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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-08-15, Page 5Final Thought Love is the chain whereby to bind a child to his parents. — Abraham Lincoln THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2001. PAGE 5. Other Views Glued to a moment in time • /t was late on a winter evening and I was prowling through the darkened bush, weapon in hand, searching for the biggest of all big game - an African lion. Well, it wasn't that melodramatic. This bush was full of huge, half-acre animal enclosures; my weapon was a Sony tape recorder and my guide was Brian Keating, curator of the Calgary Zoo that we were prowling through. We were trying to capture animal sounds that we could use in a radio program about the zoo and Brian figured there was a pretty good chance the resident lion would roar for us — if we were patient. We found the lion enclosure. The male lion, a bleary-eyed old feller with a Bob Marley hairdo, was lolling just behind the wire mesh fence, sound asleep. He opened one eye at our approach, found us neither edible nor significant, and closed it. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Not a movement. We stood there, me holding out a microphone like a lollipop bribe, the lion snoring. Fifteen minutes. I turned to Brian and said, "Look, Brian this isn't going to w..." And that's when my brain melted and the There is a lot of attention being placed on poverty and its elimination and, whenever I read yet another article on this subject, I get the impression that it is in the same category as sin. Most people claim to be against it but they are rather uncertain how to reduce it. Part of the problem is that there is no one acceptable way of measuring poverty. Look at any article on the subject and it soon becomes obvious that the one being used is the one that best demonstrates the point the writer is attempting to prove. Economists are frequently called in to provide material for researchers and, if there is one thing that I have learned after teaching the subject for 35 years, it is that you can find data to prove about any point you want to make. To illustrate this point, the figures I have seen for Canada range from about seven per cent of the population to about 20 per cent which leaves one with no firm basis on which to work. I am, therefore, not going to dazzle you with statistics but instead make some general comments about poverty and some basic steps that can be taken to reduce it. First of all, there is the frequently heard opinion that throwing money at the problem will do the trick. Would that this were so but decades of doing just that, both here and abroad, have demonstrated the fallacy of this. It is far more valid to say that money is part of the solution, not all or most of it. Poor nations tend to act pretty much the same as poor people; they show a disturbing inability to handle money. In addition, many of these nations show an alarming level of corruption and incompetence and are noteworthy only for the ways they can discover to waste money, not use it constructively. For this reason any plan for poverty reduction should have specific goals and bring with it the expertise required to channel the money properly. A case in point is the AIDS epidemic_ which is rampant in many of the poorer countries. A country cannot rise out of poverty if many of its younger _and productive people are ill or dying.. By all means donate money but target things like the AIDS epidemic and control the Arthur Black bottom dropped out of my stomach. The lion had somehow, in the space of a nanosecond, gone from flat out sleeping to full four-legged alert. He had also let out a - well, my tape recorder later confirmed that it was a 'roar', but it was a roar I never heard. I felt it. I felt like I'd shaken hands with a 50,000-volt live wire. Was I scared? Hell, yes. As scared as I've ever been -but I didn't run. I stood my ground. I had to. I was paralyzed. But for a 10-foot high wire mesh fence, I would have been an hors d'oeuvre that night. This happened to me about 10 years ago, and I've never gotten over how utterly helpless I felt when that lion stoned me cold. At least not until I read an article about some animal behaviour researchers at the Fauna Raymond Canon The International Scene spending of money so that it will do the most good. Much of the money aimed at reducing poverty in underdeveloped countries comes with unrealistic repayment schedules. These countries are in over their heads in debt already and cannot both repay this debt and raise the standard of living. Consider putting money utilized in the form of grants instead of loans and, if it is a loan, make it interest free. The same controls should be put on it as mentioned in the previous paragraph. At one time in my career I engaged in some voluntary money management counselling. I got my eyes opened in a big hurry. Most people were in debt up to their proverbial eyeballs not because they didn't get enough money but because they had very little idea of how to manage what money they did get. In short, they needed a-lot of help in learning how to carry out proper money management. The same is true in most underdeveloped countries. They simply do not have the skills to increase production, till the land, avoid disease and the like. They will go on repeating the same mistakes until they get the training they lack along 'with the money they need. Like most economists I am in favour of trade liberalization but I can sympathize with some of the non-violent protesters at the international conferences (i.e. Seattle, Quebec City, Genoa, Prague) who want more done in the field of poverty reduction. Some of these Communication Research Institute in North Carolina. They've been studying tigers and they've discovered that the modus operandum of the beast is what they call 'infrasound manipulation'. They've determined that the tiger emits a low-pitched growl so deep that human beings can't even hear it. But they feel it. And so does whatever the tiger is planning to put on the dinner menu that evening. The tiger mixes these infrasound growls with the roar that we do hear and the result is temporary paralysis - even among experienced trainers who've worked with the cats for years. "It's an incredible force coming at you," says a Fauna Research spokesman. "When they roar, tigers often move at great speed from lying down to straight up. During that time, you never have any thoughts of running away because you're so glued to the moment in time." I believe it - because I know a mangy old African lion in the Calgary Zoo that can sing the same tune. It's a tune you don't want to hear - even if you could. protesters may not have a clue how to go about it but there is plenty of expertise at both the academic and business levels to do the job. Let's not waste still more years just talking about it. Letter Letters to the editor are a forum for public opinion and comment. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of this publication. THE EDITOR, Helen Jonns MPP responded to my letter of concern about tax deductions for private schools. In her letter to me she pointed out that funding for education had increased from $12.9 billion in 1995 to $13.8 billion in 2000. She assured me that this was more enough to meet enrollment growth. A simple calculation tells me that this is an increase for seven per cent. But that seven per cent is over five years! This is definitely not enough to cover inflation, let alone increased student enrollment. I also know that 1995 was a year of severe cutbacks to budgets. These cutbacks came after years of NDP social contract cutbacks during a major recession. I listened to Mr. Harris at the Walkerton Inquiry repeatedly assure us that his year 2000 environment budget was greater than the environment budget of 1985. 1985! That was 15 years before! The budget had better have increased since then. The fact that they had to reach back that far to make a favourable comparison is extremely worrisome. The Harris government appears to believe in the stupidity of its electorate. I am insulted that I am expected to accept _these figures unthinkingly. Given the Harris history of abuse and distortion of statistics, I cannot trust any figures they report. I can hardly wait to see what they do with this costly survey on health care. If they are going to spend millions on a survey, why not do it properly? With this government, 'caveat emptor'. Let the buyer beware. Linda Easton. Yes, I had a lovely holiday, thank you Yes, I had a lovely holiday, thank you. Besides the essential pampering of myself, I also was able to accomplish a variety of things which had been delayed just quite long enough. I even got my house cleaned. The week did include of course more entertaining entertainment. There were long- delayed visits to see family and places, day trips and time kicking back on the beach, feet up, a book in one hand, a long, cool one in the other. Add to this the pleasure of spending the biggest portion of my time off with my favourite little buddy and it can only be described as the perfect vacation. And how about that heat? I know, the majority probably found the relentless scorching of skin and soul unbearable. Believe me, my sympathies did go out to the poor souls working on farms or in construction. They've got nowhere to hide and only so many articles of clothing that can be removed. But for me, it was bliss. The first day out of the office found me under a shade tree, next to an open field. The warmth, like the comfort of a down quilt on a winter night, soothed the stress and burdens, then carried them away on the summer breeze. I had the moment and the place in which to relax totally, and despite the 94° temperature I did — easily. Day two and three were more of the same and as the humidity hung in, we sought air- conditioned respite from time to time in car or home. But not for long. I have waited for a summer like this for what seems an interminable time. For the first summer in years-, the heat permeated the thick brick walls of my home, turning its typical coolness into a steam room. For the first summer that I can recall, the weather made my holiday conducive to little more than leisure — sun and surf. It is summer the way I remember it and have longed for. I'm not trying to be selfish. Yet, while I may Pity -people vvhtme jobs make working in heat quite uncomfortable, my hubby among them, I really can't wish it away. This is after all summer. Heat is what is supposed to come with it. And as I keep reminding folks, it's winter a long, long time around here. When I think of the mind-numbing tenacity of that season, with its blow-ups and hazards, I already long for spring. When I think of the ache in my bones, I want to rush outside to soak up some extra sunshine. When I think of the constant chill, I am filled with apprehension. When I think of the darkness, the cumbersome clothes, the shoveling, the scraping, the worry about travel, I am like a pregnant woman, psyching myself for what I must get through to receive the gift. Yes, it has been hot. It makes working, and for some even breathing, difficult. A muggy day can be agony, but remember there aren't many of them. And while fighting the cold can be tiresome, beating the heat is actually quite fun. Winter challenges us; summer simply asks us to enjoy ourselves. So for a few days each year, just do what you can. Kickoff your shoes and doff some clothes. Take a dip or a cool shower. Relax and rest. IL It's the perfect time. A way to reduce world poverty ' 2