When we discuss keeping corporations operating in this country, employing lots of Canadians, we all think that our current neo-liberal measures make a lot of sense: taxes reduced systematically since the 1970's, laws eased, environmental disasters cleaned up or ignored by government, massive mistakes bailed out by governments, obscene remuneration packages and bonuses ignored. Oh yes! We must take care of these corporations. Why, the fabric of society is at risk. Everything we've worked toward will be lost if we don't help the corporations. Where will we work? We all need our cubicles!
Well, that's just the lobbyists talking and the media parroting.. Are we really supposed to listen to lobbyists? Should we really listen to the media? Uh, no. Yes, I understand that businesses could pack up their balls and go to the States, but I bet this simply wouldn't happen. Other countries (Scandinavian) have proven that reasonable taxes and humane, moral laws do not send businesses running. Even in our own country, we have seen that banks (under much tighter restrictions than in the States) are still humming along happily with lots and lots of cubicles.
The fact is this: in pandering to the corporations, we've given our lunch money to the schoolyard bully. And we all know from childhood that the bully will never be assuaged. He will want this day's lunch money, and the next day's lunch money, and then, our new pair of running shoes, and then... Where does it all stop? Why are we so eager to let this happen? Could it be that we are, truly, all living in fear?
I think the answer is yes. The baby boomers en masse are, obviously, entitled, whiny, snotty-nosed wimps. It's on our watch that this all happened. We're so scared that we're going to lose these cubicle jobs and the benefit packages that go with them. And what's the result? Pretty much what you'd expect on any playground. We are, of course, getting what we most fear. The fabric of our society is currently unraveling; the middle class disappearing; there is a war on poverty and the environment. Fear has sent us down a road to certain failure.
Maybe we need to stand up and give these corporations a bit of a black eye, metaphorically speaking. Maybe we need get our lunch money back (get taxes back to 1970 levels, make corporations accountable for their own environmental impact, insist on a reasonable minimum wage, heavily tax insane bonus packages). Why not? Currently we are standing in the schoolyard with an empty tummy and bare feet.
And, really, what are we risking by taking a stand as a people? A bunch of cubicle jobs that everybody hates. Hmmmm.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Rock, Paper, Scissors
The rise of Rob Ford in Toronto is confusing. The man is clearly anti-transit, anti-arts, anti-city, anti-humane. Is this a triumph of stupidity over reason? Of selfishness over care? Of crassness over thoughtfulness?
It's funny. I always wondered how the heck Julius Caesar could have won power in ancient Rome. Clearly, he was an egotistical punk, willing to do anything to gain power and, clearly, those who knew him would have been smart enough to know that. Now, unlike Rob Ford, Caesar was brilliant, don't get me wrong. There's not a lot to compare the two. But a violent punk, nonetheless.
Could it be that the liberal factions in Rome were split then just as the liberal factions in Toronto are split right now? Could it be that there were too many reasonable voices and not one strong voice around which we could all rally? Watching this happen in Toronto makes me think that, perhaps, split liberal factions was one of the factors that allowed Caesar to power and helped the Republic devolve into an Empire.
What devolution will we experience in Toronto, if Mr. Ford gets into office, I wonder?
I would call for the leading liberal candidates to come together. I know you believe your platforms have little in common but compared to Rob Ford, folks, you are all, practically, running the same campaign. I have no idea how you could choose among you. Play a game of rock, paper, scissors if you have to, but pick a leader, get behind her or him, and win this fight against Rob Ford.
I know; I know. Some of you will have to put personal considerations and personal ambitions behind. But if you don't, you run the risk of damaging that very thing you are running to protect. And, when Ford leaves, there will be more of a mess to clean up. So, come on. You can do it, folks. Rock, paper, scissors.
It's funny. I always wondered how the heck Julius Caesar could have won power in ancient Rome. Clearly, he was an egotistical punk, willing to do anything to gain power and, clearly, those who knew him would have been smart enough to know that. Now, unlike Rob Ford, Caesar was brilliant, don't get me wrong. There's not a lot to compare the two. But a violent punk, nonetheless.
Could it be that the liberal factions in Rome were split then just as the liberal factions in Toronto are split right now? Could it be that there were too many reasonable voices and not one strong voice around which we could all rally? Watching this happen in Toronto makes me think that, perhaps, split liberal factions was one of the factors that allowed Caesar to power and helped the Republic devolve into an Empire.
What devolution will we experience in Toronto, if Mr. Ford gets into office, I wonder?
I would call for the leading liberal candidates to come together. I know you believe your platforms have little in common but compared to Rob Ford, folks, you are all, practically, running the same campaign. I have no idea how you could choose among you. Play a game of rock, paper, scissors if you have to, but pick a leader, get behind her or him, and win this fight against Rob Ford.
I know; I know. Some of you will have to put personal considerations and personal ambitions behind. But if you don't, you run the risk of damaging that very thing you are running to protect. And, when Ford leaves, there will be more of a mess to clean up. So, come on. You can do it, folks. Rock, paper, scissors.
Monday, September 13, 2010
All or Nothing
In Ontario, the government funds not only a public school system but a Roman Catholic School system as well. Sounds rather magnanimous of the people of this fine province, huh? Especially since the number of practicing Catholics has dropped so much, it's not in the toilet, it's more flushed out into Lake Ontario somewhere.
But it makes me wonder? If we are funding the Roman Catholics, shouldn't we be funding absolutely everybody else? The Jewish, the Buddhists, the Taoists. The Islamists, Bahai, Hindu, Confusionists, Jainists, Shintoists, the Sikhs...the, the, the....
Phew. Funny about systemic discrimination. We don't really think about it. But it isn't really fair, is it? We can't fund one religion and not fund all the others. We would be implying that the only real religion is Roman Catholicism. That's the one we should trust to teach our children. You know, the one that is sodden with pedophile priests. That one.
Hmmm. On second thought. What about the 'nothing' option. Let's not fund any of them at all. Let's have public education be public and any religious instruction be the responsibility of the parents.
Huh. Maybe that's too radical....
But it makes me wonder? If we are funding the Roman Catholics, shouldn't we be funding absolutely everybody else? The Jewish, the Buddhists, the Taoists. The Islamists, Bahai, Hindu, Confusionists, Jainists, Shintoists, the Sikhs...the, the, the....
Phew. Funny about systemic discrimination. We don't really think about it. But it isn't really fair, is it? We can't fund one religion and not fund all the others. We would be implying that the only real religion is Roman Catholicism. That's the one we should trust to teach our children. You know, the one that is sodden with pedophile priests. That one.
Hmmm. On second thought. What about the 'nothing' option. Let's not fund any of them at all. Let's have public education be public and any religious instruction be the responsibility of the parents.
Huh. Maybe that's too radical....
Thursday, September 02, 2010
A thirty second difference.
Well, I was wondering about line ups the other day, thinking about folks lining up to buy the latest gadget or other. I, personally, appreciate those folks because they make things cheaper for me. They are willing to pay premium prices for having something first. In our house, we just wait about a year or so and then buy the thing. At one tenth the price. Nice.
But I started to wonder, why? Why the heck would folks be so desperate to have this little gadget? Why do we suddenly need this so badly that we are willing to stand in line for hours and pay top dollar. Makes no sense. Okay.
The first thing that came to mind is the television because we are contemplating stuffing ours out the window -- partly because it would be fun to destroy the thing, partly because most of the programming is crap, but, also, partly because of those pesky slick, well-designed and produced thirty second spots between the crappy shows: the commercials. I hate that children are exposed to commercials. I have always been plain about how a child needs a bit of protection against the media machine. There is nothing more predatory than creative director trying to sell a child some crappy thing he or she doesn't need.
But here's a little tidbit: The average Canadian watches about 25,000 commercials a year. That's some number of days. Days. Per Year. Those little thirty second spots seem like nothing but it all adds up.
So it struck me. Never mind the children, how can the adults stand it? How can the average person stand up to that many messages telling her she's inadequate, needs to invest her money in mutual funds, buy a car, have a personal relationship with her mop? How can we?
Well, we can't, of course. Commercials are not there to inform. They are designed to push emotional buttons that are hard wired into our psyche, emotional buttons that advertising execs have been counting on for decades. See enough commercials and suddenly we desperately need an i-phone. Those 'crazy' folks who stand in line to pay premium prices make way more sense to me if the sheer volume of TV advertising is factored into the equation. And that's not even considering billboards and signage and ads in the subway....
Further, it's pretty clear that rampant consumerism is currently a part of western culture. What is fueling that? Couldn't be those eight days you watch commercials a year, eh? Sure. How much better would the world be if we didn't 'need' so much. How much greener? Cleaner?
It's not just the children who need a bit of a buffer from the media machine. It's also the adults. Saving yourself thirty seconds might just save the world.
But I started to wonder, why? Why the heck would folks be so desperate to have this little gadget? Why do we suddenly need this so badly that we are willing to stand in line for hours and pay top dollar. Makes no sense. Okay.
The first thing that came to mind is the television because we are contemplating stuffing ours out the window -- partly because it would be fun to destroy the thing, partly because most of the programming is crap, but, also, partly because of those pesky slick, well-designed and produced thirty second spots between the crappy shows: the commercials. I hate that children are exposed to commercials. I have always been plain about how a child needs a bit of protection against the media machine. There is nothing more predatory than creative director trying to sell a child some crappy thing he or she doesn't need.
But here's a little tidbit: The average Canadian watches about 25,000 commercials a year. That's some number of days. Days. Per Year. Those little thirty second spots seem like nothing but it all adds up.
So it struck me. Never mind the children, how can the adults stand it? How can the average person stand up to that many messages telling her she's inadequate, needs to invest her money in mutual funds, buy a car, have a personal relationship with her mop? How can we?
Well, we can't, of course. Commercials are not there to inform. They are designed to push emotional buttons that are hard wired into our psyche, emotional buttons that advertising execs have been counting on for decades. See enough commercials and suddenly we desperately need an i-phone. Those 'crazy' folks who stand in line to pay premium prices make way more sense to me if the sheer volume of TV advertising is factored into the equation. And that's not even considering billboards and signage and ads in the subway....
Further, it's pretty clear that rampant consumerism is currently a part of western culture. What is fueling that? Couldn't be those eight days you watch commercials a year, eh? Sure. How much better would the world be if we didn't 'need' so much. How much greener? Cleaner?
It's not just the children who need a bit of a buffer from the media machine. It's also the adults. Saving yourself thirty seconds might just save the world.
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