Because it’s Canada Day…
I just want to inform you that I’m a Libertarian Socialist. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this term, it’s a less contentious way of saying that I’m an Anarchist.
In the past few days (and there are many MANY other examples of why) it has become so blatantly obvious that we are living in a society that is essentially a Police State. That means:
‘A state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic, and political life of the people, especially by means of a secret police force.’
First off, I’ve always felt that the government works for us and should fear us, not the other way around. I should be able to express my views, not fear suppression/abduction/disappearance because of them and not be mistreated, especially in the name of making money. This is the primary problem in our country today.
And due to our ‘government’s’ lack of concern for anything but keeping the economy humming happily along, individual rights, basic human rights, environmental rights, animal rights and civil liberties (essentially everything Canada alleges to stand for) fall by the wayside whenever they conflict with the profits of multinational corporations.
And what exactly happens when we speak out (using our civil rights) against this tyranny? We are stopped and searched without real cause or warrant, told to shut up, marginalized and discredited by agent provocateurs (police disguised in ‘black bloc’ elements of protests) and of course beaten and detained without provocation and without charge.
I think the finest example of the fascism (A government system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism) inherent in our system happened this past weekend at the G20 in Toronto. I can now say that I have seen police officers of this country charge into, beat with batons, and detain without charge members of the public in a seated position on public property singing the Canadian national anthem. And this is after the public was lied to by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair about the rule of proximity to the barricades and the surrender of I.D.
So, I will no longer consider the flag of Canada something that stands for me, nor I for it. I will no longer feel any pride in seeing it waving in the wind, or hearing ‘Oh Canada’. I will feel no duty toward this nation aside from doing all I can to save it from the corruption of the leaders we currently have who would bend over backwards to appear as an example for the world to follow, while suppressing our rights and voices and allowing corporations (not even necessarily Canadian corporations) to poison our lands and waters and people.
In my opinion those of you that see this country as a place of freedom, hockey, beavers, beer, maple syrup, etc. should do some investigation and probably remove freedom from that list. (Everything thing else on that list is meaningless anyway, and I’m proud to say that none of it means jackshit to me. And fuck you if you’re one of the people that have called me unCanadian due to those feelings up to this point. But from here on, feel free to view me that way.)
Or, y’know, ignore that these bastards are pulling the wool over your eyes, turn on the t.v., chill out to Canadian Idol (or some other mind numbing sludge) until it’s time to get back to work and hand over 20-40% of your income to the rich to misspend on more shit we don’t need. Like security forces suppressing our rights and beating down the legitimate voices of democracy in the streets of our cities.
I don’t love this country anymore. Just the memories of the ideals that I thought it stood for. It always sucks to be wrong.
