Life Meets Faith: In praise of boring elections
Already media commentators are sharing
their insight that the coming election is going
to be pretty dull. Apparently, there aren't any
issues out there that could really grab the
attention of most consumers of news. One
journalist quoted on the radio worried that
there just isn't a strong enough story, a narrative,
to hold the attention of Canadians
during the election.
What can be said in response to the complaint that the campaign speeches we are about to hear (or read about the morning after) are going to help cement the impression that on the international scene Canada is dullsville?
On the one hand, the competition is fierce. With nuclear meltdowns happening on the other side of the planet and smoke rising from cruise missile attacks on Libyan government convoys, a photo of Stephen Harper and Jack Layton sharing the same stage will likely not catch most eyes.
At the same time, we can thank our Creator for what looks like another endless drone of political forecasts and promises mixed with the numbing speculation of reporters trying to make sense of the buzzing followed by a 29 per cent voter turn-out. (I actually don't know what the usual voter turnout is, but I do hear people complaining that is far too low).
It is not difficult to find places where politics is never dull. Consider Libya. Or how about Mexico, Columbia, Russia, Iraq and Iran? They don't have dull elections. In many of these countries were the citizens are actually able to execute elections, the elections are anything but sleep-inducing. They are often the occasion for killing, firing guns into the air (if your "man" wins) and rioting in the streets. If it is exciting elections you want, I recommend becoming an Egyptian citizen this year.
Have you ever noticed that people are not trying to immigrate to countries where politics creates an adrenaline rush? They are immigrating — or perhaps you, dear reader have immigrated — to a country like Canada, where politics is, well, dull. People would rather immigrate to a politically boring country like Holland than an exciting place like Pakistan. Dull elections are symptomatic of countries where the levels of justice, peace, institutional health, education and personal freedom are quite high.
Having said all that, however, there is a dark side to dull elections in well-off countries. We may say that we want elections to remain dull because such dullness suggests that major change is not going to happen anytime soon. And, at the end of the day, we like things pretty much the way they are. This, even though we all know we cannot resist needed changes without imperiling our continued existence. Without major political, social and economic change, our planet may not fare very well.
Recently I heard an interview on the CBC about the inability of science to save us. We want our science and technology to give us the goods: cars, large homes, travel and the opportunity, at least, to become obese. However, science can't fulfill these hopes. There is not enough iron ore, petroleum, water and airborne oxygen to give us the good life defined by Western affluence. Some will fantasize about populating other planets. However, that will not be possible. Sorry.
Yet, we want our political leaders to tell us that we can carry on more or less as we have for the past century. Running our economies on oil that is totally unsustainable, or nuclear power that may be more sustainable (but will not reverse the catastrophe of global warming), is the game most leaders, economists and industry leaders offer us. I am not sure that I would be able to do better. And maybe you too feel that although it would be wonderful to see real needed change, it is also very hard to make it happen.
Unless we reduce our demands on this fragile planet, not to mention on our parents, children, teachers and students who each have their own vulnerabilities, we are in for some dark days. Unless we make a decision to want a different kind of world than the world we have been building in the modern era, our politics is going to be predictable and dull.
However, if we do want a different kind of world, and if we articulate that desire more often and more clearly, perhaps our politics will also look different, maybe even exciting - but without the explosions. Green Party, anyone?
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
What can be said in response to the complaint that the campaign speeches we are about to hear (or read about the morning after) are going to help cement the impression that on the international scene Canada is dullsville?
On the one hand, the competition is fierce. With nuclear meltdowns happening on the other side of the planet and smoke rising from cruise missile attacks on Libyan government convoys, a photo of Stephen Harper and Jack Layton sharing the same stage will likely not catch most eyes.
At the same time, we can thank our Creator for what looks like another endless drone of political forecasts and promises mixed with the numbing speculation of reporters trying to make sense of the buzzing followed by a 29 per cent voter turn-out. (I actually don't know what the usual voter turnout is, but I do hear people complaining that is far too low).
It is not difficult to find places where politics is never dull. Consider Libya. Or how about Mexico, Columbia, Russia, Iraq and Iran? They don't have dull elections. In many of these countries were the citizens are actually able to execute elections, the elections are anything but sleep-inducing. They are often the occasion for killing, firing guns into the air (if your "man" wins) and rioting in the streets. If it is exciting elections you want, I recommend becoming an Egyptian citizen this year.
Have you ever noticed that people are not trying to immigrate to countries where politics creates an adrenaline rush? They are immigrating — or perhaps you, dear reader have immigrated — to a country like Canada, where politics is, well, dull. People would rather immigrate to a politically boring country like Holland than an exciting place like Pakistan. Dull elections are symptomatic of countries where the levels of justice, peace, institutional health, education and personal freedom are quite high.
Having said all that, however, there is a dark side to dull elections in well-off countries. We may say that we want elections to remain dull because such dullness suggests that major change is not going to happen anytime soon. And, at the end of the day, we like things pretty much the way they are. This, even though we all know we cannot resist needed changes without imperiling our continued existence. Without major political, social and economic change, our planet may not fare very well.
Recently I heard an interview on the CBC about the inability of science to save us. We want our science and technology to give us the goods: cars, large homes, travel and the opportunity, at least, to become obese. However, science can't fulfill these hopes. There is not enough iron ore, petroleum, water and airborne oxygen to give us the good life defined by Western affluence. Some will fantasize about populating other planets. However, that will not be possible. Sorry.
Yet, we want our political leaders to tell us that we can carry on more or less as we have for the past century. Running our economies on oil that is totally unsustainable, or nuclear power that may be more sustainable (but will not reverse the catastrophe of global warming), is the game most leaders, economists and industry leaders offer us. I am not sure that I would be able to do better. And maybe you too feel that although it would be wonderful to see real needed change, it is also very hard to make it happen.
Unless we reduce our demands on this fragile planet, not to mention on our parents, children, teachers and students who each have their own vulnerabilities, we are in for some dark days. Unless we make a decision to want a different kind of world than the world we have been building in the modern era, our politics is going to be predictable and dull.
However, if we do want a different kind of world, and if we articulate that desire more often and more clearly, perhaps our politics will also look different, maybe even exciting - but without the explosions. Green Party, anyone?
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
