February is generally regarded as the worst month in the Northern Hemisphere, since it is the middle of winter. However, here are some positives that we can celebrate:

1. The New Orleans Saints - popularly known as the “Aints” - beat the favourite Colts to win the Super Bowl! This is a feel-good story for the ages, not only because of the Saints’ 40 plus years’ history of ineptitude, but also because of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent betrayal by George W. Bush, who promised to rebuild the city and didn’t… he did very little in fact.
2. Another feel-good story I just read in the Toronto Star, Feb 6, 2010 concerns M.C. Metha. He is a 63-year old lawyer in India who has successfully battled big corporations for the last 26 years on a variety of environmental issues, including reducing pollution around iconic Indian sites like the Taj Mahal and the Ganges River. He has never earned more than Can $2,300 per annum, which is what corporate lawyers in India earn in a single consultation. Way to go, MC!
3. February is often the beginning of the new (lunar) year! A Chinese Astrology web sites states: “Hot passion meets cold steel with the arrival of the year of the Metal Tiger. This combined sign signifies both the energy to begin activity and the determination to follow it through to the end. Forget about last year’s slow plodding. Events set in motion now will pick up speed and continue until either the objective is attained or the whole endeavor crashes and burns”.
4. So what do we generally and especially in Canada, want to “set in motion”? Perhaps that our political leaders actually listen to the people (rather than shutting them down by shutting down Parliament)? That some leader comes up with a uniting and compassionate vision rather than a divisive and partisan one? That some leader actually tells us the Truth (rather than blocking access to it) and that we have the courage and intelligence to actually understand that… rather than narcissistically shouting, ”Give me what I want” regardless..? Think of a country, like Canada, as a family with a family budget. You only have so much money to spend. What are your priorities? There isn’t an open cheque book for individuals, countries or the planet! You can’t get something for nothing!
5. On a personal note, February has been great for me! We just opened our (Harmony Dawn retreat) season and our (new) clients were great! LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) helps look after our natural environment and they were polite, sensitive and appreciative.. of our natural environment, but also of our food and hospitality. It’s a huge win-win situation! Also it’s been very sunny (albeit cold), which warms our off-grid house, pumps up our solar power, thaws the ice on our road and heats our house like a sauna… bring on the bathing suits and drinks with an umbrella!
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“Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle” is a 2009 book by Pulitzer Prize winner, Chris Hedges.  He makes a very detailed and persuasive case that the majority of Americans (and those enthralled by American culture, which includes very many Canadians) can no longer distinguish between Reality and Illusion, which has historically signaled the death knell for cultures and empires.  The most obvious parallel is the “Bread and Circuses” policy used to distract the citizens of the Roman Empire as it crumbled.  Our present distractions/ entertainments are not that much different from the Romans 2000 years ago – sex, violence, pre-occupation with spectacle and the lives the famous.. in our case even the fleetingly famous, as in “reality stars”. 

However, our technology is able to deliver these distractions much more powerfully, 24 hours a day and wherever we are, especially if hooked up by i-phones, blackberries etc. Movies, TV, wrestling, professional sport, pornography (especially internet), video games, gambling, alcohol and drugs etc. all combine to put us into an over- stimulated, stressed and distracted state, which has become an addiction.. we can’t do without it. An increasing number of personal addictions are being (belatedly) identified: drugs, alcohol, eating, gambling, pornography, sex, prescription drugs, video games and much more.  2500 years ago, the Buddha pointed out that we suffer when we become attached.  Addiction is overwhelming attachment.

If “entertainment” preoccupies us, at the very least, we have less time and energy to devote to the challenges of real life, which are neglected and subsequently turn into crise (and often are still ignored!).  This numbness and desire to escape is obvious and widespread throughout North America.  No one wants to be “bothered” or “bored” by seeming complex and “remote” or “far off” problems..

However, Pop Culture is not only a passive escape, but is often used to deliberately distortion reality by the Power Elite and the Corporations ---which own and monopolize all the major news/ communication,/marketing/ entertainment organizations.  Have you ever wondered how come a certain person (or product) suddenly appears in all the magazines, TV shows etc and is proclaimed a “star” or a “hit”?  There are just a handful of companies controlling the Biz and everyone in that industry depends on them directly or indirectly.  Those who are a nuisance or threat are simply ignored, shut out or in extreme cases, crushed.

The power of media manipulation has of course moved into politics and government.  The Republicans are far more aggressive in using this power and more openly aligned with the Corporations as the Bush-Cheney administration showed.  The Iraqi invasion was sold to the American people (and the world) on blatantly false “facts” – there were never any ‘weapons of mass destruction’ and the administration know this.  Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Rumsfeld simply wanted to take out Iraq for oil and other personal reasons like avenging Bush’s father and getting work for companies like Haliburton, which Cheney used to run.

What is even more shocking than this deception is that the average American has failed to hold them accountable!!... even though thousands of American soldiers were killed and injured and the Treasury depleted by $ hundreds of billions (which could have pumped up the economy, Education or Medicare).  The same thing is happening now with the Depression/ Recession.  People have forgotten (or have bought the Republican diversionary spin) that it was Bush’s de-regulation and Corporations-first policy which was responsible for the crash.  Such disasters cannot be fixed within a year, but that is what people expect and have been turning on Obama for months – well short of a year when many of those same people were escatic over his election.   All this suggests to Hedges – and to me – that Illusion is indeed gradually replacing Reality in North America (and elsewhere).  The techniques that are used to distract and manipulate us when we watch a movie or play a video game are now being effectively used in every aspect of our culture and society.

In my last post, “Is Democracy in Danger”, I pointed my finger mostly at Corporate Society.  Corporations are also manipulating Popular Culture, media etc, but individuals must take responsibility.  We spend our hard-earned $ on all the garbage that the Entertainment industry throws at us and we make the decision not to investigate (or even bother to remember) the issues that are challenging us. We decide to numb out.  Happiness, whether individual or collective, will never come about through numbness, dumbness, meanness, exploitation and violence.  On the contrary, that is the path to collapse…the signs of which are becoming increasingly frequent.

The greatest spiritual teachers and philosophers over the millenia have taught greater self-understanding and awareness, which if skillfully practiced, lead to higher levels of morality, compassion and wisdom – understanding ourselves, the world and how they are intricately interconnected.  They recommend living fully in each moment – the Now -instead of trying to escape it.

Democracy in my dictionary is defined as: “A system of government by the whole population, usually through elected representatives”.  How many, much less the whole population, feel that they actually govern their country?!!

Many are very concerned about the state of the world and the direction in which we are headed, but feel powerless and confused.  They are worn down by the demands of their daily lives, find political and social issues too complex, and don’t trust politicians enough to be bothered to vote. Within the USA and Canada, a 60% voter turn-out is regarded as good, even though entrenched opposition parties, especially within the USA, will split the vote almost 50%, with a very small “swing vote” being decisive... and conducive to being manipulated by the trumped up “pseudo events” of the moment.  History suggests that we tend to be manipulable suckers.  As people “cocoon”, they withdraw from participation, including from the political process.  This withdrawal has allowed the power elite and the corporations to exert ever more control over our affairs, further eroding the democratic process.
The single greatest threat to democracy has been the rapid increase in corporate size and power over the last half-century.  In 1961, President Eisenhower, a senior World War 2 general, used his farewell address to warn America and the world of the dangers of the emerging military-industrial complex: “This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.  In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.  We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
There can be no doubt that Eisenhower’s worst fears have materialized, yet most people don’t seem to care or are blissfully unaware!  “Unwarranted influence” abounds and the citizenry does not seem to be “alert and knowledgeable” or if they are, have been rendered relatively powerless by the elite. Corporations give $ billions to both Republicans and Democrats thru donations, “lobbying” and other means. Elections (and those vicious attack ads) in the USA and Canada wouldn’t be able to run in their present format without massive corporate funding.  Corporate CEO’s and senior personnel go into government and back to the corporate world as through a revolving door.  This corporate/ government connection was particularly blatant under George W.  He appointed corporate lobbyists to neutralize watch-dog departments like the Environmental Protection Agency; Cheney used to run Haliburton, which benefited from prime contracts during the Iraqi war (which he helped start for no good reason).  American treasury and lives were spent, but companies like Haliburton just got richer (Check out Harper and the Alberta elite). It must be noted that the power elite which moves freely between government and the corporate boardrooms, have all been educated in the same elite universities and socialize together- this includes Obama.

Even apart from their direct influence on politics and government, corporations wield enormous and undue power throughout society, which decisively tilts the democratic playing field.  They can threaten to move their operations (including many jobs) if they don’t get sweet deals from the government… and eventually will do anyway…to cheap labour countries.  Even if they are in the wrong, they can bankrupt their opponents in the courts.  They influence culture and popular opinion through entertainment, advertising and the media, including the “factual news” you ingest.  Perhaps the most recent example of just how corporations powerful have become is the recent global recession/ depression, precipitated by bad/ corrupt behaviour in the highest echelons of the banking/ financial community.  The very organizations that caused the crisis were bailed out by government money (your taxes) because they were deemed too big to fail (how did they become that big?... no regulation).  While Main St. was losing money, Wall St (and to a lesser extent Bay St) continued paying out big bonuses.

These issues deserve in-depth and extensive investigation, but at present, the conventional media and even the internet does not provide a suitable venue… in large part because we, the average citizen, has an ever-shortening attention span.  So here are a few quickie suggestions of how we can help turn the Democratic tide:

1. Severely limit corporate donations/ expenditure within the political, economic and legal processes.  If corporations are legally regarded as an entity equivalent to a human individual, their impact should be on par with a human individual.
2. Make corporate entities responsible for the totality of their activities.  For example, if corporate(or individual) activities generate trash, pollution, delayed health-risks etc. then make them pay for the clean-up/ fall out.
3. Think outside of the box.  Are corporations truly promoting the well-being of a country or its individuals?  The last time I looked, corporations were looking to maximize profits… and truth be told, maximizing the profits of its management.  The tricky thing about corporations is that they have been given the legal status of a human individual (based on a American law intended to protect the newly-freed African slaves) but their monetary and other powers are vast… they become a Super Citizen!  They are also tricky because it is easy for individuals to hide or pass the blame.. shareholders (the owners) have limited liability and the people who run the corporations can claim they didn't know what was going on or wash money and assets thru subsidiary corporations based abroad. Corporations are not loyal to countries or individuals… the prime examples are the biggest American corporations.. Walmart etc… which have outsourced jobs outside of America (similar things happened in Canada).

If we do not protect Democracy through our efforts, it will continue to be eroded., together  with our Quality of Life.

Looking back over the first decade of the new millennium, the event most people remember is 9/11 and the fall of the Twin Towers.  People were shocked and shaken; George W. Bush launched his “War on Terrorism” with which Obama is now saddled; time has slowly dulled the pain and shock.

What are the real consequences and lessons of 9/11?  Thomas Walkom recently wrote an article in the Toronto Star entitled, “Who won the decade? The Terrorists”.  He argues that the West has taken a leap backward because of our own fears and anxieties - civil liberties and social movements have been rolled back; torture has become acceptable; surveillance of citizens is increasingly more intrusive; the Liberals are divided and indecisive, fearing to be called soft or unpatriotic, and so are leaving the field more and more to the extreme Right.

Way back in 2004, I pointed out in my book, “Ageless Wisdom Spirituality: Investing in Human Evolution”, that the American invasion of Iraq was wrong-headed, largely trumped up by the Bush-Cheney administration (google:  project for the new American century) and doomed to failure.  Now in 2010, we know that many more Americans have died in Iraq than died in 9/11, not to mention tens of thousands more injured; Iraq and its population have been devastated and have become a recruiting ground for terrorists; the war has been a huge drain on the American Treasury; Afghanistan has been neglected and now festers, while Al-Qaeda has become stronger as a rallying point for extremists.  Al-Qaeda cannot be defeated by armies because it is an idea, which is spread and enabled by the internet.  Another terrorist attack in the USA will succeed sooner or later because all it takes is one person with relatively crude devices - or even just a computer.

In Ageless Wisdom Spirituality, I pointed out that our greatest strength is actually internal.  We need all our bravery, clarity, common sense and compassion to meet our collective global challenges: the health of the planet, the poverty gap (which I think is linked with terrorism) and the indiscriminate implementation of science and technology.   9/11 was a tragedy but the loss of life and property was relatively small considering what other countries around the world experience.  The terrorists are winning because they have plunged us into Fear and distracted us from our really important challenges.  Americans are living in the past.  They keep on spending more than they earn and borrowing the difference from China, which is now poised to challenge the USA both economically and military; they cling to Old Oil, while the more forward-looking countries are already positioning themselves to lead the next wave, which will be “greener” and based on more alternative energy solutions; they refuse to look outside of their own borders for new ideas and inspiration or even feedback.

And what of Canada? Since 9/11, Canadian leaders have voluntarily (or been pressured behind closed doors) fallen in line with American policies.  Under Harper’s minority government, this process has accelerated with Canada having fallen off the international stage and become not much more than a neglected, American state, toeing the Presidential line.  Harper is operating more like an American president (especially Bush) with the PMO’s office holding ever more “secrets”, controlling talking points and bullying anyone who opposes or contradicts it, including career diplomats like Richard Colvin. Probably the next big bi-lateral issue to surface (or be pushed through in secret) is one which I have mentioned before in my blogs: the idea of Canada being included in a North American defensive “perimeter”, which will be manned mostly by the American army.  Of course, in exchange for all this “security”, they will expect more control of our water and natural resources and whatever else they find useful.  If we are going to hand over our defence to the USA, why is our defence spending increasing?  The whole point of a stronger army is to deter bullies, including the Americans!

Apart from the obvious issues of the erosion of Canadian democracy and independence, does it make even strategic and economic sense to bind ourselves ever more tightly to the sinking American Empire?

Just got back from Singapore - the first time since the late 70s when Singapore was newly independent (since 1965) and feeling vulnerable as it struggled to support and defend itself as a mostly Chinese enclave in an Indonesian-Malayan environment.  A small island-state of just 275 sq. miles, its most obvious asset was its geographical position as a major port. Its leaders identified an asset with even greater potential - the ingenuity and work ethic of its population.  They were determined to educate their people and give them incentives to create a more prosperous society with a better quality of living.  They were open to learning from the best in the world, which then meant the Americans and Japanese. In 1965, Singapore’s per capita GDP was ranked  # 42 in the world.  In comparison, the USA was # 2 and Canada was # 5.
Fast forward to 2009.  Singapore’s GDP per capita is now  within the global Top Ten, while the USA and Canada are definitely lower, probably outside the Top Ten..  Why did Singapore make a spectacular climb up the global prosperity charts while the USA and Canada (which under Harper apes the USA) slip downwards?  Here are a few possible reasons:

1. Pragmatics Vs Ideology.  Singapore is definitely a Capitalist society, but unlike the USA, it has not raised an unfettered, “pure” Free Market to the level of an ideology.  The government micro-manages and has imposed visionary (from which the Developed nations can learn) regulations concerning traffic, housing, education, drugs, the environment, corruption and more while at the same time offering financial and other incentives... a refined stick-and-carrot approach. To the West, these policies may seem “authoritarian”, but they have worked very well and have been supported by the electorate.  Below are excerpts from a CNN interview with Lee Kuan Yew (first Prime Minister of Singapore and still an influential force) by Fareed Zakaria:

 LKY: As an East Asian looking at America, I find attractive and unattractive features. I like, for example, the free, easy and open relations between people regardless of social status, ethnicity or religion. And the things that I have always admired about America, as against the communist system, I still do: a certain openness in argument about what is good or bad for society; the accountability of public officials; none of the secrecy and terror that's part and parcel of communist government.
But as a total system, I find parts of it totally unacceptable: guns, drugs, violent crime, vagrancy, unbecoming behavior in public -- in sum the breakdown of civil society. The expansion of the right of the individual to behave or misbehave as he pleases has come at the expense of orderly society. In the East the main object is to have a well-ordered society so that everybody can have maximum enjoyment of his freedoms…
Let me give you an example that encapsulates the whole difference between America and Singapore. America has a vicious drug problem. How does it solve it? It goes around the world helping other anti-narcotic agencies to try and stop the suppliers. It pays for helicopters, defoliating agents and so on. And when it is provoked, it captures the president of Panama and brings him to trial in Florida. Singapore does not have that option… What we can do is to pass a law which says that any customs officer or policeman who sees anybody in Singapore behaving suspiciously, leading him to suspect the person is under the influence of drugs, can require that man to have his urine tested. If the sample is found to contain drugs, the man immediately goes for treatment. In America if you did that it would be an invasion of the individual's rights and you would be sued.
FZ: Would it be fair to say that you admired America more 25 years ago? What, in your view, went wrong?
LKY: ..it has a lot to do with the erosion of the moral underpinnings of a society and the diminution of personal responsibility. The liberal, intellectual tradition that developed after World War II claimed that human beings had arrived at this perfect state where everybody would be better off if they were allowed to do their own thing and flourish. It has not worked out, and I doubt if it will. Certain basics about human nature do not change. Man needs a certain moral sense of right and wrong. There is such a thing called evil, and it is not the result of being a victim of society. You are just an evil man, prone to do evil things, and you have to be stopped from doing them. Westerners have abandoned an ethical basis for society, believing that all problems are solvable by a good government.

2. Morality, responsibility and family.   Singapore stresses these but in a much different way from America, wherein these terms have been hi-jacked by the Christian Right and narrowed down to certain arbitrary issues like gay marriage, abortion, celibacy, the right to carry guns and somehow, the unfettered Free Market.  These issues have become divisive within America but in Singapore have been channeled in a positive and healthy manner.

I believe that morality is an essential ingredient in any healthy society and that a higher form of morality depends on a higher/ deeper understanding and practice of spirituality.  Such a spirituality is not yet evident in Singapore, but Singapore has at least shown that morality and practical social and financial policies are not mutually exclusive.  What Singapore has in spades that the USA and Canada lack is effective, visionary leadership.  It’s not only individual personalities but the System, as LKY eloquently pointed out.

PS: Subsequent to this post, I discovered an article on Singapore in the January 2010 edition of National Geographic..along similar lines to my blog.