We are Political Pawns!
Perspective on Current Events
Anyone can report the news on current events, but what does it mean? How do we make sense of it all? That’s what most of us want to know.
Setting the Scene
There's a lot of good happening in our country as we are having this discussion about the fallout of the pandemic. Government overreach, freedom, mandates, ending the restrictions, wearing masks, the common good. There's also a lot of division taking place as disagree on many of these issues.
The media
The bottom line is that once the government started funding the media the media had no other choice but to bow to the wishes of the government - become their spin doctors — “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”.
You have to take what you hear on the news with a lot of grains of salt, literally, the whole shaker.
Everything you listen to you have to consider both the source and the motivation for the reporting. If you listen to CBC and then the rebel - you are getting the viewpoint of the left and the right, and the truth lies someplace in the middle.
A Leadership Vacuum
The prime minister went into hiding when he realized his city was going to be seized by protestors. Seriously, he ran and hid.
The conservative guy, O'Tool, who is now as relevant as a Commodore 64, changed his stance every other day and is now a non-factor.
The NDP guy knows he’ll never make it so he rides the coattails of the Liberals. He's probably the smartest guy because the Liberals can't get anything done without him. He gets to keep his job and gets some of his party's objectives accomplished.
What does it mean to be a good leader?
People willingly follow you. They don’t need to be bought, coerced, manipulated - no, they believe in your vision and join your parade. Our PM thinks that anyone who doesn’t share his worldview has unacceptable views and needs to be cut off from society.
An interesting poll this past week found that the majority of Canadians do not support the blockades, yet the majority of Canadians sympathize with the protestors. That’s weird, but I think it is correct. There is an attack on freedom. There is way too much over-reach by governments at all levels. Even though we don't like the tactics, we feel somewhat happy that someone is doing something.
We have been treated as pawns for political gain. This invocation of the “Emergencies Act” is an assault on democracy, unlike anything we have ever experienced in our lives as Canadians. Basically, we have a PM who has lost control of his ability to lead and is now going to extreme measures to force the masses into submission. Even the far left thinks this is crazy. Here's an editorial from The Toronto Star stating that it is a shocking admission of failure.
Friends, this is troubling. It may be OK to you because it doesn’t impact you directly right now, but how will you feel if your bank account is frozen, pending an investigation into your activities? What if you inadvertently gave a donation to a worthy cause and then you find out the government doesn’t think it is 'so worthy' and you have no access to cash, your insurance and driver's license is cancelled, your passport is temporarily revoked?
I always try to stand back and assess the situation before being too quick to judge. One thing that startled me this week is to see a photo of the Super Bowl in LA with 100,000 mask-less people, and then a photo of the Montreal Canadians playing hockey in a fan-less stadium. On the same day. It just doesn’t add up.
The protestors are asking why? Is ‘the science’ that much different in the US than it is in Canada? The media’s job is to provide minimum information and force you to pick a side and the result is we have become more divided than ever as a country. I don’t want to pick a side, I prefer to be on the side of common sense, and obviously, that isn’t too common anymore.
Political Opportunism
Don’t think for a second that one political party is better than another or more morally superior. They all read from the same manuals and eat from the same through. They are in it for themselves. To get ahead of the next party, get in power and do anything to stay in power.
Every response by any politician is first and foremost for their own political prosperity not in the public’s best interest. I don't want to leave you hanging, so what do we do?
Try and get more perspective on the issues from more than one source. Don't alienate friends, family, or neighbours because they believe differently than you. We can have dialogue without becoming divided. Communicate to your elected officials at all levels of government about your concerns. Keep some cash on hand and the name of a good lawyer. Always have a community of people that can support you. Say a prayer for Canada.
Live a simple life and don't draw too much attention to yourself.
Until next time,
Willis
