Democracy in Canada and Other Lies

What is democracy? Taken directly from the Parliament of Canada's website (with the subtitle Democracy in Action!), it is described as:

"Canada’s Parliament, as conceived by the Fathers of Confederation in 1867, continues to be a vibrant example of democracy in action. In Parliament, our representatives examine the top issues of the day, decide on policies and laws, and hold the government accountable for its actions."

How does this happen, exactly?

"The House of Commons has 308 members, who are elected to represent the people in their ridings. Our Constitution states that a Parliament cannot last longer than five years, after which a general election must be held."

Wait. What was that? "ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE IN THEIR RIDINGS". Interesting.

What exactly is an election, then? (From The Free Dictionary online):

election [ɪˈlɛkʃən]
n
1. (Law / Parliamentary Procedure) the selection by vote of a person or persons from among candidates for a position, esp a political office
2. a public vote on an official proposition
3. the act or an instance of choosing
4. (Christianity / Protestantism) Christianity
a. the doctrine of Calvin that God chooses certain individuals for salvation without reference to their faith or works
b. the doctrine of Arminius and others that God chooses for salvation those who, by grace, persevere in faith and works

Wait. What was that? "THE SELECTION BY VOTE...A PUBLIC VOTE....THE ACT OR INSTANCE OF CHOOSING". Even more interesting.

So, if you believe in democracy, it follows that you believe in an honest, fair, and transparent electoral process. You believe that the Members of Parliament are elected by the people of Canada to represent Canadians and that they have the best interests of Canadians in mind. You believe that there are mechanisms in place to prevent your own government from committing criminal acts. You believe that in the even that said acts occur, there will be some accountability. You believe that through this process of accountability, the people have the right to democracy.


I bet these same people also believe in Santa Claus too. Come to think if it, a factitious character who knows everything about everyone probably IS a Conservative MP. On that premise, Santa Claus is more likely to be real than democracy. The most disturbing aspect of this for me is that no matter what happens, no matter how criminal, how intrusive, how greedy, how incompetent, and how untruthful this government is, they manage to have a loyal following. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else? Seems to me that this type of government is more like this (from Encyclopedia Britannica online):

Dictatorship: form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. Now, that's plausible.

"It's an isolated incident".

Sure. "Let's be perfectly clear. Nothing could be farther from the truth".

Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament - From Facebook to filling the streets to filling the ballot box

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well", I replied, "It's a group that I have been following with keen interest, and I think others should too."

"Okay. I'll join. But I don't know anything about politics and don't ask me to do anything."

And so the story goes. Exactly what our politicians count on to continue to run this country. Ignorance and apathy. When the Dominion Institute conducted their poll in 2008 and discovered that approximately half of our population had no idea how our parliament worked, that in itself was a crisis. When our government tried to make it worse by deliberately misleading the Canadian public, that should have been criminal.

For a group that was dismissed as elites and the chattering masses, it seems to be having quite an impact. The right wing pundits try to discredit the rallies, stating it means nothing. Really? When is the last time that many Canadians took to the streets to express their displeasure at the government over anything? In the middle of winter? Oh, I think you would be wise not to dismiss these rallies, Mr. Harper. Don't look now, but the chattering elites are revolting.

I think for most, prorogation isn't the issue. We've heard all the stale right wing talking points. It's the abuse of power. And in this case, it is the straw that broke the camels back. It's not just the chattering elites that are upset. Oh no. It's the "no good bastards" unemployed and the "left wing fringers" women and the list goes on. People know how the Harper government feels about Canadians, and this is just a slap in the face of democracy.

So now, I ask you. Where does this group go? The rallies were great. The flash rallies are great. The 31 days of action are great. Keep the pressure on. But my big concern is getting people who aren't currently engaged in the political process educated and involved. What we want to see is a change in government. We don't want to see "business as usual" when the House resumes on March 3. We don't want to forget that we were slapped in the face. To do that, we need to get people engaged and active. Ignorance and apathy is what they count on. They are the Harper government's secret weapons. What can CAPP do to change that?

I know there are people who are doing a great job of educating and engaging. The challenge should be - get out the vote. It's important to do what CAPP is doing, but it can't end there. The important work will be done during the next election. People who don't traditionally vote need to be educated on the issues. Do the unemployed know that their own government thinks that they are "no good bastards"? Are students aware how their government works and how the decisions made impact them? Maybe if they were engaged, some wouldn't end up with $50,000 student loans when they were finished their degree. These are issues that affect people who should be voting. Why don't they? This is something we need to ask well beyond the scope of the prorogation issue and remind ourselves that our government wants to keep people uninformed.

As part of your 31 days of action, who will you talk to about voting in the next election?