SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP SLAP

We’re going on to the third year of the COVID pandemic, Quebec has started a new wave of infections, Ontario’s waste water analysis is also indicating an imminent surge, and there are still people who do not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation. 

There is a lot emotion that goes into a person’s world view. The main weapon we have at our disposal in controlling those emotions is knowledge and understanding. We have the power of reasoning available to us and the intellect, for the most part, to understand the concepts of cause and effect, as well as the ability to reason out that freedom and rights come with significant responsibility.

My personal belief is that government mandates are never going to be effective unless there is a zero tolerance approach to enforcement. We can argue all we want about whether or not a mandated measure is effective but the argument has absolutely no merit unless the mandated measures are implemented completely and then the resulting data proves them effective or ineffective. If we are not following the mandates, there is no way to prove, one way or another, the validity of the strategy. Unfortunately for the minority who absolutely refuse to comply with any mandate unless they are not personally inconvenienced by it, they can keep fueling this pandemic indefinitely and continue to argue that the mandates are not effective despite the fact that it is their personal actions that are guaranteeing the failure of any mandate.

We will never be at the point where we can rely upon everyone to pull together in a unified, logical strategy. To be clear, when I say logical, I am talking about strategies based upon science and common sense, not strategies based upon emotions. Politics, personal agendas, and illogical paradigms will continue to divide us and continue to be used to promote personal benefit over what is best for our community and society as a whole.

No leadership or strategy is going to benefit everyone equally. Compromise is the only way we can progress together. Unfortunately for the privileged few, compromise tends not to be in their vocabulary.

We are letting politicians decide medical strategies. We are ignoring healthcare professionals and doing our own “research” on the internet. This is why we have entered the third year of a global pandemic with no end in sight.

“Make sure your worst enemy is not living between your own two ears...”  ― Nitya Prakash (b. 1988)

Truth and Reconciliation

September 30th marks the first National Day forTruth and Reconciliation in Canada. I believe this is an important initiative to help bring awareness and understanding of what our indigenous citizens have unjustly endured by the hands of our nation.

Racism and bigotry prevails in our society and in recent years it has even become more socially acceptable to publicly support and spread bigoted ideas and actions. September 30th is an opportunity to reverse this trend. It is an important day for reflection and, hopefully, reconciliation.

I am someone who believes that one of our greatest strengths as a nation is our diversity. Our diversity brings creativity and opportunity to every problem and situation. Pre-conceived ideas and beliefs only limit what we are capable of achieving.

Silent River Kung Fu is observing Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30th and will not be conducting any formal classes on this day. Our students are all encouraged to reflect upon the legacy of residential schools and the systemic racism that still infects our society. In light of the current healthcare crisis in this province, we will not be officially participating in any public events and we are encouraging our students to remain isolated and safe.

“We have been investing in our collective ignorance, and we have to stop." — Marie Wilson

Divsions

Politicians have used fear as a tool to divide the population in an effort to support their political ambitions. It has been a long time since a political leader actually lead by doing what is right for their constituents over what serves their quest for power. There is a vast difference between being a politician and being a leader. Alberta’s current government is an excellent example of what happens when politicians fail to lead.

Leadership must be more than just having power. Leadership should be serve as opposed to expect to be served. Proper leadership inspires everyone to pull together for a common goal, not divides everyone in an attempt to hold on to power.

At the end of the day we end up with the leaders we deserve. If we do not like what we are getting, we can change things by demanding leadership instead of supporting politicians.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” - Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)

Another Election

We are headed to another federal election this month and the country seems more divided than ever. I had a campaign volunteer for one of the major political parties come to my door this week and the second he was aware that I was not going to vote for his candidate, he became very confrontational and combative. No political discourse, no listening to another’s point of view, just immediate aggression.

Our country has changed a lot since 2006. Gone are the days when our MPs were to vote according to their constituents’ wishes. It is all about the political party and supporting the party leader, not the people who voted for you. It is no wonder that most Canadians ignore who their riding MP is and cast their vote for who they would prefer to be Prime Minister.

Divisive politics used to be the domain of a particular federal political party. Now those tactics are starting to be used by another political party. We no longer have positive campaigns that outline a party’s agenda. Our election campaigns are nothing but misinformation and finger pointing. We are expected to vote for who will do the least amount of damage. It now appears that expecting our elected government to improve the quality of our lives is not considered reasonable or even doable.

Clearly there is more to quality of life in Canada than the quantity of money in my bank account. So how should I cast my vote? Should I vote for the party that best represents my values or should I strategically vote for the party that has the best chance of defeating the party that I feel is going to do the most amount of damage?

“A politician divides mankind into two classes: tools and enemies.” - Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

Status

Our front line healthcare workers have been overworked for almost two years now and despite this the provincial government is attacking them through funding cutbacks, wage rollbacks, and broken agreements. While all of this is going on the government continues to spend billions on a fading oil industry while destroying any economic diversification initiated by previous governments. 

Our premier had declared that the pandemic was over. He opened the province up completely and partied at the Calgary Stampede and any other event he could get to. Presently, Alberta Health Services has had to implement emergency provisions to redeploy staff, mandate overtime, and cancel vacations as the fourth wave of infections continue to rise on a daily basis.

So where is our premier while all of this is going down? He is currently on vacation and cannot be reached. 

“I know many people are looking forward to a time without restrictions, without masks, and without the stresses of the pandemic weighing on all of us, I am one of those people. But I am concerned about the pace of this reopening plan, given that we had the highest rate of infection of anywhere in Canada or the U.S. earlier this very month. I have questions about how the premier decided on this pace, and whether it was informed by science, or simply by working backwards from the first day of the Calgary Stampede.” - Rachel Notley (b. 1964)

SRKF COVID Protocols In a Province That Has None

As common sense already predicted, we are seeing a significant increase in COVID cases since the Calgary Stampede last month. Despite the alarming rise in cases, the provincial government is going ahead with their plan to remove all restrictions by August 16. To be clear, this means that people who test positive for COVID will no longer be required to isolate themselves. We are now in this unpredictable situation where our COVID numbers are rising alarmingly fast while we are simultaneously removing all restrictions that have been helping keep the numbers down. It is not easy to keep a kung fu school financially viable while keeping our students safe in a province with no COVID protocols. 

Strong leadership is often more about optics than the logical specifics of a situation. Setting a public example of common sense and awareness will go a long way to help inspire our community to work together so that everyone can function within the reality of the pandemic as safely as possible. 

Ignoring what needs to be done to address a crisis only adds more fuel for the crisis to continue. We need leadership that looks out for the welfare of our population over the long term rather than only looking out for their own short term lust for power and money. 

“Nothing is sweeter and addictive than power, the unlucky soul this demon possesses, if he is not sacrificed on its altar will sacrifice others himself to get it”  ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

Sustainability

With us reaching record high temperatures this week, it is impossible to not think about how our actions are impacting the earth’s climate. We all agree that climate change is real but we tend to argue over what is causing it. What is not deniable is that our actions, as a society, are not helping the situation.

Our economic models are based upon infinite growth. Stock prices of companies are based upon market growth, not sustainability. Investment is made on the assumption of growth, not just profitability. This brings us to a system where CEOs are rewarded for increasing the dividends of shareholders, not for strengthening the company they lead and thus. Constant and infinite expansion of the economy is impossible on a planet with finite resources yet our economic model is based upon that exact impossibility.

Doughnut Economics - a viable strategy that acknowledges the unsustainable nature and inevitably catastrophic outcome of our current economic model. Judging by how a large portion of us put the economy over the lives of our most vulnerable citizens during the pandemic, we have a long way to go before a model like this has a chance of catching on.

“Here’s the conundrum: No country has ever ended human deprivation without a growing economy. And no country has ever ended ecological degradation with one.” ― Kate Raworth (b. 1970)

Wants and Needs

My province is getting ready to move into the next phase of our reopening. There have been so many phases of relaunch that we have passed through - both forward and backward that I don’t even keep track of what each phase means.  There has not been much logic behind our province’s decisions. Our relaunch phases always come too soon and our shutdown phases always come too late. While I am an advocate of putting the greater good of the public’s health first, I have to acknowledge that how our provincial government is handling things has made a lot of the public health measures in place ineffective. 

Like everyone else in a democracy,  I am subject to the will of the majority. Yes, our Premier publicly lied and cheated to win his party’s leadership but the majority of my fellow citizens wanted him to lead our province and so I accept that. That is how a democracy works. I may have not voted for him but he is my Premier and I am going to participate in my community by providing leadership and support where it is needed. 

The problem that I see us facing as a community is our inability to distinguish between wants and needs. We all want to make our mortgage payments while some of us need a ventilator. When our hospitals are full and we are running out of ventilators to help deal with the impact of the pandemic, the ability to logically differentiate between wants and needs is paramount. While it is not ideal to have a bank foreclose on my house, it is infinitely better than having my neighbour’s child die because he succumbed to COVID-19. 

The good of the whole has to be the priority of a community. Everyone understands that. Unfortunately we have all been conditioned to confuse wants and needs when it comes to the economy. Our economic policies have never been socially or environmentally sustainable yet we continue to support this self-destructive trajectory. As we fight with each other and continue to prolong this pandemic through our actions, this has never been as clearly highlighted as it is now.

“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.” - Aberjhani (b. 1957)  

Together

We’re well over a year into a pandemic that probably has another year to go before it is behind us. Who knows, it could be longer. Some countries like New Zealand have already put most of this pandemic behind them but we’re still pushing toward a peak. I don’t understand the reluctance that people have with complying with health orders, especially those who are so concerned about the economy. As New Zealand has proven, following common sense, and enforcing that common sense when needed, gets the economy back on track a lot sooner than our everyman for himself approach that is killing most business in this province through a death of a thousand cuts. 

I get the argument about civil rights and freedoms but some of us are sounding like spoiled teenagers. Freedom comes with responsibility. It has never been about doing whatever you want when you want. It is about earning the freedom we have by contributing to your community and accepting the responsibility that comes with all those freedoms you hold dear. Nothing is for free, everything is earned. 

Yes, we have incompetent politicians making stupid mistakes that is costing us lives and livelihoods. We put those politicians into power and so rather than fighting them, it would be infinitely better if we tried to help them. Pulling together is still the best way to overcome any adversity. We can fight any problem better when we are not always fighting ourselves. 

“I think the best of us comes when we are working together collectively. And it doesn't mean that we can't disagree. We've got to learn, as Dad taught us, to disagree without being disagreeable.” - Martin Luther King III (b. 1957) 

Time to Lead

I can’t believe we are still debating the best way to handle the pandemic. We’re coming up to our second year in and we just prepped the Butterdome to serve as a field hospital. The time to debate is over, we need to act.

Whether or not you agree with this government’s approach to curbing the infection rate while simultaneously keeping the economy rolling, is irrelevant. It does not matter what plan that is put into place if we do not follow it. What we know beyond any reasonable doubt is that the everyman for himself approach is not working. We need to work together.

Triaging the situation tells me that your life has greater value than my business. Therefore I am going to do whatever it takes to save as many lives as possible and hope like heck I still have a business at the end of this pandemic. It also means that I am not going to join in on all the lobbying to get martial arts schools open just because the hair salons and tattoo parlours were already able to successfully prey upon this government’s weaknesses to get themselves back in business at a time when our hospitals are overflowing and our healthcare workers are burning out.

What is more important right now, the economy or your fellow man’s life?

“Money often costs too much.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Responsibility

We live in a democracy but I do not believe all of us truly understand what that means. By its very nature, a democracy implies compromise. We go with the majority and whether or not you are in agreement with that majority, you must accept their will. Threatening violence or political separation every time you do not get what you want does not serve a democracy. 

It is not difficult to confuse democracy with politics. If we democratically elect a government, we are empowering that government to make decisions on our behalf. I do not get to vote on every decision, I only get to vote for who is going to make those decisions on my behalf. It is my expectation that the government that represents me will make their decisions based upon what is best for the majority of their citizens. I don’t think it is unreasonable for me to assume that any government that represents its people will make decisions based upon the proper triaging of priorities. Saving a life takes precedent over saving a paycheck. Seems pretty obvious. Money can be replaced, a life cannot. Death is absolute, bankruptcy is not.

When politics enter a democracy, the government does not always represent the majority of their citizens. It does not take much for a government to be influenced by vocal minorities, especially when those minorities can bring a lot of campaign money to the table.

An indisputable fact cannot be more absolutely clear - our intensive care units are overflowing. At certain points of this pandemic, up to 80% of certain hospital beds have been infected by COVID outbreaks. Whether you think this virus is dangerous or not, it is affecting our health system's ability to cope. That means cancer patients are not getting timely treatment, psychiatric patients' treatments are compromised and in some cases, not even available anymore. People needing care and therapy cannot receive it because our system is overloaded, underfunded, and unable to cope with the realities of the pandemic.

So where are we today in Alberta? Our healthcare workers, a year into this pandemic, have been working relentlessly to cope under adverse conditions while the infection rate remains at an unsustainable level. At the exact same time many of our population are refusing to adhere to a mask policy that our government is failing to enforce. The biggest tragedy is how many special interest groups are preying upon the appallingly weak leadership in this government by successfully lobbying for the relaxing of COVID restrictions, at the very time that our healthcare experts are advocating for the opposite approach.

If this government is not going to provide the leadership necessary to save lives, who are they representing?

“People cannot be free unless they are willing to sacrifice some of their interests to guarantee the freedom of others. The price of democracy is the ongoing pursuit of the common good by all of the people.” - Saul Alinsky (1909 - 1972)

What About

Trickle up economics?

Clearly, after 50 years of data accumulation, economic studies show that trickle down economics do not work. Of course there is solid logic behind the idea - corporations make more money, they create more jobs - money trickles down, everyone wins. Unfortunately that model does not take into account greed. When corporations make more money, that money trickles up to shareholders first in the form of dividends. Whatever is left then goes to create more jobs - usually low paying jobs that require further corporate subsidy by the state for these underpaid workers in the form of welfare and other social assistance. There is a reason why Wal-Mart is one of the biggest beneficiaries of welfare. This is why the rich just keep getting richer - they bleed the system from both ends.

If it was so easy to bamboozle everyone with the hypothesis of trickle down economics, it should be just as easy to convince everyone of the benefits of trickle up economics. Pay a living wage to all your workers and they have more money to spend on the products and services you produce and that they need. Everyone wins in this symbiotic, sustainable model.

Trickle down economics have a better chance of working if corporations were run to benefit the corporation first, the shareholders second. Unfortunately that is not what happens in real life. Decisions are made to maximize the CEO’s salary bonuses and those bonuses are always tied to shareholder return on investment. This is why we continue to see corporations make short term decisions that maximize profits but actually hurt the integrity of the corporation over the long term. Shareholders and CEOs are not in all it for the long term. Most are just in it long enough to maximize their income until they can find a more lucrative opportunity.

“The rich are always going to say that, you know, just give us more money and we’ll go out and spend more and then it will all trickle down to the rest of you. But that has not worked the last 10 years, and I hope the American public is catching on.” - Warren Buffett (b. 1930)

Throwing Away the Baby With the Bath Water

The conditions that patients in our mental health system are being subjected to during the pandemic is well below the radar.  When we are looking at the support network that is in place to help people in need, it is important that we first realize how compromised that support may be and that we consider what can be done to assist in remedying the problem.

Currently at the Grey Nuns hospital, their senior director of Addiction and Mental Health has suspended all visitors to mental health patients on top of the restrictions that have been in place since the pandemic began eight months ago. Some patients have lived with those restrictions almost since the beginning of the pandemic. 

This means that people who are struggling with coping on their own and do not have the support or ability to control their thoughts, are now locked down for months at a time without any enrichment activities, no live group therapy sessions, no social activities, and now no visitors. In essence, most standard therapeutic interventions have been compromised by the COVID protocols in place leaving very little treatment options.

The Grey Nuns COVID response has compromised the care of all its mental health patients. While their protocols are framed as a temporary response to the pandemic, they have been in place for eight months and the province’s infection rate is now at an all-time high. Without compassionate leadership that acknowledges what their front line staff have been saying since the start of the pandemic, this temporary response is in effect permanent, leaving our mental health patients with limited effective critical care in times of crisis. 

The driving force behind this issue is the management team behind these decisions. The front line staff and patient care teams are doing a phenomenal job despite the limitations that these short-sighted restrictions have imposed upon them. Unfortunately patient advocacy systems, such as Patient Relations, are setup to address problems perpetuated by front line staff, not managers. Therefore any complaints into this system about management or care systems, get caught in an endless feedback loop. However, the more people that get involved, a louder voice is created. https://www.alberta.ca/make-a-complaint-to-the-health-advocate-offices.aspx

The big takeaway from this is that many of our most vulnerable citizens have long been ignored and while this pandemic has put extra stress on our social safety nets, it has also identified long standing systemic issues that need addressing. While we continue to provide guidance so people can get the help they need, it is important that we acknowledge that a lot of that help is not as helpful as we think it is or that it should be.

"It is an odd paradox that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remains largely silent when it comes to mental illness." - Glenn Close (b. 1947)

Leadership

With the US election indicating a change is coming, I am breathing a sigh of relief. The past four years of chaotic leadership coming out of that country has caused a lot of damage that is going to take years, if not decades, to repair.

Sometimes when we are getting something we want, we don’t take the time to consider the consequences. When a government is supposed to represent 100% of its citizens, there has to be more leadership coming from them beyond stimulating the economy. Continuous growth is not possible. Our resources are finite and at some point even the wealthy will come to realize they cannot eat their cash.

I am hopeful that stable leadership will reverse the ‘me first’ attitude that prevails in our society. There is more that brings us together than divides us. We need to recognize that we’re stronger and better off together than apart.

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community... Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” — Caesar Chavez (1927 - 1993)

Fear

A lot of people make decisions based upon fear. Their careers, their recreation, their politics are determined by their fears. Fear of what would happen if they went out of their comfort zone and fear of where we would end up if the status quo were not maintained.

The problem with fear is that it can be all consuming and illogical at the same time. Standing frozen at the entrance of your bedroom because you can see a snake waiting for you in the dimly lit room will dominate your thoughts and your actions until the fear is dealt with. It is not as if you can just wander back into the living room and forget that there is a snake in your bedroom. You are not going to eat, go to work, and most definitely you are not going to sleep. Your fear is in control.

Having your friend save the day by turning on your bedroom light to show you that what you thought was a snake was actually your neck tie hanging on the back of a chair brings tremendous relief - for now. The irrational thinking may be gone but the fear that caused the irrational thinking remains along with the consequences of the irrational thinking.

It is not always easy to think things through, especially when your thoughts and decisions are controlled by your fear. Some fears are well earned through empirical experience but many fears we carry were placed upon our shoulders by societal inertia and cultural paradigms.

Clearly we do not live in a utopian state. There is no possible way we can cater to everyone’s fears, but if we take the time to illuminate the issues that affect the most vulnerable members of our society, fear-based reactions can be replaced by logical solutions.

 “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” - Plato (427 BC - 347 BC)

Debate Is Over

Earth day this year fell smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I know past years have seen groups amass on opposite side of the fence when it comes to man’s impact on his environment. I would hope that this year the debate is over. The results of us being forced to back off on our out of control consumption are impossible to miss. The air is cleaner and the earth is healthier after only a couple of weeks into the forced shutdown. No need to debate cause and effect on that one.

Another argument that should also be put to rest - minimum wage. Many are claiming it is impossible to live off the subsidy the government is giving them during this pandemic despite their subsidy being greater than what our most vulnerable citizens are forced to live on year-round.

Lastly as someone who has worked in healthcare for most of his life, I am a little tired of everyone superficially “supporting healthcare workers”. This not a cool social media thing to do. It is something you should be doing 24/7 outside of a pandemic. And if you really believe in supporting healthcare workers, stop voting in political parties who are making it impossible for healthcare workers to make patient care their priority. We need to stop forcing the privatization of this essential service.

As it has been said before - this pandemic will not define us but it will reveal us.

 “Poverty is not having nothing. Poverty is being legally excluded from having sufficient access to resources to exist. Life on Earth used to lack a price tag. We changed that by locking up access to natural resources & letting the owner class hold all the keys. Unconditional Basic Income is your key.” — Scott Santens

Consequences

Eliminating a deficit does just that - it eliminates A deficit. What it does not do is eliminate ALL deficits. Nothing is free or without consequence. A government can cut their spending deficit but in doing so they must create another deficit. Cut healthcare spending, and there are consequences that effect wait times and outcomes. Cut education and you will see an increase of crime and a need to increase policing and incarcerations. There is no such thing as deficit reduction, only deficit reallocation.

Where and how deficit reallocation is applied is a reflection of values and priorities. For politicians, their priorities are bought and paid for by their campaign donors. Political decisions used to be driven by the electoral base but the electoral base no longer has an independent voice. Propaganda in social media and biased press dictate a large percentage of public sentiment. Those with the money have the power to force any public policy they choose.

For martial artists, our approach to deficits is no different. We cannot eliminate all deficits, we can only reallocate them. The one constant we all have in our training is finite time. There are only so many hours in a day to perfect our craft while our bodies continue to age - forcing us to constantly reevaluate where we are and what our priorities should be.

Nothing is for free. Spending time practicing a particular form or technique always comes at the expense of another form or technique that you are forced to neglect. The irony of training in kung fu is that while you are embracing mastery in one aspect of the art, mediocrity is gaining a foothold in another.

The difference between a politician and a martial artist? A martial artist is honest and up front about the of nature of deficits. Knowing where you are and what you are doing ensures deficit reallocation is a direct representation of values and priorities.

“Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may make you feel like you’re flying high at first, but it wont take long before you feel the impact.” - Barack Obama (b. 1961)

Dogmatic Revision Inertia

I wrote this twelve years ago and it is even more pertinent today than it was then:

I have been devoting some thought toward the paradigm paralysis that is infecting western society and causing us to accept two dimensional and short sighted leadership despite the overwhelming evidence that our culture is in decline. Somehow we have arrived at this point in time where our culture’s materialistic ambitions have appreciated beyond our spiritual values. If the planet is going to have a minimal chance of survival, people are going to have to adjust their definition of quality of life to include the quality of the air they breath, the water they drink, the food they eat, and the company they share.

Values can be classified into two groups: Personal Values and Cultural Values. I believe that as individuals, on a whole, our personal value system tends to be compatible with a peaceful, healthy planet. Our cultural values however, contradict our personal values and are actually systematically destroying those personal values. The crux of the matter is that cultural values tend to be doctrinal and ideological in nature and rooted in political and religious dogma making them very difficult to change. Where does one begin?

If, as individuals, we begin demanding our leadership represent our personal values, cultural values would shift to reflect this ideology. The problem with dogma is that it is taught and passed down from teacher to student. Very little creative thought is applied to qualify learned dogma and it tends to be accepted without question. In order to deconstruct accepted dogma, one must be motivated to consider alternative tenets.

Part of the problem with trying to initiate change is obtaining access to the people who need to listen. Typically lectures and dissertations are only attended and read by others who already have an interest in the subject or issue being presented. These people are already convinced and therefore not our primary target. This is why post secondary institutions are a hot bed of activism. Many students have a veil lifted from their eyes when they are forced to read and research assignments on subjects chosen by their programs, not themselves. Anyone in a teaching position has the power and responsibility to lift that veil of indifference from each and every one of their students. Dogma must become rooted in empirical experience and a priori deduction as opposed to the acceptance of indiscriminate convictions.

The bottom line again is accountability. If we become accountable as teachers for eliminating mindless indifference and if we become accountable as individuals for demanding representation of our personal values by our leaders, our society will begin to adopt cultural values that are more in harmony with our planet’s needs.

“No country or people who are slaves to dogma and the dogmatic mentality can progress, and unhappily our country and people have become extraordinarily dogmatic and little-minded” - Jawahairal Nehru (1889 - 1964)

It Is Time

The past provincial election ramped up the divisive rhetoric about the provincial economy and the climate change disaster. The current federal election is proving to be just as divisive along the same issues.

I don’t understand the “Alberta First” attitude when it comes to the oil industry. Our economy is in the mess it is in because we have no other industry in this province. If a politician really wants to put Alberta first, you would think they would be running on a platform of economic diversification, not doubling down on coal and petroleum. For a province that is traditionally conservative, you would think there would be more people speaking out about the over-subsidization of the oil industry. As lawyer Eugene Kung famously said: “The idea of building this [Trans Mountain pipeline] expansion, which essentially locks in production and expansion of the oil sands for the next several decades, is the exact wrong direction we need to go. It'd be like building a Blockbuster Video franchise in 2012."

The point is, oil is past its prime. Holding out for just one more boom is basically the low hanging fruit that gets gobbled up by politicians with no plan or ethics. That strategy only serves to get them elected, it does not serve the future of the population they supposedly represent.

My livelihood has always depended upon the petroleum industry. I have lived through many booms and busts and my family benefited and suffered accordingly. I don’t understand why we continue to allow our politicians to lock us into an economy that is dependent upon a dying industry. Yes jobs are on the line but we don’t see blacksmiths lining up for subsidies to keep their industry alive. It is tough but we need to adapt. Economies must evolve.

“My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil.” - J. Paul Getty (1892 - 1976)

Politics

We have another federal election coming up in a few weeks. I know I have vented a lot in the past on issues that could be interpreted as being political in nature but I have never seen myself as political. However, I am definitely opinionated when it comes to what the job of representing me in the House of Commons entails.

What I hate about elections and how our government is run is the fact that my personal representative in the House of Commons represents a political party and only a political party. I have no representation at all. This frustrates me to no end. Why the heck are we paying the salaries of 338 MPs if they are all just going to vote their party line? Why not give the party leaders x amount of votes and leave it at that? It would save a heck of a lot of money and end the charade that we somehow have individual representation. Before you tow the party line and tell me that my MP is my access to the party leader, stop being so naive. People who tell me that have never taken the time to meet their MP about their concerns. I have. They barely have better access to their party leader than you do. Unless your MP is a minister or better yet, the Prime Minister, you have no access period.

So if you are running for a political party that has a known liar as its leader, I am not going to vote for you. If you are running for a political party that is claiming to be “fiscally conservative” but have run up the biggest deficit in Canadian history when you ran the country - see my first sentence in this paragraph.

I plan on voting for a party that stands on its platform and promotes positive engagement. I’m not going to vote for you if all you do is complain about the other guys. Tell me what you are going to do to fix the problem, how you are going to pay for it, and the timeline until completion. If your party has made those same promises in the past and failed to deliver when they were given power, stop wasting my time with your lies.

If you want my vote, convince me that you are going to govern for the welfare of all your people. I am not going to vote for you if your only focus is going to be on those of us who voted for you. This is not a you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours situation. You have a job to do that is important and a lot of people without a voice are depending upon you to be theirs.

Lastly, if you depend on big business to support your election, you are not fit for office. You are there to represent the little guy. The big guys already have a seat at the table and they have enough privileges and breaks. Stop selling the lie of trickledown economics.

“There are more than three million young eligible voters in this country and as far as any of the political parties are concerned, you might as well all be dead. In fact in some elections, in Quebec for example, the dead have a higher voter turn out.  It is the conventional wisdom of all political parties that young people will not vote. And the parties, they like it that way. It's why your tuition keeps going up.  So please, if you're between the age of 18 and 25 and you want to scare the hell out of the people that run this country, this time around do the unexpected. Take 20 minutes out of your day and do what young people all around the world are dying to do.  - Vote.” - Rick Mercer (b.1969)