Audio

Spinning Green

ravijo — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:03:15 -0700

Elizabeth May of all things has attempted to campaign on the premise that she has integrity and honesty, and that above all things she will not choose power over principle. I've discussed why I don't think she can claim that she is achieving all too much of those things, but in the light of C-30 being rewritten, it's time to check in once more with the Green ethics, and how the "sunflower power" brand has given them cart-blanch to say and do whatever they want. For May this means allowing herself to blabber on with her opinions, regardless of the political consequences, or with concern for following through on her promises. Those who witnessed the London North-Centre bi-election made note of her rule-by-decree approach to policy which attempted to present the Greens as a party with a full platform.

We know now that she is able to criticize the strategy of another political party, without concern for her own. In this audio clip we'll hear two points:

1) The criticism that the NDP thinks only in terms of political expediancy, and will attack the Liberals because they are closer in policy than the Conservatives.

2) The clean air act amendment process is a manifestation of Jack Layton's power hungery agenda, should not be taken seriously, and essentially that the Green party doesn't support it.

While they have not gone as far as removing it from their site, the Greens are now happy to claim responsibility for the results of the committee without a whisper of their original opposition to the committee.

Her stance on the NDP's integrity with respect to C-30 hinges on when the election would be called. I should point out that the NDP were all alone in the committee as they both put forward their proposed amendments in November, and pushed for a 4-week timeline-- well before any threat of an election. It was the Conservatives who delayed the bill, the Liberals who filibustered it, and both who asked for an 8-week time line. It was well known that the 8-week time line was putting the bill dangerously close to the potential election call (in and around the budget).

Of note is the extent to which May outlines her disgust for Jack's collapsing of the Liberal minority government in late 2005 because of the scheduling conflict between the elections and the climate change conference. "How could you sleep at night" she alleges to have asked in phone messages to Jack. The progress of the C-30 was clearly working out for the better when the recent Conservative budget was released. Elizabeth May was almost first to the microphones to say that not only could she not support it, but that she "would fight an election over it". I suppose for May the benefits of the C-30 committee were "not worth losing sleep on". I shoud note that I would not have supported the Conservative budget either, but this is a far cry from the commitment to the environment she claims to hold.

May tries to distance herself from the strategy of attacking those who have policies that are most alike her own. I would then draw your attention to "Green Bleeding Red" , where I outline how she has aligned herself with the Liberal environment roadmap. Once again I question whether or not what's good for the NDP is good enough for the Greens.

Coverage of the Green amendments and their suspicious similarity to some of the NDP's proposals, I won't take that on. What I will say is that she clearly won't follow through on the promise she made in this interview. Do you actually expect May to say this: "Gee, I was wrong to even worry about what his motives were - this has turned out well!". I wouldn't. She is far too sanctimonious and self-interested. The truth is she can say whatever she wants without repercussions, I wonder how she sleeps at night.

Ronald Wright - A Short History Of Progress: Preview II

ravijo — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:49:08 -0700

This is yet another preview of the Massey Lectures from 2004, with Ronald Wright. I believe it to be one of the most relevant, and eloquent pieces of media in my hands at the moment, and I'd strongly urge you all to get a hold of it. Play it for your friends! It's amazing how passionate he is while remaining balanced and thoughtful.

The other preview I posted a while ago was the track which immediately followed this one, they are together the last two tracks of the whole lecture. I insist that I'm not giving away the strongest part though. Wright is incredible well spoken in his conclusions, but is even more brilliant in his evidence and account for history.

Though I didn't receive my copy this way, I feel obliged to link to the "legitimate" distributor of this Anansi Press. This material is of such relevance to working people and to people without the financial means of spending ~$50, if you contact me, I will help you to find other ways of getting it.

NDP Convention Québec 2006: Stephen Lewis - Speech Excerpts

ravijo — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:31:45 -0700

Yet another highlight of the NDP convention for me was also on the topic of "regaining Canada's place in the world", and featured Stephen Lewis. He's such a wonderful speaker, and was so compelling in the way phrased things-- probably the most qualified speaker on the issue of the worlds AIDS crisis. Considering his speech followed Joya's, it was an explosive eye-opener, and I'm grateful. Highlight of the highlight: when Stephen said that he was still a democratic socialist to the core, and that his beliefs were not infinitely flexible as Bob Rae's were. HA!

NDP Convention Québec 2006: Malalai Joya - Speech Excerpts

ravijo — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:54:43 -0700

This particular speech was a highlight for me. A few day preceding the convention, my good friend Andrew and I had discussed Canada's involvement with respect to the NDP. Andrew sighted The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan as an important example of grassroots democratic liberation movements in Afghanistan. After hearing from Malalai Joya, and reading more about RAWA, I've come to understand that have not only been ignored by Canada and NATO's war, but have in fact been suppressed as a direct result of Canada's endorsement of the Northern Aliance. RAWA's website has a similar tone to Joya's citation of Northern Alliance brutality.

I also stumbled upon an inspirational quote from one of her American speeches:

"Never again will I whisper in the shadows of intimidation. I am but a symbol of my people's struggle and a servant to their cause. And if I were to be killed for what I believe in, then let my blood be the beacon for emancipation and my words a revolutionary paradigm for generations to come."

Ronald Wright - A Short History Of Progress: Preview I

ravijo — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 21:28:27 -0700

I've been listening to the Massey Lectures featuring Ronald Wright; a historian and author.

The complete 4.2 hour recording of his lectures are on my computer and I've managed to listen to all of it. Wright gets at many points, the most prominent is that we are at the crossroads similar to that of the inhabitants of Easter Island, or Sumer. In Easter Island, it's inhabitant's belief in their mythology lead them to consume even more under resource scarcity in the hopes that offerings to the gods would provide them once again with abundance. Within our context, modern society has placed extreme devotion to the mythology of progress, technology, and complexity of lifestyle. To that end, we similarly are committing ourselves to the hope of salvation when the attitude itself is what has created our dilemma.

Wright suggests that moderation of consumption, and political cohesion towards a social prosperity isn't anti-capitalist. This is something which I don't think that he has explored fully, when it seems he says it quite briefly and "matter a fact". In order to truly understand the incongruence of what he seems to be suggesting, it is important to draw a parallel to theory of Hunter Lovins' natural capitalism. This in essence seeks to apply the costs of labour and that of the environment to goods and services offered within a capitalist framework. If true cost analysis were adopted by some system, by definition it would be sustainable, and theoretically peaceful-- very little to disagree with there.

However in her theory, there is a problem of defining capitalism. Because for me capitalism is not simply an ideology of free markets. Rather capitalism is the economic and imperialist manifestation of deranged liberal ideologies; and there are two important points to make in that regard. Firstly, capitalism was born hand in hand with liberalism, and reflected indeed one's personal agency within an economy. However equally as important was the assumption that personal responsibility would suffice for the costs of ones personal agency. In society we have law which is in theory an attempt to assert protection against attacks to ones rights. Law is of course seriously flawed, most often corrupted, heavily outdated, and a great deal prejudice; but it is representative of the need for the whole to dictate the terms between individuals. Bringing this back to Lovins' theory, it is necessary for the whole/state/commons to dictate responsibilities that stem from personal economic agency. In other words, in order to see responsibility extend beyond matters of property, power, privaledge, and individualism-- the society must set strict regulations and terms on ones "economic liberties". This implication of the state inherently contradicts what many capitalists are attempting to create.

This is essentially the dialogue that socialists of the 21st century must engage with, rather than flogging the dead horse of centralized economies, and the abolition of ownership. Socialists must now be prepared to take on a new way of thinking for how a society of a whole can benefit from a well planned, rational, moderated, and democratic economy. I would suggest that personal economic agency has a role within that framework. I would also suggest that we have under appreciated the value of models such as the co-operative, which exemplifies a respect for personal agency and democratic responsibility.

Recently at the NDP convention it was iterated that socialists/social democrats/New Democrats have a strong belief that the economy is not a means unto itself, but a means of achieving social prosperity. Ultimately we must now define exactly what that economy would look like-- what prosperity would look like independent of any economic connotation-- we must define a culture and society which respects sustenance, security, compassion, justice and peace; and then of course make it happen.

I have included a track from one of the five discs, and hope to be learning more about the Massey Lectures in the days and weeks to come!

Dr. Helen Caldicott - The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush's Military-Industrial Complex

ravijo — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 20:44:07 -0700

I've been running myself into a great deal of discussion regarding nuclear technology. By no means to I know as much as I should know, but I do know the eerily menacing singularity and correlation between nuclear weapons and nuclear power. If there is any audio or video of Dr. Caldicott's compelling deconstruction of this myth we have been sold of "clean and green" nuclear, I will be sure to post it.

Tommy Douglas - Medicare Speech Excerpts (1979)

ravijo — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:53:54 -0700

I've decided to repost a pretty important speech from Tommy Douglas; there will be more to come so stay tuned.