By Beelzebub I mean the Prince of Darkness himself, Stephen Harper. His minions are today's corporate media cartel outlets - the warlords of information messaging - Sun News, G&M, PostMedia, CTV and Global News.
While it may take a while to discover what new favours they've earned from their benefactor, the media cartel has waged a highly successful campaign to attack and undermine public support for the Idle No More movement. They wasted no time in ganging on, resorting to rank sensationalism and distraction to incite anger and resentment against Canada's First Nations.
Protests by native Canadians appear to have done little to gain
public support as a new poll suggests attitudes are hardening on
aboriginal issues.
The opinion survey by Ipsos Reid for Postmedia
News and Global Television found that a strong majority of Canadians
believe that most of indigenous peoples’ problems are brought upon by
themselves and that reserves should not get any more federal funds until
independent auditors can review their books.
The survey found that almost two-thirds of respondents think native
Canadians get too much support from taxpayers. Furthermore, 81 per cent
believe reserves should not get any more money until external auditors
review their finances.
Welcome to HarperLand.
Holy crap, what a slap in the face! The FNs I work with have for the most part negotiated in good faith even if guarded due to past disrespectful if not downright criminal behaviour on the part of the Crown/feds.
ReplyDeleteSo many non-aboriginal Canadians just don't understand these legal relationships, including obligations to pay for a myriad of services in exchange for accessing indigenous peoples' lands. These are not f8cking handouts!
I am ashamed and sickened by the naked boldness of the racists in this country. I never discounted that there were many but the fact that they take pride in sharing and recruiting new racists is sickening.
It really is discouraging, B.Y. A full court press by the media cartel. I wrote about it a couple of weeks back noting that it was the first time I observed true, American-style "talking points" stories appearing across the corporate media. This was thoroughly orchestrated. And now they have seen how effectively it works.
ReplyDeletePaul Martin was the first PM in all this country's blighted history to make a sincere, real and funded effort to address and redress the situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to him?
Even the goddamn NDP agreed that he had to go before he did any real damage to Canada's honorable history of apartheid.
I would prefer a US passport today.
I suppose we can only think of this as such: water off a duck's back. I can't think of any point in history when First Nations have enjoyed favorable public opinion.
ReplyDeleteI hear elders telling me all the time about the times back when they went toe to toe with armed police officers, and ended up in jail beaten and bruised with nary a whisper of sympathy from the greater Canadian public. Generally, they fought over logging rights, fishing rights, hunting rights, and ect. Hell, even within my own father's time, he speaks of having to outwit federal agents intent on arresting First Nations for petty offenses that today aren't at all offenses, cause the elders won us those rights we didn't have before.
I still maintain with how Canada is treating First Nations, right now, it's gonna get worse for us.
Harper has no intention of working with First Nations. He's all words, and his actions speak for him. He'll find allies in the communities who wish to enrich themselves, and divide the communities best he can. (Or rather, he's already found allies who'll sell out their communities, but now he just time for them to further entrench themselves into positions of influence).
You know, I'm really worried. Ten, twenty years down the road, my elders will all be gone, and politically, I consider them to be moderates. It'll be a whole new generation of First Nations. And this new generation growing up is already far more radical than the previous (and if moderate First Nations are in comparison to white Canadians radical, then our radicals could be considered bordering extremist). And there'll be a major shift of power in our communities. There'll be far, far more youth than elders in leadership positions.
In ten years, there will be probably two to three million First Nations. In twenty, perhaps six to ten million. This current generation is gonna be witness to a huge shift in Canadian society.
And if living standards for First Nations continue on as they are, it'll hurt Canada, badly. It'll cause instability the likes Canada has never seen.
Perhaps Harper has read the statistics. He probably has some idea of the growing First Nations population, and the growing radicalism in First Nations youth. But, right now, he's gotta enrich his friends, so he don't care.
Troy, when I wrote this piece I was very much hoping you might respond.
ReplyDeleteDana's right. The last Canadian leader who made an honest effort to advance this situation was Paul Martin.
Hell, Troy, I can understand young FN people getting radical. It won't help but it is understandable. I wish all conflicts could be resolved equitably and in good faith but I might as well wish for global peace and an end to disease and suffering.
"Ten, twenty years from now" Troy, you're going to be the elders. What will you do then? Of course that's a foolish question to pose because none of us has any idea what will remain by then.
I wish I didn't see the likelihood of so much chaos in the future and I really wish it wasn't so carefully engineered.
Do you really think FN populations will increase as you suggest? With all the poverty, substance abuse and health problems, I think your people will be lucky to hold their current numbers.
I wonder if Stephen Harper wouldn't be delighted to channel Mike Harris at Ipperwash?
I'd like to know what you think.
I got my math completely wrong. First Nations will probably be 4.8 million or more in twenty years, but only at current birth rates (60 per 1000 at the last census, which is pretty damn high. It's double the rest of Canada, but only 10 per 1000 higher than the poorest nations in the world). (I got suspicious of my own numbers, and used a calculator to get the proper math.)
ReplyDeleteAs for whether the First Nations population will reach 10 million, with all the burdens pressing down on us, I dunno.
But I will state, I could see First Nations birth rate staying at its current level for decades. It just seems as though the poorest countries in the world have the fastest growing populations, despite environmental and economic challenges.
I don't think white Canada would recognize Canada in just sixty years.
As for how things will actually be in twenty years, I can't say for sure. I'll be past fifty by then, but I can't see how things will play out.
I want for greater solidarity among First Nations. Greater influence. Greater power.
But for the generation following mine, I get worried, wondering how gang influences are now shaping my people. And there are other influences, too, such as religious and political ideas that could take First Nations in directions not ever pondered.
A generational shift in First Nations leadership is nearly upon us. And Canada is being watched how it deals with the current leadership. How Harper treats First Nations, now, will affect relations for the next twenty to thirty years.
Troy, I have to be blunt here. If people like you won't accept the burden of leadership, who will?
ReplyDeleteSorry, amigo, but you can't hide behind your fear of failure. You have got to get over yourself. Who else has your talents to lead?
I've known you, Troy, for a few years now and if I was one of your nation I'd want you fighting for me.
You know, Troy, we can do this. In you I have never doubted that. It's your decision.
The CBC has a good article this morning based on an interview with Paul Martin, albeit that it's brief. He gives some condensed answers to counter the copious amounts of misinformation and mountains of utter bullshit being spread by the Corporate media on behalf of the Harper tribe.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see Martin making an effort given how knowledgeable he is on the topic, but he can't do it alone. Where are the rest of the Liberals and why have they said so little?
Maybe if someone explained to them that Harper is building another sound bit mother of all issues for his next election campaign, they might take notice?
A memo bearing the title "A tax on everything, and Long Gun Registry effective politicking with the simple minded" may catch their attention.
I think your question, Anon, is to the point, "Where are the rest of the Liberals?" When I last checked they were skulking in the shadow of the Harper Cons out in the centre-right or else, like me, had finally thrown in the towel and left.
ReplyDelete