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Arab Spring. How about a Canadian Spring?

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Sun, 2014-03-02 18:11

#1

Che MacDonald G...

Arab Spring. How about a Canadian Spring?

I hold the firm belief that Canada is longer a democracy and has not been a democracy for several years. Elections are held and a new Prime Minister, MPs, premiers, MLAs, mayors, councillors etc are elected and put into power. In my opinion the elections are a sham. Once the politicos are in office they become deaf to the wishes of their constituents and run everything according to their own agenda and the agenda of their corporate handlers. A system such as this can in no way be considered democratic.

Arab Spring was staged from December 2010 to December 2013. Rulers were forced from power in Egypt (twice), Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. Civil uprisings were held in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Sudan and Syria. Minor protests in Djibouti, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Western Sahara. Arab Spring was brought on by despotic rulers and the wish of the populace for democratic governance. We have had a series of non-democratic governments and the our populace is duped into believing that they have a say in the way Canada is run when in fact they have essentially none. This is not democracy. Has the time come for Canadian Spring? I would say that it has. Whether or not there are enough of us who are not brainwashed and are able to carry out our own Canadian Spring is the question which at this time needs to be addressed. Viva Che. Viva la revolucion!

Regions:

Sun, 2014-03-02 20:16

#2

lagatta

Have you forgotten that over here, we've had a Québec Spring? It went far beyond the students. Yes, there has been a reactionary reflux, but that usually happens.

Moreover, Idle No More, while it didn't go as far as one may have hoped, remains a sign of great promise.

Sun, 2014-03-02 21:29

#3

Catchfire

Catchfire's picture

Yeah, Idle no More and the Printemps Érable certainly suffice. It's the rest of the country that needs to get with it.

Sun, 2014-03-02 22:09

#4

epaulo13

..the resistance to tarsands/pipelines/fracking has most certainly affected the ability of corporations to plunder with ease. it has also created cross border/cross movement solidarity that continues to grow and deepen. today in front of the white house hundreds of students were arrested as they tied themselves to the fence protesting the keystone pipeline. edit

Mon, 2014-03-03 07:28

#5

Che MacDonald G...

You are completely correct in saying that there have been some good effects from resistance to tarsands, pipelines, fracking, selling off our insitu resources to foreign governments etc. But what I would like to see is the removal of the necessity to protest each of these wrongdoings on an individual basis. There is a way of addressing all of these problems enmasse and that is to bring democracy back to Canada. There is a lack of politicians willing to listen to the will of the people instead of the will of multinational megacorporations. Democracy must return to Canada. I am willing to give my life to see that happen. Just to make it clear I am, by the way, a Canadian citizen living somewhere in Canada.

I am nowhere near to being an eloquent writer as most of the members of this community. My sincerest apologies to you for that.

Mon, 2014-03-03 09:00

#6

epaulo13

a belated welcome che mg

..the resistance, the que spring, idle no more IS the face of democracy. it is true that today the struggle has intensified but the other to which you allude to, the return to democracy, imho never existed except in times of revolt/strikes etc when politicos were forced. we are learning to move forward by going around, over or in spite of them. i see it as a transformation into something not yet fully defined though outlines are evident.

Mon, 2014-03-03 09:11

#7

MegB

epaulo13 wrote:

a belated welcome che mg

..the resistance, the que spring, idle no more IS the face of democracy. it is true that today the struggle has intensified but the other to which you allude to, the return to democracy, imho never existed except in times of revolt/strikes etc when politicos were forced. we are learning to move forward by going around, over or in spite of them. i see it as a transformation into something not yet fully defined though outlines are evident.

I agree. We cannot look to government for a fair and open democratic process - it has to be forced by popular resistance, and even then any gains are only sustained for so long as popular resistance movements continue to ratchet up the pressure. Backsliding is a team sport for any given government at any given time. Politicians and governments come and go, but we're in it for the long haul because we are the last line, the only real line of defense for democracy.

Mon, 2014-03-03 09:42

#8

voice of the damned

Che MacDonald wrote:

There is a lack of politicians willing to listen to the will of the people instead of the will of multinational megacorporations.

So, if that's your complaint, would you be in favour of increased usage of binding referenda to settle major issues? Because that WOULD be a way of ensuring that the politicians' do what the people want on the issues in question.

Mon, 2014-03-03 10:13

#9

MegB

voice of the damned wrote:

Che MacDonald wrote:

There is a lack of politicians willing to listen to the will of the people instead of the will of multinational megacorporations.

So, if that's your complaint, would you be in favour of increased usage of binding referenda to settle major issues? Because that WOULD be a way of ensuring that the politicians' do what the people want on the issues in question.

In a country where voter apathy is at an all time high and the government gets to frame the question in a way that is confusing, oblique, manipulative or simply doesn't correctly address the issue, we could fill our boots with binding referendums and still see no progress. The only successful models we've seen have been popular uprisings, protest movements that apply intense pressure, making the political lives of elected officials so extremely uncomfortable and untenable that they eventually see that it's more politically expedient to do what is being demanded of them. It requires one hell of a lot more work and effort than a referendum, but it's a proven-effective strategy.

Mon, 2014-03-03 10:45

Slumberjack

I find there's a problem with describing citizen disengagement from the political processes that are given to us as 'apathy.' Doing so appears to put far too much onus on non-voters for this outcome, which plays nicely into the hands of schmucks who'd like nothing better than to drum up mandatory voting laws for everyone, in order to provide the system with all the legitimacy it could never acquire on its own, particularly under today's circumstances. While the word 'apathy' may indeed pertain to a lack of positive feelings or emotions where the current political processes are concerned, this should by no means be taken for a lack of empathy with respect to the political situation generally. The problem that leads directly toward voter apathy is that no matter how many people vote, or which party they vote for, each new regime simply does what it likes.

Mon, 2014-03-03 11:38

Che MacDonald G...

Those little things made of brass, lead and a tiny amount of volatile powder may the most expedient. Rebecca, please rein me back. I starting to foam at the mouth. Please kick me in my gluteus maximus or, preferably, slap me on the wrist if I've crossed the line which is not to be crossed on your forum.

Mon, 2014-03-03 11:40

Che MacDonald G...

Oops, sorry. I inadvertently tapped the keyboard twice.

Mon, 2014-03-03 12:25

voice of the damned

deleted. for reasons I have explained to the mods

Mon, 2014-03-03 12:41

sherpa-finn

Sumberjack wrote: There's a few English lit folks around here who could red ink just about everything we type if they had a mind to.

Sorry SJ, but that sentence starts with a mistaken conjugation and then ends rather unhappily with a preposition. It should more correctly read: "There are a few English lit folks around here who could red ink just about everything we type if they had a mind to so do."

OK. Apologies for the interruption. Please carry on with the revolution.

Mon, 2014-03-03 12:56

MegB

Slumberjack wrote:

I find there's a problem with describing citizen disengagement from the political processes that are given to us as 'apathy.' Doing so appears to put far too much onus on non-voters for this outcome, which plays nicely into the hands of schmucks who'd like nothing better than to drum up mandatory voting laws for everyone, in order to provide the system with all the legitimacy it could never acquire on its own, particularly under today's circumstances. While the word 'apathy' may indeed pertain to a lack of positive feelings or emotions where the current political processes are concerned, this should by no means be taken for a lack of empathy with respect to the political situation generally. The problem that leads directly toward voter apathy is that no matter how many people vote, or which party they vote for, each new regime simply does what it likes.

I don't think there is any danger that mandatory voting legislation will be anything but squashed. Governments count on voter apathy to maintain the status quo, hence Harper's so-called Fair Elections Act. People don't vote governments in, they vote them out and end up with the same, or a worse result.

Mon, 2014-03-03 13:06

iyraste1313

If my memory serves, the occupy Toronto was quashed by a municipal bylaw, totally invalidating our Charter of Rights....

It is not just a problem of democracy, In Canada except for the most exceptional cases in the Supreme Court of Canada, we have no rights, the bureaucrats, the judges at whatever other level show zero respect for our charter rights.

In fact my last attempt to use my charter rights in a BC Court, I was accused of promoting chaos and anarchy...

So any populist movement in this country will be crushed by force under the guise of upholding law and order.

A strategy must be developed to counter this reality. Canada is a fascist state!

Mon, 2014-03-03 13:24

MegB

Che MacDonald Guevara wrote:

Those little things made of brass, lead and a tiny amount of volatile powder may the most expedient. Rebecca, please rein me back. I starting to foam at the mouth. Please kick me in my gluteus maximus or, preferably, slap me on the wrist if I've crossed the line which is not to be crossed on your forum.

Thanks, but it's not my forum. As recommended, read the babble policy. If you've got any questions please feel free to ask and I will respond as best I can. As for the ass-kicking, the reins and the wrist-smacking, I'm not a domatrix, and I don't play one on TV, so you'll have to keep yourself in line, for the most part. ;)

Mon, 2014-03-03 15:02

Che MacDonald G...

Sorry RW, but I thought you were a moderator.

To the moderators: It would not be the first time my gluteus maximus came into contact with another's foot. If I ever overstep the boundaries of babblepolicy please feel free to admonish me. This one of the best forums in Canada to bring about change in our country. The last thing I desire is to be banned from the best forum in our land.

Mon, 2014-03-03 16:40

epaulo13

..this is interesting

The Economics of Revolt: An Interview With Paul Mason

video

http://vimeo.com/85777706

Mon, 2014-03-03 18:31

MegB

Che MacDonald Guevara wrote:

Sorry RW, but I thought you were a moderator.

To the moderators: It would not be the first time my gluteus maximus came into contact with another's foot. If I ever overstep the boundaries of babblepolicy please feel free to admonish me. This one of the best forums in Canada to bring about change in our country. The last thing I desire is to be banned from the best forum in our land.

Not to worry. You seem to be, at this point, conscientious enough to understand what genuine discussion is, so I would be less concerned with what moderators, like myself, 'police' than with the discussion you participate in and generate. I'm not sure what your experience with moderated political forums is, but we're extremely reluctant to suspend or ban anyone unless it's obvious that they're spammers or trolls.

Mon, 2014-03-03 19:57

Slumberjack

sherpa-finn wrote:

Sumberjack wrote: There's a few English lit folks around here who could red ink just about everything we type if they had a mind to.

Sorry SJ, but that sentence starts with a mistaken conjugation and then ends rather unhappily with a preposition. It should more correctly read: "There are a few English lit folks around here who could red ink just about everything we type if they had a mind to so do."

OK. Apologies for the interruption. Please carry on with the revolution.

Proof-read the manifesto!

Tue, 2014-03-04 12:10

Che MacDonald G...

There quite a few people on this forum with senses of humour drier than a no-vertmouth martini (RW, right back @ U).

Tue, 2014-03-04 12:21

Che MacDonald G...

If this is a little too far out please delete it

Six minutes of amusing light entertainment.

Youtube(dot)com/watch_popup?v=SNPJMk2fgJU

Tue, 2014-03-04 12:53

mersh

sherpa-finn wrote:

... if they had a mind to so do.

Split infinitive?

Wed, 2014-03-05 11:35

Che MacDonald G...

votd asked if I would accept binding referenda concerning major issues.

I would say that it would be a step in the correct direction. But the fiscal resources, the time lag between determining issues to be put to a country-wide vote and the implementation of the referendum decision etc etc is unnecessary. Voting in a government which is in touch with the will of the majority of the population would be a more efficient method. 'Revelucion', as my hero would say.

Wed, 2014-03-05 20:52

Slumberjack

Che MacDonald Guevara wrote:
Democracy must return to Canada. I am willing to give my life to see that happen.

The problem historically is that one can never tell into who's hands such a struggle for democracy will fall into. Generally we find that it's usually people who send other people to give their lives who benefit from such generosity.

Quote:
I am nowhere near to being an eloquent writer as most of the members of this community. My sincerest apologies to you for that.

I wouldnt' worry about that. A semblance of functional literacy is pretty much all most of us are working from. There's a few English lit folks around here who could red ink just about everything we type if they had a mind to.

Tue, 2014-03-11 13:29

Che MacDonald G...

No more to give on this topic?

Is anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me. (Copyright Roger Waters & Dave Gilmour)

Tue, 2014-03-11 14:15

ygtbk

Still here.

Does "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" ring a bell?