The Occasional Solipsist

Canada is the best country in the world, on this day or any other. I just thought it needed to be said, for any that weren't familiar with that fact, or for any who needed reminding.

Sure there are lots of things to bitch about (this new Canadianized DMCA intent on ruining the online experience for all Canadians, a pending two-tiered national health system, a right wing government intent on helping only those who already have plenty, and a lot of ridiculous collective guilt over the treatment of so-called indigenous or distinct societies) but all things considered I would rather be here than anywhere else in the world.

I'm just glad I live in a country so awesome that those are the things that I have to complain about.

Labels: everything else, politics

Haven't blogged in awhile now. Not sure what excuse to use first: My laptop is back with HP again and I have to use a loaner; I am flirting with the idea of dumping the blog entirely because I really don't seem to have anything worth saying anymore. Probably a combination of columns A and B.

Either way, there is a new post on Rick Mercer's blog about the disrespect that the current Canadian PM Steven Harper showed to some Nobel Peace prize winning Canadian scientists that makes me think we're at the dawn of a new Dark Age. Harper's representation of Canadians pretty clearly shows that if you aren't making money off of the rape of the natural world, and instead want to use science to fix the world before we ruin it, we're just not interested. Thanks a lot, Harper. I wonder if he's ever read A Canticle for Leibowitz?

Article here.

Labels: everything else, politics, rants

In Canada in an election year, we don't get the benefit of having to figure out which of the candidates is the least corrupt and vote for that one knowing we're going to get screwed anyway. Here we just vote for whatever goof is going to make us look the least stupid. To date we haven't had a lot of success in the department. Names like Chretien, Harper and Mulroney come immediately to mind.

That's why I'm urging my American friends to vote Zod in 2008. That's right, General Zod, of the Superman mythology.

I actually can't see why Americans wouldn't vote for this guy. At least he comes right out and admits to being a dictator. None of this weapons of mass destruction horseshit, or appeals to his constituant's outrage over a terrorist attack to justify war. And if war was necessary it would only last as long as it took for his nukes to hit their taret. And he probaly wouldn't even care about oil or money or land, because it would all be his anyways.

Yup, when its time to hit the polls, remember Zod.

Labels: politics, superman

Superwife and I finally got to see Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' the other night and it was an eye opener to say the least. I had already read the book, so very little of the content was new to me, but there's something to be said for the power of visuals: Seeing Al Gore get on a lift to demonstrate just how far off the charts that measure CO2 emissions we will be in 50 years was flabbergasting. That chart that we'll be off of for the first time, by the way, measures CO2 emissions for the last 650,000 years and it has never been as high as it is right now.

Its not like personal responsibility is something that Superwife and I hadn't already owned. We recycle, we are careful with our energy and fuel consumption, we even tried to buy a hybrid car when we turned in the 2-person-mobile when Trin came along. That last one was a problem because The Prius, if you can find one for sale, is so damn expensive relative to the corresponding gas only options. But we got talking after the movie about what else we could do to help, because obviously what we are doing collectively as a species is nowhere near enough. And its hard knowing that so many other people, both individually and corporately, just don't care enough to make this a priority.

And when I look at my daughter I wonder what she will have to say to me when her world is a wasteland. Will she blame me? Will she be able to accept greed and apathy as adequate reasons for ruining our biosphere?

Here are some links that I'm finding equal parts helpful and terrifying :

'An Inconvenient Truth' official site on Climate Crisis

Stephen Hawking becomes a doomsday prophet

Global Warming will actually be worse than most scientists previously thought

At least someone in the Canadian Government admits to the inconvenient truth

And the obligatory Wikipedia entry covers everything from Kyoto to mitigation

And the other thing that happens when watching Gore's movie; one can't help but wonder what our world would be like if he had've won that election been allowed to govern for the term he was lawfully voted in for. Would he still be the paragon of environmental assistance that he is now so well known for? Would the average North American look at the Kyoto numbers and laugh because they didn't reduce emissions enough? Would America lead the world in the effort to save the planet rather than languish in dead last?

With most things, I guess those questions fall under the category of things we'll never know.

Labels: politics, rants

Yesterday the real threat of acts of terrorism on Canadian soil was narrowly averted, thanks to an exhaustive investigation by the RCMP and CSIS.

17 men were arrested for making preparations for a major bomb attack against Canadian institutions. Major like three times the explosive force of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995.

There are links everywhere about this very major news but here are two of interest: the 'story in pictures' from the Toronto Star, and the Wikinews article are both excellent.

I have been pretty vocal about my feelings of the so called American war on terror; I think its nothing but a smokescreen to make some rich oil barons and military contractors richer.

That statement is not in the slightest to belittle the events of Sept 11, which horrified all Canadians including myself, as much as it did our American neighbours.

But what does belittle the tragedy of that day is a president who uses the public's shock and outrage over that horrific event to justify an illegal war that has now lost all credibility in the face of the man's repeated lies.

And to compound that offense, American citizens have been bamboozled into giving up many of the rights that make that country so great as barter for a greater feeling of security. I ask you America, do you feel a hell of a lot safer now that that bargain has been struck?

I recently had a conversation with a coworker about my feelings on the Iraq and Afghan wars and it occurred to me that most Canadians really aren't very well informed as to how far the American politicians have gone to erode the freedoms of their citizens as justification for defending against terrorist threats. I can only hope that that ignorance does not come back to bite us in the ass as we deal with the now very real threat that exists to our nation's security.

Because now it can finally hit home for Canadians that even we are not safe from attacks of terrorism.

And I can only hope that cooler heads will prevail in the face of this news. In light of what has been happening to those same southern neighbours lately, I for one am not the least bit interested in my government taking away my rights as an excuse to defend against threats like these.

I have read 1984 and I have no desire to live in that world, nor do I want that for my daughter.

Hopefully all Canadians can be grateful that our law enforcement was able to avert this disaster and understand that it is so important that we resist the impulse to hand over our rights in exchange for more security.

Because if we become terrified, hasn't the objective of terrorism been realized?

Labels: politics

I came across an excellent article this morning that compares Stephen Harper's foreign policy mandate with that of the man in charge of our southern neighbours.

The author does a pretty fair job of saying what most Canadians won't because we're all too goddamn nice, even though we're mostly ashamed of voting the Conservatives into power just to spite a corrupt Liberal administration: That Harper is a dick.

Here's a sample:

Maybe Canada should not be tying itself ever closer to an increasingly isolated and undisciplined (and somewhat inept -- when was the last time the U.S. won a war without help?) military superpower that is being run by a renegade government that has little respect for the interests of the world as a whole or for any international treaties (bilateral or multilateral) and is headed by a president who does not claim a mandate derived from the citizens of the United States, but one bestowed by God.

Come to think of it, maybe that's also what gives Harper (a fundamentalist Christian) the right to govern as if he controls a majority in the House of Commons. Perhaps he believes (like George Bush) that the Almighty put him into office and so any decision he makes -- democratic or non-democratic -- is the right one.

Full article here.

Labels: politics, rants

I came across a great article online tonight written in '94, just after the PQ's rise to power in Quebec. The article deals mainly with the economic and political logistics of Quebec actually separating from Canada, and from my view in the cheap seats, I can't see how things would play out any differently now.

First of all, I am 100% against Quebec separating, and truth be told I am also 100% against the current handling of the 'Quebec situation'. I am all about equality, believing that no Canadian has rights or privileges that supercede that of any other; and having a federal mandate where an entire province is given special consideration over the rest of the country is tantamount to state-sponored racism as far as I'm concerned.

Put a different way, treating Quebeckers like the favourite child really burns my ass.

Here's a taste of how this particular individual believes separation would really play out (and I'll give you a hint, its not the way the Bloc would have you believe things would go down):

The study of the viability of an independent Quebec has developed into a cottage industry in Canada. It is generally accepted that in the long run, an independent Quebec would be a viable economic entity, well-off by world standards, indeed as successful as most small European countries. Most of the problems lie with the transition from a province of Canada to an independent country. Contrary to the rosy scenario of the PQ Bloc, the process leading to the break-up is likely to be messy, although non-violent. Furthermore, the transition would entail major costs. Indeed, both the messiness of the break-up and the transition costs are so large that it makes Quebec independence very unlikely even if a majority of Quebeckers were to vote yes to separation.

Full article here. It makes for an interesting read, and is still just as viable an argument 10 years after the fact.

Labels: politics, rants

fuck

Labels: politics

So my wife and daughter and I are all sitting somewhat uncomfortably in front of the tv, wondering just who the hell is going to be in charge of Canada come tomorrow morning.

It's election night again for the second time in 18 months, and never in my lifetime has the outcome of an election been so much in doubt. Will it be the Scandalized Liberals? The Crazy-as-Fuck right leaning Conservatives? Those folk music playing hippies NDP?

And while we sit here and wait for the results to begin in a few minutes as they are released across the country, first from the Maritimes, then Quebec and Ontario, then the Prairies and finally BC, we are subjected to all manner of political punditry, running the gambit from what will happen to our Health Care system to whether there will be yet another referendum on Quebec separating from Canada.

Man, I wasn't this worked up yesterday when I had to bite my nails to see if the Steelers would make it into the Superbowl.

All I know for sure right now is that if we have a Conservative PM tomorrow morning, the rich will soon get richer, the poor poorer, the sick will have less access to health care, and the rights of women to choose and homosexuals to marry will soon disappear. And it will be illegal again to be in possession of even minute amounts of marijuana.

That, and that it's going to be a long night.

Labels: politics, rants

A friend posted an article about internet pet peeves the other day, and his feelings about how people should have more tact in their digital communications with others. I have my own feelings about behaviour displayed by people in forum posts and emails that they would never consider repeating in the 'real world'. And those feelings just happen to be pretty much identical to those of the aforementioned blogger.

To wit: I have no patience for assholes.

Be it WRITING ALL IN CAPS, or forwarding inspirational messages of survival, or any other of a number of infractions that just set your teeth on edge.

By a funny coincidence, I received an email just last night that displays the worst of bad internet taste, an email that urges multiple recipients to do what the author says, without any prior knowledge of his recipients' position. You know what I mean. "Everyone boycott Esso Stations on Thursday!", etc. Except this one was telling everyone how to vote in the upcoming Canadian Federal election.

And here's the thing: The sender doesn't (and can't possibly) know how his recipients vote, and he obviously doesn't care.

Man, this sort of thing burns my ass.

Here's the original email:

-----Original Message-----

From: Name Removed

Sent: January 7, 2006 10:56 PM

To: My Email Removed

Subject: Election 2006-And a Happy New Year


Interesting read -SOMETHING WORTH THINKING ABOUT -which ever way you decide to vote.

Hello.

My name is Name Removed I am a Canadian. One voter out of millions of Canadian voters.

Paul Martin is no friend of mine. Liberal governments have not made my life any better. Liberal governments have made the future worse for my children.

Jean Chretien and the Liberal Party became Prime Minister many years ago. Guess who was the Liberal Finance Minister.....Paul Martin...LEST WEFORGET

Since 1993:
(1) My taxes have increased.
(2) My family's share of the national debt has increased.
(3) My personal expenses have increased.
(4) My waiting time to see a doctor has increased.
(5) My concerns for my family's safety have increased.
(6) My costs to educate my children have increased.
(7) Government interference in my life has increased.
(8) My personal debt has increased.
(9) My income has stayed more or less the same.
(10) My savings have decreased.
(11) The buying power of my dollar, in Canada, has decreased.
(12) The value of my dollar, in the U.S., has decreased.
(13) My trust of elected officials has decreased.
(14) My trust in the justice system has decreased.
(15 )My trust in the immigration system has decreased.
(16) My hope that a Liberal won't waste my tax dollars has decreased.
(17 )My dreams for a better future for my kids, in Canada, have disappeared.

That is my story since the Liberals came to power.

I am not voting for Paul Martin's Liberals. I am voting against Paul Martin and his Liberal Party in January.

Do I like the Conservatives and the NDP? Not particularly......I don't really like Politics. I am not political by nature. I am not passionate about politics. I am a middle age guy (48). I live in a small house on a fairly quiet street in Edmonton. I have a wife, Kathy, and two children
(ages 19 and 17). I have no pets. I am a middle class man. I don't usually say too much.

Until now.

Now I am going to say something!

In 35 of the past 37 years, Canada has been ruled by:
(1) Pierre Trudeau - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(2) Brian Mulroney - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(3) Jean Chretien - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.
(4) And now we are going to vote for Paul Martin???? - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec???

But wait! Paul Martinis now saying the same thing. My mother told me forty years ago: "Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me!"

The Liberals have had 34 years to be financially responsible. Remember, Jean Chretien was Trudeau's Finance Minister. Remember also, Paul Martin was Jean Chretien's Finance Minister These people have been raising my taxes for thirty four years. They have been mis-spending my tax dollars for 34 years.

34 years!

And now Paul Martin says he'll stop taxing and spending. No way.

Thank you for reading my story so far!

Why am I telling my story to you?

Although I feel alone, I know that I am not alone. Your story may be similar to mine. And you may also feel alone. One small voter in the midst of millions of voters.

What can you and I do together to change things?

Here is my idea: Lets you and I join up together. Just you and I. Together. As a small team of two.

How can you and I fight a huge political machine?

You and I have two things that we can use:
(1) Our individual personal connections.
(2) The Internet.

The Internet is supposed to be this global zing tool, right? Let's put it to use.

I have 27 Canadians in my personal e-mail address book. I am sending this e-mail to each of them.

I'm asking you to do two things:
(1) Forward this e-mail to every Canadian in your own address book.
(2) Vote against Paul Martin and the Liberal Party in January of next year.

I have probably written this e-mail too late. As I said I am not politically adroit. I feel like Peter Finch, in the 1976 movie "Network", when he shouted: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

Please, forward the e-mail RIGHT NOW!!

I hope the Internet is as fast as some people claim it is.

This may not work. This e-mail may "fizzle out" and go nowhere. But you and I will have tried, won't we have?

My best wishes to you. My best wishes to Canadians everywhere.

My thanks to David Stokes from Toronto He actually wrote this just (5) days before the last federal election. Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me!"

Name Removed Edmonton, Alberta

And, after debating between responding to this unsolicited political advice, and deleting it, I sent the author the following response. And yes, I felt better afterwards. You'll note that I left out any mention of the atrocious spelling and grammatical errors peppered throughout this silly diatribe, or noting that his argument has holes in it big enough to fly the entire House of Commons through.

-----Original Message-----

From: Derek

Sent: January 7, 2006 11:34 PM

To: Name Removed

Subject: RE: Election 2006-And a Happy New Year


I vote liberal and while I try to appreciate other points of view as they pertain to political ideologies I don’t appreciate uninvited emails soliciting me to do otherwise.

I’m not sure why you think its appropriate to send out emails specifically requesting recipients to ‘Vote against Paul Martin and the Liberal Party in January of next year’.

Next time why don’t you just send out an invitation to your next church function? Or a collection of web links on your stance on abortion or stem cell research? Something nice and light, like politics, that everyone loves to get unsolicited emails about?

I don’t even know how I know you or how you obtained my email address. In the future, I request that you refrain from sending any similar correspondence.

Derek

My only regret is that I didn't address my response to 'Asshole'.

Labels: politics, rants

One of the most valuable things about living in the greatest country in the world is that Canadians do not censor ourselves. Whether we're talking about nudity or swearing on tv, or blacklisting books about sensitive subjects in schools (I'm looking at YOU, America), or even politicians rallying support for separating the country.

Censorship sucks, and the fact that we live in a free country that does not censor its citizens speaks volumes about what liberty really means.

That being said.

When I read about the leader of leader of the Bloc Quebecois (the federal party that exists solely for the purpose of separating Quebec from the rest of Canada) demanding that Quebec be given its own international hockey team, I really have to wonder that no one has shot this idiot yet.

Here's a news article outlining Gil Duceppe's latest plan to undermine Canada, and build his case for separation outside the political arena. (You're not fooling anyone with this one, Duceppe)

I am fiercely proud of my country and I would choose to live nowhere else in the world. Most Canadians feel the same way. And to outsiders, Canada is generally seen as a tolerant, peaceful, successful melting pot of many different cultures. A society where cultural, religious, sexual and ethnic differences are, for the most part, ignored in favour of living together in harmony.

So why is it that so many Quebeckers are so anxious to separate? What is it that makes the idea of separating from the rest of the country so appealing? Is it the 'distinct culture' that the rest of Canada pays so much money to maintain? How about the right for Quebeckers to disallow english signs to be displayed, while the rest of Canada is officially bilingual?

What a joke.

I'm not condoning censorship in any way, but I just shake my head when I think that this fuckhead gets to shout at the rooftops of how poorly Quebec gets treated, when Quebeckers are in fact treated like royalty while the rest of the country has to be content to its second-class citizen status.

And its not enough that Duceppe wants to ruin Canada, but now he wants to use our beloved national pasttime as the wrecking ball.

Every once in awhile, even though I know its wrong, and it goes against everything that being Canadian stands for, a very small part of me would love to be able to just shut people like him up.

Labels: politics, rants

What can you say about the catastrophe that Hurricance Katrina left in her wake? Maybe you could say that everyone with a shred of sense in their head wouldn't live in a city below sea level.

Maybe.

But the time for stupid location decisions is long over.

Time for those who made it out to pick themselves up and move on.

Time for the stragglers still in that hell that was once a city to pack it up and walk away. Before they get forced out by the few soldiers that didn't get sent over to another country to keep oil safe for democracy.

I believe Robert Plant and the boys put it best in one of my all time favourite Zepppelin songs:

If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break,
If it keeps on rainin’, levee’s goin’ to break,
When the levee breaks I’ll have no place to stay.
Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan,
Lord, mean old levee taught me to weep and moan Cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good,
Now, cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move

Labels: everything else, politics