It’s 9:00 AM and already, I feel sad. Today is Election Day. Canadians will choose themselves a new puppet. My sadness comes from the dull knowledge that none of the candidates likely to win are really any good, or colorful, or righteous. None of them, in my eyes, seem able to steer Canada into a better lane. They will not keep us out of foreign war zones nor will they turn our country into the change leader it could be.
It was found in a survey this year that 15% of Canadians would rather give up their Federal Elections ballot to vote instead in the upcoming US elections, and I am one of them. The choices we are about to make at home appear so insignificant compared to those about to be cast south of us. Ours will likely, this time again, be of no consequence to our way of life, all major parties having lead surprisingly similar campaigns. If they all mostly agree about their goals, this will be an election of faces and personalities, and I don’t like any of them. US elections, on the other hand, are likely to affect not only every American’s life but the entire world.
So my sadness probably resonates with the Earth’s. She cries in pain and watches our pitiful battles for the privilege to pillage and plunder her, to rape and to murder her children, to abuse a power we never were granted in the first place. It must be such a ridiculous spectacle.
Could we possibly wake up from our trance and act before it’s too late? What Canada needs right now isn’t another « political leader ». We have had those forever, and they have all played the same subdued role, keeping us warm, keeping us fed, keeping us nice and in the shadow of our southern big brother. What we need today is a good maniac. Someone willing to risk everything in order to radically change our way of life and place Canada on the cutting edge of reform, a leader in environmentally-savvy, economically innovative initiatives.
Yes, it would be a huge risk to take, it would shake everyone’s long-acquired habits and comfort. What, I can only drive around in my giant SUV every other day? (It’s been done in Mexico City.) What, I can actually buy myself an environment-friendly, alternative-powered vehicle? (They have been invented for decades, but the oil companies were in bed with car manufacturers.) What, I have to pay an extra tax on junk food and processed crap? (Why not, it would favour local farmers and improve our kids’ health.) What, I must own a bike and ride it to work to pay less taxes? (Sure, and you might even get used to it.) What, I must donate so many hours of my life a week to community projects? (Yeah, that way you’ll bitch less about the homeless and will actually stand a chance of improving your neighborhood the way you really want it.) Heck this is not a Communist regime, I want Harper back! (Too late, he immigrated to the US and is dealing arms with ex-President Bush.)
Granted, there would be a lot to loose to such a gamble if things went wrong, a country’s economy turning to a volatile and fragile sand castle in times of change. But make no mistake about it, we are loosing it all as we speak, any way. Just ever so softly we have numbed ourselves to the fear, and if death is creeping in at an increasing speed, it’s under the blessed cover of willful ignorance. Just like stranded mountain climbers on their last bivouac, we are drifting into our final sleep as the cold seizes our limbs and inches towards the core. Except this time, the killer is heat.
And none of the major candidates this year have promised to reverse that. But they will address the $100 tax rebate. I expected no less.
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