30.17 Zeitgeist: Politics and Society, 1987 to 1988
30.17.1 Introduction to this Period
Toronto at this time had a population of about 3,000,000; Ontario, 9,000,000; Canada 29,000,000; and the world 5,500,000,000.
30.17.2 National Politics
Meech Lake, 1987
Quebec’s refusal to accept the patriation package in 1981 caused it to feel somewhat alienated from the Canadian "constitutional family." This led to renewed constitutional discussions, beginning around 1985, in which the government of Quebec made a series of proposals that, if accepted by all the provinces and the federal government, would have led to Quebec’s return to the "constitutional family."
When Quebec made a proposal, which enhanced the role of the provinces, all of the provinces initially agreed. It became known as the "Meech Lake Constitutional Accord".
The ‘Meech Lake Accord’ recognized the province of Quebec as constituting a distinct society within Canada. At the same time, it recognized the anglophone minority in Quebec as a fundamental characteristic of Canada, as well as the francophone minority elsewhere in Canada.
To become law, the Accord had to be ratified by the federal Parliament and the legislatures of all the provinces by the deadline of 23 June, 1990. Quebec’s legislative assembly approved it on 23 June 1987. By early June of 1990, all First Ministers had finally agreed to ratify the Accord subject to guarantees of further constitutional discussion following the Accord on such issues as an elected Senate, the amending formula and equality and Aboriginal issues.
Nevertheless, this was not enough for all members of the legislatures in Manitoba. Although all parties in Manitoba had finally agreed to the Accord, it required public hearings unless there was the unanimous consent of the legislature to dispense with such hearings. However, one member of the Manitoba legislature, Elijah Harper, withheld his consent and ultimately the Accord did not come to a vote in that province. Newfoundland also did not bring the Accord to a vote ensuring the disintegration of the Accord.
30.17.3 Provincial Politics
30.17.4 Toronto Municipal Politics
30.17.5 Large Scale Violence Reduced
For the first time, in December, 1987, the number of nuclear weapons in the world started to decrease. This reversal of the trend was a significant turning point in superpower relations and came about as a result of another summit meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev. Soviet missiles in Eastern Europe began to be shipped to Russia for destruction.
30.17.6 Local Scale Violence Increased
Violence intensified between Palestinians and Israelis during this period. Repression of Kurds by the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein escalated. Tentions increased in the border regions between Pakistan and India. War between the Red Army and Mujuheddin rebels continued in Afghanistan. The war in Angola and Namibia continued --including troops from Cuba on one side (supporting the SouthWest African Peoples Organisation SWAPO) and South Africa on the other. The civil war and famine in Sudan continued. Vietnam, which had oused the Khmer Rouge regime, continued its occupation of Cambodia. American-backed "Contra" guerillas continued to attack Nicaragua --which had elected a socialist government. In Lithuania, nationalist demonstrations again the Soviet regime and Russian domination became more vocal. American patrol ships in the Persian Gulf grew weary from air attacks and mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner in July, 1988. Libyan secret service agents planted a bomb on Pan Am flight 103 which exploded in the air over Lockerbie, Scotland, on 22 December, 1988. In 2003, Libiya, still led by Gadaffi, would pay compensation to the families of the victims, but stop short of taking responsibility for the disaster.
30.17.7 U.S. Politics
George Bush (Vice President to Reagan since 1980) won the November, 1988, election --continuing Republican rule for another four years.
30.17.8 Pakistan Election
For years in Pakistan the conflict had been between military dictators, such as General Zia, and the democrats Bhutto (____and then his daughter, Benazir). When Bhutto announced she was expected to deliver a new child in November, 1988, Zia called national elections for this time. But Bhutto had fooled him, and delivered in September, thereby allowing her to participate in the election. By this time, however, Zia had already been killed in a mysterious plane crash (15 August).
30.17.9 1988 Olympics and Exposition
The 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, were without incident, restoring faith in the Olympic idea. Australia was the site of Expo 88.
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"Phrase Animee" was one of my multi-chapter projects.
This was the fourth of five stages, as shown below:
Venice:
