Editor, The Times:
The Fraser Institute! Oh the Fraser Institute!
In the lobby of the Fraser Institute, so I’m told, is a giant plastic statue of Adam Smith whose wealth of nations supposedly inspires the thoughts and teachings of the Fraser Institute.
But as my waggish friend put it—if Adam Smith ever saw or listened to Michael Walker now retired, once spokesman for the Fraser Institute, he would bust his hickory walking stick over Michael Walker’s bald head.
Adam Smith was a very moral man, like so many of his Scotsman he was an abolist swimming against a very strong current—slavery was common—in vogue one might say—even here in Canada; it took a Herculean effort by the likes of William Wilberforce, the Clarkson brothers, the Quakers, and the US of A, a bloody civil war, to get rid of that scrounge.
Partially anyway!
However, listening to the ramblings of those Burrard Street neo-cons one gets the impression that if slavery were still in fashion the Fraser Institute would be one of its most vigorous defenders.
The Fraser Institute is founded and financed by B.C.’s business gang to counter Dave Barrett’s NDP government on those horrible socialists.
At first it gained a certain respectability – writers like Richard Gwyn interviewed Michael Walker – Walker was on cross country checkup with Rex Murphy.
Even Michael Enright had some good words for the Fraser Institute on Sunday morning.
However, as time went on like a line from a Bruce Cockburn song, ‘People see through you,’ the veneer of respectability has been stripped from the Fraser Institute, after all their bunch, none of whom earns less that $100,000 annually, has come out against any increase in the minimum wage and any improvements in the CPP, then there’s this private schools good – public schools bad thing.
Also the Fraser, Frontier, Macdonald-Laurier – CD Howe gang all have charitable status.
In other words a lot of freeloading goes on at the Fraser Institute.
Ah, the Fraser Institute.
Need I say more?
Dennis Peacock
Clearwater, B.C.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter