Christopher Walken (actor) played the part of an owner of a gold mine in the move “The Rundown”. In this role he demanded to know “what is wrong with those people” who worked in his mine. He paid them, built them a town, put shirts on their backs.
Never mind the low wages, the hard labor, and the brutality of life, what is wrong with them?
“Total Recall” involved a mine owner with the same problem.
These are extreme cases of fiction but it is only the location and the exaggeration of the issue that is fiction.
Today under the guise of fiscal stewardship we suffer many the same maladies depicted (albeit exaggerated), in these movies.
Political leaders maintain too small a circle of influence, and begin to believe that, what is right for their circle, is right for everyone. If they do well, everyone will do well. Like the mine owner in the movie, today’s politicians believe it.
Current Prime Minister Trudeau, actually, in my opinion, believed it when he tried to fix the boondoggle an international Canadian based, business got into by seeking a special prosecution agreement. Later he realized he was wrong.
When cities handed off development to large developers, they became subservient to the developers, many believe, and start to preach, what is good for the developers are good for their cities.
Locally we have spent many tens of millions, of tax-payers money, on roads and services, fire halls, police stations, transit, public meetings, studies and planning to accommodate the developers.
In Red Deer, our population increased by 195 people, since 2015, while we built 1299 new homes, our house assessments depreciated 2 % eliminating any new tax base. Did we learn anything? No we are still accommodating the desires of large developers.
Premier Jason Kenney has the same problem as Christopher Walken’s character. “What is wrong with those people?” As the mine owner, lining his pockets or those of his investors was paramount. He controlled everything, if you needed food you bought from his store at his prices. Education was only for young people too young to work in the mine. He ripped them off by underpaying, because he intimidated “those people”.
Premier Kenney has owners of big businesses,coal mines and oil and gas companies with eyes on profits, demanding more and easier access to money. Like the fictional mine owner controlling his town, Kenney thinks he owns the province.
He went after “those people”, our pension, “What’s wrong with those people?” He cut their minimum wages. “What’s wrong with those people?” He is bringing in Bills that will allow longer hours (12 hour work days) without overtime pay. He is cutting public education so private enterprise can make profit. He is privatising more segments of health care so private enterprise can make profit. “What’s wrong with those people?” He is restricting free speech, the right to protest, and the right to assemble.
In the movies the characters are 2 dimensional and it appears that in politics the characters are also only 2 dimensional. But “those people” are 3 dimensional and will eventually rise up and take control back.
Politicians like actors are not the only 2D characters in these scenarios, they need supporting underlings. In the movies they are directed and led, told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. It seems in politics it is very much the same.
In the movies, The Rundown and in Total Recall, the owners were done in by greed, in the political arena many politicians went too far.
Today’s politicians should watch a few movies they might learn a thing or two.
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