Why is this country infected with apathy?

It always amazes me when I engage someone in conversation about our country's foreign or domestic policy, or our treatment of the environment, or any other subject of national importance, only to be confronted with a shrug of the shoulders and a "I don't pay attention to politics". Why the hell not? The system is in place for us to influence. That is the driving principle behind democracy. Once you leave the country in the hands of the politicians, you are not only passing off your rights, you are passing off your responsibility. Voting once every couple of years is not enough, you must continue to express yourself. Whether I agree with you or not, I will have a great deal more respect for you if you simply say what you think.
Voltaire is rumored to have once said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". That passion for the freedom of speech has vastly degraded in this country. I attribute this to the vastly corporate world we seem to be living in, where no one feels that they can affect change. No one wishes to devote the time or energy necessary to make themselves heard. Why should they? They have a house in the suburbs to pay for, a Lexus in the driveway that needs gas, a wife who needs new shoes, and there's only so many hours in the day. In addition to the suburban prisons we put ourselves into, we also have the bipolar media to influence our thoughts. Stories on the news networks (who watches the 6:00 news anymore?) flash by far too fast to engage our emotions. One second we're starting to become enraged at the senseless death of another Canadian soldier who shouldn't be in Afghanistan to begin with, the next we're watching a duck who somehow learned to fetch sticks, and then, our anger subsides, and by the time the commercial break comes along, we've completely forgotten about whatever it was that we were upset about. It seems the only thing people complain about is the weather.
Of course, this isn't the entirety of the population, just the majority. Who cares who wins the next election? They're all crooks anyways aren't they? Sure, and for good reason, no one holds them accountable for their actions. The Liberals held onto power for a good decade of scandal before we voted in what we believed was the lesser of two evils. Boy, we sure were wrong, the Conservatives are just as bad... It's like a series of failed relationships, after one, you can blame the other person, after two, maybe a little bit still, but the third time, maybe the problem is you.
Come on Canada! If you stay quiet, we WILL lose our Health Care, we WILL lose our EI, we WILL lose our rights that many took great risks to give us. GET ANGRY! BE HEARD! Because that isn't the worst part. Behind the scenes, without our consent, we are becoming inseparably entwined with the U.S., and given their recent history, we cannot let them take us down with them. So come on, Stand on guard.

Network- I'm Mad as Hell

This is exactly how I feel.

Get Angry

Get Angry, then DO SOMETHING

What's Next?

We're all on edge these days. We're all waiting for a shoe to drop, hoping we can scurry out of the way quickly enough. We have a waning ( the most encouraging word possible) economy. We have politicians that are, effectively, rogue. They are no longer representing the majority of the population. We have non-sustainable living conditions (suburbs, urban housing, renting, condos) that deplete funds, encourage debt throughout life and are supposed to represent progress. Something has to change drastically. But what?
The problem in Canada is that we are so woven to the United States, like a two-patch continent sized quilt. Whenever we try to distance our relationship, geography gets in the way. Drug policies mirror those of the U.S. (State level drug policies, not federal). Our agriculture industry is controlled heavily by the U.S. government. Industry, and therefore our economy, is in an American stranglehold. The grip is left loose most of the time, but when our policy-makers and their American counterparts begin to butt heads, it tightens just a little.
So the continent is about to explode, maybe figuratively, maybe literally. Liberals and Conservatives are being placed into distinct categories, reminiscent of the "hippies and patriots" of the Vietnam era. It's taking place mostly to the south, but since we are equally saturated with American media, it's almost as effective here. And of course, any significant events impact us equally. The point is that all of these factors, which are much less divisive than primary issues such as the current U.S. administration, the environment and both Canada and the U.S.'s abandonment of Kyoto, and the continuing wars in the middle east, still have significant impact. Add the problems mentioned above, and the conflicting views surrounding them, and I believe we're looking at a human powder keg. If our two governments don't turn their acts around soon, and start listening to reason, instead of campaign contributors, human nature could get dark. Civil wars have been started over less than virtually destroying the planet, illegal and unnecessary wars, and blatant disregard for human rights.

This is an excellent movie, I strongly recommend watching it, it's long, but well worth it.
Visit http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com for more information and a source list. I am not the originator of this film, just passing it on.

Hope and Optimism

I know this particular post isn't entirely in keeping with my other, more enraged entries, but I'm taking that as a good sign. I am a massive StumbleUpon addict (Google it if you don't know what that means) and I came across a site today that impressed me a great deal. Some intelligent concerned individual(s) came up with this site: www.onehournopower.com. It sufficiently inspired me to create a Facebook group with the same title. Less than 15 minutes after the group was created I had approximately 15 members. Here's the idea. On July 1st (Canada Day!) at noon, turn everything off that runs off electricity, go outside and have fun. For an hour. It's easy, it's most likely going to be fun, and if enough people do it, it'll have a profound impact. So, anyone reading this, mark it down on your calendars, and go fly a kite or something!

Screw The Economy

Why is the economy an issue at all when it comes to combating global warming? It is ridiculous to say the least. In the past week, China and the US actually asked the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to alter their wording in the report due to be released next Friday, amid fears that it could affect their economy. These are world renowned scientists working from years of research. They do not simply change their minds because a government asks them to. Also, it is not an opinion. What they are working with is fact. But, back to the economy.
The main reason why the economy of any nation should not be a factor in reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases is, quite simply, that it will not be "business as normal" if we do not drastically change the way we conduct our everyday lives. We must accept that life is to be forever altered, as are business practices, if we wish to continue our existence on this planet. Not to mention the fact that, done properly, sustainable development and production is more profitable for a given company, not less. Reducing the amount of raw materials needed saves money, not to mention the resources, as the resources dwindle, the prices soar. Sustainable energy, especially solar, tidal, and wind, cost only the initial price of installation, and the continuing cost to maintain them. Which, after a few years, would pay itself off in savings.
Allowing monetary problems to affect our willingness to fix the problems we as a race have created (you don't see dolphins piling their waste on our shores) is foolishness and nothing but pure greed and apathy. We as humans should find this unacceptable, and make that known.

Canadian Politics in Need of an Environmental Makeover

Extreme makeover? How about Environmental Makeover, the Canadian Government edition. I almost don't even know what to say, but luckily, my anger is fueling my creativity instead of stifling it at the moment.
2020? What the hell are they thinking? We're offering 20% over 2006 levels by 2020. The Kyoto Protocol called for a 6% decrease over 1990 levels before 2012. How is that unattainable? It may seem complex, and difficult, but really despite all of that, the figures support an even more drastic decrease in carbon emissions and greenhouse gas and a greater investment in wind, solar and tidal power. With the research and the obvious problem of global warming looming over us, creating the legislation is a no-brainer. We cannot allow our country to be influenced by corporate interests or foreign governments when it comes to a subject such as this. And of course, the "made-in-canada" solution is to be conducted behind closed doors, so the opposition parties will have no chance at voting it down, or for that matter, intelligent Conservatives.
And with all of these environmental programs being cut, you would think that the money would go to our new environmental plan wouldn't you? Especially since it's being lauded by the government as a better, more attainable plan. But, no surprise, we are once again increasing our defense budget. This is despite numerous calls to bring the troops home from Afghanistan, one of the largest single sections of our military spending, which would decrease the need for increased recruiting, another rather large annual investment. In June, 2006, Stephen Harper promised an increase in spending of $15 Billion. This is to be spent on troop carrying ships, airplanes, helicopters and trucks. They say the increase in spending is for our mission in Canada, to respond to domestic threats. Really? I'm pretty sure we aren't going to have a need for a troop-carrying ship for domestic threats.
So, it's official, our government prioritizes destruction of a part of the planet over repairing a part of it. I'm appalled. We are completely ignoring our global responsibilities. But, don't believe me, research it for yourself. Then get involved if you care about the future of our country, and ultimately, of our planet.


Note: Environmentalist David Suzuki, Former US Vice President Al Gore, The NDP, The Green Party, and many more have condemned the plan. George Monbiot, Environmentalist and British journalist, stated that there is a new "axis of evil". It is made up of George Bush, Stephen Harper and Australian Prime Minister John Howard.