Sunday digest

- There is a Letter to the Editor in this week's issue of Maclean's that everyone should take two seconds to think about. Here it is:

Many people don't want to believe that individuals earning high incomes actually help the public interest. Let's remember that in voluntary exchanges, each party participates only if it values what it gets more than what it gives. A fat bank account shows that an individual has given a commensurate amount of wealth in labour, management, advice or other non-monetary forms of value. Put another way, anybody with a net worth above zero is a net producer or goods and services, rather than a net consumer. Though it sounds paradoxical, the more money you have, the more value you have given away. Bill Gates may have billions, but he has likely created many more billions in wealth for his customers. Canada's wealthy are its entrepreneurs, innovators and managers - people who create jobs and improve our quality of life. Indeed, we must carefully consider any new "soak the rich" policy.

Zack Martin
Ancaster, ON

- Here is some good news from Iraq that you won't hear via the mainscream media. More positive developments follow here, but there's still a long way to go, both in the West and elsewhere.

- Free speech for me, but not for thee: more here on the Oakland case where mentioning the terms "marriage", "natural family" and "family values" are alleged to constitute hatred. So much for mutual respect and tolerance of different points of view.

- Speaking of Big Brother, how about the eco-imperialists?

- On St. Jean Baptiste Day, Stephane Dion has asked the Prime Minister to clarify if "nation within a nation" status applies to all Quebecers or just francophones.

I'd like to know myself.