be a peace of oil, a peace gold, a peace of shipping, a peace in brief....without moral purpose or human interest".

During this period England and the United States set up the International Monetary Fund to regulate international exchanges of currency. Voting would be proportional to capital contributed so American dominance would be assured. This fund was established supposedly to help reconstruct war-destroyed areas but one of its first objectives was, in its own words, to promote foreign investment.

Direct quote: Averill Hariman, Ambassador to Russia, said in early 1944, "Economic assistance is one of the most effective weapons at our disposal to influence European political events in the direction we desire.

It is obvious that our present day problems had their beginnings in the past. All of this proves that there is really nothing new under the sun. We could very realistically read "Free Trade" into "The Open Door Policy". The Open Door Policy was very successful from the American viewpoint. What has worked so well in the past should be given a new name and given another whirl.

What we Canadians do in the future has to be positive action in a very complex situation. I feel that it would be the very height of idiocy to lean on our political factions. They have failed us so dismally in the past.

My goal is to work towards Canadian preservation what is yours?

Author-- /kt

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