Tag: politics

the united states of canada

Yesterday was Election Day. Unfortunately, in spite of endless scandals, illegal American–style campaigning*, and being held in contempt of Parliament, The Conservative Party won a majority, striking a hot, dirty victory for the continued fast erosion of social progress.

What does this mean? No more neutral foreign policy or equal rights for gays and women, further destruction of our formerly balanced budget, the cancellation of the long form census, even more money pulled from social programs and arts and culture and given to the military and to build privatized prisons, (despite the crime rate going steadily down), (also related: jail-time for pot smokers), many, many corrupt and suspicious officials, including a Creationist chiropractor for Science Minister, no more guarantee of truth in the news, a stop to open, transparent government, an introduction of the RIAA’s DMCA laws, secret meetings about a Perimeter Security pact with the USA, The Government of Canada rebranded as “the Harper Government”, unsafe food laws, a repeal of abortion rights, and a government complicit with torture, climate change denial, and the debacle that was the G20 Summit.

I could go on, there are enough infractions against the rights of Canadian citizens to fill a small book, but it’s too depressing. As someone mentioned so succinctly on Reddit earlier, “The key part that so many people miss is that in a democratic system, it is not simply the will of the majority the prevails. In order for the system to work, the majority must protect the rights of the minority. That is what I think people are afraid of. That’s why I’m a little saddened by the results. Not because people have differing opinions from mine, but because I fear they will not protect the rights of all people.” Given all evidence, I completely agree. What about you?

*Register a complaint against Harper for breaking the law: commissionersoffice@elections.ca.

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Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, (and my personal favourites: Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood), slyly lampoons Harper with Election 2011, a Dark Fiction:

A vacuum cleaner salesman comes to your door. “You must buy this vacuum cleaner,” he says. “Why?” you say. “Because I know what’s good for you,” he says. “I know things you don’t know.” “What are they?” you say. “I can’t tell you,” he says, “because they’re secret. You are required to trust me. The vacuum cleaner will create jobs.”

“Where is the vacuum cleaner made?” you say. “In another country,” he says. “So the jobs will be created in another country? Not here?” you say. You believe it’s your right to query: It’s your money and, come to think of it, you pay this guy’s salary.

“Stop bickering,” he says. “I am competent. That’s my story and I’m sticking it to you.” “I’m not bickering,” you say. “I’m asking relevant questions. How much will the vacuum cleaner cost me?” “I can’t tell you that,” he says. “Why not? Because it’s more than you claimed at first?” you say. “Or because you don’t really know the cost?” “I can’t tell you that, either,” he says. “But you have to pay.”

Canadian Olympics Poet Shane Koyczan adds his voice to ShitHarperDid.com

“Wasted Vote” by Shane Koyczan

Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long have come out with a haunting new track just in time for the May 2nd polls,
reminding people that there’s no such thing as a wasted vote, only a wasted election.

  • Upvote this video on Reddit.
  • Support it as a submission on bOINGbOING.

    • we live with these lists

    Much like his meditation on Being Poor, John Scalzi’s Things I Don’t Have To Think About Today, is a particularly moving treatise on the essence of privilege:

    Today I don’t have to think about those who hear “terrorist” when I speak my faith.
    Today I don’t have to think about men who don’t believe no means no.
    Today I don’t have to think about how the world is made for people who move differently than I do.
    Today I don’t have to think about whether I’m married, depending on what state I’m in.
    Today I don’t have to think about how I’m going to hail a cab past midnight.

    I highly suggest you click through and read to the end.

    (‘Non-stop madness’)

  • Richard Schiff, (Toby in the West Wing), is starring in a religious comedy about a muslim who discovers he’s adopted and was born a jew, Infidel.
  • Jean-Pierre Jeunet, (of Amelie and The City of the Lost Children), has released a fantasy revenge comedy satirizing the world arms trade, Micmacs à tire-larigot.
  • Chris Morris, (of Jam and The Brass Eye), is coming out with a religious comedy about inept, young radicalized muslims in England trying to wage jihad, The Four Lions.

    • Consider Role Reversal for International Women’s Day

    Penny Red: Objectification: what if the world were different for a day?:

    Picture this. Every one of the men and boys whose images you see repeated thousands of times a day is impossibly perfect, hewn from some arcane piece of rock on the platonic plane. Not one of them is over thirty-three. In the shadow of their hard, robotic masculinity, the possibility of paunches and puppy fat and male-pattern balding is unthinkable. They rarely speak, and when they do speak, they ventriloquise; they implore you to look at them, to understand their silent semiotics of commercial masculinity; they threaten and seduce you in a boring parade of billboards, adverts, music videos.

    …

    What is the response of the government, of the media to this trend? They say nothing. These silly young boys don’t know any better than to copy what they see. And anyway, women have to worry about what they look like too! Granted that it’s the men, not the women, who are judged on the basis of their appearance in public life – but then, there are so few men in politics and in business that we’re bound to look at them a bit funny, aren’t we? It’s all in good fun, isn’t it?

    Link via Alasdair.

    a modern horror epic

    video found via Kevin

    Names Of the Dead:

    Every year, more than 44,000 Americans die simply because have no health insurance.

    I have created this project in their memory. I hope that honoring them will help us end this senseless loss of American lives. If you have lost a loved one, please share the story of that loved one with us. Help us ensure that their legacy is a more just America, where every life that can be saved will be saved.

    A simple yet spooky and powerful little website, Names Of the Dead is collecting precisely what it says, the names, ages, and hometowns of everyone who’s died from being unable to afford healthcare. They scroll in a list on the left of the screen, white on black and gray, and it seems the names are almost endless, as every time you refresh, new names have been added.

    I just signed Congressman Alan Grayson’s petition to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid demanding he move the Senate forward and pass health care reform now.

    I hope you’ll sign too.