Metchosin: I don't dispute the power politics involved in imposing tariffs. I don't dispute the fact that the US should pay attention to the severity of the hardship fostered on BC and others. However, as you noted, this has been argued for decades. This is not a new dispute. The current actions just have drastic consequences that are very sad.

To say, however, that BC lumber is not subsidized is to say that up is down or black is white. The talk about the WTO twice declaring no subsidies is an argument reflecting linguistic legerdemain. I hope you don't believe it. What they basically mean is that the US has no legally available remedies to date. In 1982, there was a technical finding of "no subsidy." I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. I also don't say change the stumpage system. Neither do I suggest that raw logs be exported. But I cannot agree that black is white. The best anyone can hope to show is that stumpage rates artificially approximate what would happen in free markets. (I don't believe they do, do you?)

One other point: with lumber rates down so sharply, US mills are closing too. Those guys don't make up such a huge percentage of the population, but they're still out of work.

Besides, we've ravaged the old growth about enough, don't you think? Canadian employment development policies would be better focused on regeneration, rather than unnecessary harvesting.