You have to believe in it to make it real

I am often reminded of how our current Canadian government really should not be in power. They've only been able to have minority governments the last few elections because not enough people really want them, but there's no one else they can get behind either as the other parties have gotten new leaders or are trying to build up new platforms and policies. After the headlines yesterday, I'm hoping they just tipped the scales against themselves, although I'm cynical and think a lot of people won't bother to read the news and get the whole story.

If you own a home here in Canada I'm sure you've heard a lot about the one year home reno Tax credit: Spend over $1000 (and up to $15000) on renovating your home and you'll get 10% back as a non-refundable tax credit this tax season as long as you have the receipts to prove it. For people like me who are doing stuff to their house anyways, it's a nice bonus...and we're just doing a small amount of work - there are people going all out and hoping for a nice big tax rebate. It's all part of the economic stimulus package to help fight the recession.

But here's the thing - even though we've all been told to keep our receipts (there are even envelopes at stores like Rona and Home Depot to put them in) I just learned that IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY EXIST YET. Yeah - it is just a bill that will *maybe* be passed in fall session of Parliament. And here's the other shitty thing - it's technically a budget bill, so if the opposition wants to make a vote of non-confidence in the government to call an election (which they plan to and I think should, as Harper and his government are not doing very much) they will have to vote this down to do so. There's no saying they can't pass it if/when they get elected if they beat the current government, but it's turning all of this tax credit business into a sneaky manipulative election ploy. It's taking the average Joe and making them put their homes and $$ ahead of the politics of the country and what is best for all of us. Harper is trying to make the opposition look bad in the eyes of the public and playing manipulative games and creepy politics to keep in power.

So here's my little rant to you Stephen Harper - Stop screwing around and playing schoolyard games to stay in power. You're the leader of our country. Lead it. How about you look after the country? If you were even slightly good at this we wouldn't be itching to get you out of power and let someone else have a go at it so they could actually DO something.

Boo to you I say. You and your little dog too.

Well whaddaya know...

Hmmm...apparently optimism and hope do still exist on American soil.

I stayed up after class last night to watch the polls roll in and hear the speeches. McCain and Obama were both gracious and kind, but what really impressed me was seeing the lines of voters...the polar opposite of our Canadian election a few weeks ago. It really filled me with emotion to see so many different people from so many walks of life caring about their country...feeling like maybe there was a chance they could fix things... to see individuals feel like their voice counted and that they were a part of making their country better...it honestly brought tears to my eyes. It was inspiring to hear the end of Obama's speech and know he really realises what he's in for...that he is inspiring his whole country to change. Hearing him ask everyone to help...the very fact that his motto for the campaign was "yes we can" is a fundamental change in attitude for the American public.
My beef about modern man is his ability to isolate himself and put himself first. If we have any hope for our future and little ones like my new niece Zoe, there has to be a shift in attitude...a return to a sense of community and doing things for the greater good. We can't hole ourselves up and look after number one and hope it will get better...we did that. Look where it got us? Greed and selfishness built up faulty loans that fed our greed and resulted in the world economy falling to it's knees. We're all falling together...and I really believe that unless the whole world bands together to try and address our future we will fail. We have seen first hand what greed and selfish oppression gets us. We have to learn from our mistakes or we will burn like Rome, and those we have failed will delight in our fall...dooming themselves in the process.

In the past I heard songs like "the spark that bled" and would think "why don't we do things differently? When did apathy and the hunt fro an impossible selfish life become the accepted way to live? How did we become so resigned to things being a different way?"

I accidentally touched my head and noticed that I had been bleeding
For how long I didn't know
What was this, I thought, that struck me?
What kind of weapons have they got?
The softest bullet ever shot
I stood up and I said, yeah!
I stood up and I said, yeah!
I stood up and I said, hey! Yeah!
From this moment on blaring like a trumpet
Coming from above us and somewhere below
The confidence of knowing descending to relieve us of the struggle to believe it's so
I stood up and I said, yeah!
I spoke up and I said, hey!
I stood up and I said, hey! Yeah!
And it seemed to cause a chain reaction
It had momentum, it was gaining traction
It was all the rage, it was all the fashion
The outreached hands had resigned themselves to holding onto something that they never had...and that's too bad
'Cause in reality there was no reaction
(The spark that bled - Flaming Lips)

Like the 60s, there seems to be a resurgence in the need and desire for change - An unjust war on foreign soil...a younger generation questioning why thing are the way they are when they only benefit some. There is a whole generation coming up who've seen the bullshit of the baby boomer era and they want something different. My generation just sort of whined about how sucky it was and grunged our way into electronic distractions, expecting others to do the work for us.

This election gives me hope seeing the desire for change come up from a new generation and spreading out into the general population. What was a dream of the young and innocently optimistic has spread to the rest of us.

I feel we are all the better for it. I hope this will carry forward and everyone will feel the responsibility to work at change.

I sincerely believe this will not be a sound and fury signifying nothing. When people unite for a common cause and put each other before themselves, things will change. We may not *have* more, but we will be united. We will care for each other and the respect and dignity that will arise will make our lives and our communities better.

I have to believe this...it's how I live my life. I'm inspired to think that maybe, just maybe, other people think the same thing...and maybe it *will* get better...

Didn't we just *do* this a few months ago??

Well, today in Canada we go to the polls, to essentially vote in what we have right now. Another minority government. The thing is, noone is content with how things are right now. Me, I dislike the conservative party and their leader.
Problem is, we have no strong alternative...the Liberals have a great green platform, but aren't explaining themselves well. And their party leader, Dion, is waffley. He was given a chance to stand up for his statements and he waffled...leaving people question his ability to rule. The NDP? Well, they have a lot going for them, but not enough support to do a lot of good. The Green Party? Same.
So essentially, we've got most of Canada not really wanting a conservative government, but the vote is split against them just enough, that they'll likely get a minority government again...which is just what we don't need. A government supported by only ~30% of the country. A government with no effective governing power in what is starting to become a time of financial crisis for the world.
It feels very strange to vote knowing it is likely things will be as they were. Being in a very strong conservative riding, with our current MP being someone I vehemently oppose but know I will be unable to vote out due to his overwhelming rural support, it makes voting seem pointless.

Still, I will vote. Because I can.
It is my right to do so, and many do not have this right. I will act upon it and do my civic duty. Plus I figure if I don't vote I can't complain about who is in power, as I didn't vote...saying the electoral process is a sham or inaccurate is a cop out. It is what it is and we get to choose. If we don't, we only contribute to the decline of the whole process. This time, I will say, I do wish there was a "none of the above" option on the ballot. It would be interesting to see just how many people would choose that in this particular election. I want to know just how many people are disillusioned with the whole procedure this time around.
I do hope that whomever is elected to go to office will do their best for their constituents regardless of their party. A good friend of our family was a conservative MP and he isn't running this year...which is a bit of a shame. Altho I didn't agree with him in a lot of things, at least I know he was a good man who did his best to try to represent the needs of his riding in parliament. It's my fervent hope that we elect people who will do that and not just tow the party line when it comes to major decisions for our country.
Naive I know, but ya gotta start somewhere.

And remember...you can't eat your ballot. It's illegal. They'll know...:) Yeah. I checked...

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman...

Any respect I had for Palin, McCain's token female running mate in the US election, is waning after reading that she is pushing to have evolution and creationism both taught in schools as one of her election statements. I have to ask: Haven't we gotten past this to more important issues of state in election time?
The US has a lot more problems at the moment than a science/church pissing contest over the origin of the species. Let's hold up the whole separation of church and state and move on with governing a country in a humane and fair way. Unless we're going to acknowledge all religions in the US and let them all have equal say, leave it alone. Teach taxonomy and leave the rest out until people go to University and let them figure out what they think from there...

Maybe focus on *real* issues in the election. Like, oh, I don't know...the economic collapse of a nation? Feeding and clothing all of your people and allowing them to live a decent life? Removing corporate greed from your White House and allowing the country to look after itself and the environment with prudent dignity?

I would like to speak for the entire female gender in saying: A hearty boo to Palin, and state that really, although she *is* technically one of us, please don't judge us all by her actions. Can we assign her some "other" category? Give her some sort of tattoo, saying "warning contents are not representative and may have settled during shipping"?

I had such hopes that the first female politician let anywhere near the White House would be anything other than this...Hillary I could handle. But this?

*sigh*

And here I was so pleased last night, gloating about how a woman would be better in office, after reading our local Conservative MP's mailout to us that was his usual rantish, bigoted, female insulting and pretty much inane self...with comments like how he wants to "stop women being forced into abortions" and "halt the restrictive and hurtful human rights commissions and committees" from getting in the way of "good people" doing the "right" things. In the past he's ranted about the terrible natives who abuse our social programs and are taking advantage of our handouts, and how women are not being allowed to be traditional (??) and that liberals and NDPs are attacking family values. I keep wondering why he gets reelected over and over...but then I know I live in a predominantly religious right wing riding, where lots of small town people will vote conservative just to vote conservative regardless of who is on the ticket. I cannot, on good conscience, support this guy. A pigs bladder on a stick would be better some days, I think. He is a racist illspoken man who has not done anything helpful for the greater good in my riding other than to support the status quo.

And again...I am baffled why people vote conservative for such a leader. I understand wanting family values...wanting someone who isn't scary and won't challenge your way of life or thinking. Someone who looks after "what's right"? But how is that concept uniquely conservative? And why is liberalism so bad? Why are people so afraid of new thoughts, cultures and ideas? To me, if the person in the running in your area was a good person with a lot of well spoken ideas then pick him/her, regardless of his political party. Pick someone who will stand up for their principles, whatever they are, and make sure your riding's needs and opinions are held up in government. Isn't that the whole point of voting?
Do I want Maurice Vellacott to be king asshat of Meewasin Saskatoon riding again? Hells no.
I am not exaggerating when I say that altho I am certain he is a nice, decent man, he has also proven himself in the past to be overly biased in christian religious issues and a racist by his actions and statements.
We have to move forward...

And so now I can't be proud of men or a women in politics...
Perhaps I shall use my lab to create a new 3rd gender...or (shudder) go into politics.
OR (I'm liking this 3rd option more and more the more I think about it) create a new race of political undead to run in the next election...hell why not? I can see it now: an undead Trudeau for Prime Minister in 2012! Bring back the great leaders of the past to Canada!

Um...yeah.
Lunch break's over.
Bye.

This is what apathy will get you

The ever lovely Chaucer's Bitch pointed out this interview with Dick CHaney (VP of the USA) on national TV in which he openly states that he doesn't care what the opinion of the US people is on the war in Iraq:

CHENEY: On the security front, I think there’s a general consensus that we’ve made major progress, that the surge has worked. That’s been a major success.

RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.

CHENEY: So?

RADDATZ So? You don’t care what the American people think?

CHENEY: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.

Check out this link to watch the clip. I realise context is important, but this is not a statement that can be or is taken out of context. It is the statement of a leader who is going about his plans for things without any regard to the opinions or views of the people he is serving and representing in office. I hope Americans have a bit of a freak out over this, because honestly...you elected the guys. It's YOUR country....you're coming up on elections.
Vote. Have your say about the policy of the country you live in. Protest.You're declining like the Roman Empire and if you don't try and change things, you can't come up here and take our stuff, OK? We have our own problems :)

If you don't get involved, this is what apathy will get you. 4 more years of this.

Yeah...what he said

I found this political commentary video via Chaucer's Bitch's weblog.
I heartily agree.
Go on to You Tube...go on, go there and have a view.