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i - Scugog Citizen -- Wednesday, May 26,1993 -- 9 d= VIEWPOINT by John B. McClelland - LETTERS TO EDITOR A DANGEROUS ERA Every ten years or so the world economy shrinks--people spend less, the supply of money (and credit) tightens, jobs disappear and people talk of recession. Once this century, the shrinkage was so drastic that the recession turned into a world-wide depression that caused extreme hardship for hundreds of millions around the globe. v Canadians who lived through the "Dirty 30's" just smile and shake their 'heads when people compare that horrible time with the current era. There is no comparison because the safety nets of our social programs in the 1990's do a fairly decent job of at least providing the necessities of life. That was not the case in 1930s. If you don't believe me, talk to somebody who was there. . World War 2 put an end to thereat Depression as governments had no choice but to the put their economies on a war footing. The great masses of unemployed found "instant work" in the fighting services.or in the factories that began to thrum with activity turning out everything from woolen socks to tanks and planes for the boys overseas, : - Six years later, when WW 2 finally ended (at a cost of 50 million human lives) the world economy continued to hum in reconstruction of the war \pearred countries of Europe and Asia. In 1950 the Korean War flared and raged (on a smaller scale) for three years and then in 1960, the largest economy in the world, the United States, began its foray in the Viet Nam quagmire that was to last some 14 years. Today in 1993, the prospect of another World War is dim, mainly because of the nuclear deterrent and the fact the Soviet Union, the West's "enemy" for four decades fell apart politically and militarily. It's doubtful if western leaders have the stomach for a long, blood conflict unless their own territory is . .vaded. Still, there are some chilling parallels between what is happening in the world today and what was happening in the 1930's prior to World War 2. There is a baffling, murderous conflict in Bosnia fueled by hundreds of years of hatred. Some analysts suggest a peaceful solution is beyond reach. There were similar shades to the Spanish Civil War--brutal, baffling, fueled by in-grained hatred, a war much like the Bosnian conflict in which the so-called super powers either can't or won't intervene. *The war in the 1990's is a markets and production wit] ries battling each other for bigger and bigger shares of both, Fhe weapons are micro chips, sajellites and the flow of financial data' In the 1930's the war was also about markets and production _but Imperial Japari®and Nazi Germany used military might to secure territories and raw materials, and in Germany's case satisfy the insane cravings of a dictator for Lebensraum. War, whether fought with sticks, stones, tanks, bombs or computers always most heavily on the poor, the weak and the un-organized. War, economic or conventional never (or rarely) touches directly the rich or the priveleged. Who ends up in the trenches, who is the first to get a pink slip? This is what's frightening about the era we live in now. There is a global war going on. It's non-violent, relatively speaking, but for how long. Is there a Hitler on the horizon who has the stomach for the shooting kind? If so, history will repeat itself and the world will end up shooting its way out like it did in 1939. There are so many common threads between 1993 and 1933 that it's not hard to see what will occur if the economic war is not resolved over a negotiating table. In#possible? Remember those leaders in the 1930's who had no stomach for war until it was too late. The names and the faces change, the conditions "are pretty much the same. Saving a few swamps To the Editor: At the recent (May 16) public meeting in Greenbank re. the heavy equipment operators school proposed for Linel2 in Scugog, some councillors impugned to motives and judgement of their constituents and then recoiled in anger and indignation when their own motives and judgement were called into question. If councillors wish to cast aspersions on their constituents, they should not resort to telling them to "shut up" when a rebuttal is attempted. I own 85 acres on which I have paid full residential taxes for over 20 years. Twenty-five acres have been re- forested for over 15 years. I have spent a considerable sum to create a small pond and marsh for wildlife. Yet one councillor insisted at this meeting that my main concern was not for the environment. I am proud of the small, yet beautiful wildlife refuge I have dreated from bare, over-grazed fields and one muddy hole: 1 would be interested in knowing if the councillors who question our concern for the environment can lay claim to have done as much. I have no degrees in environmental issues, but | have lived near a large construction site. The clouds of dust can be seen for miles and the dust settles on everything, permeating even tightly constructed buildings. If enclosed buildings can't keep our the invasive construction dust, how can seriously entertain the notion that 12- foot berms will in any way deter the wind-driven clouds of dust from settling on the marshland season after season. And for what? A government already drowning in debt will use our money to build an un-needed school which wif only succeed in swelling the already burgeoning ranks of un-employed construction workers. Perhaps if less-was wasted on political boon-doggles such as this, we could actually lower Ontario's debt-- become attractive to industry and the - construction workers could actually get real jobs. Maybe we could even afford to save a few swamps. Is that réally too much to ask of our politicians? Aileen Shaw, Line 12, Scugog. Start believing in people To the Editor: Re. the Provincial Budget We have witnessed yet again the struggling of politicians and the bureaucragy to deal with the economic and financial realities of our country. The results are not re-assuring and give the electorate little hope for change. Clearly, the real problem with government finances is shrinking revenue and escalating costs. " By reducing people's disposable income and increasing taxes, we do two things. We insure that people will have' less income to purchase goods in the future as they are forced once again to rationalize between mortgage payments, food and other goods. At the same time we send a message to the investment community that this is not a particularly good place in which to . invest. . The result is to increase the hardship for the common people which will increase the welfare and ploy t that should have been expanded to seek 'Out new international markets. The average real disposable income of Canadian families (after inflation. and payment of taxes) is now back to the level which existed in 1975. Do we have to go all the way back to the Dark Ages before we realize we must start believing in people rather than big business and big government? I am not suggesting that any of the above is easily plished But is it not time we started doing something? Alex Shepherd, Liberal candidate, Durham Riding. Thanks! To the Editor: To the citizens of Scugog Township, first let me thank all the folks who pre- ordered their geraniums from the Port Perry Ki Club...the response was roles which in turn brings the problem back to the doorstep of government and completes the cycle for another round of tax increases. Anyone with a small degree of common sense can see that we cannot continue on this merry-go-round. The solution? Significantly reduce the cost of conducting government busi Encourage business formation by taking away the road blocks to small business which includes ever higher taxes and government regulations. Develop plans to provide incentives for business to rehire and retrain workers and insure that we are retraining them fqr jobs that will exist. Access the social assistance system and retrain these people in meaningful jobs. -It is interesting to note that the Ontario government closed all foreign trade offices recently. This is an area simply overwhelming. We had ordered 500 of the beautiful geranium plants from Robert Camazzola and when we had filled the pre-orders we had in fact less than 100 to sell in front of the Post Office and at the Kinsmen Hall. On that Saturday morning, the few remaining plants that were un-sold, never reached the Post Office as they were snapped up by customers at the Scout Hall. To all our friends who may have been RQisappointed, our profound apologies, but never in our wildest dreams did we expect the tremendous support that the community gave us with this project. The Kinsmen Club promises that next year, we will have a few hundred more so nobody will be left out. Larry Kendall, Geranium Chairman Kinsmen of Port Perry. UNBILVED = MYSTERY! A moment frozen in time, never to be forgotten. . Old photos from the Scugog Shores Historical Museum | Scugog Island; Port Perry. If you know either of these newlyweds, call the Museum at 985-3589 and let them know. There are many old photos at the Museum, maybe one of them is someone in your family. Well worth a look.