The affected product was sold to Albertans in large doses for many years. However, best before dates were incorrect. Old ham was packaged as new ham. People are advised to be extremely careful when consuming ham, especially the political variety.

Hams contaminated with listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled, but consumption of food contaminated with bacteria may cause listeriosis, a food-borne illness. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, Conservatives, Liberals, and especially Wildrose Alliance supporters are particularly at risk. Infected people may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, but infections during elections can lead to premature decision making, infection of the voter, and even severe illness to our democracy.

Whatever the hams say should be taken with a grain of salt and in most cases should be completely disregarded as they are selling old politics for an old world. Things have drastically changed. The financial meltdown was caused by unregulated free market policies. Global warming is caused by an economic system that shows an utter disregard for the environment. Clearly the free market ideology should be dead. These hams pretend though that nothing has changed and are clearly out of touch and in denial. Examples of contaminated hams to look out for:

Jack Mintz

Jack Mintz is the Palmer Chair in Public Policy at the University of Calgary. He is the leader promoting the free market ideology at the Calgary School of dinosaur economics. His latest paper ‘Tax and Royalty Burdens on Oil and Gas Investment’ said that Alberta royalty rates are uncompetitive compared to BC, Saskatchewan, and Texas. Jack presents his papers as independent and based on fact. The reality is that Jack is on the board of Imperial Oil, which is the subsidiary of Exxon. No bias there. The study conveniently didn’t compare all the other jurisdictions in the world where royalty rates are significantly higher. Jack also forgets to tell readers that oil is not a free market good, but is controlled by a cartel that artificially raises the price and profits of oil. The result is superprofits, which is a good reason that they should be taxed heavily. He also forgets to mention all the subsidies that the oil industry has received, including financing of the tar sands to begin with (ie. taxpayer money took the risk, yet gets little royalties in return for this). Our low royalty rates are also great for Imperial Oil profits (he didn’t mention this either). The oil is owned by the citizens of Alberta, but Jack whole heartedly believes that the oil industry should be calling the shots. This would be like letting your mechanic take possession of your car and letting you only drive it on special occasions.

Deborah Yedlin

Deborah Yedlin is a business reporter at the Calgary Herald. She is the biggest cheerleader and defender of the oil and gas industry. This mouthpiece pretends that it was the royalty rates that were driving investment away from the province. She doesn’t mention that the price of oil dropped in half and that there was a financial meltdown that put a choke hold on financing. According to Deborah, anything negative about the tar sands is ‘spin’ and takes the word of people like Jack Mintz as gospel, with no need for verification. She likes to remind the Alberta government that they are beholden to international finance investors who scour the globe for the highest rate of return. Deborah forgot that Sarah Palin increased royalty rates in Alaska and investment didn’t flee there. This is the writer who could not see any link between Avatar and the tar sands, in fact she called it a fairy tale. Yet Deborah’s articles just spin fairy tale after fairy tale. She reminds me of CNBCs Cramer. I just wish Jon Stewart would interview her and put her in her place too.

Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Alliance are the most dangerous hams right now. Their policies are scary and could cause severe illness if actually implemented. In Danielle’s world, everything should be privatized. With no evidence of the benefit of this, she just runs on the fumes of the libertarian ideology. Her version of democracy is like Preston Manning’s, let business call the shots. The people can stand aside and cheer. Maybe they can pick the colour of the flag stick. Danielle says that the Wildrose are there to be accountable, but not to the citizens of Alberta who own the oil and gas, but to business. On global warming, she had the audacity to say,

“(1), some say the effects will be moderate (2), some say they will be mild (3), some say it will be beneficial (4). Some say there is nothing we can do about it so we should adapt (5). Some say the cost of trying to do something is too high and we would be better off dealing with pressing environmental issues (6). Some say it is natural, and being caused by solar flaring (7). Some say we have actually entered a period of global cooling that began in 1998 (8). It is quite clear to me the science on this issue  is not settled. Until it is, I'm keeping an open mind.”  Seems pretty closed to me.

Please, whatever you do, stay away from the hams.