Quite simply, they – the Conservative party of Canada – have NO VISION.
At a time when humanity is tumbling out of control, an abyss of change ahead. At a time when reasoned, fair, trusted, strong world leadership is in critical demand the ruling government of one of the world’s most privileged Countries is obsessed with crime, terrorism, tax cuts, privatization, military adventures and steadily morphing Canada into a petro-state.
Even as the Chinese and American right wingers are coming forward and acknowledging the ominous perils of climate change, Harper’s Conservatives persist in gagging federal employees from even discussing the issue. Federal scientists have been muzzled and laid off. At the same time Harper has had one vision, to see Canada evolve into a Christian Saudi Arabia. At every turn this government has inveighed for the expansion of the tarsands, one of the dirtiest sources of oil on the planet.
Here is subtle way that the mindset works. With so many important legislative issues before the federal government – bills on terrorism and surveillance for example – an idiotic flyer from the riding conservative MP (David Sweet) arrives at my door. It asks me a series of yes or no questions regarding senior citizens. Do I value them? Do I think they should be allowed to live in dignity? Should they have to sell their aging organs to pay for pharmaceuticals?
What a wasteful “feel good” distraction. Do you think Mr. Sweet is really looking for policy direction from his constituents here? Is it possible that the good people of Hamilton West have had enough of these blood sucking seniors? Or is Mr. Sweet pandering to the senior vote?
This is dumb-ed down government. Beat the drums, avoid the real issues, everybody gets an A plus for standing up for the seniors.
No vision. No leadership.
We Canadians used to expect more of ourselves. Romeo Dallaire, Stephen Lewis, Pierre Trudeau, Bethune, Vanier were not one off prospects – they are a reflection of our DNA; our history, demographics, geography, climate and prosperity have conspired to make us a people who really give a shit about the world at large.
We really do sincerely care and we really are modest about it. And though others believe in us to do the right thing, our only major fault may be that we sometimes lack faith in ourselves. Which may itself be a good thing.
Briefly, how did we get here?
We are smaller both in population and GDP than California.
Despite what a map may convey we are shaped like a strip of ribbon. 85% of our 35 million population live inside a 9000 x 200 kilometer strip of real estate running along the US boarder. “America” – aka “the yanks” intrigue and scare us. We are in awe of their wealth and scale but really can’t understand for the life of us why they don’t have medicare. Beyond the ribbon where most of us live, there is the massive northern territory. A colossus of land and tundra that extends almost to the pole. We have more fresh water lakes than the rest of the world combined. Almost void of humanity but for scattered resource towns and indigenous “reservations” few Canadians have ever seen the North or even think of it. Overall its the second largest land mass on the planet. Oh, another fact. About 20% of we Canadians are foreign born, one of the highest figures in the world. But we are silent but deadly good at assimilation. We smother with disarming politeness and no matter your origins, after a couple of brutal winters and a few years in our public schools, you’ll be saying “eh” like the rest of us. Burka , female circumcision or whatever other medieval remnants may have arrived when you declared refugee status at Pearson airport will freeze and drop off like a cryogenized wart after a winter in Winnipeg.
The vast majority of Canadians will dismiss any differences between ourselves and the yanks. Ignorance is bliss. The differences are best illustrated by an old joke.
“Two lobster fishermen, one Canadian (New Brunswick) and one from Maine are hauling up their lobster traps side by side on the Grand Banks. The Maine fisherman is throwing his lobsters into a hole in the deck so they don’t escape. The Canadian is just tossing his lobsters onto the deck where they scramble about seeking freedom. Hey! says the Maine fisherman to his Canadian colleague, “yer goin to lose them lob-stas”. The Canadian surveys the situation and promptly shoots back, “they’re not going anywhere, they’re Canadian lobsters!” Noting the confusion on the yank’s face he adds “if any of ’em tries to escape the others will just haul him back into the boat”
Canadians are like that. It goes back two hundred years to the loyalists and even before. We stayed loyal to the King, the idea of leaving the crown was totally unreal. How could the Yanks do it? We were appalled but secretly impressed when they revolted from the English. But they came after us and we did not like that at all. That was the war of 1812 when we burned down the White House and sent them home with a good kick in the arse. Well, alright, it wasn’t just our courageous spirit that sent them packing. Our friend Jack Frost delivered the coup de grace. In more ways than one, old Jack has played a role in what we are.
Anyway, for years after this terrible separation many of us Canucks were tempted by the pull of America for opportunity and a better life. And, out of necessity, Canadian society developed a defense against this “brain drain” to the south. We acquired a way of looking down on the yanks – loud, conspicuous, obsessed with money. We Canadians pulled back, just like the lobsters. “Don’t go down there” we’d say “them yanks will corrupt you!”
How does this tie back to our obligation to the world? Well you see its important to understand why Canada exists and how it continues its redefinition even today as a nation. Because really, we should not exist. And we could not exist without our Yankee cousins to the south having first betrayed us and later defended us against the Russians. Russians that we may wag a consternating finger at their excesses.
More to come ……………
Selling the wheat board in April!
Sanctify science, fight global warming, promote environment, legalize pot, retain a humanitarian role in the middle east, promote the middle class and social mobility, discourage becoming a petro state with associated currency risks,
In short, cultivate an atmosphere that would attract progressives from around the planet..