This is only a test. If this were a real emergency...

In his usual direct, blunt, tell-it-like-it-is sort of way, Retired Major General Lewis MacKenzie has been pointing out holes in Canada's emergency preparedness. In our usual oblivious, ignorant, la-la-la-I-can't hear you sort of way, Canadians, particularly those in leadership positions, haven't been paying attention.

MacKenzie pointed out in today's Vancouver edition of Metro that the Canadian Armed forces should deploy a ship to Coal Harbour to function as an emergency command centre in case a major earthquake hits the lower mainland. The General points out that in the event of a major disaster in Vancouver, the nearest military response would be coming from Edmonton, over 1000 KM away. Given that Vancouver's major airport is located on what is essentially sand out in Richmond, that response would more than likely be in the form of a convoy down the Yellowhead Highway, turning the City of Vancouver's estimate of citizens needing to look after themselves without help for three days into unsettling myopia.

Hurricane Katrina has taught us all about what happens when governments overlook essential public infrastructure and services for the sake of tax cuts (and military adventurism). It would be great to have an emergency command ship docked downtown for an earthquake. It would be great to reinforce our bridges and tunnels. It would be great to have relief and support for the potentially thousands of displaced Lower Mainlanders to help them get on with their lives. The funny thing is, no one's really willing to pay for it, because there's the outside chance it could mean raising taxes. What's worse for our corporate "citizens", it could also mean that governments could no longer turn a blind eye when companies like Telus steal the jobs of their employees, ship them to places like the Philipines, and rip away part of Canada's tax base.

Global warming and international terrorism are raising the bar for what the public expects from those who govern us, and until governments are willing to divert the agenda from aiding and abetting no-holds-barred capitalism, we all remain in jeopardy. Tax cuts and higher dividends on our mutual funds are not going to protect us from disaster, and the invisible hand of the markets won't be pulling me out from under what's left of my condo.