Okay, here's the deal. I know most of my readers aren't real big on politics. I do follow what's going on though and I think it's important that everyone has at least some kind of an idea of the travesty we're currently calling our national government. Please don't click away now! I promise I'll keep it digestible (like a cookie, amiright) and you'll come away so smart and ready for your next cocktail party and/or protest rally.
I'm going to discuss a couple of key points about our government that I find especially appalling. Everyone needs to know about these things, not just us kids especially into the news. These things effect all of us. Before we start, though: Party in power: the Conservatives. Prime Minister: Stephen Harper.
1. Bill C-38 was recently passed. Don't yawn yet! Let me explain. This bill introduces sweeping changes to many aspects of Canadian life - it's one of the biggest bills evah, containing a bunch of changes within one big thing. Some of the worst of them include:
a. Shutting down the National Roundtable on the Economy and the Environment.
b. Exempting oil pipelines from special laws to protect our waters. Oil companies > Seals
c. Fish habitat regulations have been changed, likely to devastating consequences. Who needs fish anyways? They smell weird!
d. the CBC budget was cut by 10%, which breaks my fucking heart. I am actually producing tears, indicative of real human emotions. Oh wait, Stephen Harper doesn't know what those are. As a guest on Q said the other week, "National radio is a national conversation. To not believe in a national conversation is to not believe in a nation." Christ.
e. The only study on Canadian water usage has been eliminated, and the budget for monitoring discharge from mines and pulp mills has been slashed by 20%.
2. Harper's government keeps a list of non-Conservative supporters. What? They're monitoring our political preferences? Yep. No doubt my name is on a list somewhere with a frown next to it, and this blog post ain't gonna help. What does this mean for me? Who knows? Maybe it'll be harder for me to get that embassy job down the road. Maybe I'll have more trouble getting through customs. Maybe my passport will take twice as long to get back to me as it should when I get it renewed. Yeah, I could be scared about this, but all I know if the last FUCKING thing I would EVER do is keep quiet because I'm scared of the government. I believe in what I believe in, Harper, and I sure as fuck don't believe in you. Come at me, bro.
3. During the last federal election, non-Conservative supporters in several ridings across Canada received phone calls letting them know their polling stations had changed. In most cases, would-be voters were told they'd have to vote somewhere much farther off and more inconvenient. No surprise, when these individuals showed up at the purported polling stations, they didn't exist. Yes, someone was calling non-Conservatives to trick them out of casting their votes. Yes, the calls were shown to be originating out of Conservative offices. What the fuck? That's actual cheating! We are not five and national politics are not monopoly! Cheating is just not okay! But don't worry, Elections Canada will investigate. Oh, except bill C-38 just cut their funding, too.
4. The government's new tough-on-crime bill is pretty suspicious, too. Crime rates in Canada are at their lowest level since 1970, and yet the government has just passed legislation meant to 'get tough on crime.' Let's talk about this. Our jails are full. Crime is low. Who exactly are we aiming to punish? Yeah, let's throw more small-time marijuana dealers in the clink. That'll show them! In effect, this is just political grandstanding. It looks good for Stephen Harper to say things like "We're imposing tougher sentences on violent criminals." It just doesn't make any actual sense, not that our current government is concerned with that.
4. Stephen Harper does not look good naked. We all know that's very important in a political leader.
5. There is so. much. more. This got long fast though so I'll be back! Watch for party girl politics part 2, people.
No comments:
Post a Comment