Opinion

They're Recharging Democracy

These groups start at the community level, and you're invited.

By Murray Dobbin, 19 Apr 2010, TheTyee.ca

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As many writers and activists have declared for some time now, Canadians -- and citizens in all English speaking developed countries -- are facing a crisis in democracy. Another way of putting it is that we face a democratic deficit. That term harkens back to a book written 35 years ago called The Crisis in Democracy, commissioned by the Trilateral Commission (TLC), an international neo-liberal forum of CEOs, former and current heads of state and free market academics. The crisis they were talking about was different. As Samuel Huntington, a prominent American neo-liberal wrote in the book, there was "an excess of democracy." Too many people were asking governments for too many things -- and, even more dangerous, beginning to believe they were entitled to them.

In the over three decades since Huntington wrote those words, a virtual blitzkrieg of think tanks, media owners, right-wing political parties and academics have been recruited to disabuse citizens of the notion that government should actually create the conditions for a social, as well as a political, democracy.

That project has been extremely successful. The health of democracy in Canada is at a 50-year low point, especially at the federal and provincial levels. The right's successful framing of key issues like the deficit, "tax relief," efficiency, and trade  -- and demonizing government itself -- has lowered the people's expectations of what is possible from government, and partly as a result, has convinced them that participating in such a diminished democracy holds nothing for them.

The state of the mainstream media, hijacked by millionaire ideologues like Conrad Black and the Aspers with clear political objectives, made dealing with this crisis extremely difficult for social justice and labour movements.

As a result, many activists who turned away from federal and provincial movement politics are looking at community-based civic politics based on sustainability and a more direct democracy. While local politics does not involve the big issues like foreign policy, Medicare and post-secondary education, it is the level of government closest to people in their daily lives and the least susceptible to the kind of neo-liberal propaganda that plagues politics at the senior levels of government. People can see everyday what their taxes pay for -- or don't.

It is also a level of politics that has traditionally been framed as "non-ideological," largely because it rarely involves political parties (Vancouver being the main exception). Of course all politics are ideological and business interests have dominated municipal politics for decades -- casting themselves as the purveyors of a-political "common sense" while implementing pro-business policies. But this can actually be an advantage: the majority of people identify themselves as "non-political," and that can make them more accessible at the civic level.

Welcome to Transition Town

Into this most basic realm of politics have come a number of initiatives that are aimed in varying degrees at responding to the climate crisis, peak oil, the curse of consumerism and the disengagement of citizens from the political process.

One of these international initiatives is called Transition Town (TT), which was started over four years ago in Totne, England and has since grown throughout England and into the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Chile. According to its website (where you get guidelines and a primer), the TT initiative starts simply with a small group concerned about dealing with climate change and asks this question: "For all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly increase resilience (to mitigate the effects of peak oil) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?"

The TT initiative is largely aimed at changing the political culture of the town rather than changing the governing council. Those involved are engaged in education, bringing like-minded groups together, doing projects (on anything from food security to innovations in transportation). Once they have proven themselves, they get certified by the Transition Network headquarters in Britain. Over the longer term they are expected to launch a "...community defined, community implemented 'Energy Descent Action Plan' over a 15 to 20 year timescale."  The TT's work with local government on individual issues but do not engage directly in the political process of local elections.

There are some 275 certified Transition Towns in eight countries, with 13 certified in Canada, mostly in Ontario and B.C.

The people of Slow Town

Another, parallel initiative grew out of the Slow Food movement which started in the Tuscany region of Italy in the 1990s. Called Cittaslow, or Slow Town, it has spread to over 140 communities in 20 countries. North America is among the last regions to get engaged and Cowichan, B.C., became the first North American town to get certified last year. Cittaslow's international conference is being held in South Korea in June.

While the TT is focused more exclusively on responding to peak oil and climate change, the Slow Town movement casts a wider net and talks about quality of life, reducing commercialism and consumerism and reclaiming the commons.

One local web site states that the movement focuses "on quality of life and sustainable use of natural resources, the local environment is valued and enhanced, local traditions are cherished, people friendly infrastructure is put in place and air and noise pollution is reduced. It includes eco-friendly architecture, aesthetic signage, low light pollution, promoting local healthy food... It also encourages citizen involvement in decision making and participating in local cultural events."

Like the Transition Town, Cittaslow requires a fairly rigorous and demanding assessment process to get certified by the international body. Part of that certification involves explicitly working with the local municipal council and getting it formally on side -- in fact, the international body insists that the best way to get certified is to have the application made by the elected council: "The Cittaslow philosophy is meant to be 'embedded in the municipality,' and you won't be able to achieve this unless you have won support from elected members."

The civic league wants you!

A third strain in this local democracy and sustainability movement was started in Canada with the Guelph Civic League (there are civic leagues in Edmonton, and in Coquitlam and Saanich in B.C). There is no national governance body or certification process and the focus is on bringing people and organizations together based on a detailed progressive values survey which is ultimately used to engage directly in the political process.

The league creates a report card on the city council incumbents based on how their voting record jibes with the extensive values survey, a process that engages the community in the year before the local election. One of the objectives is to increase voter turn-out using public events, door-to-door canvassing and direct mail campaigns to engage citizens in finding solutions to municipal issues based on their stated values.

Compared to high intensity campaigns by national or provincial organizations aimed at senior levels of government these three citizen movements seem pretty low key. And while they don't always confront corporate power or political power the way we are accustomed to, successes at those levels have been few and far between over the past 15 years. While there are significant positive exceptions, whatever we are doing at those levels just isn't working very well, as witnessed by the political gridlock federally and a government in power in Ottawa that is at complete odds with the values of the vast majority of Canadians.

Never mind the cynics

While federal politics is in gridlock, progressive national politics, at the extra-parliamentary level, is moribund. The flowering of a democracy movement following Harper's second prorogation should have been a signal for the labour movement to awake from its long slumber and engage with offers of support and solidarity. It didn't happen. Nor did many other national groups join the groundswell.

It seems it won't happen from the top down. But the common feature linking the anti-prorogation movement (it is still actively organizing) and the local community organizing efforts is the democracy imperative. They are both about engaging citizens and enhancing democratic politics. And that, perhaps, is the necessary ingredient for national political change. Rather than focus exclusively on single issues -- the Afghan war, Medicare, child care, poverty, human rights, climate change and the environment -- the focus on democracy is the glue that will ultimately hold all these critical issues together. Those single issue organizations flourished at a time when governments actually listened.

For the cynics who thought that "democracy" was too ephemeral an issue to attract attention, the 60-plus demos across the country in February should have put that notion to rest. Rooting a movement for democracy at the local level, especially in smaller cities, makes sense because of scale and because it can engage people at the level of their values and community. Once people have a taste of democracy locally, they are more likely to demand it provincially and nationally. That could be the catalyst for a renewal of a progressive politics nation-wide. [Tyee]

Murray Dobbin's "State of the Nation" column now appears every other Monday in The Tyee and on Rabble, and he also publishes articles on his blog.

22 Comments:

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  • Fiat lux

    2 years ago

    Having grown up and been

    Having grown up and been educated as a fascist in a fascist country and environment, I can say without any doubt that people, and governments, who now are calling themselves "conservatives", and "business friendly" are nothing more than a daily increasing level of fascism.

    This present system of growing fascism, calling itself "democracy", has nothing to do with "efficiency", because it only refers to so called "monetary efficiency", the biggest fraud. The sole purpose of this racket is the collectivization of the economy and making more waste, ultimately the causes and great parts of climate change and daily growing percentage of illnesses, like cancers, diabetics etc.

    An efficient economy would cause very small amounts of waste and environmental destruction, but wouldn't be profitable.

    As far local democracies are concerned, probably the vast majority of the councils in small towns, calling themselves "cities", are solid fascist Reform Party hacks, now governing the country and provinces.

    In any case, one of the main purposes of the so called "free trade agreements", in reality international treaties, is the elimination of all levels of democracy and local decision making powers.

    Ed Deak.

  • anarcho

    2 years ago

    neighborhood associations too

    Another democratic aspect are neighborhood associations.I urge everyone to join one, and if you don't have one to organize one. They can be effective in involving people, re-creating community and dealing with the problems created by both corporations and government bureaucracy.

  • barney

    2 years ago

    cynics

    For the cynics who thought that "democracy" was too ephemeral an issue to attract attention, the 60-plus demos across the country in February should have put that notion to rest.

    Fair enough, but the cynics who said that those protests would not lead to a sustained, growing grass-roots effort to do all sorts of revolutionary and amazing things for democracy, these cynics seem to be right. File "Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament" and the anthropology student behind it all in the "Where are they now" folder.

    I do share Dobbin's general thesis about the Trilateral Commission being by neo-liberal quest to remove the annoying rules related to international commerce and trade, but I do get a bit tired of the heavy conspiracy angle - which by the way is an angle espoused from both progressives and a good many traditional conservatives and libertarians (Barry Goldwater comes to mind, and all that world government spookery from groups like the John Birch Society and various Republican politicians down south).

    I am also curious that Dobbin's claim that 'democracy' - as he defines is yet to define it - is at 50-year low point in Canada. Is this because we have a particularly nasty bunch of premiers and prime minister in power at the moment? Or is it really that democracy is at a 50-year low point. I can almost be sure of one thing, if the NDP or a coalition swept Harper from power, and the same happened in the provinces, democracy would be declared fixed by the likes of Dobbin and not a single article on the issue would be seen in our alternative press.

    I do agree there is a crisis in our democracy, but I hardly think civic groups and slow food clubs are the remedy. How could Dobbin write an article on the topic of our current democratic woes and not once mention or even suggest the issue of electoral reform, or the outdated monarchist parliamentary system that has us hog-tied.

    Do our democratic complaints always have to rest with theories that evoke shadowy international neo-liberal commissions and conspiracies? Could they not rest with some very real structural problems that we actually do have some power over?

  • Barher

    2 years ago

    Recharging Democracy

    1500 words can do only so much, but with ‘Recharging Democracy’ Murrray Dobbin has once again proven himself to be one of our more incisive social and political critics.

    If one is concerned with community and not just the bottom line, it seems that the attacks on the commons are coming faster and more furiously than has been the case in recent memory.

    Postings on The Tyee, Facebook (and many other places) offer an avalanche of causes to join in order to thwart yet another government-backed corporate initiative to privatize public goods.

    There are so many urgent issues today that divide concerned citizens into small ineffective camps of protest. This allows precious little time to look behind the curtain to find root causes and drivers for the mess we have been led into – and for the most part willingly followed.

    A minority government (being allowed to behave as a majority one) at the federal level, and a so-called Liberal government at the provincial have so-far successfully told us they are acting in the public interest while continuing to increase the gap between haves and have-nots.

    Democracy (The will of the majority, with due regard for the rights of minorities) is always in crisis, but the mass manipulation of public opinion which has occurred since the advent of television has created myths that now move global agendas – e.g. “It’s the economy stupid”, “let the market decide”.

    Thus, as Dobbin correctly observes, many people have decided that we have to take action at the local, community level.

    Please note that much of the present and future success of the movements Dobbin refers to (and other localization movements) come from a focus on food. I think that is a key factor in why they are working. Food is obviously a primary concern – especially when natural or human-made disasters occur.

    Dissecting the food system effectively helps to expose issues and problems associated with globalization, greed, democracy, etc.
    Localizing and re-localizing the food system will lead to greater democracy. Building on Dobbin’s analysis will speed the Movement.
    Herb Barbolet

  • Ross Moster

    2 years ago

    Transition Town activity in Vancouver

    It's good to see Transition Towns acknowledged. In Vancouver, Village Vancouver is the Transition Town Hub for the Metropolitan area.
    www.villagevancouver.ca.

    We've been active for two years, though we only recently applied for and received "official" TT status.

    We encourage people to engage in VV on the basis of their interests, and there are a number of ways to
    get involved - through neighbourhood transition villages, working groups, workshops, and so on. (We offer several dozen gardening and other workshops a year, and our next Transition in Vancouver workshop will be at Langara College on May 7-8.)

    Much of what we do focuses around coming together to build resilient community - reducing consumption, and figuring out how to connect more with people and nature than with things figures significantly in our response to climate change and peak oil.

    We're quite active in connecting people around food, particularly in terms of networking at the neighbourhood level; so I agree with Herb's comments
    about the role that food can play in fostering more democracy.

    Cheers,
    Ross Moster
    Convenor, Village Vancouver Transition Hub

  • Machiatto

    2 years ago

    Another thing

    Dont forget, neighborhood houses are also great places to showcase films as the Kits Neighborhood House did recently. Great way to bring people together about issues far away but still close to home. For instance, Waterlife is being screened this month in Ontario.
    http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

    Still another thing to watch out for is misuse and abuse of the word "community". As it becomes more and more of a "buzzword", we would be wise to watch out for deliberate or unfortunate misuse.

    Just something I had read recently from an expert. Thanks.

  • Takuan

    2 years ago

    here's a common thread to weave them all together:

    General Strike

  • morechatter

    2 years ago

    Let the Market Decide

    What is really meant is after millions and millions and millions of tax payer dollars have been allocated in advertising, promotions and programing is implemented to sway the masses to help market decide.
    Big Corporations want it all and have been the downfall of the economy and not low income members in communities. The poor don't have money its the rich that are banking on swaying the public so they can empty pockets and blame it on the poor. Communities where a lot better off when the focus wasn't on making the rich even richer as communties are left factured. All this talk about money and efficiency and fraud and corruption and the mindless middle classes find themselves on the short end of the mortgage as the middle class had a lot more money before they started taking care of the rich.

  • siamdave

    2 years ago

    democracy and money -

    - are related. One of the things that has happened since the neocons (NWO-ers, call them what you will) began their surreptitious takeover in the 70s has been the increasing povertization of both the country and the average Cdn - people worrying about the next mortgage payment or keeping their better-than-nothing job have less time to worry about things of leisuretime such as 'democracy'. Given the history of hard-work of the average people of Canada, we should be, collectively at the government level, rolling in wealth - instead we (the govs) are crying poverty and cutting back more and more of the programs that gave Cdns security to believe in and participate in 'their' government. The story of how that wealth has been directed upstairs, for the use of the few against the many, is explained here - What Happened? http://www.rudemacedon.ca/what-happened.html . The fight for democracy in this country will proceed much better if we have an informed citizenry (which we will not get from the MSM, or even the sanctioned 'alt' media, who seem unaware of the importance of where our money comes from).
    For a look at how a functioning social democracy might be structured, there's always Green Island http://www.rudemacedon.ca/greenisland.html - the social democratic response to the capitalist bible Atlas Shrugged. On Green Island, it is the capitalists and bankers who are recognized as the parasites and cancer they are, and removed from the halls of government as We the People establish government truly of, by and for The People..

  • Cynic

    2 years ago

    "Do our democratic

    "Do our democratic complaints always have to rest with theories that evoke shadowy international neo-liberal commissions and conspiracies? Could they not rest with some very real structural problems that we actually do have some power over?"

    Keen observers of politics on this planet don't call them theories. It's simply a fact that we suffer from elite rule. It's only shadowy if one's intellect is fed a steady diet of pabulum and lies from the elite-controlled media, and swallowed. Any structural "problems" are intentional and fulfill their purpose. If you think we have power over them, go ahead, exert it.

    I'm with siamdave. Democracy exists in fantasyland. The reality is elite rule, and their power resides in the money/banking system. As long as progressive groups ignore this, more of the same.

  • barney

    2 years ago

    Cynic speaks

    It's simply a fact that we suffer from elite rule.

    If questions of democracy and politics were only so easy to reduce - we'd have solved everything and been living in a global utopia many keenly observed moons ago. The unfortunate fact is that there is no single, simple fact to all of this. Democracy is not an absolute, but it's not necessarily a relative thing either. It's a complicated human ideal, a work in progress (or regress) with lots of cultural, geographic, social, anthropological, political, economic, historical components. It's messy business, democracy is. But it's necessary business.

    Is there truth to the notion that elites rule the world? Sure. But there is also truth to the notion they don't. As there is truth to the idea that there are pockets of resistance and exceptions to the rule. I think Dobbin makes many observant points, even if he is a bit excessive in the Chomskyesque shadowy conspiracy stuff.

    I am not a nihilist. I do have hope that the few opportunities that do exist to us lumpen minions within the existing system can be seized and acted upon with small, incremental, successful results. Which is why I continue to vote, read Dobbin's articles, sign anti-HST petitions and encourage any kind of policy/structural change possible. We came close to passing STV in BC. That's but one kind of structural power we have, and yes, I am exerting it, as should you. Other democracies have done much better than we have on some of these structural changes.

    The reality is elite rule, and their power resides in the money/banking system.

    And... let me guess... that money banking system is run by a Zionist/Neo-Liberal/Neo-Con conspiracy, right? And those responsible for 9/11 were also part of the evil plot to take over the world? And these same conspirators are fabricating climate change as part of the plot. And somewhere in a barn in Roswell, New Mexico.....

    Look, If you really think our democracy is but a fantasy, if you can only think and speak in these kinds of either/or reductions, why not explore North Korea on your next vacation, or any of the fascist military dictatorship in Central/South America and see how your Canadian non-democracy stacks up against theirs. With due respect to Ed Deak, who has lived through fascism, I challenge Ed, or anyone else to make a serious argument that the present day Canada, with all its flaws, doom, gloom political villains, can honestly be seen as parallel to 1941 Germany and Italy, or to 1973 Chile. To make this stretch is an injustice to the memory of the millions who were massacred under those types of non-democracies.

    In the meantime, slow food, anti-HST petitions, electoral reform, neighbourhood associations - all very noble, worthy pursuits. I'm not sure if our answers rest here, but it certainly can't hurt. Accepting this does not mean you have to ignore the big bad global elites!

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Dumb Masses Part 1

    Despite the relentless fervor from psychopathic elements within our government, I find myself angry yet cautiously optimistic. Earlier today Stephen Harper and the Lib-Cons rammed through bill C-2 and C-9, bypassing standard democratic procedure in the house. To my knowledge bill C-6 is currently sitting in the senate with all amendments gutted due to Harper's prorogation, (if anyone knows where to keep up-to-date with its status, please let me know). This further demonstrates our governments disregard for human rights and a total disconnect from the true needs and will of the Canadian populace.

    The good news is that the infinite growth paradigm characteristic of the last 100 years or so will render their plundering irrelevant in short order. The sad part is that the NDP seem to be the only party offering any solid innovation and revolutionary legislation for the difficult future we face. The independents legislation seems aimed at encouraging the greatest good for the greatest amount of people, mitigating potential civil unrest, and implementing sound sustainable infrastructure. Now bear in mind that I don’t think any one party will be able to fix all of our problems, but the NDP are definitely on the right track. The infinite growth paradigm is outdated and incompatible with the reality of the times we are living. It appears to me the Lib-Cons idea of a sustainable future is futile: sell our railways, rivers, water, and salmon, abolish the rule of law, hike up our taxes, export our productive sectors through NAFTA and free trade agreements, disarm the public, and then stick us with the bill. They are setting up the country for disaster while the majority of the population does nothing.

    Although I believe civil unrest is inevitable due to looming commodity and food shortages, they seem intent on driving drunk down a one way road in overdrive using the moon light in their rear view mirror as their guide, oblivious to the flashing ‘low oil’ light. They will get theirs on the other end… politicians starve, bleed, and die just like everyone else. Have mercy and compassion for them because they are bound on a sad and solitary road.

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Dumb Masses Part 2

    Psycopathy seems to be a common trait amongst our ‘leaders.’ One might assume that our leaders were elected because they should know how to lead, but it is becoming more and more apparent whose interests they serve. The good news is there are new leaders among us already… and transition towns are a perfect example of that. High levels of government will have little relevance in the future… but I fear the path they choose to get there will prove a matter of life and death for many of them and for millions of Canadians alike. Depending on how out of whack things have become will determine how much force will be expressed into the snapping back into balance. That is not to say there isn’t any purpose or role for higher levels of government, but the revolution they seem intent on leading us into will be that born of absolute frustration and bitterness because nothing they are offering to us is being a solution to anything.

    Mr Dobbins, your articles are amongst the most critical and important works I have had the pleasure to read. Your diligence is much appreciated.

    I came across fascinating lecture that covers, amongst other things, the psychopathy of politicians and business leaders, top down hierarchical/compartmentalized power structures, peak oil, transition towns, and solutions. He does a great job exploring the wacky psychology of politics and business. I really enjoyed it, perhaps you might find it interesting…

    Check it out here: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/41911

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Peak Globalization

    Anyone who has a grasp on the reality of peak oil knows that we are on the cusp of perhaps the largest preventable holocaust in the history of planet earth. How we go depends largely on how our governments deal with it.

    Obama Administration Cops to the likelihood of peak oil:
    http://www.postcarbon.org/press-release/85743-obama-administration-cops-to-likelihood-of

    US military warns oil output may dip causing massive shortages by 2015:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/11/peak-oil-production-supply

    Washington Consider a Decline of World Oil Production As Of 2011 (Le Monde in English) (April 17, 2010):
    http://petrole.blog.lemonde.fr/2010/03/25/washington-considers-a-decline-of-world-oil-production-as-of-2011/

    Governments Worried about Peak Oil (April 19, 2010):
    http://www.energyandcapital.com/articles/governments-peak-oil-part-2/1122

    When the U.S. energy secretary spoke of "peak oil" (April 19, 2010):
    http://www.energybulletin.net/node/52493

    One of World's Biggest Oil Producers Going Bust:
    http://www.dailywealth.com/1323/One-of-the-World-s-Biggest-Oil-Producers-Is-Going-Bust

    Tema refinery shuts due to oil shortage (April 19, 2010):
    http://ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=180240

    The coming famine: risks and solutions for global food security (April 19, 2010):
    http://www.sciencealert.com.au/features/20101804-20862.html

    Mind you most all of the above articles were posted yesterday. Many were taken from Michael Ruppert's Peak Oil blog here:

    http://mikeruppert.blogspot.com/

    Michael Ruppert wrote a book on how presidents and prime ministers can mitigate civil unrest and help foster a civil post peak oil society focused on the greatest good for the greatest possible amount of people in his book "Confronting Collapse: A Presidential Energy Policy."

    http://apresidentialenergypolicy.com/

    I also recommend his new movie "Collapse," which can be found on www.thepiratebay.com, and it will be out on DVD next month. A video trailer and information on the film can be found here:

    www.collapsemovie.com

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Predictions for 2010 Part 1

    As the Canadian dollar continues to climb over the next few months we will see gas prices rise to an unprecedented scale by the end of this summer, likely between $6.75-$8.00 dollars a gallon. Tailing this will be another financial monsoon that will make 2008 look like a picnic. In a desperate attempt to devalue our currency to keep trade and bilateral investments from tanking, the real-estate bubble in Canada may explode sending tens of thousands of Canadians on the streets and setting the stage for the next round of brain raping media disinformation.

    Zionist backed CBC news will ramp up their post apocalyptic musical score to prod a sense of urgency wand in the population in hopes that we buy buy buy more pointless junk to ease our wary minds from their BS.

    The financial parasites, once again on the prowl for bonuses and bailouts, will continue feasting at the trough until they begin to explode, literally. Tailing the financial monsoon every vehicle manufacturing plant in North America will be forced to cut back on staff, benefits and wages, and many will go bust en-mass.

    Civil unrest will begin to rear its head as the masses begin entering the anger stage of this global emotional/intellectual/infinite growth paradigm awakening. Riots and protests will reach a new high and the Canadian Government will attempt to entice violence through agent provocateurs at the G7, and G20 meetings but will only be exposed by whistle blowers. At the same time, seed saving, local food production, and the 100 mile diet grassroots movement will be booming.

    The Lib-Cons will be scared pantless and incapable of rational thinking. The word 'protectionism' will be blasted all over the airwaves once again. The Haarper govt will be looking to the US for deeper integration and assistance while passing more and more free trade agreements in a futile attempt to keep the economy from collapsing.

    Criminal elements within our government will attempt to further crack down on guns, crime, and violence, thus overwhelming police forces instead of addressing key underlying social issues and infrastructure, thus fostering civil unrest and triggering a tipping point of Canadians into distrusting our government.

    Lib-Cons will be begging for rapture, but after realizing they've all been 'left behind' many of them will contemplate exchanging their winter vacation tickets for a one way flight to The Netherlands.

    Fuel shortages will begin to increase around the globe and hit the US by Christmas 2010. Haarper will receive pressure by the white house to invest more in tar sands oil/trade as the Pentagon, I mean Obama, beats Mexico into expanding offshore oil exploration to no avail.

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Predictions for 2010 Part 2

    Earthquakes, volcanoes and strange weather patterns will continue on a regular basis as geophysical exploration continues on its search for last remaining pockets of fossil fuels. The US & Israel will back away from conventionally terrorizing Iran. Ahmadinejad recently spoke about evacuating millions from Tehran because of 'potential earthquakes.' I predict that Tehran could be hit by a massive earthquake causing as much if not greater damage then a nuclear strike. Extremist zealots of all stripes will then claim God is conspiring to punish the Muslim population, when in reality it was actually ordered up by Israel, drawn up by the Pentagon, and triggered by HAARP based tectonic weaponry aboard NATO military warships/subs off the coast of Tehran.

    April 14: “(HAARP) [currently] can’t reach Iran, if that’s your question,” one of ‘those’ researchers, Dennis Papadopoulos told Danger Room. “But if I put HAARP on a ship, or on an oil platform, who knows?” Source: http://www.abbeylocks.co.uk/wordpress/?p=425

    Governments, bankers, and corporations will continue to be exposed for what they are as the S&MSM media becomes irrelevant and more people turn of their televisions. Public trust for the Obama administration will fall below the 20% mark across the nation. The Cons in Canada, currently sitting at 5% approval in BC, will fall even lower while the PM and Campbell do a drunken moonwalk in attempt to avoid the spot light as much as possible.

    In the 4th Quarter of 2010 we will see the beginnings of mass migration out of large city centers into more rural areas. People will be forced to become more frugal and resourceful with their money, food, and fuel. The tendency for things seeming to be getting both better and worse will be exacerbated tremendously. People all around the globe will be evolving on an unprecedented scale. People will see that success has little to do with money, position, and power, and much more to do with quality of life.

    This is the age of revolution and there are many great things to come for those who see, despite all the doom and gloom.

    That’s enough for now. If you think I believe all of these predictions will occur and happen in exactly the way or order I listed, that’s not the case… I am not a prophet and I really don’t know, but I challenge you to make a note of this and see how wrong I am. Who knows? :)

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Missed a link in my last post there

    "I predict that Tehran could be hit by a massive earthquake causing as much if not greater damage then a nuclear strike. Extremist zealots of all stripes will then claim God is conspiring to punish the Muslim population, when in reality it was actually ordered up by Israel, drawn up by the Pentagon, and triggered by HAARP based tectonic weaponry aboard NATO military warships/subs off the coast of Tehran."

    God Given (The Chosen Ones)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOwCNR13PKU

  • damngrumpy

    2 years ago

    democracy

    People are starting to wake up and just in time. I am not the least bit worried about Harper and his Tory
    fiscal agenda, we have seen those before. For the longest time I have worried that people were sleeping while the Social Conservative Agenda was alive and well. Food issues, water issues, and the feeling of having governance shoved down their throat has caused
    people to say enough. It will now be up to the activists and others to build the spirit of a younger
    generation so they can rise again to bring new life
    to the progressive agenda, that leads us from the path
    of Conservative darkness

  • SCL

    2 years ago

    Saanich Civic League

    Great piece and good timing.
    Check out www.saanichcivicleague.ca

    We have just started holding Democracy Dinners. Watch for our notices and join us at the table.

    We are a values based organization formed to help raise awareness about the importance of community engagement at the municipal level. We want to help increase voter turnout and inform the community about the work of our elected council.

    Join us!

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    The Dog Poet

    You guys are beautiful people.... its lovely to see the new leaders and grass roots movements that will rise from the ashes of these deluded fools who currently imagine themselves to be in control. The Harper governments contempt for our citizenry, parliament, our agencies, and the RCMP is making people in high places very, very angry. Even the X head of CSIS is bloody furious with our government that is destroying our beautiful country. These psychopaths revel in the rape and terror perpetrated on the Palestinian, and Afghan peoples.

    Well my friends, as dark and grim as things may appear to be, these deluded fools will not continue. Wishful thinking you say? Oh some big surprises are in the works as I speak, and in the coming months we will see it coming to light. The revolution towards a more peaceful, humane, and brighter world starts right here, right now.

    BTW, I want to share with you an incredible 15 minute MP3 that resonates with the topic of discussion here, I encourage you to check it out...

    http://jancikradionetwork.com/visible/f2f-visible.100425.mp3

  • Revenise

    2 years ago

    Wrong link

    Sorry folks, I mistakenly posted a link to the wrong MP3...here is the proper one!

    http://jancikradionetwork.com/visible/f2f-visible.090830.mp3

  • samuidave (not verified)

    2 years ago

    The reason we do not have democracy...

    is the same reason we still have religious fundamentalists and believers.

    Despite the facts clearly showing us all, in the first case that there is an international corporate elite in cahoots with the governments; and, in the second case, that choosing between the the creation of a god or the creation of the universe in the first instance falling overwhelmingly in favour of it being the universe, there is always going to be those who adamantly do not believe.

    And in our system, where one only needs 1/3 of the voting support to gain control of an relatively authoritarian government which serves power, representative democracy is a pipe-dream.

    Democracy has always sprang from the grassroots movements -- but it has almost always been very issue oriented. In our democratic crisis, the issue is still exploitation of labour and exploitation of the commons.

    Yet today, after a 150 years of the socialist movement, we seem to have less people believing, let alone supporting, the issue than ever. Now that's the power of propaganda. And the socialist movement simply cannot fight a propaganda war against the entrenched power and money, and so the cause is only in theory. One may chalk it up to human nature.

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