Existential Threat

Saskatchewan Premier warns the oil industry is under existential threat by activists

 

I dunno about you, but existential threats have always been kind of fun once you get over the whining part. They’re truly the best for growth – most of us have some kind of existential threat when our first love crumbles or when we fail at something we’re truly passionate about. The point is, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, dry the tears from our cheeks, and we sally forth to become stronger, more amazing people.

In other words, the PURPOSE of a true existential threat is to make you question what your true nature is. To force you to question yourself, your goals, and to assess your needs versus your wants. Existential threats are POWERFUL agents of change. Given a healthy body and mind, you will come through your existential threats with flying colours and keen insights. They help to build us faster. Stronger. Better.
I truly do hope the oil industry is facing an existential threat. I don’t want the petroleum industry to disappear or to die out; I think it’s a silly notion that it will or that it’s become irrelevant. But it’s absolutely silly (not to mention irresponsible) to base the lions’ share of your economy on one or two resource-based industries. It’s also silly to insist that the petroleum industry is the ONLY industry that will generate the kinds of revenues you’re hoping to see.

Budgeting is no different from gambling, but there’s still a difference between blackjack and roulette. If my government is going to gamble with their plans for citizens’ money, I’d RATHER they do so with a strong understanding of (and acceptance of)things like non-partisan research and statistics. We’ve all heard how important it is to diversify your investments. It’s important for any organization, business or government, to diversify their revenue streams as well. And to BUDGET with that in mind.

Now, with the balanced budget legislation facing an existential threat at the hands of its parents, makes a person wonder what else the government could have done in their budget. Well, they could have raised taxes. Not necessarily income tax, although that’s always an option, but certainly sin tax (they didn’t want to do that, I’m sure, while introducing private liquor stores which people mysteriously think are going to offer cheaper product [news flash: they don’t]). Hospitality tax – heading in to the tourism season, they could have instituted a hospitality tax.

Ultimately, the only thing to fear about an existential threat is that it will pass and nothing will change. Oh wait. I’m thinking of existentialIST threats. Yeah, hey, existential threats are super bad and mean the end is nigh…I think Brad Wall has those two words mixed up too. The petroleum industry isn’t going anywhere. What’s happening now is that people are saying it’s time to ALSO invest in OTHER forms of energy. Activists aren’t about to eradicate the oil industry, for crap’s sake (although if they were, this would be the most powerful they’ve ever been. What, are hippies everywhere are joyfully chomping away on kale or whatever other kind of hideous food they eat, claiming victory over “Big Oil”?). Deciding not to build enormous pipelines because you have serious concerns over their safety BASED ON EMPIRICAL DATA has nothing to do with activism. It has to do with empirical data.

Yeah. Wow. Totally not the same thing. Just goes to show you that even a premier can get a word wrong now and then.


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