Odd Thoughts

There have been a number of things going on recently that need comment, so here goes.

The situation in Egypt has many people concerned these days, in particular, the US government.  Egypt has become another source of argument between the parties and factions.  They argue over what to do (ignore, cut funds, take sides, invade), who in Egypt to support, and even who (between Democrats and Republicans) is to blame.  The thought that the Egyptian uprising has nothing to do American politics is never considered.  Neither has the thought that maybe everyone outside Egypt should just leave the Egyptians alone and let them determine their own fate.

It’s amazing, as some recent Ottawa news stories have shown, how much effort rich people will undertake to protect their money. They will move money off-shore, move themselves to any country that will not charge them income tax, hide money and even risk jail to accomplish it all.  I knew a couple who had built a successful business in Canada who, when they sold out, moved from one country to another to “tax havens”.  They left their grown children in Canada, but they protected their fortune.  When I asked them why, they replied that they didn’t owe anything to Canada. Huh! They were allowed to immigrate from troubled countries when they were young; they were given a good Canadian education both free and later subsidized; they were allowed to set up business in a country that protected their rights to ownership and legal protection; and they were given free protection, health care and education for their children; and they don’t owe anything to Canada?

There was great consternation in Ottawa this week when “Alfie” the captain of the Ottawa Senators chose to play for another team next year.  Great wailing and gnashing of teeth by all Senator fans could be heard everywhere. “How could he do that?” Some talked about his required loyalty to the Ottawa fans and what he “owed” them.  Never mind that when he first came here, many of those fans questioned the Senator’s sanity for opting for this undersized kid from Sweden, of all places.  Boy did he show them!  The one thing that he has missed out on in his hall of fame career was a Stanley Cup ring.  Not unnaturally, he felt that he wanted that to cap his career, so he made the decision to go where he considered it a distinct possibility.  So he has betrayed the Ottawa fans.  You wonder, if he had a bad year, how quickly Ottawa fans would turn on him.  The supreme irony of this situation would be if Ottawa and Detroit met in the Stanley Cup final.

A clear example of trying to have it both ways came up a few weeks ago.  One large communications company was trying to buy a smaller company.  At the Canadian Radio and Television Committee (CRTC) hearing into the impact of the purchase, the chief rival of the buyer was adamant that, if the purchase went through, the buying company must be made to sell off a particularly valuable asset of the smaller company.  The rival then stated that when that asset went on the market, they would be very interested in buying it.

Our Dear Lead . . . uh, Prime Minister has stated that he did not know anything about the pay-off by his chief of staff to a certain Senator.  This may or may not be true.  If it is not true, that is that he really did know, he has lied to the House of Commons and the people.  If it is true that he did not know, then he has failed as a leader by not insisting on knowing what is going on in his own office so that he can deal with any surprises that arise.  If his own staff did not tell him what was going on, they are guilty of misleading him in order, no doubt, to allow him “deniability”.  Either way, they and he are wrong.

I just retired for the third time.  I retired once from the Navy, once from full time work and now from part time work.  People ask me how long this retirement will last.  I must admit, I don’t have the foggiest idea.  I want to do other things, but whether they would constitute work is a good question.  Who knows what it may take to entice me to try for a fourth retirement.