The usual collection of our betters is at it again, telling us to get over our culture of defeat and get onto the new joyous bandwagon of putting the province “on the right track.” (Just don’t ask for a raise, wise guy.)
This time the lecture comes from one Tim Outhit, who heads up something called novaknowledge, which is “a member-based organization dedicated to the development of a flourishing, sustainable knowledge economy in Nova Scotia.” (No, that doesn’t mean you eat your words, or eat much at all. Apparently, it means you work in a call centre, and someone else gets rich from your efforts.) Says Outhit:
"We need leaders, and all Nova Scotians, to become aware of the importance of growth, innovation, technology and productivity to our future”Damn! Why didn’t we think of it before?
Anyway, among the various platitudes and feel-good truisms tossed about at a big mucky-muck confab at SMU the other day comes this:
Branding: Nova Scotia needs a new brand to counter traditional images of the province as a tourist destination, a party culture and a retirement locale.Hear that, people? No more nicey-nice with the tourists, k? And you could be a little more dour at the drinking holes—maybe hold a funeral or two at the local pub, start a suicide club, whatever. And, now’s the time to start pushing the elderly out into traffic.
It’s the least you can do for your province.
