Eulogy

A few weeks ago I posted this lament.

I refer you to it now because today I post the eulogy.

Its over. The dream of Canada as a model for a progressive social democracy in North America is dead.

No longer merely moribund. No longer waiting in the wings.

Dead.

Or perhaps, in the best case scenario, in suspended animation for the next 2 generations. Maybe more and maybe forever depending on the accuracy of the various climate forecasts.

Given the global governance trend toward regimes that are more authoritative than less I wouldn't bet on mere climatic transformation to be an organ or progenitor of progressive political transformation. More likely would be the polar opposite.

Its a perfect storm really.

James Lovelock reckons that we've got till about 2020 before the big nasty begins to become normal. You remember him. Been right, or at least useful, a lot?

We've run out of time to continue imagining that something magical or other-worldly is going to perpetually protect us from the consequences of our activities. Twenty years or 50 makes little difference.

At the same time, paradoxically, there's almost no action we can now take to head off the future thats almost certainly waiting for us.

If you care...find a way to pay that care less attention. Learn creative apathy. There's probably a workshop available through your local community centre. Sponsored by WalMart.

If you don't care...offer workshops.


I no longer lament.



I grieve.