Harper, during his shutting down of Parliament, was not in a sweaty room with Flaherty, painstakingly hammering out a budget, but instead attending all the Olympic games in Vancouver, fawning over people like Gretzky and Donald Sutherland, and getting his photo ops  with them.  It’s embarrassing that the Canadian PM is a sports groupie and has nothing better to do with his time than to spend 2 full weeks at the Olympics!  The end of the Olympics conveniently coincided with the beginning of the new Parliamentary session...coincidence?
So what has this momentous new Tory budget got to offer?  Safe from political threat (the Liberals backed down again), they have put forward a traditional, Conservative agenda, very much akin to the American Republicans:  Cut incentives for “green energy” and weaken eco-regulations; cut general spending (always a Conservative staple); cut business and corporate taxes (even though major corporations were responsible for the present economic collapse); ignore the Arts;  increase “defence” spending, even within a recession.
The Tories’ long term aim is to weaken and reduce the Federal government. Stockwell Day, a well-known government downsizer, has been put in charge of the Treasury Board, which controls the government purse strings. Chantal Hebert noted in The Star, “Earlier this month, former federal minister Maxime Bernier provided a rare insight into the Conservative pre-budget mindset. In a speech in Calgary, Bernier described how the battle on the deficit could be turned into an opportunity to advance the Conservative vision of a substantially scaled down federal government. He argued for a zero-growth approach to future federal spending”.
In terms of its immediate, political challenges, specifically why it ignored torture allegations concerning prisoners Canadian troops handed over to the Afghanistan authorities, The Harper government is still refusing to divulge information.  They have now further (in addition to proroguement) delayed the process by asking retired Supreme Court justice, Frank Iacobucci, to make a ruling on what should be revealed.  If you have nothing to hide, why don’t you reveal information which Parliament has a right to demand and has demanded?   Is the fact that individuals have been tortured in Afghanistan really a Canadian security issue? ...Probably not in any practical sense, but it’s certainly a political embarrassment for Harper. If you torture in the name of the Good, are you that much different from those who torture in the name of Evil?  Who decides what is “good” or “evil” anyway? It changes as time passes.
In conclusion, would be Tory “golden girl”, Helena Guergis, is taking yet another media hit.  Following the 2009 arrest of her husband, Rahim Jaffer (a former Tory MP), for drunk driving and possession of cocaine, she is now caught cussing out officials at Charlottetown Airport because their security screening was delaying her. Poor Helena, life is so stressful!

Harper, for the second consecutive year, has shut down/ prorogued Parliament to escape political pressure, banking on the electorate forgetting or becoming preoccupied with something new. Last year, he successfully fended off the threat of a coalition government. This year, commentators agree his main objective is avoiding questions on why his government didn’t stop the Canadian military from handing over captives to the Afghanistan army despite widespread reports of torture. The furor was sparked by the testimony of ‘whistleblower’ Canadian diplomat, Richard Colvin. Another suggested Harper motive is gaining majorities on Senate committees. The official excuse Harper gave was they needed time to prepare their upcoming budget. A spokesman said they wanted “to consult with Canadians, stakeholders and businesses”.

No one has consulted me. What about you? Doesn’t the Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, prepare the budget, not the whole cabinet or Parliament? Regarding “consultation”, Harper talks about it a lot, but has consistently acted with a presidential sense of privilege and entitlement, even though a minority of Canadians voted for him.

Parliament was prorogued from January 25 to March 3, conveniently after the Vancouver Olympics. What has Harper and his senior cabinet been up to, apart from feverishly working on their budget? My own (incomplete) investigative report:

Jan 25. Harper invites the world to Canada to discuss the Haitian earthquake. He gets global photo ops. Canadian sympathy for Haiti is commendable, but why is Canada taking the lead when more historically significant countries like France and the USA should be leading the charge?

Jan 28 Harper speaks at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail writes, “It’s a pretty exclusive event – by invitation only. In previous years, the United Nations Secretary-General has shown up as has King Abdullah of Jordan and even Bill Gates. This year the 2,500 invited guests will be dealing with the theme: “Improve the State of the World: Rethink, Redesign and Rebuild.”….Flaherty and International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan are attending, as is Quebec Premier Jean Charest. From the business side are Peter Munk, the chairman of Barrick Gold; Sonja Bata, who heads the Bata Shoe Foundation; Guy Hachey, president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Aerospace; and Monique Leroux, board chair and CEO of Desjardins Group. You get the idea.”

Feb 5: Sports Illustrated article on “avid hockey historian”, Harper, talking about hockey and the upcoming Olympics.

Feb 5. The Star features a pix of Harper and son, Ben, at a Calgary Flames hockey game.

Feb 5. The Harper government triumphantly announces an agreement with the USA to partially exempt Canadians from the “Buy American” legislation in the USA. Many commentators think Canada gave up significant concessions just to get the hope that the Americans will look favourably on us. Liberal Scott Brison comments, “This deal is a pathetic attempt to try to create some level of symbolic victory when, in fact, a real deal was required to defend Canadian interests…There is absolutely no reason the government couldn't have concluded this deal last March."

Feb 6 Flaherty hosts a G7 Finance Ministers Meeting in Iqaluit. Photo ops of Flaherty riding a snowmobile and (inadvertently) damaging an igloo.

Feb 6 Harper hosts a hockey TV “ hot stove” (more ‘leadership’ photo ops) in Saskatoon, quizzing hockey greats, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky.

Feb 12. Olympics start. Harper is prominent at the Opening Ceremony and subsequently is seen congratulating Canadian medal winners. Shouldn’t he be helping Flaherty with their Super Budget?

Feb 16 Sylvaine Laroque, Canadian Press: “During a tour of Haitian disaster zones, Prime Minister Stephen Harper touted his government's military purchases and cited current relief efforts as evidence his approach worked”.
Feb 19 Jane Taber, Globe & Mail: “Halfway through the Winter Olympics and Stephen Harper's Tories are already out with a new video campaign, starring Mike Duffy, pitching pride and patriotism in our athletes and country. It didn’t take them long to use the Games to appeal to supporters.,, he (Duffy) appears in the video with a supporting cast of one – Senator Nancy Greene Raine, who is also Canada’s Olympic ambassador…Ms. Greene Raine compares the athletes to ‘our strong leader’, Mr. Harper, who is in a competition of his own: ‘With our strong leader, Canada will continue to compete with the world’s best’…Duffy, who also refers to his colleague as ‘my Olympic champion’, goes on to say, ‘We Conservatives are champions in our own right’.

Feb 20 CTV features a piece entitled, “Stephen Harper balances job, hockey dad dutiesFeb 22 The Toronto Star reports that Stephen Harper is among 11 founding Reform Party members who will collect over $100,000 annually (Harper $150, 244) in pensions when they retire. In 1993, the Reform Party members advocated cutting MP pensions and said they would refuse such benefits! Talk is indeed cheap.,, even though MP pensions are not.

Just read an alarming New York Times article and thought I'd send out a precautionary heads-up to any karaoke habitués or those who may get carried away during the upcoming Valentine Day’s celebrations.

Over the past decade in the Philippines, at least 6 people have been killed after singing, “My Way”, popularized by Frank Sinatra. The phenomenon has spurned urban legends about the song. Most of the killings occurred after the singer sang out of tune. The article quoted karaoke habitué, Gregorio, as theorizing, “The trouble with My Way is that everyone knows it and everyone has an opinion”.

Karaoke killings are not confined to the Philippines. There have been instances in Malaysia and Thailand, where one man killed 8 of his neighbours in a rage after they sang John Denver’s “Take me Home, Country Roads”.

PS: The above is not meant to be serious!!

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!
aj

“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.