The man wanted an answer. Now. His demeanour told Baxter that any response other than an unqualified agreement would get him thrown out of the building. Maybe into a prison. Maybe before a firing squad. “I agree.”
“The counter-demonstrators are just as bad. Both sides display a complete disrespect for the law. Agree or disagree?”
“I agree.”
“Law and order are crucial to a growing, prosperous economy. Agree or disagree?”
“I agree.”
“Sometimes, law and order must be imposed by force to stop a riot. Agree or disagree?”
Baxter hesitated. This was going in a direction that alarmed him. And he wasn’t even being given the chance to think about it.
Addison studied him. “You seem unsure. Are you?”
“I guess I don’t know what you mean by force.”
“Institutional force is an alien concept in this country, unlike in those we call authoritarian. But so is the unprecedented rioting we’ve seen over the past few months. Seven people, innocent people mostly, have been killed. Many more injured. Property damage is over a quarter of a billion—that’s billion—dollars. And all the indications are that these riots will get worse. Do you agree this has to stop?”
“Yes, of course.”
“So how do we stop it?”
“You’re talking about force? About violence?”
“Why are you so surprised? The principle is well established. People will riot if there are no consequences in it for them. We’ve seen looting, attacks on innocent bystanders, firetrucks being blockaded, even firebombed. Four police officers have been shot. For the rioters, there’s no cost. No risk. Go out, throw a couple of Molotov cocktails or shoot a cop or loot a store. Go home, have a beer, and get ready for tomorrow.”
“You make it seem as if it’s a lark. That there aren’t real problems fueling these riots.”
“Of course there are real problems. On both sides. On the environmental side, industry is polluting the air and causing global warming that could damage the earth. On the development side, if we can’t get products to market or even produce them, the factories and mines and plants will close, which means no jobs, which means poverty. These are real problems. But tell me, Mr. Baxter, how does smashing storefronts solve them?”
“It doesn’t.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t. The rioting has no effect on the problems. So we are seeing destruction without any positive outcome. What do you think has to happen?”
“I guess the rioting has to stop.”
“The rioting has to stop. How do we do that, Mr. Baxter?”
“Isn’t that the job of the police? Even the army?”
“The police are not trained or equipped to stop riots. Contain them, yes, suppress them, no. Watch any public demonstration in this country, particularly the ones that turn violent. The police can stand by and try to prevent it from spreading, but they can’t stop it because they’re not prepared to do what has to be done.”
“What’s that?” Baxter knew the answer in his gut, but he wanted this man to say it.
“The only way to stop a riot is to confront it with force.”
“You mean things like water hoses? Tear gas? Even rubber bullets?”
“Those are a start and often they’re enough. But look at what happens in other countries that face riots. Rubber bullets don’t always work. Tear gas doesn’t always work. Rioters still attack. They still destroy property. They still overrun the police.”
“So how do you stop them?” Baxter asked the question not because he didn’t know the answer, but because he was afraid of it.
“Mr. Baxter, there is just one tactic that stops determined rioters. What do you think that is?”
Baxter blanched. “You’re talking about deadly force? About shooting people?”
“Nothing else stops them. In riots all around the world, the only ones that get put down are those in which the authorities are prepared to resort to deadly force. Bullets and grenades. You mentioned the army. They have the equipment and the training, but they would never deploy them against their own people. So you see the problem. We have to stop these riots, but the resources we have available, the police and the military, can’t or won’t do what’s necessary. This country is suffering, and we don’t have access to the only remedy.”
Addison leaned forward. “Mr. Baxter, do you agree with me?”
Baxter wanted to vomit. Everything he had ever been taught told him this man was wrong. Savage even. Yet he couldn’t refute the argument.
Addison’s voice was gentle. “Mr. Baxter. Do you agree with me?”
“I… I can’t disagree.”
“But you hate it.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Good. That demonstrates your humanity. Mr. Baxter, you are an intelligent man, so I won’t insult you with analogies like excising tumors or amputating infected limbs. I suspect I could never complete them before you would point out how inapt they were. What I will say is that if the police or army had the resolve and the training to fire on the rioters, they would have killed one or two, but the seven who died would still be alive and the demonstrations would have ended. Tell me, on balance is that not a preferable outcome?”
Baxter took a deep breath. “What do you want of me? Why am I here?”
“First, answer my question. Do you agree that it’s better to take the lives of two or three rioters to save seven innocent victims, not to mention those who are in intensive care and will never be whole again? Is that not preferable?”
“If that’s the only choice, I guess I have to agree. It’s better to protect innocent people.”
Addison nodded. “That was a hard decision to reach. I can see that. I can also see you are a logical man. Faced with an ugly choice, you weighed the alternatives and selected the one that made the most sense. I appreciate that.”
“Captain Addison, what do you want of me? I may not be able to disagree with you, but I’m not going to confront rioters or shoot them. Why am I here?”
“Mr. Baxter, I am not prepared to disclose that information at this point. I need time to evaluate your responses to my questions and I suggest you need time to digest what we have discussed. We will meet again tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you will stay here tonight. We have guest quarters and a mess hall. Ivan, please escort Mr. Baxter to his room.”
“JAKE ABBOTT,” DON Walton said. “Thanks for coming in. I know you’re a busy man.”
“I’m guessing you are too.”
“Well, running the provincial Department of Natural Resources does take some effort, even though most of the work is done by the civil service.” Walton grinned. “But if you repeat that, I’ll deny it.”
“Not a problem, Minister. What can I do for you?”
“Jake, I’ve been getting serious vibes from some companies in your industry that they’re thinking of pulling out. Of leaving Alberta. I just wanted to let you know how valuable your entire industry is to our province and how much we rely on you. And that goes double for Vivace Petroleum.”
“Thank you, Minister. That’s good to hear.”
Walton leaned forward. “Jake, level with me. How serious are you guys about pulling out? Is there something I need to worry about?”
“Okay, I will level with you. There’s no point in companies like ours spending billions of dollars exploring for oil and gas, for drilling wells, for building production facilities, if we can’t ship the product. And the way things are going right now, we won’t be able to unless there is some major government intervention.”
“I understand you met with my federal counterpart, Elizabeth Muir. I’ve talked with her. I can assure you, she is as concerned as I am. Was she able to give you any comfort that we’re doing all we can to solve this?”