My thoughts on the state of the world

With important elections looming in the U.S as well as Canada, in a time where generations have never been more far apart on issues relating to the future of our world, in a time where we see and understand why politicians are puppets wrapped in corporate red tape and why the capitalist system we live and kill for is on the verge of crumbling (yes in Canada too!), I thought it might be a good time to say a few words.

The generation of baby boomers have built up such a massive debt that it will take at least 3 generations to pay it back. We, in Canada, must not fall into the same trap as the U.S. We must kill corporate greed before it kills us.

Stephen Harper represents the same ideology as George W. Bush. If Harper was in power in 2003, we’d not only be in Afghanistan we’d be in Irak too!

I know, I know… the alternatives in Canada are not so inspiring. We don’t have our version of Barack Obama (Justin Trudeau is still in training). We’ve got Stéphane Dion or Jack Layton or Elizabeth May sharing votes ultimately sealing the deal for the Conservatives. At least in the U.S, you can vote for Mickey Mouse…

One thing I like about the way our Canadian government works as opposed to the U.S., is how you cannot do much without a majority government. Sure, nothing ever really gets done that way, and we have useless elections every 2 years, but at least we don’t have radical-religious trigger happy crusaders running the show and invading other countries. Wait a minute… maybe we do!

Does anyone even remember that we’re in Afghanistan? And why we’re there? Oh yeah, to kill terrorists before they kill us. It’s what they keep telling us over and over again, but it’s not the real reason. Oil is the obvious reason… and the other is opium.

Here’s an interesting read I thought I’d share, from GlobalResearch.ca.

Opium and illicit narcotics have played a relatively unknown, yet historic and central, role in world economics and international relations. There were major wars launched because of opium. In the Far East and Southeast Asia, opium was an integral part of European trade. At its peak in the mid 1880s, opium was one of the most valuable commodities circulating in international trade. British exports of opium out of India had systematically helped weaken Chinese resistance to foreign or colonial powers and also helped balance the enormous trade deficit Britain had with China.Opium was very important to Britain. Opium addiction was also used to exploit Asian nations, populations, and economies. The profits of opium were so significant and lucrative that the British went so far as to declare war on China for encraoching upon the trade in opium. Basically an unjust war was declared by Britain on China.

(…)

In economic terms, demand is what creates supply. The supply of opium and heroin has been rising. This is happening right under NATO’s nose. NATO claims that it has been tolerating some growth of opium so as not to incite violence against NATO troops. The multi-billion dollar (U.S.) heroin industry of Afghanistan must be addressed. Instead of eliminating the drug trade, foreign military presence has assisted in restoring it.

Afghanistan produces 92 percent of the world’s supply of heroin and the demand has been rising ever since the U.S led forces including Canada took over the business from The Taliban. It’s a billion dollars industry and when we live in a world where money talks and big business runs government, it makes sense to get our piece of the heroin pie. Now banks in the U.S are starting to go bankrupt, maybe realizing they need to quit some of their inhumane habits. And what does the government do? Bail them out. Quick fix. Band-aid.

I think it’s a tragedy that we sent our soldiers to die in such a useless war for the rich and we should be ashamed of our leaders and ourselves for not stopping it.

So on election day, it’s important that we go out and vote but it’s even more important to stay informed and to speak out against everything that is unjust and unclear about the way our system works and not stand down until all of our questions are answered with clarity.

Together, dear humans of the planet, we will find a way to free ourselves from the boundaries that confine us all, and we will re-write the true meaning of freedom.

I’ll finish this opinion rant with a few links and videos I found interesting related to both of these historic U.S. and Canadian elections.

Watch, download and share Michael Moore’s new documentary Slacker Uprising by following this link. Be sure to come back here and let me know what you thought about it.

A great clip done by Québec artists, featuring Michel Rivard, Stéphane Rousseau and Benoît Brière.

An interesting article from the Telegraph. Read Financial crisis: President Bush warns of ‘long and painful recession’ here.

Good evening and good night.

Christian Berthiaume

~ par kermetgong le 25 septembre, 2008.