A Quick Note on Inspiration

I often hear people say I’m a great source of inspiration to them. And with much more humility than I’m sure is expected, or even warranted, I kindly accept that honour, and continue on with what I’m doing. Not that such a compliment isn’t something I’m so arrogant as to brush off, or those words aren’t greatly appreciated, or that I don’t take them seriously. Far from it. I take such kind words very seriously. Each and every time I hear them. They are way more flattering than anyone will ever realize. Trust me. I’m modest when it comes to matters such as this, for reason’s I won’t get into.

But I do wonder if those people, while telling me I’ve affected them, are curious about who moves me…

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The Same Standard?

What’s with people? You’d think with the debacle of the “War On Terror,” and Iraq specifically, American “Conservative’s” would scrutinize what they have to say a little harder before talking their shit, eh? I know, how dare I.

So it’s been 10 days since WikiLeaks released 76,000 classified Afghan war documents — and yet some 15,000 additional documents have been deliberately withheld, for the very reason they’re being accused of disregarding already, that being security — that describes the war as something other than what the Imperial Propagandist’s wish us to believe. For the record, I think it’s reprehensible! For attempting to hold Barack Obama to his “promise” of transparency? Where does WikiLeaks and its founder and “editor-in-chief,” Julian Assange, get off? Don’t they know the American Government is not responsible to anyone? Least of all its citizens? I mean, fuck, right?

But what’s done is done. And we now have what has been described as a “game changer” by some, but the American Government itself, up ’til last week at least, has labelled it as “nothing new?” Yet their attacks on WikiLeaks and Assange, have increased? All led by the irresponsible Right-Wing Douche-bag’s who don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground, on the best of days? Am I missing something? I can’t believe I’m typing this, what happened to the American Government? It wasn’t that long ago where they, while under the rule of George W. Bush, chose a stance and, rather arrogantly, stuck with it all the way into the ground!

I’ve said this before, here goes one more time, is this what hope brought us?

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So Proud to Be a Canadian

Yesterday on Democracy Now!, Maude Barlow, perhaps “the most important water justice activist in the world,” was interviewed about Wednesday’s UN declaration calling water a fundamental human right;

The United Nations General Assembly has declared for the first time that […] clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. In a historic vote Wednesday, 122 countries supported the resolution, and over forty countries abstained from voting, including the United States, Canada [to my country’s credit, if a silver lining can be seen in “our” abhorrent behaviour, at least “we” didn’t vote against this resolution] and several European and other industrialized countries…

I urge all my fellow country people to wander over and bask in the pride of what it truly means to be a Canadian…

20 Years On

Last night I finally had the opportunity to watch the documentary Kanehsatake: 270 Years Of Resistance. It’s something that has been on my “to-do-list” for quite some time, and special thanks to a friendly reminder — regarding the film, not the Standoff’s anniversary (which more or less started 20 years ago this past Sunday, July 11th, 1990) — I got it watched.

So here we are, 20 years on from a point in time where Native North American Mohawk’s stood up to the Canadian government looking to continue in its colonial endeavours, and I found myself even more troubled than I had expected. Not by anything the film, quite excellently, dealt with concerning the “crisis” — as distressing as it was/is — but rather my governments actions, and the “minions” who carry out its wishes, today.

What a great bit of context, for a historical event in Canada’s sordid history, sure, but its continued relevance toward the sad state that has become Canada, is ever more powerful. Check it out…