World Cup fever masks Canadian Government's sickness

The timing of Harper's government's announcement of approving the Northern

Gateway pipeline could not have been more sneaky!  It was probably counting on World Cup fever to hide Canada's sick policies.  While ignorant Canadians blare the horns of their flag-draped cars to celebrate the soccer victory of some remote country in Europe and get high on that opium for the masses (TV), Canada moves to approve the Northern Gateway. 

In some parts of the world, this would result in militancy and armed resistance by civilian militias -- which one hopes is the path that ultimately the First Nations will consider if all else fails.  

But for now, apathetic Canadians will just order that 4th beer on the patio.  At least we have a government that we deserve - lacking complete transparency and integrity.  
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Dirty Oil Spills: Coming soon to a neighbourhood in BC...

While Canadian citizens were busy posting cutesy pics of their cats and nauseating selfies from Boxing Day sales lineups, Stephen Harper's Joint Review Panel sneaked in the green light for the Northern Gateway tar sands pipeline project.  I guess a democracy is only as good as its citizens.

Ironically, in the same week, images of the North Dakota oil spill appeared.  Surprisingly, when you type in "North Dakota oil spill" in Google Image Search, the first 75 pictures that come up do not show you any of those scary images of mushrooming fireballs exploding in the air -- like the one below: 

Oil spill in North Dakota, Dec. 2013

For me, David Suzuki's comments are the perfect thought-provoking summary: 

"Coastal native communities are desperate for economic development. They need jobs, they tell us that every time...So the economy is very important to them.  That's why their unified opposition to Northern Gateway is all the more striking.

They're telling us some things are simply more important than money, and no one is getting that."

Ha!  Try telling that to a nation obsessed with consumption and Boxing day sales. 

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Genocide? A reminder of Canada's ugly past - and present

It is good to have humbling reminders of Canada's ugly past -- and present -- when the all-Canadian itch to fight other people's wars raises its head and we send our holier-than-thou jets to bomb other regions to help their populace.  Why not look at what we are our doing to aboriginal lands and people in our backyard first?  

Hence, I found this campaign asking UN to term Canada's treatment of its aboriginals as genocide, quite relevant.  This video helped me understand why this issue was important -- and former Prime Minister Paul Martin agrees. 

Even today, land-grab and forceful disruption of aboriginal people in Canada continues, with just one small example being the Fish Lake in BC.  

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