Well That Happened

Well that happened.  What we now look forward to is a 4 year Conservative Majority.  I actually had to take a day off to process those results and think on it.  I think in part we're still waiting a little bit to see what the actual totals were of people who voted, in many's the way, the internet, facebook, twitter, gave 'progressive' people perhaps a slightly skewed sense of the world.  As is what always happens, the constrains of our reality give us a warped view.  For example, on my facebook I know or can link immediately to about 750 people.  Of this 750, perhaps a dozen were openly Conservative supporters.  You would think those odds somewhat indicitave, but they of course are not.  Many of my friends are arts industry in some form or another, or tend to share my similar viewpoints.

There was definitely a moment of deep sadness, perhaps even slight impending terror as I watched the numbers climb higher and higher.  For many in my industry, it is representative of a government which is doing its best to silence us, to kill us, to literally remove our work and erase its possibility of happening.  I was in a heated debate with a non-artist who countered that under Harper's tenure thus far, he had created a 75 dollar per child program for those enrolled in arts.  It's true, he did that.  But that program does not help those of us who are career artists, unless we are directly involved in promoting youth arts.  What about arts for adults?  What about arts and stories exclusively for adults?

There was a moment where I briefly considered that this would be a good time to study abroad, work abroad.  Kelsey even mentioned that this would be a great time for us to go work Cruise ships, which is also true.  Then I realized that it isn't what we should do.  Arts, and artists in Canada are here to stay.  We won't be strong-armed out by a government.  Even over four years, what seems like an insurmountable amount of time, he cannot outright kill institutions like the Opera, or the Symphony.  Some companies in our cities operate on tens of millions of dollars, employ hundreds of people.  There is an infrastructure in place of developing artistic creativity, that as much as the Harper government wants to politically silence, there are simply too many of us.

I am reminded that we are Canadian people.  That we are unbowed, and free, free to create and work and explore.  We face challenges now, yes.  We will assuredly face bigger challenges in the years to come, but we are not going to run and hide.  If anything, I deeply hope our work will flourish under persecution.  That's my fervent wish, much as I would like a more social, more democratic and engaged Canada...well they always say that your best work happens under the gun.

I will of course be updating this political blog less now that the election is done, but will continue to report on interesting news and articles as they develop.  An Election is a first step in democracy, not the last.  It's up to us to continue to be engaged over the next 4 years, to draw attention to the issues, to hold our representatives accountable, to ask questions and demand answers.

I leave you with a quote by a great man.  No it isn't the Martin Luther King mis-attributed one, but rather from David Van Belle, whom I had the pleasure of working with earlier this season.

Progressive friends, put your shoulders to the wheel. Locally, personally, daily. BE the political change you want in your own life. Open up. Listen to people. Meet people. Talk to people. Help people. Get creative. Act with love, not fear. That's how we get through this.   -David Van Belle

Go Vote

There are a lot of reasons to vote.

If you don't vote, you can't complain.  It's a small price of civic duty, kinda like being called to be on jury, to pay for being a Canadian citizen.  In some countries, fairly modern ones too, you are expected to do mandatory military service.  To think that Canadians, some 42% of us last election couldn't be asked to take an hour or two of time out of our day (paid for too by the way) to express our opinion?  That's pretty crazy.

I'm not endorsing a question of who, because I believe who you vote for depends on your riding.  But get out there.  Democracy will not wait for you, in Ancient Greece when it was devised, I was told in Ancient History class that they had never conceived that there would be people in society who would be apathetic to the political, judicial, legislative process.  They believed that all land owning men (or slave owning, hey I didn't say it was perfect) would be interested and engaged in process.

Let's get out there, Canada.  Let's show the world that we do care, we are engaged.  Let's be able to wake up tomorrow and no matter the results, know that we made the decision.  Not someone else for us.

Go Vote.

Wikileaks On The Party Leaders

Wikileaks has released another cable, this time on the eve, more or less, of the election.  The cables relate US Diplomatic messages covering a period of six years, ending in early 2010.  The cables primarily target PM Harper, although there is some information on the Liberals, specifically Ignatieff himself, and about his speech work.  The link is below.


An Article on The Leaks
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/05/01/wikileaks-canada-leaders.html