Justin Who?

I was given the book, Common Ground, by Justin Trudeau to read just a few days ago. I didn't pick it up right away because I wasn't sure if I'd get through it. I admit I have some biases when it comes to a son of a former prime minister. I expected it to be full of self-aggrandizing statements and claims to fame. I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be quite the opposite. He appears to be self-aware enough and possess enough insight to find faults with this dad and his mom and the Liberal Party. He does it in a kind and understanding way, but still doesn't hold back. He also speaks to being a small "l" liberal, who happens to belong to the Liberal Party. After reading a book on the death of the liberal class I was surprised that he would even know enough to promote such a position. Maybe, just maybe, there is some hope after all. If, and I do mean, if, other people around his age are similar-minded and have strong enough convictions to pull it off we might, just might, become a nation of caring, compassionate people who will pull together to give everyone an opportunity to live under decent circumstances. Having the basics of survival are key to a happy population. Ensuring everyone's well-being would go a long way towards true peace on earth--timely for this holiday period.

When is it called bribery?

I just read an article about a woman in Alberta who's struggling to get the government of that province to acknowledge that fracking has caused irreparable damage to her property and that a delivery of toxic water should be of consequence to the company that delivered it. The article exemplifies, in my opinion, the way governmental officials and politicians turn a blind eye to anything that could jeopardize the relationship they have with large corporations. Corporations have the funding and the wherewithal to lobby and financially support hand-picked politicians during elections and after they're in office. While there are some rules around contributions there are many ways to get around them and many do so. In other countries when an official is given money for favors it's called bribery and corruption. What do we call it here? Business as usual? We certainly don't admit that any time a politician makes a decision based on where their financial support comes from that it's out and out bribery and extortion and ultimately, corruption results. What else can we name it?
The common folk are afraid to address this way of doing things for fear of being labelled shrill or out of touch. Or, are they hoping that they, too, could someday be in a position either to receive such gifting, or to be able to persuade their politicians with some cash of their own? Or, is it because we know that if we complain too much we'll be cut out of the good graces of the person-in-charge-for-the-day?
As I see it, it stinks to high heaven, as much as the toxic fumes are stinking up the atmosphere of Alberta and other oil-drilling and fracking sites around the world.
A sad state of affairs, indeed.