Home Grown Authoritarianism 

Host Rod Olstad and Guest Prof. Alvin Finkel explore contemporary examples of Authoritarianism primarily in Alberta.  Includes discussions about historical roots of authoritarianism, how merited  Authority is earned and related impacts of corporate lobbyists.  Recorded July 30, 2024.

Notes and Links:  

Professor Finkel is the current President of the Alberta Labour History Institute:  https://albertalabourhistory.org/

See also his blog:  ChangeAlberta on Facebook:
Click here.

Professor Finkel’s two most recent publications: 
Compassion  A Global History of Social Policy
Click here.
Humans:  the 300,000 year struggle for equality.
Click here.

Links:

As discussed, a fairly recent example of an authoritarian act is UCP Energy Minister Brian Jean’s letter to the Alberta Energy Regulator advising that the Grassy Mountain Coal Mining Project should be given a second chance, despite extensive public opposition to this project and the decision, under former Premier Jason Kenny, to shelve the proposal.  See:  https://highriveronline.com/articles/energy-ministers-letter-to-energy-regulator-problematic-according-to-mayor
Also, as discussed, the Alberta Electric System Operator’s (AESO’s) CEO Mike Law, asking that a moratorium on renewables in Alberta not go ahead.   Danielle Smith evidently  lied to the public claiming the AESO CEO said otherwise.  
This kind of lie from Danielle Smith as an ultimate act of authoritarianism.  

Senior official who pushed back on Alberta renewables pause out at: thenarwhal.ca

Rod’s Reflections on Prof. Finkel’s Interview:
Corporate lobbyists typically and with limited merit conflate their profit motive with the public good.  Governments that blithely and uncritically accept the advice of corporate lobbyists run a higher risk of failing the public good.  

Land Acknowledgement:  

This podcast is recorded on Treaty Six Territory.  The traditional land of the nêhiyawak, Blackfoot, Nakota Sioux, Metis and others. The  nêhiyawak name for Edmonton is Amiskwaci-waskahikan (Amisk-watchee-waska-ikan) which means “Beaver-Hills House” –referring to the many beaver in the river, and in the region of what is now considered Edmonton.  This podcast aims to rebuild the Commons and remediate Mother Earth in a spirit of  de-colonization in  Edmonton, Alberta, and Canada.