influence for a change

The blogosphere is host to a number of public opinions that are critical to the coming-of-age narrative because they provide the framework for building cultural knowledge. But of course this matter of opinion, open-endedness, or entity is challenged with consequence it seems. As the dark corners of my physical and virtual reality are assaulted in a negative sense, I’ve removed my commentary for good. It’s most unfortunate, but it was necessary.

In the past month, I’ve been sent a number of messages by fanatical reader(s) who seemingly want plenty more of my attention. They’ve admonished me for what they’ve viewed as my lack of understanding about the realities of writing online up to and including my human rights having been inflicted due harm on a number of occasions. Rather than respond privately, which is impossible because the reader(s) are unidentified, I thought I would do it here, I imagine the author(s) will read this and, if they have any counter arguments to make, will make them or respect my rights and put this to rest.


It feels as though a lot of changes are happening, or are on the verge of happening, for me and those closest to me. Some are happy and excited. Some are sad and painful. Some are a result of emotional impulse, and some, if you subscribe to logic, have been foolishly long overdue.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Benjamin Franklin.

I'm not quite convinced of the spectrum of that quote, but I guess we’ll find out, won't we? I've been stubborn and at the very least ‘optimistic’ enough to be questioning my sanity in the process. Somebody else, I don't know who once said to me, "Some people, they don't even know what they don't know. That's just the way they are. So let it go…" From time to time it seems to resonate within me. Nothing. Will. Be. Done.

Humanity is not willing to take responsibility for itself. Not for it's wars. Not for it's appalling poverty. Not for it’s hunger levels. Not for it’s appalling addictions. Not for it’s dead laziness. Not for the well being of others. And not for it's home planet. I sometimes begin to believe we are at an evolutionary dead end. And we are about to be extinct.

As you must excuse my ill mannered exploration of humanity, I’m only brave enough to say that I’m literally frightened to even dare to dream about the ramifications of this blog onto the livelihoods of those closest to me.


Let me say that I agree that Western countries should work to influence change in the Middle East with regards to human rights standards. But it is precisely our support for those government that deny their citizens proper rights that fuels anti-Western sentiment and protects the status quo of so-called normality. Given the inseparability of culture and religion in the region, including political culture, it is to be expected that, at some point, spirituality will be radicalized and co-opted by those that would use violent means to counteract what they view as the diminishment of their rights, culture, and religion by both foreign influences and those that are supported by foreign powers. If the region’s history did not paint such a blatant picture of Western exploitation, perhaps that wouldn’t be the case.

If the majority of those that visit this blog lived in a country in which they were denied a wide variety of rights, rights that most of us take for granted, how would they view those foreign powers that supported the very government that denied them those rights? Even more, when those foreign interests claim liberty and justice among their most precious virtues? Because that is precisely what numerous Western governments are guilty of, Canada included. The reason? Because oil is more important to the industrialized world than human rights.

Be it Western support for Saudi Arabia’s corrupt regime, or turning a blind eye to the criminality of governments with control over potentially exploitable resources (such as Sudan), when it comes down to the choice between the economics of oil and human rights, human rights lose. And that reality has been made possible by the very nations that claim human rights paramount.

So how should the majority in the Middle East react to the hypocrisy of foreign powers that claim to stand for equality, liberty, and the rule of law, yet support the very governments that deny their citizens proper rights? How would you? It’s not enough to say that things will change but that right now the fuel needs of soccer moms in North America are worth supporting regimes that willfully deny their citizens rights. While the United States condemns Syria, it supports Saudi Arabia. While it condemns Iran, it trades nuclear technologies with India, a country that hasn’t signed the Non Proliferation Treaty. Business is business, and human rights are bad for business. And until the people of the United States, of Canada and Great Britain, among many others, wake up to that fact, then nothing is going to change, be there military action or not.

This is precisely what Canadians should be thinking about, not lower taxes (mind you: they're exclusively for the middle and higher class), and not the falsehoods of men in power who do nothing to realistically address it. I know Mr. Martin’s government certainly did not, there were Canadian combat troops in Iraq long before any government led by Mr. Harper. But has anything been done about it? We, as a people, must choose how we wish to represent ourselves to those that have lost faith in us, and for good reason. If we choose to continue this love affair with apathic resigntaion then we cannot claim ourselves shocked if, and when, the sky falls.

It falls to us to bridge the gap, to show those half a world away that we, like them, are not willing to put up with such a disastrous double standard. Call me crazy, but I was raised to believe that in a civilized society people treat others as they, themselves, expect to be treated. Thus, given the evidence, I can only proclaim us Neanderthals, and look to the hopeful possibility of evolution to translate the difference.