The North Shore Citizen

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Greetings and Salutations, 
I just added this blog on Facebook, so if you want to add me, feel free.
All posts will be automatically added to my Facebook account, and it might be easier for some people.

Hope to hear from you, 

The North Shore Citizen 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003378960527

 

Anonymous asked: Are you on Facebook? I just shared your last post on my FB and it got a few likes and a comment in the first 10 minutes. I'm checking out the FB blogging apps and think I will put a mirror blog up there as well. You might want to look into it. George

Hey, just got on FB, and got it set up so that from now on, it will mirror my blog. Will slowly add some of my old posts to FB. I’ll make a notice on tumblr soon. 

Let me know when you have your blog on FB and I’ll add you. 

Does One Vote Matter?

Does one vote matter? This is a question that I have personally grappled with, and deserves both self-reflection and discussion.

When first viewing the first-past-the-post system, the individual vote seems largely worthless. If a party loses the election, every vote for that party is lost. That voter had as much impact as a non-voter, important only as a statistic. On the other hand, if a party wins the election, the only vote that matters is the deciding vote. Any extra vote only gives the winner a greater sense of security.

South Park offers an alternative answer. At one point, the character Stan is forced to literally vote for either a giant douche, or a turd sandwich. Stan says, “I think voting is great. I just didn’t care this time because it was between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.” Stan is a non-voter because of the unappealing choices, and is finally convinced to vote by concerned citizen. “But Stan, don’t you know, it’s always between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. Nearly every election since the beginning of time has been between some douche and some turd. They’re the only people who suck up enough to make it that far in politics.”

This gives another alternative answer to the question of voting. The political system is set up so that the voter can only decide between a douche and a turd. The vote does not matter because the political system is set up so no real choice is offered. It can also explain why many people vote for the lesser of two evils, rather than for a candidate that they believe. The political idea of Anything But Conservative (ABC) is based off the lesser of two evils idea.

Aristotle always talks about how man is a political animal, so maybe there is something beneficial to voting, beyond winning. Perhaps the act of voting is a creative process, whereby man can reflect upon his values, and attempt to actualize them. Although his preferred candidate may not win, he has made a decision and has worked a little harder to have his view of the world actualized. By being a political animal, perhaps we only become true to ourselves when we vote, because only then do fulfil our human potential. In another sense, the act of voting could allow the person to think critically about his relationship with society. Perhaps voting should matter more to the citizen, than for the candidate. 

Mouseland

Conflict in Council

“Don’t be so gloomy. After all it’s not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”

The above is a quote from The Third Man, a classic movie from 1949, and it has something important to add to the political debate. Whenever someone asks me who is my favourite councillors (which is rare), I always respond that I love the dynamic between Councillors Keating, Clark, and Fearnley. Most people probably view the council as divided, but this is also what makes council great.

For instance, contentious votes usually seem split between Mussatto, Keating, and Trentadue versus Fearnley, Heywood, and Bookham. Councillor Clark is a wild card. The reason that I love the dynamic between these three councillors is because they add to the discussion. In my personal opinion, Keating is better able to describe the leftist position than Trentadue, and Fearnley leads the way for rightist Heywood and Bookham. Those two politicians perfectly represent their particular perspectives, and whenever they argue against each other, I learn all the important details of the debate. Councillor Clark has that third perspective, always adding something new and unexpected to the debate. For instance, he is the only councillor in favour of ending the sister city arrangement.

These three leaders are charismatic (comparatively), and whenever I hear them speak, I feel like they add to the discussion. The vote, fought over tooth and nail, always educates me as a spectator. Although they always fight, make snide jabs, and probably walk carefully in dark alleys, it would be a shame to lose any of them in the coming election.  

Occupy Vancouver

I’ve always been wary of supporting protests. With a basis is in disruption, there is a strong potential for protests to turn into mobs.  Too many protests can create a constant climate of change. I always point to the Republic of France as an example. Born in revolution, they have legitimatized riots as a popular form of protest, and have almost periodic constitutional changes.

On the other hand, Canada has slowly built upon Peace, Order, and Good Government. Popular public protests have usually been labelled as a foreign American import. Oh those revolutionary Americans, so insistent in changing the world.

Even with all my reservations about protests, I have to lend my support to the Occupy Wall Street Protests, and more specifically, to the Occupy Vancouver Protest  which begin tomorrow, Oct. 15^th. I will be there tomorrow in support. It is fitting that they are occupying Vancouver, since the Occupy Wall Street Protests were inspired by Adbusters, an activist magazine based in Vancouver. Perhaps we should view these protests as Canadian, rather than American.  

I am personally worried about the diminishing role of government. Aristotle said, “Man is a political animal”, and Rick Perry said, “I’ll work every day to try to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can.” Between these two eminent political philosophers, I have to side with Aristotle. Government has an important role to play in society and to diminish government, especially in these harsh times, is dangerous.

I’ve recently been reading The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein and it makes a very convincing case of the expansive power of corporations through the military complex. Something seems wrong in the world, as money buys the happiness of citizens around the world. Perhaps the time has come to revaluate the role of corporations in government and society. I hope these protests bring about a change. 

Anonymous asked: How do I make a comment on you blog?

Okay, it should work now. 

The Minimalist Theme which I use was not directly compatible to comments, but it should work now.