Economic illiteracy.

• Author: Clayton, Graham
• Position: People must be more aware of economic issues - Brief Article

People are more susceptible to the politics of fear and cunningness of leaders when ignorant of important economic issues

Late last year I attended a presentation by Maude Barlow of Council of Canadians fame at a local Ukrainian community hall.

I knew of her prior anti-Canada-US FTA, anti-NAFTA and anti-Multilateral Agreement on Investment efforts and of her more recent anti-economic globalization and anti-WTO activities, so I was expecting some sort of left-of-centre political presentation sometimes referred to as economic nationalism.

So, apparently, were several hundred like-minded others who filled the hall in anticipation of being told of the woes of the world, the failings of our governments, the evils of big global business and other impending threats to our freedom and way of life.

She did not let them down and drew heavy applause and accolades from the appreciative audience at the end of her hour-long presentation. All heady, highly emotional stuff.

I guess the problem that I have with this sort of event and presentation is that it does not provide the kind of factual, well thought-out and balanced assessment of the situation that concerned people need.

Instead, what you get is a disjointed, wandering diatribe that is short on convincing facts but laced with items meant to get the audience emotionally worked up and receptive to the views and proposed agenda of the presenter. If the audience is politically onside, ignorant of the facts and willing to be led, then the presenter can achieve the desired outcome of cultivating the support of a following.

Thus it went for Barlow on the evening in question, while yours truly, having criticized her presentation, got loudly booed by the audience and shouted at "Go home!"

This I did, albeit with a smile on my face that returns every time I think of that evening.

One of the problems that we have in this country is widespread economic illiteracy. Too few of us understand the workings of our economy and how it interfaces with the rest of the world. This is not good given that we are highly integrated with the global economy and faced with important economic issues that can extensively affect our daily lives, not to mention our future options and prospects.

Such ignorance can also make people susceptible to the politics of fear, to the beguilement of leaders and to an auction block approach to electioneering by our political parties.

As for Barlow's presentation, she...