Free Scarlet Bohemia

I didn’t vote in the last provincial election. I couldn’t compromise my values to vote for candidates that did not represent me and wouldn’t put the interests of the people at heart. I knew each one of them, so I couldn’t ignore my informed decisions. Did I fail at democracy? Should I feel guilty for not voting when many people die for the right to vote for whom they choose? I wasn’t the rare example, voter turnout decreases year after year. Shouldn’t we all be so excited and eager to take part in democracy; the so-called greatest accomplishment of western modern society?

The recent election in Iran and the huge demonstrations regarding the outcome, reminds me of my own election participation. Am I taking democracy for granted? After all, I have the luxury of voting for whoever I chose, in a safe, secure and private environment. And when all is said and done, I have a government who was elected by the people. Then what is the problem?

The problem is that democracy isn’t understood by us anymore than the people we see to be undemocratic. We’ve fought and died to create a system in which we politely give our rights away. Every four years (or less as the case may be), we get up, go to the ballot box, mark an ‘X’ and we are done. We’ve done our democratic duty, and now for the next four years, someone else will make all our decisions for us. This is the healthy democracy we advertise to the rest of the world. It’s orderly, efficient and provides results. Therefore the system works just fine. So what happens when you don’t vote? Well, you don’t get to complain of course. You didn’t take part in democracy. Not voting can result from apathy, but it can also result from a lack of options, from disillusionment with the system. I didn’t choose to not vote because I didn’t care, or didn’t have the time. I went to the ballot box, but I could not compromise the values and principles I live by, and sacrifice day-to-day for, so that someone could get a pay cheque, and feel like their actions are justified.

A healthy democracy is one in which the people, the greatest stake holders in the equation, are active in their system. Whether it is through participation in a massive protest against a violation of rights, writing a letter to a newspaper or reading up on the latest scandal; active participation is lacking. Regardless of the structure and the legitimacy of the elections in Iran, the people’s reaction is far healthier and democratically proactive than any in our own country. People are willing to risk everything to have their voice heard, to stand up for what is right and just in their minds.

Complacency kills the democratic spirit. It gives a huge advantage to any group willing to actively participate, and allows politicians to continue to get away with things the average person finds appalling. We’ve been led to believe that government is complicated, cumbersome, overwhelming. That in order to participate we’d have to read constantly and give up all our spare time. Ignore all the flowery language and smoke screens, the decisions made by our government are not complex ones for the most part, they are simple problems, that any rational person could understand and solve, and solve far better without a political and/or corporate agenda dictating one direction.

So I ask whose democracy is this; ours or theirs?

First we had Bennifer, then TomKat...now it's

HARGGY!!!!

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, has entered into closed room talks with his opponent, Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party. No these are not secret fight club meetings but a cosy tea time between to feuding leaders. Perhaps they are smoking the peace pipe, because each time they emerge, the two parties have merged closer together, holding hands...singing songs...love is in the air!!!

Canada has a long history of these two main parties struggling for power, fighting each other, no-hold back politics brutally discrediting the other’s agenda, policy and practice. But instead of continuing the competition for the throne, it appears that they are now working together in parliament. Hell has in fact frozen over, watch out for flying pigs. Speaking of Pigs, Michael Ignatieff, though a Liberal, is almost more of a neo-con than Harper is. He has supported the use of torture, supported the Iraq war, and has congratulated George W Bush on being the reason we have human rights today. Scary stuff!!! Not even the conservatives would dare say such things. Not in public at least.

Harper was in flames over the once coalition between the Liberals, NDP and Bloc that had the potential of bringing down government last December. He hid instead of facing it, and come spring Iggy had replaced Dion, and the romance began. And the tune has changed from “Heartbreaker” to “Love maker”. After all, Harper and Ignatieff have a lot of common. Both support the war on “terror”, both support increased military, both support war criminal, George Bush. Both are on the side of large corporations, both support the ridiculous amendment to the criminal code, that would attack small time pot users, tie up the legal system, over crowd the courts and prisons in order to get “tough” on crime. Imagine the horrific policies these two could brew up together!

Ignatieff is no doubt part of the ruling class, and for you conspiracy theorists, we are talking about “THEM”. His background, his policies, and his current rise into power make him the pick for the new world. Harper loves the same fascist policies, but I think he believes they are right, it’s not so much he wants to take over the world, but I think he believes the world will benefit from a family values, conservative revolution. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will fight Harper every step of the way. The man is a menace, but I am much more concerned about our Iggy; a man that has been able to take the worst of the neo-liberal and neo-conservative agenda and bring them together. I know what I’m getting with Stephen Harper, his policies don’t surprise me, what surprises me is that they are not instantly voted down by the other more “progressive” parties. Michael Ignatieff surprises me, every step of the way. Instead of distinguishing himself from a far-right Prime Minister, he is moving Harper to the left, by jumping over him. As the NDP become the Liberals, and the Liberals become the Tories...what’s left for the old boys in blue? CCRAP it is.

So.... Liberal, Tory, same old story? Absolutely.

I look forward to the matching sweater sets.

Carrots cause Swedish bomb scare
BBC News

Police found the "bombs" were in fact carrots
A Swedish art project caused a bomb scare when people mistook carrot "explosives" for the real thing.

Artist Conny Blom set up The Bunny Project: Bombs, at 15 locations near the southern Swedish city of Orebro.

He taped bunches of carrots together with black tape and attached blue and red wires and a clock to them.

Police received worried calls from members of the public who thought they were real bombs. Mr Blom was forced to remove his art - and may face charges.

'Inappropriate'

The carrot bombs had been placed around the city at the request of a local art gallery, as part of an open-air arts festival.

They had only been in place for an hour before police received their first call.

"We received a call ... from a person who said they saw two real bombs placed outside the public library," Ronny Hoerman from the Orebro police force, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"It was hard to tell if they were real or not. We find this inappropriate," he said.

Mr Blom described it as a harmless stunt.

"After all, it is just carrots with an alarm clock and nothing else... this is just a caricature of a bomb," he said.

On one hand, I think this piece of art would help to bring out a dialogue on society's fears, who we should fear, who we should not. It addresses the paranoia many live with. However, I don't know that most people are ready to address these feelings and thoughts just yet, especially in this way. I think they will be quick to dismiss him as another "terrorist" instead of looking at our culture's increased craziness about bombs, weapons, and control. Who are the real terrorizers? The State.

Now, I can't tell exactly what the artist is trying to do here, but perhaps it is to make a statement that we need food not bombs. In that case, I think it was well done. If it was just a joke to mess with people, probably not the best taste. Real bombs are not a joke kids.

2008 was another difficult and often dangerous year for trade unionists around the world, according to this year's ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, which details abuses of fundamental workers' rights in 143 countries. 76 trade unionists were killed due to their actions to defend workers' rights, and many more were attacked physically or subjected to harassment, intimidation or arrest by the authorities. The report makes for depressing - but necessary - reading, and is available online here: http://survey09.ituc-csi.org/survey.php?IDContinent=0&Lang=EN

Tuesday is for the Planet Mars
We wear black for the God of Wars
Persistence and Aggression at its best
A Day for confrontation, not for rest
Today might be the day you avoid me
For Mars riles me up, you see
I can never back down from a good fight
And this day of the week, it’s at it’s height
Tomorrow I will worship the muses
But today, it seems I light my fuses.