A Few Random Year-End Notes (And Hopes For 2019)

So, before I engage in any long rant, please accept my wishes to you, your family, friends and loved ones for a great 2019.

I know we can all have an amazing year if we try to act civilized and stop sticking our collective heads in the sand concerning modern issues. And opportunities.

Here are some random thoughts concerning 2018:

It was not a great year for Justin Trudeau. Let’s hope 2019 is better.

Attacks are coming from all fronts and coming hard. The Cons don’t like not being in control and, frankly, Trudeau is making things easy for them.

As a reminder, I firmly believe that most of the current government’s challenges are largely a result of landmines left behind by the Harper government. Example: Phoenix. Example: General Dynamics LAV deal. Example: pipelines and Alberta relations.

Nearly every province and every interest group was pre-wired with detonators set to explode in perfect synchronicity, from one disaster to another, waiting for the Liberals to step in them blindly.

Our Media Sucks

This and next point are really inter-related. Our media fails to call out the bullshit with idiot Cons like Ford, Kenney, Trump and Andrew Scheer.

They fail to provide viewers, listeners, readers and browsers with tangible data that proves the we’re being lied to and manipulated by Cons everywhere.

Racism, homophobia, misogyny and more need to be called out ALL THE TIME.

Instead, we get this shit:

Is it any wonder Canadian media companies are failing?

The Cons are Liars and the People Are Believing Them

See my notes above.

They lie. And then they lie. And when they open their mouths, they lie again.

And people continue to believe them.

Why? Because the media fails to call out the Cons when they lie.

Intolerance is Growing. At a Frightening Pace.

I am fully aware of the irony of this subject, given my last two rants about liars, Cons and their correlation.

But, intolerance is growing. It seems to be creeping into the woodwork with every aspect of life and it has to stop.

Here are just a few examples:

• The National Post basically calls for national mandatory eugenics programs in the form of vaccination, arguing that parents should not have the right to protect their children. This, despite growing evidence that vaccines are void of the benefits they are supposed to deliver.
• Jason Kenney of the radical right-wing and heavily oil funded special interest group, AKA the United Conservative Party (UCP, we all see p) has declared war on people that would like to see a brighter, non-carbon future for the planet. I even have a quote / caption:
• Trump continues to make terrible and horrific decisions for the United States and, by direct or occasionally indirect influence, the rest of the world.

What’s happened to civilized debate? Why can’t people ‘cage the rage’ anymore? Why are so many people just wrong because I said so and not because the facts prove they’re wrong?

A LOT of Cool Stuff Happened in 2018

There’s some good news happening!

BoredPanda had a great recap of some really cool things that happened in 2018.

Check it out. Here are just a couple of news headlines that a few people may have missed:

• France is now forcing supermarkets to donate or unused food or face a fine.
• California has banned the use of animals for testing beauty products.
• France becomes the first EU country to ban ALL 5 pesticides that are killing bees. Apparently, food is more important than the fortunes of a few chemical companies.
• Breast cancer deaths have fallen by 39%
• Soft drink sales have dropped for the 12th consecutive year

Moving Ahead: 2019

Canada First

Justin Trudeau has an opportunity to play the ‘Canada First’ card just as much as some of these other assholes are doing in Canada (eg. provincial politics) and other countries.

I don’t think he will and I think as a result, it may cost him the federal election in 2019. Mistakes, broken promises (eg. election reform, budgets), Con traps and more will continue to make him and his government seem ‘amateur’, despite the fact that it’s one of the strongest, unique and respectful government that we’ve had in decades.

Cons won’t allow the public to see the good side of Justin Trudeau.

Our only hope is Maxine Bernier making Quebec (and smaller parts of Canada) the new Bloc and stealing votes from the Cons AND Jagmeet Singh possibly even losing the Burnaby, BC by-election, throwing both the Cons and NDP into a state of turmoil.

Sadly, I think the media will continue to pound the Liberals and even organizations like the CBC will ‘cut off its nose to spite its own face’ and blindly prop up Andrew Scheer’s lies. And if Blandrew wins and eliminates the CBC, they’ll be wondering what the hell happened.

If Justin gets a second term, we’re safe for a VERY long time.

I’ll vote for the Liberals IF I get two promises:

• An accelerated plan to balance the budget
• Electoral reform (for real this time)

A commitment to purge the ranks of government offices of Con moles will be an added bonus 🙂

The World Stage

Trump seems to be the world’s solo performer when it comes to the world stage. His insanity, provocation and commitment to a misguided base of voters scares the crap out of me.

The selfishness, the lies and the Luddite-like support of failing industries like coal and oil all tell the same story:

He’s the best politician that corruption, greed and lies can buy.

And if he’s impeached because Mueller’s mountains of evidence are more than enough to imprison Trump for 100 or more years?

There will be civil war in the US.

Which is why Mueller’s investigation will be as about as effective as the 9/11 Commission.

Summary

Folks, don’t believe the lies.

Vote. Join a civilized political party that is interested in the future of Canada and the planet.

Love your family, friends and try to smile at complete strangers. It changes everyone’s day.