Water A Basic Human Right But Canada Disagrees, And Backs Privatizing It

Food is a basic human right. That's privatised. Get a grip, not everything is about your communist ideology.

The communist ideology is collectivization under the control of an ideological ruling class, called party cadre.

The neoclassical market economic, capitalist ideology is collectivization under the control of an ideological ruling class, called multinational corporations, also party cadre.

Water shortages are not caused by legitimate use for human existence, but by incredible amounts wasted, polluted and spoiled for "competitive" industrial use, like oil extraction, chemicals, agribiz etc.

Plus forced urbanization for people control by corporations and the raising of the fraudulent GDP figures and profits. As per the tenets of globalized neoclassical, competitive market capitalism.

Ed Deak. Big Lake, BC. (Private food grower)

So what you're saying is that people are screwed either way. I don't like commies OR multinationals.

Is the world really as black and white as you see it?

Is there such a thing as good corporatism? Is there such a thing as good collectivism? Say it ain't so!

You can live between 5-12 weeks without food.

You may live 4 days without water.

Which one is immediately more important?

The real question however is this: which is more important, safe and accessible water supplies for everyone or corporate profits?

Water is far more than a commodity, it is an essential we cannot live without.

We can live without petroleum.

We can live without consumer electronics.

We can live without enetertainment.

We can even live without freedom IF we are forced to.

We will DIE without water.

Period. Full stop. No further discussion.

Without water, every last one of us is dead meat within 5 days.

That corporations and their lackies want to use it as a weapon or a commodity only shows how ethically and morally bankrupt they truly are.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

To Quote and old axiom: "Under Capitalism, man does unto his fellow man. Under Communism, it's the other way around."

If you want an example of why water should be a human right, watch 'The Corporation' and see what happened when a South American country bowed to an American corporation, and privatized Water. The 'peasants' had to pay for water they didn't use (unmetered water), and even had to pay if they collected rainwater. People died in the resulting protests, and the corporation was eventually booted out of the country. The corporation sued the country for lost income. (Damned if i can remember the name of the country right now . . )

Imagine that in Canada, rural users having to pay a corporation for the privilge of getting water from a well on their own land that they drilled and pump themselves.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

How about a private members bill on water rights in Canada. Now would seem to be the time with a minority government. A backbencher with some sense of duty and responsibility could introduce a bill like this. Come on you Parliamentary members out there, how about it. Legislation like this is absolutely imperative. We can see who votes which way on this and either crucify or reward them at the next election.

Or is Ottawa just a rubber stamp. Are our elected members of any real use at all? If you can't protect our water I suggest you all retire now!

Mike
Winnipeg

So the moral of the story is overly centralized power is bad. Both corporations and governments can become dictatorships. That's why I fail to see why nationalizing our water will help us do anything. I think small, decentralized water utilities (public or private) under a national standards infrastructure would be best.

That's why I couldn't care less if it's the government or private industry running the show, they're just sides of the same coin. I would much rather see them balance each other out.

E

"That corporations and their lackies want to use it as a weapon or a commodity only shows how ethically and morally bankrupt they truly are."

So what makes you think governments won't do things differently?

Stoutlimb

I know you read the thread a couple weeks back concerning the difference between rights and privildges, so I won't bother rehashing it here.

Access to safe water supplies should be counted as being exactly what it is, an undeniable right.

Sadly, governments are frequently run by the same type of narrow-minded sociopaths who all too often run corporations.

That means that THEY will want access to these same water supplies to be a prividge, one purchased using as much money as they can squeeze out of us.

So, in answer to your question: So what makes you think governments won't do things differently?

They won't, unless they are under extreme public pressure.

As citizens, it's up to us to get the job done.

We should not, and cannot, leave it in the hands of political hacks and corporate vagabonds to "do the right thing" all on their own.

To paraphrase an old saying: the price of safe water is eternal vigilance.

Just as in practically everything else, it's up to us.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

Indeed. Massive centralization, be it "democratic", industrial/private corporations or communist has always turned out badly. For the citizens, anyhow.

I have no problem if Civic or Provincial governments are responsible for the basics, water, roads etc. I have no problem if those governments farm out day to day operations and maintainence of those to small corporations. So long as basic standards are met or exceeded.

If the GoC were to take over all sewage treatment (for example) and farm it out to one corporation Canada wide - then I see a problem.

I still don't see why water can't be a basic human right, just as personal safety is. Unless the goal is to remove that right at some point in the future. Control a basic nessecity such as water, and you control the population dependant on it.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

Hard as it might be, we can still vote out governments and they do have a certain amount of accountability we can demand for, but try to vote out Weyerheauser, or Cargill, or Halliburton, or Bechtel, or Wal-Mart, etc. or demand from any oil company to stop the use of private armies to enforce their obscene profit takings.

I have nothing against corporations either. I'm a private enterpriser and owned 3. Neither do I have anything against the odd glass of wine, or beer, provided it isn't drunk by anybody before driving. But I do have a lot against these huge multinationals and their insatiable control demands, also against economists and governemnts who allow them to keep on merging and become bigger and bigger and out of any democratic control.

I also do have a lot against alcoholism, or drug addiction, neither of which, together with our corporate sector, has anything to do with reasonably responsible human behavour and common decency.

Ed Deak.

I think it already is a right. The whole "life and liberty" thing certainly includes water, does it not? I think this issue is a tempest in a teapot, and the submitter is just trying to use the issue for self-aggrandizement.

So which multinational company is trying to take over all our water?

Stoutlimb

Does it matter?
I find your question totally irrelevant.
For a country to hand over its water rights to private ownership is just plain stupid.

Name a corporation who you would like to own our water rights.


Mike
Winnipeg