There are those amongst us that are pretty riled at the prospect of British Columbia being a part of an independent West. Among the reasons heard are that there are too many differences, too many leftists, too many of “those” people.  Of course there are the usual handles, granola crunchers, tree huggers, hippies, leftoids, etc, etc, etc. And those are the kind ones! Another comment I hear with regards to BC and an Independent West is, “Turn off the taps, that’ll teach’em.”

Really?

It would go without saying that it takes all kinds to make a country, to think otherwise would not only be narrow of thought but self defeating if one is truly serious about building a country. If a neighbour came up to you and asked to join you in an enterprise, do you think he would be as willing if he was greeted with, “First I have to teach you a lesson then I’ll watch you like a hawk you son of a —–.” I’m sure your neighbour would be a bit put off, right?

At present, there is much angst and commotion going on over the former Kinder Morgan pipeline, now owned by taxpayers. Lawsuits are flying and tempers are boiling to the point where the real issues and causes have been desiccated to “us and them”. So let’s look at what’s really going on, shall we?

To understand and get a real perspective on the friction between provinces and how this is meaningful to our ambitious project called independence, we have to look at the parts of the issue separately then as a whole.

Nationally, we have a government led by a Prime Minister that has been put in office through the machinations of outside money and dishonest representation in the media. He is reminiscent of Barack Obama, who got the Nobel Peace Prize for?  And whose previous accomplishments were scant to say the least. Justin Trudeau was elected based on his name, nice hair and his ability to woo tourists and take selfies.  A great amount of foreign capital went into demeaning Harper and promoting Trudeau, money that was funneled into the election via 3rd party advertising, much of which provided by individuals that stand to profit by stifling Canada’s energy sector. Trudeau is owned, period. As such he has the unenviable task of appearing to support the oil industry while actually destroying it.

Alberta made the unwise choice of electing an NDP government in order to show the Conservatives that they’d better watch out! It’s much like saying, “Look, I don’t want you to walk like you did before again so I’ll just break your legs…but I don’t really mean it.” Then everyone was aghast that an NDP government was in power! Make sense?

Now it worked out that Alberta committed hara-kiri just at the right time since Trudeau now had an ally in Edmonton that also needed to look like she cared but really hoped Trudeau would get his way and oil would be dead. But to be fair, the NDP is more like a willing accomplice than a paid hit man.

Now we get to British Columbia.

British Columbia took a page from the Alberta playbook and hoped to teach the rascals in power a lesson! So what did they do? Elected an NDP government.  But wait, there’s more! Not to be outdone by Alberta, BC got a coalition government, how European!

And the coalition means that if John Horgan wants to sit in the Premier’s chair he has to do the bidding of the Greens. And so BC is essentially governed by a party holding 3 seats. My, how the masses have spoken!

And so my dear reader, we can see that although one might opt to vent about us and them, in fact it is a matter of us and us. There are so many similarities that it is simply remarkable. Can anyone dispute this?

To build a country we need to look ahead as one people. And this “one people” includes right, left, old, young, gay, straight, all the colours you can think of, religions of all sorts. All fighting for the common good, to become Western Canadians in a country where everyone is equal under the law, free from foreign interference and enjoying the benefits and responsibility of making life better for all.

It’s a tall order but I do think we’re up to it.

But achieving such a thing requires a start point. A point at which we show our neighbours that not only are we serious about independence, but that we talk the talk and walk the walk. If we don’t all we are doing is parroting the divisive doctrine of Trudeau and his ilk. And if that’s the way it is then we are doomed from the start.

Can it be done?

I have been laying low these days waiting for the outcome of the unenviable pipeline fiasco currently gripping the nation. Oh my, says the Polite Separatist, the American backers of the protest groups must be laughing themselves into a tizzy as they see the fruit of their labour come about. BC fights Alberta, Trudeau backs the pro and anti pipeline movements at the same time and Canada is falling to pieces. Not bad for a few millions invested in the right places and paid to the right people.

And just like the pipeline debacle, the separatist sphere is also seeing upheaval. And it’s getting so that one can’t tell the players without a program!

WIPA, WIPBC, WIPMan, Saskatchewan Separation Party, Separation of Alberta from the Liberal East, Alberta Independence Movement, Yukon/NWT Independence Movement, Canadian West Independence, The Republic of Western Canada, Alberta Independence Movement, WIP-SK, Western Canada Separation, Constitutional Republic of West Canada, Coalition for Separation of Western Canada, Canadian Secessionist Movement, Westcanada Separatist Group Rally Page, The Western Freedom Alliance…Did I miss any?

Now, to be fair, some attempts have been made to rally the troops under one banner in Facebook but success is somewhat dubious beyond nice logos and bold talk. It is largely the same situation that makes enemies of independence dance with delight. Fragmentation is the enemy, more than those who fight us because fragmentation saves them sweat and hard work. In effect we are doing their job for them.

I’ve said it before and I say it again. Concentrated effort, with definite roles assigned to each group, to focus like a laser point on one province, one with the highest likelihood of success, will take the day. The other Western provinces will follow.

Now, back to pipelines. John Horgan, the Premier of BC, is firmly stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He can remain as premier so long as he placates the radical Green Party and they are deadly opposed to any form of fossil fuels, progress, pipelines and perhaps even Dilithium Crystals from Star Trek. He must oppose, even though a consistent 60% of the population of BC are in favour of the pipeline, in order to keep the Greens happy so he can sit in the Premier’s chair. It is a prime example that amply illustrates the lack of moral turpitude and the lengths he is prepared to go to curry favour. He knows that to stand up for the majority and the economy of BC would mean an immediate election. And more, he knows he would lose.

For British Columbians, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that their province and their economic future rest with a political party that has three seats and 16% of the votes.

And so poor John Horgan has to do the bidding of the Greens, Tides Canada, George Soros, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Greenpeace, Pembina Institute, Environmental Defence, David Suzuki, the Sisu Institute and some 50 other anti-oil groups. Anti-pipeline activists say they’re protesting pipelines to “keep oil in the ground.” And yet, against Texas, where oil production has doubled, or California, or the Gulf coast or Alaskan oil fields there are no multi-million-dollar campaigns.

Poor John has to jump to their music but not to the clear majority of British Columbians. It seems that every new generation of British Columbians have to relearn that lesson of the folly of having an NDP government.

So what does all this mean to Western independence?

In the short run, not much beyond anger and frustration. But it does serve to show that as our time gets nearer and people become more attuned to the idea of the West as a country in its own right, great care must be taken to ensure all voices carry equal weight with one notable exception, that being foreign interference either directly or indirectly in our internal affairs. And that will be a tough thing to do since foreign interference is so pervasive in Canadian internal affairs that it will require extensive legislation and tough enforcement to make sure Western Canada alone decides its destiny. In “A Better Way” I propose a system of referendums to address this and make sure the voice of the people alone influence government.

Canada is slowly self destructing. It is incumbent on all of us to learn the valuable lessons of its decline in order to build a better tomorrow in an independent West.

My thoughts have turned lately to things that promote unity. The Liberal mantra of “diversity is our strength” has proven to be a wonderful example of propaganda that, in practice, promotes exactly the opposite. Rarely has such a deception been so readily been accepted by a peoples in modern times. One would have to look to Germany in the Second World War to find similar deceptions.

Much of my research on an independent West has centered on Switzerland. Swiss society has been fiercely protective of their independence and neutrality. I would propose that the motto for the Western Independence Movement be:

One for All ~ All for One

I know, sounds like the Three Musketeers. But I would suggest to you dear reader, that a sense of common purpose regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, trade or profession or social standing needs to become a buzzword, a call to arms, something anyone can take hold of and call their own.

Words such as “freedom” or “national” should be avoided since in the whole they are abstract concepts. What is freedom in the context of 21st century Canada? How can a high school senior appreciate transfer payments or farm policy? Does a worker in a fast food restaurant really think that control over gas royalties will impact his or her life?

It is far easier to cry out, One for All & All for One. It can apply to anyone and become a rallying cry wherever secessionists meet. It immediately tells the whole of Western Canada that we are one people with common dreams and are willing and able to support each other in good and bad times. It is a catchphrase that instantly binds us all.

Great care has to be taken avoid situations as we see today where the various groups use different calls to action or mottos even though they profess the same goals! This displays to our adversaries that we are a fragmented movement which can be ignored because we are weak and can’t get our act together. I know I may be sounding somewhat repetitious but unity is probably the most important asset in any movement and certainly is in ours.

I would like to hear from the leaders of the various groups and self-described parties about what makes is able to be one voice and what, more importantly perhaps, is the rationale for fragmentation.

I can be reached through this site or by email at:  thepoliteseparatist@gmail.com

Let’s talk!

There appears to be much fear about independence. Naturally, the fear mongers amongst us do their best to foster this with loud lamentations that Canada will punish us, poverty will be rampant, our homes will be worthless and our institutions will collapse immediately among other nasty things like locust infestations and so on, draw your own vision of what would happen.

In other words, Armageddon!

Really?

Let’s look at facts, shall we? In previous posts we’ve discussed the mechanics of independence with a clear majority in accordance with the Clarity Act and other pertinent legislation. We’ve also looked at time scale, how long would it take? Relax, it most definitely not be immediate. But I think the real underlying question that perhaps has gone unasked is…

Could Western Canada be a real country?

For the answer we need to go back in time and then look around the world. There have been many successful and unsuccessful attempts to secede from the parent country all around the world and many are still ongoing and unresolved. So, what is a state?

The Montevideo Convention of 1933 declared that a region needs at minimum 4 things to be considered a state.

1. A permanent population.
2. A defined territory
3. A government
4. The capacity to enter into relations with other states.

But. It also needs.

1. A clear majority.
2. Respect for minorities.
3. A viable, stable state.
4. Agreed terms of separation.

In practice, these are hard to achieve.

So this, along with the Clarity Act, drives home the point that it is a long, drawn out and complex process. The most recent polls on the subject show that Alberta leads the way with support for independence sitting at about 30%, far from a clear majority. The other points are moot without a clear majority. You can see, dear reader, that much more work needs to be done and the most valuable asset is doggedness. The will to never give up and think long-term will be the game changer.

In the meantime, here are some recommendations from the Polite Separatist.

#1. Consolidate all existing group on social media into one for each province. Each province ticks in its own way. Potash is not a concern in BC. An environmentalist in the BC’s Lower Mainland gets incredibly riled that Alberta wants access to get oil to China. A farmer in Manitoba could not care less that BC salmon farms are a point of contention in Victoria.  One, I repeat, ONE organization in each province. But where does that leave all the people running multiple groups?

#2. Use people for specific tasks. A leader of a group or multiple groups simply cannot do all the tasks required of such a large and complex movement by themselves.  If, for example, the Prairie Freedom Party is the sole Saskatchewan independence movement, then the leaders and followers of other now defunct groups can be put to specific tasks such as fundraising, administration,  membership, media and public affairs to name a few. Also, by narrowing the field and divesting responsibilities, the leader is free to LEAD.

#3. Be prepared. The Boy Scouts have it right. Do not worry about what happens in Ottawa or the provincial capital; business will go on without interruption there. Do not make the same mistake as the Bloc Québécois. When people realized their only existence was to scare politicians and nothing else, they were killed in the polls and are even now still trying to find a reason to exist. Build up the home base and be prepared for interference from outside and when it comes (and it will come) use it as a tool to further our aims.

And #4. Don’t lose sight of the aim and understand, in your heart of hearts, that this is a long road fraught with obstacles and danger. But only the reader can answer if the end is worth the trip.

It really is up to you, dear reader. Do what needs to be done or spend your time complaining from an armchair.

Decide.

I found this old article and found it worth placement in my blog. I hope, dear reader, that you consider how little has changed in the 34 years since it was written and what it says about Canada.

 Following is an excerpt from an article written by Ted Byfield, and published in the Edmonton Sun on September 2, 1984:

 “Like Alberta, B.C. is a resource producing province. The source of its wealth and prosperity is obvious to a school child. As the pulp, paper and lumber markets go, as the coal markets go, as the fishing season and market go, as Prairie grain goes, so goes B.C. Just as grain, gas and oil will decide the present and future of Calgary and Edmonton.

Now the point is that the federal government intrudes itself into the economics of these fields more decisively than any other factor. The feds negotiate the tariffs, the feds (since Trudeau any way) set the gas and oil prices; the feds sell the grain; the feds regulate the fishery; the feds control transport on both railways and harbors. In other words, whether the resource regions live, breathe and eat depends largely on the feds. But and here is the point the federal politicians in no sense whatever depend upon the resource regions. They are elected by, and they therefore understandably serve, the populous consumer region of central Canada, the region that elects them.

 And the people in this region neither know nor care about the production and marketing of natural resources. Can the Toronto factory worker be expected to concern himself intimately with the fishing limits on the B.C. coast? Can an insurance actuary in London, Ont., be expected to worry about the Crow Rate? Is a Windsor automobile worker likely to vote on the basis of natural gas or newsprint exports? Hardly.

 However, his concern can be aroused detrimentally. Promise him Alberta oil at half price and he’ll go for it. Tell him you’ll restrict the importation of Japanese cars and the only cost maybe a cut back in Japanese imports of Saskatchewan grain or B.C. coal, but what does he care about that? And it is his vote, not that of the Kelowna fruit grower, with which Misters Turner, Mulroney and Broadbent must concern themselves because there are so many more of him than there are of us.

 The fact is increasingly known and appreciated in British Columbia as it is in Alberta. And unless the foreseeable Mulroney government somehow contends with it, other than by talk, the division of East from West is merely a matter of time.”

 So ask yourself and others in your midst, what has changed? Are we better off than we were 34 years ago? The mainstream media and the Liberal Party apparatchik that is the CBC and Toronto Star declared Western separatism dead with the election of another Trudeau. Were they right? And if they were right, what does it say about how the West is regarded?

Possibly the most disparaging thing in what is today’s Western independence movement is the sheer number of groups supposedly espousing the same thing. However a closer inspection of these groups usually separates the wheat from the chaff. Many groups are simply sounding posts for the angry people in our milieu who want to vent about pet peeves, dislikes, aggravations and in the extreme, concerns about the makeup of our society. Although there are a large number of people liking these groups on Facebook and other social media, by my count a total of some 40+ thousand, they are widely dispersed and in many cases belong to more than one group thus making counting an inexact thing indeed.

This is a cause for concern on our part and a cause for laughter for the eastern elites that have held our reigns for some 100 years or more. A cause that cannot count on unity of purpose is bound to fail and perhaps this, more than anything else, is why Western separatists have not made inroads. Failure is the result of not being able to lay out the reasons why independence is desirable and how it can be achieved with one voice.
After being a spectator of these phenomena for some time and writing about it in the blog, the Polite Separatist has come to some conclusions that may not be palatable to all, but then reality rarely is.

First.

Perhaps the most important thing that affects all groups, sentiment, ideas, and hopes is the federal Clarity Act. Everything must be centered on this document. Why? Because it will determine if the independence of a province is even permitted to occur. Each province must win a referendum on independence with a clear majority (generally set at 60+%). Anything less is a no-go.
This negates the attempts to somehow create an all encompassing federal entity that crosses the Western provinces. See how successful the Bloc Quebecois was? Therefore any broad minded approach must start with the place with the highest chance of success. Where? Saskatchewan.

Why Saskatchewan?

Several reasons. First is population, with a population of 1.13 million compared to 4.14 for Alberta and 4.6 for BC, Saskatchewan is, to be frank, an easier task to manage. Also, the provincial capital, Regina, numbers 242 thousand, the largest city, Saskatoon at 300 thousand also manageable.
Second is location. An independent Saskatchewan would act as a neat divider in Canada. Canada would now face trade tariffs when getting wealth out of Alberta and BC. Conversely, Alberta and BC would be set apart from the rest of the country making their position somewhat precarious in confederation. They would be faced with a choice, follow or be ruled by a now foreign government that expects cash and resources to continue to flow. This with very little influence or vote value in the country’s affairs.
Third is organizational. The requirements to form a political party in Saskatchewan are less restrictive than in Alberta or BC. A well supported effort should have a reasonable chance of success.

Who then in Saskatchewan?

In my opinion, and for the reasons stated above, the Prairie Freedom Alliance Party has the right idea and is taking steps required to succeed. After discussing the party and its ambitions with co-founder Jake Wall, I have to say that their chances appear to be most viable of all the groups on social media. You can contact them at:

https://prairiefreedom.ca

What’s the difference between PFAP and other groups? People have an opportunity to support what they say they want. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that at some point one has to do more than hit “Like”. If you’re serious, just do it.

They can be found on Facebook too by searching for Prairie Freedom Alliance Party.

Do it.

Recently, a gentleman from Beaupré, Quebec took the opportunity to inform folks on FaceBook about democracy in Canada. This is what he said,

“Easy to tell u how democracy works: Ontario 10,000,000 Quebec 8,000,000 Alberta 2,800,000, BC 3,200,000. This is how democracy works so it’s not the 5,000,000 that tell the other 30,000,000 of people what to do.”

I know, it’s easy to dispel this as one opinion not representative of the whole, much like attacks in the name of Islam are not representative of the whole. However the attitude that prompts his statement says much and needs to be brought to light. Why? Because we see precisely this smugness in virtually all levels of federal and eastern Canadian governments towards the hopes and aspirations of the West. It’s a given that majority rules but in the case of Canada to say this is not exactly true. The Canadian Constitution ensures that Quebec and Ontario sit in the driver’s seat always. No other province can see an increase in seats without a correspondingly higher number of seats in Quebec and Ontario. This alone is unfair and frankly, any Western premier that approves of this arrangement doesn’t have the interests of his or her constituents, particularly those who signed on when it was repatriated by Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Kudos to Quebec, they reap the benefits and control of the West and its resources though a document that they did not sign or agree to. I would daresay examples of this elsewhere are few if any.

If Quebec is not a signatory to the Canadian Constitution then how can it be a part of Canada? And why is, what is essentially a foreign entity, controlling Western Canada? Under what authority?

I call Quebec a foreign entity because it is. It has its own laws under the Napoleonic Code and not English Common Law as in the rest of Canada. It was officially recognized as a nation by Stephen Harper with the proviso “within a united Canada” which is not much more than meaningless words to placate the rest of the country.

Recently Quebec used its extraordinary power to usurp Western attempts to get its oil to foreign markets or refine it in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. Environmental reasons were given although the Mayor of Montreal was much more forthcoming by stating that there was not enough in it for Quebec. This is but one example of extraordinary powers of a foreign entity acting outside the Canadian Constitution. Others are more surreptitious. Justin Trudeau’s enacting a tanker ban on the west coast but not on the east coast is simply a means to ensure votes in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, all the while appearing to be concerned about the Canadian environment, something the Saudis, Americans and Venezuelans don’t seem to share as they daily run tankers on our east coast.

As 2018 looms, and if polls are to be believed, the Liberals are looking at attaining another majority in the next election. Where this will take the country is anybody’s guess but suffice to say it will not be in a direction beneficial to the West. Unbridled immigration will continue and render Canada into a country much like Great Britain where the minority calls the shots backed by a political class that panders to them for their votes. We already see the damage in the form of “human rights” tribunals that can ruin or even jail an individual for practicing the freedom of expression guaranteed in the Canadian Constitution.

Sadly, Westerners are just not angry enough to take positive action on this. More misery will have to fall on our West before the common citizen has an epiphany. But in the meantime we can thank our Prime Minister and his Liberal Party for creating the conditions that will ultimately wake people up.

Just a quick word to say that those that wish to discuss topics away from the blog page may contact me at

https://thewalrus.ca/andrew-scheers-ties-to-rebel-media-are-now-impossible-to-deny/

I still contend that the only reason Stephen Harper was elected in 2006 is that there simply was no other acceptable choice to eastern Canada. The Liberals had imploded by way of the Sponsorship Scandal, the NDP wasn’t, and arguably never was, a viable alternative and elections being what they are, somebody had to win.

Despite all the failings of the Liberals, the limited appeal of the NDP and the lukewarm endorsement of the media, Harper and the Conservatives were granted a minority government. A minority is the parliamentary equivalent of being on probation, one is not fully trusted and full approval is on hold.

Almost immediately the attacks began. Harper wears a sweater! A blue sweater! He prorogued parliament!! Of course it didn’t matter that prorogation is normal parliamentary procedure, Harper did it and that made it just one of the many “assaults on democracy”. The eastern liberal media deemed it to be a scandal of epic proportions and in concert with their masters on the left kept hammering Canadians on a daily basis. In fact, it could be argued that if the media didn’t have a scandal to harp on they just made one up. He plays the piano! Quelle horreur!

Although Andrew Scheer was born in Ottawa, he is now a Member of Parliament for Regina-Qu’Appelle and is considered a Westerner. That is the first strike. The second strike is that he is a Conservative and a family man. Trudeau has a family too but since he is a Liberal, that’s ok.

What’s the third strike?

Well one of his staffers used to work for the Rebel Media of course. And that is totally unacceptable to the eastern elites and media (often the same thing). One has to wonder why a past history working for a legitimate news outlet is akin to having been Hitler’s barber? It illustrates astutely how that to gain the office of Prime Minister in Canada, a Conservative leader has to be approved of by the eastern elites and media. In short, they are saying, “We may let you govern if you act as a liberal and do exactly what we say and behave in the manner we dictate.” And even if one does obey, the daily assaults will be mounted until someone more to their liking shows up in a leftist party. Count on it.

Wouldn’t it be great if Westerners chose their own leader? One that would represent them, looking after their interests instead of those of the “better” part of the country?

We can dream can’t we?

And there are those among us that work tirelessly towards that dream. A dream is nothing more than air unless movers and shakers take action. Facebook alone has over 40 thousand members in various groups advocating Western independence. Movements from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are rising to the challenge. Seek them out, join them, talk to your neighbours and friends, you’ll be surprised how many have similar views. Don’t be afraid. To paraphrase President Roosevelt, we have nothing to fear but fear itself.

The wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, with its own language and culture, held a referendum on Oct. 1 on independence, in defiance of the Spanish constitutional court which had ruled the vote illegal. Immediately upon opening Spanish police descended on many polling stations and violently tried to close them down. The Spanish government, which has no provisions for such a referendum on secession, has now used article 155 of the Spanish constitution that permits the Prime Minister to sack the regional government and call for new elections. The future for Catalans may look promising to them but in reality they will suffer at the hands of “Mother Espania” before independence ever becomes a reality. It promises to be a messy affair.

But what does this say to Canada? Canadians have lived through several attempts at Quebec Independence, one of which came very close indeed. In fact, in view of the subsequent scandals that led to Liberal demise on the federal level would seem to point to a separatist victory had Chretien’s Liberals not cheated. The near loss of the country prompted the Liberals to create the Clarity Act, a piece of legislation specifically geared at giving Ottawa a definite advantage with any attempts at secession in the future. It appears that Canada could only be held together by chicanery and loaded legislation.

The West has been fooled into confederation through the use of promises, force, hopes of “change” and a steady indoctrination of how good it is that we’re all together in Canada. But are we? 150 years of underhanded treatment of the West by successive Prime Ministers from MacDonald to Trudeau masked by platitudes and insinuations that if one didn’t toe the Ottawa line and just smile, salute the flag and carry on, one must be “divisive” or even worse, un-Canadian.  This has largely worked because no one wants an interruption of their daily lives for something so dangerous as independence and the right to govern ourselves. We live in a selfish society and as long as tidbits are handed out when Westerners get too uppity, the West tends to forgive and forget.

Not so much anymore.

What would a referendum, by province, mean if successful? Not too much in the short term. Markets might fluctuate but free enterprise being what it is, it would recover pretty quickly.  There would be shockwaves in Ottawa. In the 1995 Quebec Referendum the Liberal government used public funds to bus thousands in to stage a tremendous show of affection in downtown Montreal. Where this display of “genuine” affection is now is anyone’s guess. Unlike Spain, Canada has a mechanism for provincial referendums on sovereignty and Quebec’s declaration that sovereignty can arbitrarily be declared by the Quebec government upon the winning of a referendum gives a precedence of sorts. And with the long tradition of a desire for independence by Quebec, Canada is not likely to adopt the same stance as Spain.

Yes, there would be animosity from eastern Canadians and perhaps Canada would impose some sort of punishment on the wayward children but that too would only be temporary. Once negotiations begin and reality sets in it would become business as usual between two countries much like Canada and the US. It is never wise to pay head to fear mongers. Those that do never accomplish anything more than the status quo and this would please eastern elites, American billionaires and Saudi princes immensely.

We are in a new era, one with unlimited opportunity for an independent West. Ottawa and eastern Canada has proven time and again that it cares very little for the West and its people beyond being a source of capital. We can go our own way, it can be done, we have the infrastructure, the talent, work ethics and drive to be successful.

It is time.