By: Tristin Hopper at National Post
Public Health Agency of Canada report calls for toppling of 'capitalism and liberty'
The report's all-white authors identified themselves as 'uninvited land occupiers,' before calling for the wholesale 'decolonization' of society in the interest of public health
A new Health Canada report suggests public health officials should be openly advocating for the toppling of capitalism, Western society and even the very concept of “liberty and individualism”
“Fundamental changes in our socioeconomic structures are needed to rebuild our relationships with each other and with our planet,” reads the conclusion of the April 17 report prepared for chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.
The paper — written by three authors who “identify as white settlers” — also recommended that Canadian public health actions should focus on “decolonization, justice and equity” above all.
The 72-page report, What We Heard: Perspectives on Climate Change and Public Health in Canada, was commissioned to detail the “impacts of climate change on the health and well-being of people living in Canada.” The authors surveyed 30 academics and public health experts for their input.
There are indeed a number of emerging public health issues spurred by a warming climate. One example is an expansion of the ranges for disease-carrying mosquitoes, vastly increasing the number of people potentially exposed to malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus.
But the Health Canada report is very careful not to get into specifics: There is no explicit mention of a condition or infectious illness that is expected to become worse in Canada as a result of climate change.
Rather, the report features Canadian public health professionals explaining how they should focus on “less tangible determinants,” such as “legal, colonial, and racist factors.”...........................