Major Douglas countered the false argument that Social Credit had been tried and failed in the Canadian Province of Alberta by stating the obvious: Social Credit had never failed in Alberta because it had never been tried.
Dating back to the nineteen-twenties, Social Credit had been a subject of intellectual debate in Eastern Canada for some years, especially in the Province of Ontario. During the Great Depression of the nineteen-thirties, the Agricultural Committee of the then governing United Farmers Government of Alberta questioned Douglas about Social Credit financial policies inasmuch that his ideas had gained some support in the Government Party and elsewhere in Canada, the English speaking world and even beyond. In 1935, in the context of a Province especially striken by the Great Depression, a "Social Credit" Government replaced the UFA in a massive electoral sweep. William Aberhart, a high school mathematics teacher from the City of Calgary, became Premier of Alberta and retained this position until his suspicious death in 1943. At this time Ernest Manning assumed position of Premier, a position which he held for many years until his resignation in late 1969. The Manning period featured a great reversal of progress for the Social Credit cause. In 1971, under the leadership of a pleasant but ill-informed leader, Harry Strom, the Party finally suffered defeat to the Progressive Conservatives under the leadership of Peter Lougheed, a Harvard educated lawyer. By this time the Provincial "Social Credit" Party had been entirely subverted, primarily from within, and bore no relationship to the Aberhart time or to anything whatever of a Social Credit nature. The early "Social Credit" Government of Alberta attempted to pass a number of legislative acts designed to facilitate the introduction of Social Credit policies--but all were declared "ultra vires" by the Supreme Court of Canada. Aberhart was a man of good will, conviction and genuine intent and his death was probably a decisive factor in limiting the advance of Social Credit. Under the Manning leadership, the Province elevated itself out of debt and through admittedly careful adminstration dedicated to "good government", the Province moved from being a "have not" jurisdiction to a quite prosperous one. This, however, had nothing to do with application of any genuine, specific Social Credit policies. Indeed, Manning eventually revealed, to many thousands of long-time, misled and trusting supporters, his real position by issuing a public statement saying that Social Credit was no longer relevant to modern conditions. When he retired, he became a Director of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Preparation for the War had already through increased spending begun to restore more prosperous conditions in the country and the discovery of oil in Alberta began a continuous and large inflow of royalties to the Alberta Government. Further exploration revealed enormous reserves of oil and natural gas and much foreign investment money flowed into the Province. Government revenues were greatly increased over the years--as they continue to be under the current Progressive Conservatives led by Premier Ralph Klein. Only a relatively incompetent Government would have been unable to administer the Province with such large export income flowing into it from outside its borders. Today, the economy of Alberta has become more diversified and is now based on a larger industrial, commercial, educational and research activity. The Province has minimal debt which could easily be eliminated. However, the Provincial Conservative Government has followed the restrictive policies of a balanced budget (the nature and consequences of which under the existing faulty financial system, they appear to have no understanding), and eliminated many programs for a numerically significant and restive electoral body of seniors. Funds for medical care and education have become increasingly inadequate. While attempting to moderate taxes, the Government has added many new fees, fee increases, increased medical premiums and other charges accompanied by rising insurance costs-- while general inflation continues to take its toll, especially upon those depending upon fixed incomes. Privatization has resulted in massive price increases in natural gas and electrical utilities which have created hardship for many citizens and businesses. The general trend has been for the Federal Liberal Government, also in obeisance to the false tenets of a "balanced budget" under orthodox finance, to download financial costs to the Provinces while they in turn download costs upon the general citizenry. There will have to be a breaking point somewhere down the line. Athough rather insignificant from a political party standpoint there still exists in Alberta a persistent residue of Social Credit supporters who might yet play a future role in promotion of Douglas's ideas. None of Albera's "prosperity" had anything to do with genuine Social Credit policy. Indeed, Douglas described the administration of the Province under the Mannning Government as being more nearly a form of state socialism. A nominal "Social Credit" Government was also elected in the westcoast Province of British Columbia. Some prosperity came to this Province during which, among other things, large roadbuilding projects were accomplished which helped to open up the Province. But no specific Social Credit financial policies were ever attempted. During the earlier historical period considerable spread of "Social Credit" polical activity occurred due to the efforts of a Federal Social Credit Party, branches having been established in a number of Provinces, such as Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, etc. Electoral success reached its zenith in 1962 when the Federal Party, under the joint leadership of Dr. Robert Thompson from the West and the irrepressible orator Real Caouette from the French Canadian Province of Quebec managed to elect, I believe, four candidates from the West and twenty-six from Quebec to the Federal House of Commons--a total of 30. These Federal representatives held a balance of power under the short-lived Federal Government of the Prime Minister John Diefenbaker from the Province of Saskatchewan. The Federal "Social Credit" representation rapidly declined and eventually ceased to exist after the Liberal defeat of the Diefenbaker Government. I personally knew both Dr. Thompson and M. Caouette and I believe that they were, for better or worse, genuinely dedicated to the Social Credit cause. Tension existed between the Alberta Social Credit party machine and the more militant Federal Party. Again, the political party approach ended in disaster. In both the Provincial and Federal "Social Credit" Parties there existed a considerable number of well-informed and well-intentioned people but they were not able to prevail in the policial party power arena which inexorably tends to place power above principle. Douglas had said that attempts to promote Social Credit via the political party avenue would, in his view, prove to be disastrous. So, in answer to a questioner who was under the impression that Social Credit had been experimented with in "Canada" and had resulted in bankruptcy, one can say that this rather bizzare notion has no basis in fact whatsoever. Social Credit has never been implemented in Canada--depite various political party electoral successes and partial successes over many years. Due to the defective orthodox financial system under which it operates, the world as a whole, of course, is in a continuous state of ever extending financial bankruptcy. This is the situation which genuine Social Credit seeks to rectify by fundamental changes to the existing defective financial system. Sincerely Wally --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84IaC.bcVIgP.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
