I actually wrote this right after the election on May 2nd but never got around to "publish" -- so I did so today although it is really not much more than a link to a document:
I must admit, I am a bit in shock about the Canadian election outcome - a majority government led by a man I cannot see but anything less than a builder of a markets-only-driven, fascist police state. If you are rich you are worthy - if you cannot make enough to live on ( and we are skewing the ability by giving a very small percentage a lot and the rest nothing) too bad - go directly to jail. Those jails, by the way, will be housing those of you too poor, or mentally ill to make a living. Also, they will be privately owned providing a profit to those who squeeze every last drop of profit from the incarceration of prisoners. I actually feel a little afraid and I have been traditionally one of the fearless. After the G20 I don't know or believe that my "rights' in this country mean anything at all.
I was reading the Gene Sharp document (From Dictatorship to Democracy: A conceptual framework for Liberation) and thinking about what they had done in Egypt - I thought it should be so much easier here - why is it not, and what can be done about it?
We are trapped, not by guns but by our own minds - however, if we free our minds the guybns willno doubt appear. In totalitarian regimes it always seems that everyone knows that how they are being governned is "wrong" - but in North America, we are not sure.
Workers that make less than they need to "live" believe that someday they will be rich (myth: work hard and you will prosper) or at least their children will be better off (work hard and your children will be better off than you - second generation in the last three in which this is not true - wages have been stagnant for 60% of the populations for the last thirty years, and 20% - the poorest are worse off) and that somehow what hurts me economically and helps the rich ( current tax system) will somehow result in more and better jobs (also not true.)
If somehow people could get the info and believe it that the government should be "run" for the majority (say 80%) of people we would have increased taxation of corporations and the rich (Canada is now 2nd or 6th lowest depending on what you look at), reduced spending on jets and other expensive military hardware meant for aggressive wars, a national Daycare program, a national Housing program,a National Energy program, and regulations to stop speculation on food. Yes, it takes the the profit out of some things, or at least caps or reduces it - but for the majority to benefit why is that a bad thing?
I must admit, I am a bit in shock about the Canadian election outcome - a majority government led by a man I cannot see but anything less than a builder of a markets-only-driven, fascist police state. If you are rich you are worthy - if you cannot make enough to live on ( and we are skewing the ability by giving a very small percentage a lot and the rest nothing) too bad - go directly to jail. Those jails, by the way, will be housing those of you too poor, or mentally ill to make a living. Also, they will be privately owned providing a profit to those who squeeze every last drop of profit from the incarceration of prisoners. I actually feel a little afraid and I have been traditionally one of the fearless. After the G20 I don't know or believe that my "rights' in this country mean anything at all.
I was reading the Gene Sharp document (From Dictatorship to Democracy: A conceptual framework for Liberation) and thinking about what they had done in Egypt - I thought it should be so much easier here - why is it not, and what can be done about it?
We are trapped, not by guns but by our own minds - however, if we free our minds the guybns willno doubt appear. In totalitarian regimes it always seems that everyone knows that how they are being governned is "wrong" - but in North America, we are not sure.
Workers that make less than they need to "live" believe that someday they will be rich (myth: work hard and you will prosper) or at least their children will be better off (work hard and your children will be better off than you - second generation in the last three in which this is not true - wages have been stagnant for 60% of the populations for the last thirty years, and 20% - the poorest are worse off) and that somehow what hurts me economically and helps the rich ( current tax system) will somehow result in more and better jobs (also not true.)
If somehow people could get the info and believe it that the government should be "run" for the majority (say 80%) of people we would have increased taxation of corporations and the rich (Canada is now 2nd or 6th lowest depending on what you look at), reduced spending on jets and other expensive military hardware meant for aggressive wars, a national Daycare program, a national Housing program,a National Energy program, and regulations to stop speculation on food. Yes, it takes the the profit out of some things, or at least caps or reduces it - but for the majority to benefit why is that a bad thing?
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