A Mindful Civilization v. mindless barbarism

Aside from those who went downtown with a premediated intent to instigate destruction to property or instigate a riot, it appears to me that the acts of violence against persons and acts of destruction against property were mainly done by persons who had lost their sense of being mindful of their own actions and the impact of those actions upon others. Mindless violence and destruction, insanity, unchecked by any sense of morality or ethics, or reflection of the consequences to self and others. In contradistinction to that mindlessnes, are the mindful actions of a few who attempted to protect other persons and to protect property. Mindless v. mindful - two differing states of mind. So IMO, the "Review of the Riot" ought to explore not just the cumulative interplay of causes & facts that led to mindlessness - but also what can be done to encourage/stimulate more 'mindfulness" in this society. Mindfulness not just of self, and other, but also of the cumulative damage been visited upon the natural ecosystems and indigenous & tribal peoples world-wide by mindless corporations - intent primarily on benefiting their shareholders. This 'riot' is a shameful event for Vancouver, but mindlessness per se is endemic in many other sectors of society, including the social media world. I all for creating a much more mindful and compassionate civilization - which requires you, the reader, as active participants.

Well said (Pt. I)

It's not that I don't like Vancouver--I do, well...sort of. I've lived in several Canadian, the US, and spent a fair amount of time in Europe and the Middle East, and I gotta say Vancouver suffers a serious Napoleon complex co-morbid with an identity conflict.

Just some examples I've seen since I've lived here (and, before you start, I am planning on continuing to live here...it's not about 'bad', rather 'odd'):

Vancouver often refers to itself as being the third largest 'city', but it's not. It's 8th. Yes, it's the 3rd largest 'metropolitan area', but even that is a bit disingeuous if you look closely: most of the other metropolitan areas amalgamated into one larger Census MA with one mayor--GVRD (the same boundaries as Stats Can's VCMA), or Metro Vancouver (that's trademarked, by the way....doesn't that speak volumes!), is comprised of no less than 6 city mayors: Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, New Westminster, Burnaby, West Vancouver--not including Delta, PoCo, Port Moody, Langley, etc.

Why? I don't know for sure. But given that the amalgamation as such grew with the real estate booms, I'd hazard a guess that this has something to do with pretending to be a big fish.

Another example: Vancouver is multicultural. Yes, of course to some extent it is. But not to the extent of, say, TO or Montreal. You can really see this by how un-defined ethnic communities are represented within a downtown area. In TO and Montreal, not only are there a wide variety of ethnicity's represented downtown, but they're distinct within the downtown.

Vancouver, on the other hand, certainly has distinct ethnic groups. However, the number and diversity of these groups downtown is very limited; and, where there are wider ethnic groups, they're often situated a little like bantustans--Indian continent in Surrey, Asian (predominantly Chinese) in Richmond, etc.

What this amounts too, sadly, is little interaction between cultures. So, although via statistics Vancouver has a wide variety represented, very few are present in the downtown core, and there isn't a lot of interactions (some, yes, of course).

Well said (Pt. II)

And, truly, this is unfortunate for all of us...especially when officials try and represent us as co-mingling. We can--and should--be doing a much better job of cross-pollination given how rich and diverse these ethnic groups are.

Now, by this point, a lot of you will have stopped reading in disgust; or will be PO'd and mumbling something like: "If you don't like it, leave," etc.

If I had to hazard yet another guess I would guess that much of this is because we lack history and, thus, a clear identity, or picture of ourselves. And presenting a false one isn't going to help us define an identity.

The truth of the matter is that we're doing ourselves an injustice by trying to be something we're not: a major city, a world class city, a major metropolitan area, and so, and so on.

What's wrong with just being 'west coast coo', like the Jazz; or, the 'left coast'; or, laid back granola eating, tree-hugging, Birkenstock wearing hippies.

It's a much better, honest, and genuine picture of us than what we've seen in the riots, the Olympics, and the likes.

wcullen: Metro Vancouver is

wcullen:

Metro Vancouver is the geographic equivalent of the Montreal or Toronto or metropolotcan area, regardless of the specifics of municipal governance. Until a few years ago the suburbs of both TO and Mtl were independent municipalities similar to Vancouver. There was no magical instant change in the nature of conurbations when the governance structure shifted, so it is quite correct to refer to Vancouver as Canada's third largest city -- which it is.

Having lived in all three cities, I would say Vancouver is less multi-cultural than TO but, if anything, more so than Montreal. It's true that it doesn't have the same level of neighbourhoods with a distinctly "ethnic" flavour, but this is due to being a younger city. And the reason there are few downtown ethnic neighbourhoods is because substantial downtown residential occupancy itself is a relatively new phenomenon. Unlike Mtl or TO - whose downtown is sprawling and bleeds into the rest of the city, Van's downtown is small and geographically isolated on a peninsula.

The original point of the article -- that Vancouver has its head up its ass -- is quite correct, however.

I Concur

Great comments by Fii, wcullen and riproarer :)

As a former Vancouver resident (over 30 years) I long for the time before the year 2000 for Vancouver. Many Canadians and other English speakers I meet overseas (I live in an Asian country) groan when they hear I am from Vancouver.
While Vancouver is a beautiful city and BC a stunning province many people think people from the big city are a little arrogant and self centered.
Time for Vancouverites to realize that there are many great cities and places around the world. I know as I have been to many myself.

of all the things for the community to come together on...

yeah the radio would have me believe vancouver is ashamed only of the riots, but what about whats happening to homeless people, or elderly people getting "renovicted" or the proposed tar sands trade routes or any number of things? then the community comes together, avoiding the part where there's homeless people, to tell the bay and the bank that it really cares.

by weird timing, i'm reading 'a people's history of the united states' right now, and i'm just at the part where its explaining how the aristocracy of boston or washington, or whoever it was, actively rabble roused the working class and poor against england. but then the rabble would get too roused, they'd tear apart the governers mansion or burn it down and tar and feather aristocrats. it might have had something to do with how obscene the gap between rich and poor was in those days. this really frightened the planners, as most of them were also benefitting obscenely from this income gap, so they'd condemn the violence the next day in the press. 'property damage goes too far! you should be ashamed of yourselves'

riproarer

Good points, well taken.

I'm not really contesting the size or the governance of Vancouver so much as how Vancouver re-presents itself (and, more often than not, only to itself)--it's kind of mythic identity, if you will. In this sense, Vancouver has a very skewed view of itself, and I think this does it harm.

As to Vancouver being the third largest city: absolutely not. It is the 8th largest city (statscan).

As a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) it is ranked 3rd. This is relevant when it comes to how Vancouver (city proper) raises income: mostly through proerty taxes. It absolutely does not get the property taxes from Richmond, Surrey, etc. These cities draw their own taxes for their own purposes, unlike TO and Montreal; and, therefore, when it represents itself as 2+ million it is a bit of a fiction--especially from a cash flow/capital perspective.

That aside, and more to what I was toying with, what I find interesting about this is that the 2+ million people include the cities of, for example, Richmond and Surrey (to name but two). Yet, these cities represent themselves to the rest of Canada as Richmond and Surrey and not Vancouver (rarely do they even present themselves as part of the GVRD--even in the Olympics, Richmond presented itself separately).

So, here, really, I'm just talking (very loosely) about how a city presents itself in relation to its reality. Further to this, then, Vancouver isn't really in touch with reality :-)

I don't want to get lost in this or that definition because, as you said, it really isn't that relevant--and, its not what I was thinking about.

As I said, what I find interesting is the lengths Vancouver will go to to present itself as being much larger and much more important than it is in the proverbial bigger picture. That is to say, Vancouver's view of itself in relation to the rest of the country.

I don't think you, I, or the author are really in disagreement generally...especially your last remark :-P

Cheers.

Vancouver will just be a

Vancouver will just be a Surrey suburb soon enough..:)

Astute Essay

Mr. Reid states:

"But it doesn't end there... From housing and homelessness to cultural infrastructure and architecture... from environment to playgrounds and modern transportation to our corporate culture, Vancouver is just plain mediocre. We are not the best place on earth."

The damage the BC Liberals have done to BC over the past ten years is a travesty. There is no other word for it. A complete and utter travesty.

But wait, they're not finished yet! There's more oil and gas to drill for and give away to the lowest bidder; there's timber still left (somehow) to liquidate and give away; there are rivers to turn over to General Electric to dam; more inlets to fill with disease laden fish farms; and more real estate ventures waiting for land from the ALR to be released and overdeveloped.

Oh yeah, they're just hitting their stride. Lots of profits ahead. For the rest of us, not so much. In fact, better strap on your seatbelt. It's not going to be pleasant.

Our Time to Burn

I agree wholeheartedly with this article. When I first moved here, I was utterly astounded by Vancouverites' warped sense of themselves and their city. The smugness was nauseating. Yes, I felt like saying, Vancouver has a nice setting, but you didn't build the mountains or make the sea, you built the cheap, ugly buildings and treated the surrounding nature like so much excrement. So enough already. Maybe this riot will bring Vancouver back down to earth, but don't count on it: we're supernatural!

As Always

Man, does every big event in Vancouver have to bring out weeks of irritating bitter civic identity editorial? Riot in Vancouver, cue the disaffected Ontarioans!

Listen, stop trying to define Vancouver. Chill the fuck out. It's a new city on the edge of North America. Doesn't have much of a history. Hemmed in by borders, water, and mountains. Unless you're interested in unique aboriginal history (most Canadians are not), there's not much else to it!

Does that bother you?

Why can't you be comfortable with a blank slate? Why must you always be served with clear definitions and finished products? Why can't you make a new city your own? Does it make you insecure to be in a place where you are the one who must do something to give the place meaning?

If you don't "get" Vancouver, then you probably have nothing to offer. You love to take, take, take, but now, alas, you've come to the empty hand, greedy culture-consuming vampire! Suffer amidst the beauty of my city, for Vancouver is the mirror to the emptiness of your soul!

La, La, in Lotus Land

Excellent observations, as Vancouver is a world class city in mind only. Everything in Vancouver is said to be world class, but rather it is a world class con.

Our once heritage minded city, with truly interesting buildings has turned into a very boring corporate "estate", with tall cookie-cutter Lego designed buildings, which are about as interesting as a hemorrhoid.

Our transit system is said to be world class, but it doesn't go anywhere 'you' want to go and dumps you off in Richmond (ugh) or Surrey (double ugh).

Vancouver has become a politically correct, no fun city, where the political and corporate elites can brag about, for what ever. Of course the above two mentioned groups go to Vegas for fun because what goes on in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

The recent riot has changed all that, it has compelled those in power to realize that Vancouver just ain't what is advertised, well sadly neither are our politicians or civic leaders.

This is why they and their mainstream media puppets keep going on and on about the riot - they are scared, very scared because for about 2 hours they did not control Vancouver, the people did.

Pride

I agree that many Vancouverites (particularly in the media) tend towards mindless boosterism. I would say that this applies to the province as a whole also. The embarrassing "Best Place on Earth" slogan was meant to apply to all of BC. I would not be caught dead with that nonsense on my license plate. Might as well have a sticker on the car saying "Break My Window".

It's great to have pride in ones community. It is only by having pride that we strive to make it better. Vancouverites who are privileged enough to have travelled to, or to have lived in, other parts of the world are well aware of the city's short-comings. My own feeling is that living in such a beautiful setting sometimes makes Vancouverites neglect other important areas, like the arts and culture. Our spending on the arts and culture is extremely low, the lowest per capita in the country. That needs to change. If we want to be "world class" we need to attract creative people from around the world. We are not doing that sufficiently now, and the Liberals don't seem to get that. Sadly, I'm not sure the NDP gets it either.

Maybe the shame over the hockey riot is going to be beneficial in the long run.

Grumpy: "...Vancouver is a

Grumpy: "...Vancouver is a world class city in mind only. Everything in Vancouver is said to be world class, but rather it is a world class con."

You have used that word "world class" three times in your first short paragraph to debase this city.

How very tiresome - I thought we all would have realized how meaningless, arbritrary and worst of all how plain *irritating* that term is. Nobody cares.

Vancouver is a young city, a new city...with some shortcomings; I was born here and in my experience you will find whatever it is you're looking for.

Your handle says everything about your attitude and outlook.

In terms of these references to 'hometown boosterism' and 'arrogance' being unique to Vancouver...Have you people not travelled? This smugness is ripe and prevalent among almost all Canadians I run into every time I am overseas.

Has the bubble finally burst?

Can only hope...

Being specials

Not being from Canada but having lived in Toronto, Edmonton and now Vancouver I found the dumping on Toronto as the "Centre of the Universe" always amusing.

If the aftermath of the riot has shown me one thing though it is this:

Toronto it may think it's the centre of the universe, but it has become quite clear that many Vancouverites seem to think that without Vancouver there would be no universe in the first place.

Oh my, did that statement bring out the agression in people only underscoring my point.

I find it also amusing how many justify what is now happening online with: "I am angry and I have a right to be angry".

Special indeed.

100,000 people downtown with nothing to do...

So 1,000 or so decided to smash a few windows for the sake of smashing a few windows. Some of them looted the stores, and some set cars on fire for the thrill of seeing them burn.

Some of the kids were poor, but some were little rich kids too. One in the eye for the Shaughnessy Heights crowd!

The real problem was the cops. They were not on the riots at the start and their "plan" was to dress up in riot gear and watch as millions of dollars' worth of damage was done.

Nice work rioters. Nice work cops.

Now, memo to cops:
Don't Taser innocent immigrants at VIA.
Don't beat up newspaper delivery men.
Don't run over motorcyclists and
Don't commmit perjury oif you want respect.
Don't hand out seat belt tickets because it is sunny.
Just DO YOUR FRIGGING JOBS for once!
Just once!

"young city"...? Who cares..?

Two posters, so far, have used this catch phrase and--rather ironically--as a response to other catch phrases. The difference is, of course, that Vancouver and BC promote that (latter) phrase and, in so doing, are mis-representing Vancouver/BC.

This was also the point of several of those posters, as well as my own (although, for different reasons).

The excuse of Vancouver being a 'young city' is, well, just an excuse--it says nothing as a rebuttal.

Almost all the cities on the West Coast are new--relative to their eastern counter-parts. Yet, SF, LA, Seattle, San Diego all have their own distinct identities (and also ones distinct from the U.S. as a whole).

Being a young city is no excuse for maturity, pride, or having an identity. In fact, the only use for informing someone that this or that city is as a (reasonable) defence against some one trying to tell you their old city is better because it is older (as an example).

The problem is that Vancouver doesn't really seem to have an identity, it also doesn't seem very mature 9which is not associated necessarily with being new or old), and if it has pride it appears to be more about things branded (sport's teams) than about the community.

Equally, not having a history is also no excuse. Aside form the obvious (Vancouver DOES have a history), history does not determine identity--although it can certainly aid in a people's confidence in their identity.

Certainly, being young is no excuse--if anything it's both a bit lame and irresponsible....

La, la, Lotus Land - part 2

What is tiresome is the rose colored glasses worn by so many, defending Vancouver. it seems the entire population of Vancouver firmly believes the entire world revolves around them.

Well, here is a news flash: It doesn't.

Vancouver's Downtown East Side is a cesspool of drug addicted people which the city is doing nothing about. Oh yes, we are is the stale rhetoric, but the cruel truth, nothing is happening.

Vancouver lives on the taxes of the region and spends money like a drunken sailor on prestigious projects because (and i hate the phrase) will make the city a world class city.

Speaking of world class, one can hardly separate world class and Vancouver.

The reality is, Vancouver is a very ugly city, which by the grace of god, located in a very beautiful setting, but make no mistake, the great scenery fading fast and the ugly carbuncle of high rise buildings has made Vancouver LA North.

Hometown boosterism is for losers, as people who do live in world renowned cities, know that their city is and that everyone else knows too.

Vancouver does have growing reputation of being a bit of a joke, where the population has turned into lotus eaters by taking in to much smoke from the grow-ops that predominate in the city.

All this hype and hoopla about the riot just demonstrates that Vancouver is a second class city, chasing the coat tails of real top rate cities because a real city would;d just deal with the riot and not continue whining about it.

Grow up, why don't you, all this nonsense about riots, anarchists and whose fault it is is stuff of losers and we are showing the world what we really are.

ENJOY!

Air-head mayor and waffle-headed cops. What else do you expect?

Again, 100,000 people invited to the downtown with nothing to do but cheer for the winners (sorry that should read; the losers who couldn't win an argument if it hit them in the face).

It was a dangerous strategy, even if the Canucks had won. Citizens of Vancouver, eat your sorry hearts out; the rest of the province is LAUGHING at you. [SEXIST CHARACTERIZATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

Before you celebrate and relish in the glow of victory, you have to WIN! Vancouver is becoming Toronto West in more ways than they realise. Neither city has a sports team.

Just because Wankouver is the biggest city in BC doesn't make it the best. Now get over it. Just keep your middle-class rowdies over on your side of the pond because we don't want them on Vancouver Island.

(So this is what gloating feels like)

What Have We Become?

That is a mighty big "Might" in the headline. This might be a totally Vancouver thing to do but I am going to quote something I wrote last summer that may illustrate what Vancouver has become, become long before our Canuck riot, we have "become a place Hunter S. Thompson would eye with fear."

@Fish-Counter

"The real problem was the cops. They were not on the riots at the start and their "plan" was to dress up in riot gear and watch as millions of dollars' worth of damage was done."

Actually that wasn't the biggest problem, the reality was that based on reports by people there were very few cops in that area and most apparently were on Granville.

This entire thing could probably have been prevented (or at least been seriously limited) if they would have gone in and dragged out the guys that threw the bottles, it would have sent a message.

In an ideal world they would have moved most cops with the gear within a block of the site, people would see them but not directly perceive them as a threat. The moment the first car went up the gloves should have come off and they should have executed a plan to disperse the crowd (I would have expected them to drive them to and over Cambie bridge in order to allow the crowds to disperse along Cambie and Broadway).

The secret is: Much like crowding poverty together tends to intensify the problem so the same is true for riots of this kind, dispersing the individuals is usually the best solution, throwing flashbangs into an already agitated and confined crowd though tends to do little.

An interesting article I am

An interesting article I am inclined to agree with, and many other comments posted I'm also inclined to agree with.
After living in Vancouver for eighteen years, and just moving to another western Canadian city last year (Edmonton), I have some mixed feelings about Vancouver.

The whole 'World Class' tag boosterism was always just an embarrassment to me an every one I knew. It was invented by the Liberal Party and never represented my view of the city or province. So who cares? Someone secure in their identity acknowledges and shrugs off weaker characteristics in their nature. By getting all in a fluster about it, it just shows how some people have identity issues with being a Vancouverite. And who cares about that?

Vancouver has its pros and cons, like any city. I miss the bike paths and fairly pedestrian-friendly layout and community centres, beaches, mild winters and general health-consciousness. I MADE IT my city.

As analogy, Vancouver is kind of like this:
A bunch of free-spirited commune-minded tenants living in a rented house. They work hard to build a nice garden that produces every year, fix up the house and yard to make it appealing, relaxing, full of fun and a place everyone in the neighbourhood gravitates to, with its lush open and take what-you-need garden and communal dinners and parties that are the toast of the neighbourhood. Everyone is doing there own thing in peace, caring for each other. Then during a lovely pot luck dinner the landlord comes to the door and orders everyone out immediately. The landlord doubles or triples the rent and a yuppie couple, or well established retired couple, or a young obscenely wealthy student from Saudi Arabia (or some other member of the wealthy global elite) moves in and takes advantage of all the work that the previous tenants did (and never got paid for). Hence, the mass exodus from Vancouver.

Perhaps this is pushing the metaphor too far...
then one day all the previous tenants get together by accident at a party down the street and get shit-faced drunk. Someone suggests they paint some graffiti on the house they recently got evicted from, and things get out of hand and the windows get smashed and the new BMW in the driveway get its tired slashed. Then all hell breaks loose in the media and lamentations of "shame", etc, ad nauseum repeats itself in the mainstream media for weeks on end.

Then the tenants eventually move to another city, and Vancouver turns into larger version of Whistler, a playground built by volunteers and activists and taken over by the rich.
Then one day the tennats

in the meantime... I wait in

in the meantime...
I wait in anticipation of the day when all those tenants living in tall skinny towers in downtown Vancouver ask themselves:

IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO BE LIVING ON THE 20th FLOOR OF THIS TALL SKINNY METAL AND GLASS BUILDING WHEN IT WILL INEVITABLY ROCK AND SWAY LIKE A DOUGLAS FUR IN STANLEY PARK DURING A WINDSTORM AND THE GROUND BELOW IS CRUMBLING FASTER THEN GORDON CAMPBELL'S POPULARITY SINCE THE HST WAS INTRODUCED, WHEN THE BIG EARTHQUAKE THAT IS OVER DUE DOES HIT?

Then maybe Vancouver will be affordable again, after the fall out.

vancouver not so beautiful

eliminate all the automobiles except for legitimate service vehicles and i'd say yes
van is the most beautiful city for views and breezes
but i find it totally violent 24/7 because of all the traffic
significant symbolism that automobiles were tipped and burned

Meanwhile....

while we're debating broken windows and looting over in Belfast firebombs are going off and gun shots are wringing out for the second night in a row.
And ironically the night of the riot on the news they had a report from Boston. They know all about sports riots. Three people have been killed in rioting there in the last ten years.
Lets get a grip.

long time vancouver resident

My city has been trashed, not by the sports enthusiasts but by the incessant remodeling of the city in the eyes of those who can profit the greatest. As some people strive to regain the neighbourhood feel of the city (farmers markets etc) others are hell bent on destroying the soul of the city.

As the author points out, the souless chant of "we're #1" by the tourism and business elites as well as the so called political leaders is as hollow as the variety of dubious list makers (The Economist) who claim we are #1.

I have looked over the criteria that is used to determine who is #1 or #156 on these lists. What is fascinating is that the difference between #1 and #10 is 1 percent. The Economist list is a list that is used by corporations to determine compensation for an employee who has to "suffer" working in Vancouver.

Yes, let's get down to earth, embrace the true wonders of the city, especially when the sun shines, and support the real community events that build good relations amongst us.

The author could add to the list of those who should pay, the CBC, the morning and afternoon show hosts whose shrill invitations for everyone to come on down and enjoy the festivities were irresponsible to say the least. They used the experience of the Olympics to determine the safety of 100,000 people crammed into a small area. However, there were 5000 police officers as well as the military to maintain the "peace" (as well as a $1 billion price tag).

Should CBC be asked to pay for the damages or for even the police costs?

And when will the private owners of the "Vancouver" Canucks be asked to pay for the use of the good city's name? This is not "our" team. It belongs to those who financially own the team. We just pay the bills for the high priced gladiators.

And finally, if you think Vancouver fans went to the extreme think about the South American (Columbian) fans who assassinated a soccer (futbol) player for losing a game against the US during the 1994 World Cup due to scoring on his own keeper by mistake or the Hillsborough and Heysel stadium disasters in the UK where in total 135 fans were crushed to death and more than 1300 were injured.

Some broken windows, a handful of trinkets looted and a few cars damaged...we got off lucky...now lets get over it and enjoy the summer. Those with bruised egos should go for a holiday somewhere else and let us enjoy the city in our small ways.