Ahistorical

A strange series of statements in today's Western Star editorial:

While there’s no arguing that throwing off the shackles of collecting federal equalization payments after 60 years in Confederation is historic, there are many in this province who would likely say they haven’t noticed much difference from the bad old days when Uncle Ottawa was our best friend.

The editorialist, like so many others who subscribe to, promote, or wilfully accept the local mythology, seems blisfully unware of two important facts. The equalization program hasn't been around for sixty years, and, after declaring Dannyland to be equalization-free, Danny Williams-Government then proceeded, to, erm, collect and cash an equalization cheque.

And the gall, the nerve, of that mean, nefarious federal government, "shackling" provincial governments by giving them money!

How long will it be, after Newfoundland and Labrador really does stop collecting equalization, before the same people who whined about the "shackles" of receiving equalization, will be whining, with equal fervour, sense of injustice and grievance, and manufactured outrage, about the "shackles" of not receiving equalization?

(Cf. Alberta crypto-separatist rhetoric, 1965 to present.)

This corner gives it six months, tops.