"And the men who hold high places, must be the ones to start"
Thank you Peter Talbot and Neil Peart for your words in that classic tune from Rush. A little ditty about being closer to the heart....whatever that may mean to you and I. You can figure that I'm going to be talking about what it means to me and what I think it means for us.
Maybe it's the impending US election, or rapture, depending on who wins, or maybe it's just time for me to go off the liberal deep end for a bit, but I feel like playing out some ideas and observations on the state of us. "How did things ever get so far?" asks Don Corleone and now, me as well. We have, over time, allowed politicians to lie, cheat, obfuscate, pander and be bought all the while pretending to act as if they have our best interests at heart. Sadly, we know all too well that this is simply not the case. There are good and honourable politicians without a doubt but taken as a whole we seem to have less than desirable actions and outcomes, the win at all costs mentality has replaced service to the common good as our end game. Case in point would be eight years of obstructionist, libellous and downright treasonous behaviour directed at Barack Obama from the tea baggers, the Christian right, the NRA and every politician that has taken a dollar from anyone against Obama's policies and skin colour. Sent to Washington to govern they instead chose to throw up barriers because of ideology and demagoguery...shameful partisanship and simple ass hole like behaviour. While I think our country does a better job and is less divisive we are far from without issues of the same ilk. And I would venture the Utopian societies that Michael Moore advocates for invasion have their issues as well, despite how they are painted...they are painted really well though, aren't they? More on that later...
I can't help but think that we would be so much better off if we took the money out of the game. All elections should be publicly funded by a set formula where everyone is on the same playing field. You can lend your campaign a certain amount of money buy you can't accept anything else. At the same time remove from the equation the "free speech" pretending super pacs. Money shouldn't equal free speech because by definition that means the people that really need a voice can't afford it. Figure out a new non monetary way of lobbying for issues...perhaps referendums through the primary season that help shape the debate while engaging the voters and politicians directly and not through expensive advertising designed to make you feel like you need a shower every time you turn on the TV. The key is engagement and the end goal should be an informed and passionate electorate. Once you have that, you can start building the roads towards a better tomorrow.
I once attended a town council meeting in Lunenburg around the creation of a new tourism entity to help promote the town. 60 or 70 people crowded into council chambers essentially trying to have their voices heard over their neighbour....the town down the road is kicking our ass in promotion, we should do what they do. How much should the levy be for marketing the town? Why should I pay the levy...I'm doing fine without it? And so on...until finally the smartest person in the room that night stood up and said, we're arguing the how without knowing the why and what...we need a plan, an end goal and then we can figure out how to pay for and implement it. She shut that room up pretty quick...ask the real questions, from there you can get the rest of the way if you want. Lunenburg needed a vision, our country needs a vision and for sure our world needs a vision...that's where the men and women in high places come in. I swear people want to be inspired, to be moved to action and to believe in a greater tomorrow for us all, but they are weary from the lies, the sniping and the broken promises.
How do we get there? I don't know my friends. For every seemingly good point I might make someone can come up with eight reasons to oppose it...and maybe they are right, who am I to say. But surely there is a way...we have to start somewhere. Maybe closer to the heart...make it real and personal for people. Watch the Michael Moore documentary about invading other countries and stealing their ideas for a better society....because for sure it seems like they have a better grip on what's important. Intuitively it feels right and proper to ensure human dignity and approach problems from a healing and loving perspective as opposed to being considered a number, a burden, a commodity. Is it easy? Not on your life but once again, the alternative is more of the same and worse. Decide on the goal and the path will become clearer.
The mob mentality that you see at political rallies seems like a poor breeding ground for positive change ideas...being that they are populated by sycophants. Technology being what it is now, we have the ability to connect with just about everyone in the country through their phones and tablets and computers...figure out a way to get more people to tune in and have politicians and stakeholders speak directly to the people. If Trump isn't playing to the masses at his rallies maybe he starts to sound more dangerous without the cheering in the background every time he calls Hilary crooked. Of course most politicians live for that fake love as addictive as crack, so it would be a hard sell to change the status quo...but we need to. Hilary et al are going to spend one billion dollars on this election...WTF...in attempt to tear down Trump and Trump will do the same. And in the end, what have you got left? A polarised electorate and still the same problems to deal with and a winner unable to deal with them because of the system that has been built up. Tear down this wall Mr Gorbachev!!!
I fully believe that Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau, have the common good in their hearts, a desire to simply do what is right, knowing that there needs to be a better way to bring forward our countries into a more open, accepting and therefore progressive society, one where the rights of individuals outweigh those of corporations and by extension the almighty dollar. While we will have Mr Trudeau for the next few years to push the agenda in Canada, Clinton will face an uphill battle if she wins and Trump will burn the country down to build a new hotel...I'm not optimistic.
We subsidise oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, large agri-farms and all manner of large corporate bodies to the tune of billions of dollars. The argument is that these businesses provide jobs, drive the economy and pay taxes so that we can have roads and shiny tanks, not to mention a health system and an education system that is essentially free. I get it, although I don't really agree with it. I've had businesses and I didn't get a subsidy of any sort, on the contrary, putting out a shingle was like a reason to tax me to death and burden me with regulation and red tape. And this isn't about taxes as I think the services and resources we use in society are important, it's the lack of a level playing field to start but more to the point the messed up priorities. Those companies are not going to go away if you start charging them the taxes they should pay and slashing the corporate welfare that they have come to rely on. The CEO of JAL makes $90,000 a year...he took a pay cut because they had asked employees to do the same for the betterment of the company. This is simply a part of the bigger picture but it's a pretty clear picture from where I sit. The conversation needs to be about everyone moving forward as a whole...fuck trickle down economics, that's a lie to be told to keep people quiet when they are being robbed blind by Gordon Gecco and his ilk.
Earlier this week we had the 15th anniversary of 9/11. One of those "where were you when" moments that forever changed the world. Good ole George Bush, metal midget that he is, left us with a mess beyond comprehension. Regardless of what Drumph says, Bush was the founder of ISIS as opposed to Obama. Invading Iraq broke the county into a thousand pieces with tribal mentality taking over from the former dictatorship of Spider Hole Saddam. Not having an understanding or an appreciation of the culture and politics of the region has led to the quagmire we now have. Save for Drumph I couldn't imagine a worse person to be on the ground at that critical time then Bush. Yes....respond in strength when needed but not for nothing, the Arab world has very real and legitimate beefs with the rest of the world. Maybe beginning to address them and I don't know, losing the closet colonial attitude might be a good place to start. The clenched fist of god could be replaced by an open hand in greeting, in understanding, in talking. Try talking.
The enormity of changing the course of our future, of changing the dialogue, of getting more people involved for the right reasons is huge to be sure....but what are we going to be leaving for our children's children if we don't start somewhere. On so many fronts we need to act.
Ciao
D
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