Chuck's thoughts

Here are some writings from my good friend from Laurier, Chuck. He is a very socially and politcally active individual and lives in Ottawa. Feel free to read as much as you like and post your comments in the spirit of dialogue:
PS: If you are pressed for time, scroll down to the song at the bottom.

"I would like to begin by recognizing the privilege I have to live in middle-class Canada versus many other social positions and countries in the world, not to suggest that life is inherently miserable for the majority world, but simply to suggest that my geographic, economic and social positions have endowed me with a much easier life. The very fact that I can communicate this message without being silenced, is a privilege in itself. However, I consider freedom of thought and speech to be an inherent human right and, as such, I will exercise it even more forcefully. I am further motivated by the belief that Canada’s freedoms have been either directly or indirectly at the expense of the rights of others. How we avoid taking this for granted and rubbing it in the faces of the less fortunate is well worth considering.

For the love of your country, burn a flag

Something about this city makes me sick. Maybe it’s the fact that taxpayers’ money is going to make this city look pretty for the privileged politicians, international diplomats and tourists. Maybe I feel that I am living at the heart of a big lie, the lie of a peaceful democracy, which is masked by architectural barriers and Canadian flags. Or, it could be that it hides the fact that this country has been built on, and furthers its success through, Empire.

While we may live comfortable lives in a seemingly secure environment, I believe our comforts have come at the cost of stolen lands, exploited labour and environmental degradation. We are privileged because of our previous and current relationships to Empire, the British and American respectively. We have profited immensely from lands that are not ours, in- and outside of Canada and we are creating severe environmental problems, which will affect the poor disproportionately (apparently, not even god has a fair sense of ecological justice). As I write this, I’m sitting in a Catholic school built on the territory of the Algonquin people, a living testimony of colonialism and the legacy of settler society.

These days, I feel like I’m in a continual state of despair. I feel angry and desperate, and yet I’m beginning to believe there is nothing I can do about it. Not only do I believe my work will not make a difference, I believe this whole goddamn country is dead-set against the success of peoples’ efforts for Aboriginal justice. To say the least, I’m becoming cynical.

Our current administration has taken regressive positions on Aboriginal rights, climate change, crime and justice, defense, poverty and foreign aid – all in the name of Canada and its citizens. And, you and I have had very little input and most of us have not even voted for this administration.

Anyone with two ‘good’ eyes should be able to see that we have very little democratic involvement and are frequently lied to as citizens of Canada (and, I can provide you with some examples if you’d like). I think this has led to the direct disenfranchisement of much of the population. Consider that just over 60% of the population voted in the last election and of that percentage, less than 40% voted in favour of a Conservative Prime Minister and Cabinet. I heard Jack Layton say that only 36% of Canadians voted for the Conservative government, and thus, most Canadians voted against them. Although you may argue it’s only a minority government, some of the most significant decisions on everything from crime to foreign policy happen within the executive branch of government under the direct supervision of cabinet ministers, i.e. the Conservatives.

But Canada is not just in the midst of a dark age, there is a systemic problem with our democracy. We should begin by taking an honest look at who are our representatives and who works for government. Are they modest people? Do they demonstrate a strong set of ethical principles? Do they have diverse experience? What are their motives? In general, do they represent the diversity of their constituency’s population (i.e. in gender, culture and socioeconomic class)? Like me, I expect these questions will lead you to a fairly cynical perspective of our democratic representation (see “plutocracy”).

Not only are our representatives not representative, we have conceded to marginal roles in determining our futures, which has allowed private interests to trump the common good. We have been fully indoctrinated into believing that democratic representation is the best system of governance we can hope for. As a whole, we live under the illusion that our country is being governed by ‘the experts’ and led be individuals who know what’s best for Canada. This is a terrible farce, which has led us to accepting a single vote as satisfactory involvement in the determination of our futures. Even Mohandas Gandhi living under the thumb of British colonialism was able to recognize Western democracy as “diluted fascism.”

Our representatives are not holy saints, experts or superhumans, they are regular, and often rich, blokes sitting in Parliament who happen to be pretty good at ‘spinning’ issues to suit their agendas. My co-worker, Sandra, recently told me that at a conference she was hosting about two Bills on conditional and mandatory sentencing, a Conservative MP had stood up and accused the hosts and panelists that their reading of a bill was wrong. After a brief discussion and further explanation on behalf of panelists, the MP realized that, in fact, his reading of his party’s bill was false and admitted that the proposed Bill should be amended.

We also concede to injustice through our cooperation, lack of dissent, fear, apathy and/or unwillingness to take risk. Ignorance among many people happens to be a convenient excuse, but for the rest of us who have the knowledge and education to recognize our connection to the dire straits we’re in, we are extremely guilty. For this, the rest of the world is paying through the teeth. But, then again, who can blame us? The opportunities for democratic participation and political influence are so few that we often feel powerless to do anything. And, I believe we are as individuals.

So, this realization of public apathy, overwhelming illusions and political ineffectiveness has led me to reconsider militant activism. It is so easy to criticize, but when it comes down to it, I admire the few who are willing to take risks for something they believe in. Besides, maybe there is a time and place for militancy, similarly to the accepted political norm that there is a time and place for war and violence. I’m suggesting that it may be time for disruption and resistance. We need to resist the paradigm that conflict is inherently bad and start seeing it as a possible catalyst for change.

While my discourse may sound ‘radical’, I am guilty of complicity. As I said before, I have spent too much energy scrutinizing my friends, my family, and myself. Of course, we are responsible for our own complicity and positions of privilege, but I’ve taken the maxim, “be the change you want to see in the world” too far. I have focused so much on myself and others that I have neglected the sources of the world’s problems. It’s not me or you, but a complexity of economic and political systems that govern our world. However, it is ultimately up to us to resist the institutions that maintain the current order through diverse actions in solidarity with others.

Personally, I have largely been unwilling to put things on the line, to risk my comfort, to act outside social norms, to be disobedient. For some reason, there is a parental voice in my head saying, “this is not constructive,” “you could do better”, or “you’ll be throwing your life away.” This very well could be true, but if this thought process leads you towards not taking risk, I think there’s a problem. Every action will encounter criticism or straight-up opposition, but this is an aspect of risk-taking and the reality of activism. Act, experiment and learn from your mistakes. The idea is to create controversy and stir discussion in the public realm through actions that seem risqué. Further, if our actions are always directed by the consequences, we will lack the will to resist systems of domination, oppression or exploitation. It seems that we have left this job to the labour and community organizers, environmental warriors and human rights defenders in the South, who regularly meet with oppression as we discuss current political trends, cappuccino in hand, at a Starbucks coffee shop…excuse me…for us “ethical” consumers, it’s more likely to be a Second Cup.

In any case, I think, as a first step, we should begin a rebellion against the lies. For me, the Canadian flag has come to symbolize the hoax of a peaceful, human rights-loving nation. So simple and so gentle, the maple leaf represents innocence. We flaunt it around like it’s something to be proud of and it has become a large part of our national identity. But, to those who believe in this illusion, I ask: If Canada cares so much for peace, why does the government support an aggressive, US-led war on Afghanistan and why do we have so many enemies there? Why does the government subsidize research for ballistic missile defense technologies? If Canada cares so much for human rights, why does it try to extinguish the inherent rights of Aboriginal peoples and oppose the draft Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples? And, why is child poverty in Canada increasing? Why does Canada fund high-risk mining activities on indigenous lands internationally? Why do Canadians and their politicians so frequently rationalize these actions? I could go on and on, but it is time to recognize that our national identity is a hoax perpetuated by our government and fellow citizens. This has pushed severe shortcomings of our domestic and foreign policies out of our collective consciousness. It acts against our well-being and threatens the security of humanity.

So, I say, burn the flag, because it does not represent us for who we really are. In so doing, consider it a rebellion against the lies:
“We need a rebellion. Not an armed struggle, as in
violence, but a rebellion against the lies. This is the
same as taking up arms, but our weapon is truth. We
must rebel against the lie and confront its most present
state” (Dr. Taiaiake Alfred, the Indigenous Peoples
Research Chair at the University of Victoria).
Sure, burning a flag could be interpreted as an act of violence against the people of Canada, but it’s not. This is a symbolic act of discarding our national identity that has hidden the daily injustices of our lifestyles and government. It is an act of purifying ourselves of the myths that maintain ignorance, dominance and inequality. It is also a symbolic step of shedding our fears and moving towards dedicated action. The beauty of symbolic action is the opportunity for multiple interpretations.

Maybe it is time to “bring the war home.” Understand it figuratively or literally, we need a resistance against the illusions of our lifestyles and our democracy. We need to transform ourselves and our society to become agents of our future, rather than passive observers. It may, at times, seem ugly and chaotic, but it is time to awaken the Beast. And, maybe a little chaos is just what this country needs.

Say No to Peace – Brian Wren

Say ‘No’ to peace
If what they mean by peace
Is the quiet misery of hunger,
The frozen stillness of fear,
The silence of broken spirits,
The unborn hopes of the oppressed.

Tell them that peace
Is the shouting of children at play,
The babble of tongues set free,
The thunder of dancing feet,
And a father’s voice singing.

Say ‘No’ to peace,
If what they mean by peace
Is a rampart of gleaming missiles,
The arming of distant wars,
Money at ease in its castle,
And grateful poor at the gate.

Tell them that peace
Is the hauling down of flags,
The forging of guns into ploughs,
The giving of fields to the landless,
And hunger a fading dream."