When is someone going to do something about the way the government spends our money? That is my bitch! “Why dont you do it?” is going to be a common comment. I don’t do anything, because I hate politics. I think it’s the biggest load of bullshit out there, but we also kind of need it to run this thing we call a country. Someone please start something! I’ve had enough bullshit spending/budgets. And yes, I will join a group/sign petitions/whatever it takes to get it to happen. —Someone get the ball rolling
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2011.
Don’t worry, Peter Kelly is on the job, he will get to the bottom of it.
“I don’t anything, because I hate politics” No, you don’t do anything because you’re apathetic. Like most Canadians, you’re mildly concerned about the actions of our government, but you’re too lazy and passive to actually do something about it.
“I will join a group” I’m assuming you mean a Facebook group. Armchair activism at its most pointless and ineffective. Perhaps you could ‘like’ a cause while you’re at it and really show the gubment what for.
“…sign petitions” – again, not terribly effective, and apparently, you even require someone else to create one for you, just so you can sign it. Lazy much?
“whatever it takes to get it to happen.” – except creating a group or petition yourself, or you know, actually DOING SOMETHING.
No, you do it. Wow, people can’t even be bothered to create a FB group? Geezuz.
@ me0w, you’re basically saying that people you think are lazy don’t deserve to complain. It may be more than laziness. A lot of people don’t get involved in politics or policy making because of a combination of time constraints (working, family commitments, etc) and the fact that policy making occurs within a vast web of complicated rules and institutions. Those are important as they also produce the transparencies we need to hold governments accountable. Yet they pose real difficulties to those who want to make a change but do not have the time to because of other obligations.
There are people who know how the system works, and these are called public servants and politicians, among others. These are the people who should be serving the interests of the OB and others. Often times they do not because they are too far removed and because their incentives are incompatible (I’m already in office, so I’m going to help out my buddies and not you).
The other possibility is to take more extreme measures, but usually that doesn’t accomplish anything apart from having yourself put in jail (see Ottawa bank firebombing a little while ago).
That said, it seems that most people who want change have no chance of getting it. One proposition could be to make it easier to impeach public servants, especially those in decision making positions (PM, ministers, etc). Impeachment could also include jail time or stoning (yes extreme, but using it as an example). The point is politicians need an incentive to get something done. If they do, then they will be more responsive to regular citizens. Then citizens will feel empowered and be more involved.
In short, your retort is simplistic.
“The point is politicians need an incentive to get something done.” Who’s going to give them that incentive, if average joes like the OP can’t even be bothered to do things like start a petition or write their MPs, or I dunno, VOTE?
Yes, my reply is simplistic. Rather than outlining a brilliant master plan for completely revamping the gov’t, I gave a quick and acerbic reply because the OP is simplistic and pointless. “I don’t like what the gov’t is doing, somebody else do something about it”. That’s some genuine Canadian-brand apathy right there. That’s why our country has been operating as it has for so long, because despite the murmurs of discontent, the majority of people are too comfortable, too consumed by their own lives, to feel like they actually have to do anything about it. “Somebody else fix things, would you? Just don’t get too passionate about it, or else we’ll mock you for being one of those lefty, activist-types. I mean, lord knows I can’t even be bothered to haul my ass to the polling station once every four years or so, but doggone it, SOMEBODY should do SOMETHING.” Putting forth the effort to enact any real change is far from a priority for most people, and unless the upper and middle classes of this country begin to suffer in any quantifiable way, very little is going to improve any time soon.
WTF???!!!, I’m 100% agreeing with me0w.
http://cdn.epicski.com/f/fb/fbf89244_hell-…
OP , the first thing you can do is vote.
If you are unaffiliated with the 2 Largest rip off artis…I mean Parties. Then vote for a fringe Party. The more votes they get the more money they are entitled to for the next election. Vote for the Greens if nothing else appeals to you.
Before you start criticising & saying its a waste of a vote. Not voting is the true waste of a vote. Never forget teh Raving Looney Party in England actually beat out the Conservative’s candidate in a so called ‘safe seat riding’ The Party -“Official Monster Raving Looney Party”
Political manifesto was amoung other things, refusing to sign up to the Euro, but they invited all Europe to join the ‘pound’
Traffic cops to stupid for normal police work to be made vicar’s instead.
MP’s expense allowances to be taken away & given to poor people so they could waste it instead.
They also wanted the .99 pence coin to help solve the change problem.
So vote for the Greens, the Marijuanna Party, the Rhino’s anyone except the big 3 because they all have different colors for Political purposes, yet they are all black hearted & cut from the same cloth!
Vote Pirate Party! (Disclosure: I am a card-carrying member of said party.)
And we’re running a full slate of candidates in HRM so suck it, NDP. Arrrrrrr.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0…
I’m with Meow on this one too.
Op, do you vote?
If the anwser is no, than shut the fuck up, because you have no right to complain. You are part of the problem.
I would definately vote for the pirate party, if they put a candidate up in my area. I don’t even care what the platform is, at least they openly proclaim they are thieves…unlike the Red’s the blues & the Oranges !
Is Brison in your riding Mr. More. He’s a pirate – kinda.
I used to live in Brison’s riding. Back when he was a Tori. I can’t remember if I voted for him or not. Ran into him one day at the vet and said his dogs were pretty and he gave me the stink eye. 🙁
Fuck – whatta bitch. Sod him, then.
Unfortunately, the Pirate Party is only a federal party right now. Though there’s technically nothing stopping someone from creating a provincial Pirate Party.
get the ball rolling you say, okay i will. i nominate you to be the first one out the gate. get off you ass, and down to city hall, and make your voice known. i’m sick of trying to smarten peter up, so now, it’s your turn, go for it.
I am in the Cumberland Colchester Musqudoboit valley riding…once the riding for Casey…the guy who voted against Harpers bill to repeal the Atlantic accord & then was booted out of the Conservative Party. When he ran for re-election I voted for him as an independant. I never did vote for him as a Conservative. But this is a traditional Conservative riding, rural & the people out here consider you a CFA, even if you’ve been here all your life. (I’ve only owned land here since 2000.) became a full time resident in 2002.
Scott Armstrong is the MP…he’s a dyed in the wool ass kisser of the Harper regime, we’ve communicated several times.
Mostly about his propaganda flyers that are constantly left in my mailbox, especially the lack of content aka facts, the fabrication & the opinions that can only be seen if you wear the same rose coloured glasses as the ones Harper wears !
I didn’t move here for the politics I moved here for the ‘out of the wayness’ , its 45 minutes to an hour from Halifax downtown & 30 minutes to Truro. Property taxes for living across the street from a lake in Dartmouth then 2400.00 Is what I remember (it could have been 2200 ) where I live now directly on the River, 2 + acres taxes less than $200.00 ~:)
It’s okay Hugo. It must be a hell-freezing-over kinda day, because I completely agree with More’s point as well. Not to worry, I have faith that we can find another thread in which to resume our hostilities in the near future 🙂
To expand on More’s point: Going to the polls to vote for anyone, or even just spoil the ballot, is a right that too many people take for granted. If everyone who claimed there was no one to vote for or no reason to vote just made the effort to go and spoil their ballot, it would be a major statement and could have a significant impact. 35% of Canadians spoiling their ballots could, in itself, be a movement for change. Since there’s an election looming on the horizon, and I think any sane person can agree that Harper needs to go, we should all be encouraging everyone we know to go to the polls and have a say, even if it’s just a spoiled ballot.
Now people seem to be focusing on whether the OP is too lazy to even vote. There’s nothing to suggest that this is the case. All that was mentioned in the OB was general frustration and willingness to participate in a group/petition or whatever. Even if you do vote you can still feel as though the system is dysfunctional. And joining groups or signing petitions never guarantee anything unless you have significant clout.
It seems that the general point about the bitch was to demonstrate a discontent with the current system, as well as the hopelessness that many Canadians feel when it comes to changing it. To attack it based on an unjustifiable claim about the OP’s voting status is ridiculous. It’s also irrelevant since the government represents all Canadian citizens (as opposed to voters).
WOW…me & MEow agreeing on something !
I will have to look into this world ending 2012 thing…
But seriously, I don’t care what anyone elses political views are. I have always been 100% behind the idea of if you don’t vote they should fine you .
I don’t care if you vote for yourself &/or ruin your ballot by insulting the people who count them…as long as you vote.
It is IMO really important & the apathy at the polls, is why I believe a fine system should be implemented.
I want the MAJORITY OF CANADIANS TO DECIDE …not the majority of 20 or 30 % of elegible voters ! ! !
If they Majority decides, I may not like it, but I could at least respect it.
When you see results in the 20’s & 30’s percent of elegible voters are all who bothered…its pathetic.
Remeber by voting for a fringe Party, the more votes they get the bigger amount of election campaign funds they get for the next election…& if they have more money, perhaps they could get even more people onside .
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics…
You can vote and or run for office. Those are your choices.
I was going to respond to this bitch but I couldn’t be bothered.
OP, learn to take the system for all it’s worth. There’s a lot you can get out of your tax dollars than you may realize.
if i could vote i would vote for the pirate party, just like the monster raving looney party in the UK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Mons…
Time to become a libertarian!
.i wish there was a libertarian party..i can’t even cast a protest vote this coming election..there’s not even a conservative party..fucking evil mofo neo-con harper ? i can’t ev en imagine voting left…meh..
I always make a checkmark box for Ron Paul and vote for him – I’d love to see him on the scoreboard come election day, lol
anyone remember the rhino party?
They’re back, with a hip new 21st century vibe…
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.…
nice…but let’s give props to the natural law party http://goldendome.org/music/DougHenning/Do…
Didn’t the rhino party quit when they started to run the risk of actualy being elected in a few ridings?
could be hugo…i try to remain ambivalent what with wpp and all^^^