somehow kick-start scores of stalled treaty talks.
Another way to look at this is to examine the

questions themselves. The B.C. Liberals are cor-

rect in stating treaties are inevitable and that the

- questions expand upon principles which already

form the basis for negotiations.
If that’s the case, therefore, why ask Question

' 1, “Treaties should be negotiated in as transparent

‘ “Province-wide standards of resource manage- :
ment and environmental protection will continue ‘

a manner as possible.” Or Question 11,

_ to apply.” Both are self evident.

The key seems to rest with the four final ques-
tions. That’s because they are all about money

_ and power which, when you strip away any fancy

language, is the essential part-of'any contractual

_ arrangement.

Question 13 asks if affordability should be a

’ key factor. Question 14 asks if treaties should en-

sure social and economic viability for all British

‘ Columbians. Question 15 asks if tax exemptions

for native people should be phased out. Question
16 asks if cash and land benefits should be struc-

tured for both those living on and off a reserve.

All these are potentially dangerous questions
for they could give rise to emotions surrounding
any issue involving money. There’s a sense in
these questions that treaties are about winners and

. Jjosers — the more natives receive, the less the rest

of us will have left.

There’s nothing wrong with striking a hard bar-
gain. And there’s nothing wrong with removing
tax exemptions, as is the case in the Nisga’a trea-
ty. But there is something wrong with a whiff of
‘Daddy knows best’.

Treaties are about building social and economic
opportunity and about partnerships. Spending $9
million fir a mail-in ballot to provide the justifica-

tion for using money and power as bludgeons .

just won’t cut it.

If remember correctly, al-
lied bombers towards the end
of the Second World War de-
stroyed Dresden in an incred-
ible night of inferno that cost
between 80,000 and 140,000
lives.

Wave after wave of bom-
bers dropped their deadly load
on the medieval city that har-
boured millions of refugees,
fleeing the Soviet advance.
There was no military pre-
sence in Dresden.

The Soviet troops had been

- primed by Ilia Ehrenburg, the

Soviet demagogue, who pro-
mised the Soviet shack troops
the “German women” as legi-
timate booty,

Hundreds of thousand of
German women were raped,
many of them killed.

Nor did Germany try to
avoid civilian casualties when
the Luftwaffe bombed Coven-
try. In fact, both sides deliber-
ately targeted civilians in the
hope of weakening the
enemy’s resolve,

Fast-forward to 2001. We're
in the middle of the War on

’ Terrorism.

Warfare has changed, We
now can program a 2,000-
bomb ta hit within 100 feet of

FROM THE CAPITAL.
HUBERT BEYER

a target, as long as the pro-
gram works.

If the wrong co-ordinates
are fed into the program, the
bomb drops within 100 feet of
your own soldiers.

And God forbid, a bomb
might hit civilians. There have
been reports of the U.S apolo-
gizing for accidentally killing
35 civilians.

With all due respect, why
is any country apologizing for
killing 35 civilians when 57
years ago it was OK to wipe
out upwards of 140,000 civil-
ians in Dresden or, even more
poignant, more than 200,000
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

The answer is: television.
Bringing the effects of war on
innocent civilians to the home
screen presents a problem for
any government these days.

And that includes a bunch

murdered by Hitler’s mad re-
gime, nobody cared. Now it hit
home.

More than 3,000 people
killed in one attack, not a bad
result for anyone who wishes
you evil.

Still, you’ve pot to admit
that the “rules of war’ have
changed. Half a century ago,
Bomber Harris appeared to be
correct with his philosophy of
bombing Germany into sub-
mission, when today, apolo-
gies are flying at the death of
a few civilians.

Lest there be any: doubt, |
do support the so-called War
on Terrorism. { have seen what
has been happening in Israel.

A people that has been perse,
cuted for centuricS'is not left
alone even now by its en-

emies,

Israel is surrounded by
countries that would rather see
her destroyed. And ] don’t care
how much anyone talks about
the plight of the Palestinians,

A few Hamas radicals have,
in effect a veto over the pra-
cess of peace negotiations in
the Middle East.

Back to Afghanistan. I have
witnessed so-called “peace
marches” in Victoria, con-

wearing the burka.

And that’s what it’s all —

about: choice. You want to
wear lederhosen fram Bavaria,
ereat, if you don’t, that’s OK,
tao.

Under the Taliban -rule,
women in Afghanistan were
condemned to a life of misery.
I suggest to the folks who keep
marching to “give peace a
chance” to watch the docu-
mentary Beneath the Veil, pro-
duced by a woman at great risk
to her own life before the Tali-
ban were driven from power.

And to get back to what [
said at the outset, yes, the
rules of war have changed.

_They,, VG changed far.the. better.

Apparently . Ait is possible. ta
stamp. out evil without. deliber-
ately killing innocent civilians.
it’s the next-best thing toa
world without war.
_ Too bad, nobody had that
figured out when Nagasaki,
Hiroshima, Dresden and Cov-
entry were in the crosshairs,
Beyer can be reached at:
E-mail: hubert@coolcort.com;
Tel (250) 381-6900; Web
http://www. hubertbeyer.com

Are you bothered by flies?

ANY BOOK is a bargain if it
give me one truly useful piece
of advice.

Another Use far 101 Com-
mon Household Items is a bar-
gain not only for recyclers and
environmentalists, but for any-
one willing to try an inexpen-
sive cure for a nagging pro-
blem.

The book is a collection of
tips compiled by Vicki Lansky
from her long running house-
hold hint column published in

tive through several laundry
loads. By running a row of slit-
ches through a sheaf of them,
they won't scatter like confetti
throughaut the laundry.

Toothpaste works well for
mounting kids’ drawings on a
wall. Just be sure the wall sur-
face won't be marred by the
damp toothpaste. Simply wash
off the toothpaste later. | tested
Sensodyne in the shower stall,
just in case,

To cushion an odd- -shaped

1 1444

stitch marker when knitting. |

Bothered by bugs flying
around your house plants? Set
a single plant in a large. plastic
bag, spray the air in the bag
with hair spray, and cinch the
bag closed, When. you open the
bag later, you should find tiny
stiffs. ;

For an impromptu cage to
transport a cat to the vet’s, use
two plastic laundry baskets,
one for the bottom, the other
upside down for a lid, tied to-

These and ott

‘important — but

charge.”
“| The B.C. Civi

- C-36. doesn’t ma’
‘ism and militant

“Vice: presiden

‘tests like the one

environmental gr

slated for logging

“By threateniz
to achieve polit:
all fall within the
Russeil said.

We've seen a
protest here in th

Twice in the
men in Prince I
passenger ferries

, the harbour.

RS Well; natis

" and! railway tiack

While justice
comment on sp
able to offer asst
break the law wo

But officials ¢
ties already fall
code.

“There are a
gayer, senior cot
seclion of the ji
natives will rer
comes into force

Still, Zigayer
arrest a violent p
Act will ultimate
law enforcement

“One would t
tain amount of r
charges are laid,

The RCMP |
say will goa lor
cement officials
rorism here — an

“These additi

Ne’

You'll pa
trip ticket
A TERRORIST

jack a plane i
Reo hut art