Why have we, and still do, let so many people from all around us, get away with treating us like dummies, imbeciles, and idiots? Consciously, unconsciously, habitually, or whatever, they do it all the time, every day, through their businesses, and so-called public services, when they try to sell or offer us/ the public, something.

Yet, we say nothing, and go along with it, pretending to be ignorant to their tricks and deceiving tactics, and continue on our way, letting them play their mind games with us.
One example is with the size of packaging, from food producers.

Instead of raising their prices 10% to 20% to squeeze more money from consumers; they will instead give that much 10% – 20% less product in a smaller sized container, hoping you, the consumer won’t ‘catch on’, and still continue to buy as much of that brand of product from them as before. And do we? Then they have the extra nerve to continue to advertise that brand of product as offer- ing the same money savings as before.

Then there are those ads that say ‘free’ this, or ‘free’ that. Nothing is ‘free’ in life. We all have to give something, or do something, to get anything in life. If we don’t, then someday we will have to pay a higher price we won’t like.

And what about ‘save’ this, and ‘save’ that/ the twisted misuse of that word ‘save’ is such an addictive point now, that some businesses can’t just offer their product/s and say that they have a ‘better price’ or a ‘lower price’. Instead, they are compelled to tell their prospective customers that they are ‘saving’ this much and that much. Where or when can customers make with-drawl’s, or have that money back that was advertised as being saved? Are these business now in the banking business, where they hold your money for you, that you saved from buying from them? No? Then why say so? See where this is going? If you treat some people like dummies, they will often act out or become the way you treat them. It all starts with child psychology!

In the mid-1970’s, our Federal Government in Ottawa wasn’t happy with the growing prosperity that hard working-class Canadians were enjoying.

And the Multi-National business circle got jealous and then started getting envious of Canadians and how we were being blessed as a nation.

Then, around 1977, when gasoline was selling at about 95 cents/$.95 for a 160 oz size Canadian Gallon, as it was sold before, successfully and prosperously for everyone involved, our Prime Minister at the time, did not think it was good enough for certain people and for certain reasons, and then came up with a plan to make changes.

So the federal government started a scheme of selling gasoline ‘European metric style’ at 20 cents/$.20 for a much smaller 1000 ml size Litre/ which is 32 oz.

Canadians already knew it was costing Europeans a lot more to fuel their vehicles because of the gasoline prices, and it was sold in smaller litres over there.

That should have been a good enough warning sign for Canadians not to believe Ottawa; when they were sold a story that it would be cheaper measurement to use.

And not more costly or expensive. So, the public, like a bunch of sheep, unaware that they really were being deceived with the liquid measurement change, just ignoring the warning signs, let their politicians in Ottawa follow through unquestioned with their agenda, without suspecting anything wrong, and swallowed all the political rhetoric and jargon with no idea where they were being lead or ‘taken’.

Comparing our average non-unionized wages then, and now with the gasoline we paid then and what we are paying now; our average incomes have only increased by about three and a half times, (3 1/2x) since 1977, while the price of gasoline have increased five times (5X) to over six times (6X) since 1977, when the Federal Govern- ment changed Canada’s liquid measuring system to metric. Prices in Ontario were as high as $1.39 a litre. We Canadians are like a bunch of sheep (the majority of us) and who knows that better than our government leaders and politicians. We Canadians for a long time (almost 40 years) have been taken to the cleaners first, before the shearers. Also, as intended, all this change worked in favour of the sellers by causing general public confusion between the dif- ferences in liquid measures and their ‘dollar-value’ price comparisons.

Are people blind, or have they just not wanted to open their eyes, for fear of what they might see? Whom are they fooling, if they’re not fooling themselves first? Tell me the Federal Government isn’t in dire straits, and financially desperate. And it is well known that desperate people do dangerous and stupid things. What is it going to take before working-class Canadians and tax-payers open their eyes and wake up to face the real world that has been shooting out all kinds of red warning flags, trying to show and tell them something? What will it take?

After the gasoline liquid measurement change, along with the increased prices and costs, they, the Federal Government, consequently started changing other measurements for our both successful and profitable standard British measures and measurements to the troublesome, expensive and deceiving European metric system. It was all one big mass confusion and deception from the beginning. Why don’t they just leave well enough alone.

Now, we are in a federal election campaign period. And we are being told that we need a change in Ottawa. That a change (their change) is going to be good for our country. Change for what, and change to what? Do Canadians want to change their countries broken legs? Instead, for ten bro- ken toes and ten broken fingers?

Talk is cheap for Governments and politicians, but very expensive and costly for taxpayers. And, our children are going to be the ones who will eventually have to pay these bills. We Canadians, in our politics, need to turn around soon, and return to our ‘roots’ which once helped build this nation, before it is too late. Or, someday, our children will surely suffer the results from all this mess we let ourselves get into and carelessly has dumped on them.
There is still hope for Canada. But our hope is not in: Free trade, or in mortgaged houses, or in high priced gold, or in oil, or even in any man.

If we want changes for the better, then those changes must come from the general public. If you have a heart and a soul, then, you should know where that change or changes must be. It is no secret.

Gordon C. Snell
Orangeville