Paramedics are seen at Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, NS, in 2013. Andrew Vaughn/The Canadian Press
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Discovery process
On How Papal Edicts Enabled the Seizure of Native Lands – and Shaped Canada (July 23): Thank you for the interesting article on the Doctrine of Discovery. Obviously giving it up would open a huge can of worms. But I must say that I do not understand the difference between this doctrine and the “conquest.”
Although conquest has never been morally acceptable, today’s map of the world is based on centuries and centuries of conquest by one group over another. How could we ever untangle the web created by these centuries of conquest and return pieces of land back to the original inhabitants?
Nicola Hall Vancouver
I believe author and lawyer Bruce McIvor is right to distinguish Canada’s “ownership” from the Doctrine of Discovery, but wrong to imply that the distinction weakens “Canada’s very legitimacy.”
Canada’s legitimacy should not depend on justifying the claim that the Crown “owns” Canada. The Crown therefore does not own Canada; the people of Canada, including Indigenous peoples, own Canada.
This property is not secured by an ancient doctrine, but by the government of the people, its well-founded belief in its legitimacy, and the recognition of the international community. I think there are good reasons to believe in our government, but that doesn’t mean I agree with every policy or law it makes.
In this I find that I am no different from many indigenous peoples. Our common task must be to achieve improved governance, not to rethink ownership.
Graham Brown Waterloo, Ontario
Russia and Afghanistan
Re There’s a Mobster Within Putin (Opinion, July 23): The classic book Russia under the old regimeby historian Richard Pipes, remains a brilliant, authoritative source for understanding Russian behavior and conduct in domestic and international affairs.
The development of Russia was different from that of Europe. The Reformation and the Enlightenment passed him by like a cloud. Mr. Pipes explains the political behavior of the peasantry, the nobility, the Orthodox Church, and the bourgeoisie. The role of the Russian Church cannot be underestimated in the understanding of Russia.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia is not a new phenomenon, regardless of his personality and difficult upbringing. History, geography, and political and religious culture have made Russia what it is today. Regardless of Mr. Putin and his regime, Russia is exposed for what it has always been.
Plato said it first: “This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are.”
Eli Michael Nasrallah author, Hostage to History: The Cultural Collapse of the 21st Century Arab World; Ottawa
Re Taliban return plunges Afghanistan’s middle class into poverty (Opinion, July 23): Excuse my insensitivity and political incorrectness and not pulling out my fiddle, but what did the contributor expect? If one wants to protect one’s way of life, one must fight to preserve it.
Please look at Ukraine. This is how people should react when their existence is threatened. The Taliban returned to Kabul without firing a single shot.
John Kershman Ottawa
Next up
Redefining Hockey Canada’s problem in plain English continues to be a problem (Sports, July 28): Scott Smith has led Hockey Canada for the past 11 years and held other leadership positions at the organization’s head office for 25 years.
Since 1989, Hockey Canada has had to settle 21 alleged sexual abuse cases, an average of one every 19 months, and has spent $8.9 million in settlement payments, an average of about $270,000 a year. The organization is currently under active police investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct in two different provinces.
Yet it wasn’t until recently, after the situation erupted into a full-blown public scandal and officials faced a government commission, that Hockey Canada saw fit to come up with a plan of action. However, its executives say they have the full confidence of the board of directors.
Isn’t it time to raise the interrogation board?
David Richardson Uxbridge, Ontario
By number
Medicare reform should be job #1 (Opinion, July 23): What gets measured gets managed. The Globe and Mail rightly suggests that a “living” dashboard of key indicators is a good step toward robust health care performance management.
But knowing what to do and doing it are very different. I can foresee all sorts of intergovernmental disputes over which metrics are best tracked and whose data is used.
Health regions or even individual hospitals and networks may begin reporting once a month. Build momentum and success to encourage connectors. Next, create a small number of collaborative dashboards. This can be done without government aid.
Use these small victories to build political pressure. It will take some time, but we can start right away. At least Canadians would have imperfect information about where we stand and where to direct further improvement.
Who knows, it might even get politicians to cooperate. (Okay, so maybe it’s a pipe dream.)
Brian Stirling Oakville, Ontario
Rule this city
Re Let’s Run Things ourselves for A Change (Opinion, July 23): If contributor Mark Kingwell wants a continuous framework for cleaning up clown show management within a fragmented society, he should look to past examples such as civic assemblies in British Columbia and Ontario .
These random, voluntary groups of citizens made recommendations to the rest of us on matters of critical importance. However, I would leave the subsequent referendums, which are often influenced by special interests.
It would be better to place the received recommendations on the elected representative’s desk where they could ignore them at their peril.
Evan Bedford Red Deer, Alta.
In an age of “alternative facts” and shameless attempts to hold on to power for the most selfish reasons, how do we prevent bad actors from undermining decentralization efforts? They will convince millions of people that they support the cause of leaderless government, when in fact they desire autocracy.
Can you think of anyone currently in the news who could take this approach?
Michael Herman Toronto
When the leadership of our country community club retired and its future was in question, the members made a simple but bold decision: Don’t replace them. Just work together.
A few years later, the club is once again inclusive, vibrant, redeveloped and a focal point of the community. Social systems will always prevail over power systems in terms of getting things done at the community level.
Montague Doyle Ottawa
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