The trouble with old dogs

May 7, 2008 in I doubt, I think
Tags: big brother, disinformation, life, news, politics

Well you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, can you. I have some questions for you all. When was the last time a political rally caught your attention? I mean, if you weren’t directly involved in it? Do you recall a time where you passed by a bunch of people, and you thought, “Hmmm you know what? Those picket signs, those are food for thought. Let me write some of that down, this could be important!” No? You haven’t? Ever? Oh really. No kidding.

Well how about this – when’s the last time you attended a speech being given by somebody with whom you disagree? Never? Really? So, does this mean you tend to attend speeches when you already agree with the speaker? Of course it does. Speeches and rallies never changed anything important. Maybe the first few times it happened, it threw government for a loop – but not any more. Now, they just smile.

“Just like salt petre, let them go at it …. then they’ll all go home, spent … nothing changed, no threat to us at all. Oh look, isn’t that darling – somebody’s got a megaphone.”

We have this “protest infrastructure” which people keep using, even though it doesn’t work. “Hey everyone we’re all going over to B.C. Hydro today because there’s a hearing, and we protested last time around, so we can’t just let it go … because they’ll think that we gave up.”

Hey, newsflash people. If you don’t show up, maybe that will give them pause for thought for a change. Maybe they’ll think that you have a NEW strategy up your sleeve, one which doesn’t involve impotently chanting out useless phrases and slogans in order for the already-converted to feel smug and good about themselves. Maybe they’ll wonder what you’re up to now, saving your energy for something GOOD rather than parading around in a semi-embarassed circle composed of the usual suspects.

One would hope that eventually, people would get it. Something brand new is called for. Protests don’t work anymore. Face it, and move on. Try something else. I don’t know what that is … but there are a lot of smart, creative people floundering around trying to figure out a strategy.

We have a real battle brewing here in B.C. surrounding our electricty system. Now don’t glaze over! Don’t go to sleep! I know it’s boring shit! Really, truly, boring crap. Here it is in a nutshell. When you pay your B.C. Hydro bill, up until now, that money has gone back into B.C. Hydro which is publicly owned. Meaning – you are plowing your energy money right back into this province, you are helping to fill up the public purse. The public purse funds things like education, health – and power. We need money for that shit.

Our government has completely changed the system, opening it up to private power developers now. Their aim is to have much more of our energy purchased from private companies. This means that when you pay your hydro bill, you are putting money directly into the pocket of some private company and its shareholders. Quite a different story than putting your cash back into B.C. Hydro.

Simple huh? But no …. try to tell people about it, and they check their watch, look down at their feet, gaze off into the distance. Why? I just don’t know. Canadians are so complacent. As long as we have something to eat and a place to stay, otherwise we don’t give a rat’s ass, do we. Yes, gas prices are starting to piss us off (for those who use cars – I don’t) but it’s just a gentle rumbling to ourselves, nothing serious.

Anyway. Long story short. Some of you may realize that the other day, I put up a blog about a new job I landed. Funny how things happen, but one thing led to another and I got in trouble for that blog. Not because it was ineffective. Not because nobody was reading it. Not because it was a bunch of malarkey. No – I didn’t run it by the boss first, and this was a huge problem for them. Pack that in with all the other problems I ran into trying to fill this amorphous, undefined, vague role I’d been assigned, and it was quickly obvious that I was not the correct person for this job. So I took my leave shortly after getting started – and that’s OK.

When I signed on, I didn’t realize that keeping my mouth shut was part of the deal. In fact – I’d believed that my blog readership might be one reason that they wanted me on their team. Naive of me! No, they wanted me DESPITE my blog I guess. Or whatever. But put a muzzle on me, and I will balk – every single time. Don’t fence me in. Don’t tell me what to say.

Besides a blog is something new and different. It’s a way into people’s minds, into their living rooms. I leaped right over the heads of the mass media and found my way over to YOU. That’s some feat and I deserve kudos, not criticism. The issue of our public electricity company being privatized and our rates going way up, was so important that I threw my hat into the ring. Trouble was, “controlling Chella” was never part of the deal and so that’s that.

You don’t want me to be tightly controlled, do you? I didn’t think so. Wouldn’t I be boring if I was reigned in like a horse being ridden by somebody who put a hard, metal-tasting bit in my mouth? Oh yes, I would be boring. Just as bloody boring as another stupid, useless protest with the picket signs, and the chanting and slogans, and the usual suspects making the usual speeches by megaphone. Just as boring as that, would I be. And then you would just tune me out, just like you tune out those dumb protest marches.

Well look, I promise you this. I couldn’t be boring if my very life depended on it. Trust me on that one. Never gonna happen. I left “boring” behind a long time ago, and we aren’t friends anymore. Nuh, uh. No way.

What those guys need is the circus coming to town. I don’t know any other way to put it. Get some kind of a circus happening which captivates everybody, to such an extent that the media have NO CHOICE but to report on it.

Either that, or pay me to blog for you – I promise you that won’t be boring for anybody. Well I really hope that you guys can pull it off without me! I really do. I wish you success, not failure. I wish you could barrel your way into everybody’s hearts and minds, and bring home the point that things are going to hell in a handbasket in this province, and quickly.

I was going to blog on how Enron’s “children” are taking over here, the connections they have with our government … but guess what? The details would have been boring and I would have lost you. So, suffice to say that Enron’s children have their dirty paws in our public resource revenue, and something is going to have to change.

Best of luck you old dogs. Sorry you wouldn’t let me teach you any new tricks. You’ll see eventually that this was a mistake, but I won’t punish you for it. Onwards and upwards, just do me one favour – don’t be boring. OK? Thanks.

politics, news, life, big-brother, disinformation