From: Walter Block <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2021 1:30 PM
To: ‘Chris
Subject: RE: with reference to your comments pertinent to Vancouver, etc.,
Dear Fellow Supporter of Ron Paul:
(You might like this book of mine: Block, Walter E. 2012. Yes to Ron Paul and Liberty. New York: Ishi Press; http://www.amazon.com/dp/4871873234;
http://libertycrier.com/education/walter-blocks-new-book-on-ron-paul/;
http://libertyunbound.com/node/862)
Thanks for your well written and very thoughtful response to this essay of mine:
Block, Walter E. 2021. “Vancouver Is Beset With Numerous Problems.” October 11; http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/vancouver-is-beset-with-numerous-problems
Your comments about bears, dogs, cougars, etc., are very accurate. But, still, coyotes have bitten children in Stanley Park, and this would be far less likely to occur under private enterprise.
Second, if the crown lands (again, your description is entirely accurate) were privatized, we’d have FEWER, not NO, forest fires.
Third, congestion has nothing whatsoever to do with geography. It has to do with the absence of pricing. Geography remains the same for restaurants, groceries, clothing stores, etc., and yet we have no congestion there.
Best regards,
Walter
From: Chris
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2021 12:54 PM
To: Walter E. Block <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: with reference to your comments pertinent to Vancouver, etc.,
Hi Walter,
Here’s an email that came in responding to your article. I didn’t read it…but just FYI if you’re interested.
-Chris
From: David
Date: Mon, Oct 11, 2021 at 1:37 PM
Subject: with reference to your comments pertinent to Vancouver, etc.,
My name is David. I live in Montréal, Québec. I have read the Ron Paul Liberty Report page for several years. And I watch the videos of Dr. Paul on almost an daily basis.
I have read, this day, your article concerning the City of Vancouver. I believe that this article, and the assertions that occur in it are in error. And do not sustain the burden of proof. Or, are inaccurate in terms of cause and effect. With reference to the phenomena to which the article refers.
Ab Initio, the statements concerning wild fauna, present within city of the City of Vancouver. And the various jurisdictions peripheral to the city are “over – emphasized.” With reference to how “problematic” this phenomenon is. Wild animals occur adjacent to or within the city limits of cities and urban areas, large and small across North America. The matter concerns how often “interactions” between Bear and coyote occurs. And what the results of these interactions may be.
I lived in an rural area in southern Québec for 7 years. one year, there were reports that an cougar/puma/mountain lion had been seen in the area. I used to run along an rural road in the area in which this animal was seen. At night. I never saw it. And I never believed that I was in danger.
Mountain lions are shy animals. They avoid people. I am 60 years of age and have spent extensive intervals of time in wild and remote areas right across North America. And I have only ever seen one of these animals. Unless they are old, ill, injured or rabid, they will avoid people.
This same animal, or another animal did, apparently enter a backyard across the St. Lawrence, in Ontario, south of Ottawa. I believe it attacked an pet dog. And when the owner attempted to intervene, he or she was bitten on the arm. But, these incidents are very rare. And I am unaware of any additional incident such as this.
With reference to bear, and coyotes, encountering one or more than one of these animals in an urban or suburban area is very different from encountering one of these animals in an rural or wilderness or semi – wilderness area. In an wilderness area, encountering an black or brown or grizzly bear, without a firearm can be very serious. Human beings cannot outrun any of these animals.
Even climbing a tree is not necessarily safe. Black and Brown bears can climb. And will follow one up the tree. if they are hungry. Or merely curious. Grizzlies cannot climb (juveniles can climb). But, a grizzly will wait, for hours or even days, for one to climb down from that tree. Or, it may even try to destroy the tree. If only to discover what you are.
In an urban or suburban area, one is in one’s “natural environment.” These animals are not. There are houses in which to take refuge. And motor vehicles in which one can take shelter as well. One of my uncles lived in Prince George, British Columbia, in northern B.C. for several years. One morning the family woke up to find or perhaps two presumably juvenile Black bears in their backyard. They watched them thru the patio window. Wildlife personnel arrived and “darted” the animal. And released it in an remote area. Attacks by these animals in such circumstances do occur. But they are and remain, rare.
As well, Coyotes have, over the past 40 years become an urban animal. They have adapted to the urban and suburban ecosytems of modern cities. They are problematic. They hunt and kill pets, such as cats and dogs. And, they do, at times, attack young children. But, I am unaware of any deaths caused by coyotes.
I believe in fact, that more people are killed by domestic dogs. Such as German Shepards, Dobermans, Rottweilers and even St. Bernard dogs. The “problem” that you associate with the phenomena of wild animals in an urban environment is over stated.
Pertinent your reference to smoke from forest fires drifting over Metro Vancouver is also over done. Forest fires are cyclical. Like the climate. The occurrence of smoke and airborne particulate matter drifting down to Vancouver is, to some degree, the fault of government.
Environmental policies that emphasize preserving “the Primeval forest” has resulted in fires occurring in these areas that would in other circumstance have been cut. Mature timber may be attractive to look at. But, left to itself, it will eventually be “renewed” by episodic and, at times, catastrophic fire. But, this would have occurred non obstant the matter of government interference in the Silviculture sector.
As well, the geo – spatial and topographic characteristics of the Metro Vancouver area are also an element to be considered with reference to this phenomena. Metro Vancouver is situated in a valley, the Fraser Valley. And smoke and soot and particulate matter, drifting down from further north, or south, because Washington State and Oregon State also have episodes of catastrophic fire, will “settle” in the “bowl” of the Fraser Valley. If Vancouver stood on an height of land, or on the prairies, the phenomenon of smoke and soot would be substantially less obtrusive.
However, with reference to the forest products sector, government has warped and distorted the market in this sector. And has done so for years. In “kanada” government owns the wildlands. Known as “Crown Land.” And it is “administered” by the “Ministry of Natural Resources.” Generally abbreviated to “MNR.” There is an constitutional division of competence in this area. Between the “provincial” and “federal” governments.
These lands are “leased” to the forest products companies. Such as Fletcher Challenge and MacMillan Bloedel. They are charged what are termed “stumpage fees.” Which are below market value. Pricing stumpage fees below real market values has been used as an incentive to attract forest products to operate in British Columbia for years.
However, pricing stumpage fees below real market value obliterates the economic incentive for forest products companies to manage forest resources more economically. They cut and then leave the cut block now devoid of trees, to “the province” to replant.
There is no incentive for the forest products companies to manage forest resources economically and efficiently. Allowing forest products companies to purchase land and manage it economically and profitably, which has been done for years in Washington State, would solve these problems.
The matter of traffic congestion is another element in your essay which does not accurately or even honestly, address or even discuss re this matter. Traffic congestion is an consequence of geography. As I stated, supra, Vancouver was founded at the mouth of the Fraser River, where this watershed empties into the Pacific. As the city has grown, it has been increasingly constrained, imperatively, by the geographic circumstances in which the city is situated.
In fact, Vancouver can only grow in one direction, east along the Fraser Valley. The mountains on both side of the valley, and, eventually, the border with Washington State interdict the city from expanding. As Toronto can grow, along the generally flat geography of South – East and South – Western Ontario. On the north shore of Lake Ontario.
Even Montréal, founded on Montréal Island, is less constrained, geographically and hydrographically than Metro Vancouver. There is extensive urban and suburban development. On the both the north and south shore of the St. Lawrence River.
An final element pertinent to traffic congestion and urban and population congestion in Vancouver, to which you omitted all reference, is immigration. And specifically, substantial in – migration from Asia. In 1970, Vancouver was an majority European City. With an population that was probably 90% White European.
However, with the subversion of the legislation pertinent to immigration, beginning after 1965, Vancouver and the “GVRD,” or “Greater Vancouver Regional District,” is now only 20% European. And the two primary languages spoken in these jurisdictions are Mandarin and Hindi. Not English. And certainly not French.
Upon these bases, the issues that you discuss are substantially, and, I would assert, primarily, consequent and derivative of immigration. Preponderantly from South East Asia and India. And the problems that you discuss are characteristic of such “primate” cities such as Bombay, Calcutta, Shanghai, Taipei, Peking, Manila and Jakarta.
The pollution, the overcrowding, the demographic and traffic congestion, “urban sprawl,” are all, (“all”), the consequence of supernumerary migration flows from the Asia-Pacific region. And these phenomena are generally characteristic of the cities of India and South – East Asia. And, consequent to demographic and population displacement/replacement, Vancouver is now an Asian city. Situated on the North American continent.
I shall not state that the issues that you discuss would not be present if the catastrophe of Third World Immigration had not occurred. I shall state that these issues would be incidental, and manageable, if these people were not here.
I shall also mention that, with the addition and presence of these alien populations, Metro Vancouver and the cities on her periphery have become impossibly expensive places in which to live. And the phenomena of “urban sprawl” has been expedited by the sons and grandsons, the daughters and granddaughters of the people who actually founded Vancouver, moving further and further away from the city their parents, grand – parents and great grand parents lived in and built.
They have moved to areas east along the Fraser Valley. Or north and east up the Okanagan Valley (which has also become quite expensive). Where housing and the cost of living is affordable. And where at least an portion of the population still looks like them. And not like Xi Zin Ping (or whatever his name is). Or Nahrendra Modi, the current “prime minister” of India.
Sincerely Yours,
David
Montréal, Québec,
11th October, 2021,
3:05 pm on October 11, 2021
