LIBERAL CORRUPTION

by Rémi Tremblay

Six years ago, Maclean’s (Canada’s national weekly current affairs and news magazine) labeled Quebec “the most corrupt province” of Canada. At that time, the Liberal government led by Jean Charest also launched an inquiry to investigate corruption in the judge nomination process. A year later, the same government had to set up another committee, this time dealing with the construction business. The corruption proved to be widespread, both at the city and provincial levels, with contracts being given according to the donations received by the party. And the mob got its share as well, to reward it for playing the role of middleman between crooked politicians and greedy entrepreneurs.

A few politicians resigned, like the mayor of Montreal, Gerald Tremblay (no relation), who was replaced by our first Jewish mayor, Michael Applebaum, who had to resign as well during his first year because of yet another corruption scandal. At the provincial level no one was arrested though until march this year, when the vice premier, Nathalie Normandeau, was officially accused along with a few liberal organizers.

The investigation commission showed one thing: corruption was widespread in Montreal and this explained why building anything was 30% more expensive in "La Belle Province" than anywhere else in Canada. Corruption has cost us millions of dollars.

Surprisingly, following such humiliating revelations, the corrupt politicians had little difficulty getting re-elected. After a year in opposition the Liberal Party came back to power with the same corrupt team, reminiscent of the recent scandal involving provincial cabinet member, Sam Hamad.

The premier, Philippe Couillard, claimed to be "as clean as can be," but everyone knew of his friendship with Arthur Porter, a strange character who was involved in criminal undertakings. The fact that Couillard had set up a business with Porter, who was also doing business with his freemason brother Michael Appelbaum, should have rung a bell. But, after all, Montrealers had elected Denis Coderre as mayor, a man who had been involved in a few corruption scandals in the last decade and who had been expelled from Canadian prime minister Paul Martin’s cabinet for corruption allegations.

Were Quebecers ignorant of those facts? No, the media reported them and ignorance could definitely not be invoked, except, that is, willful ignorance. Quebecers elected corrupt politicians knowing full well what they were doing. Cynicism? Hardly! In fact, corruption has become socially acceptable and, moreover, impossible to denounce morally. We live in a liberal society professing liberal values and corruption is the ultimate liberalism.

What exactly is corruption? The most common definition would be: Corruption is the misuse of public power (by elected politician or appointed civil servants) for private gain.

In other words, it means placing one’s interests above the interests of the nation, state, or administration that the person is supposed to defend or represent.

It is morally reprehensible as well as technically illegal, but it is also the logical result of liberalism. This ideology claims that there is no greater good than personal happiness. According to the liberal, the ultimate objective in life is the personal quest for gratification. Everything else, be it the nation, the community, the family, and even nature – if we think of the transsexual lunacy – is seen as illegitimate restraints on one’s quest for happiness and self-realization.

So in a case of corruption, the public servant accepts illicit money and grants from the commonwealth. As liberalism puts it, there is no common link between people; there is no unity. People are separate individuals and therefore no nation or community should stand above them. Following that logic, it is perfectly normal that a public servant puts his happiness and enrichment above the interests of the nation.

The only reason corruption is still technically illegal, although in complete harmony with the values espoused by our society, is that the state has a concrete and legal existence independent of the social values promoted. The nation, for liberals, does not exist; it is merely a mental construct Therefore robbing something that does not actually exist would not be a problem legally or morally. But as the state actually has an existence of its own independent of the liberal mind, the moral and cultural acceptance of corruption still faces occasional obstacles and resistance.

Corruption will continue to rot Quebec society and other societies also, as long as liberalism continues to be the guiding value of society. When the guiding principles acknowledge the importance of the nation, the people, and the community, stealing by participating in corruption will neither be acceptable, nor tolerated anymore.