THE COMEBACK:
YOU DON’T SCARE ME! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
THE MESSAGE:
What is going on in Canada? Will our country survive the waves of Covid-19? In spite of the often stated and misleading phrase “ We are in this TOGETHER and will fight it TOGETHER!” a struggle exists between Provincial and Federal jurisdictions. Political party jockeying for popularity, trade union ignorance, private citizen disobedience, and aboriginal protesting fill the media releases.
In Toronto we have a large increase in gun violence and gang rivalries. The city is struggling with the number of homeless shelters and basic survival needs. The federal budget numbers have ballooned and threaten the survival of the economy. The Federal Liberals are insisting on a “Carbon Tax” that will drive the cost of home maintenance above the affordability index.
TONY TODAY:
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
In his book Jared Diamond puts forward the basic theory that some countries developed more rapidly than others and were able to expand and conquer much of the world because of geographic luck. Diamond identifies five factors that contribute to collapse: climate change, hostile neighbours, the loss of essential trading partners and environmental problems. He goes on to analyze the societal response to these issues.
Over time, environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of many societies around the world. But some found solutions and were able to survive. It is obvious that our world's history recognizes, those countries and or regions within countries, that are faced with unsettling times due to one or more of these reoccurring realities.
Diamond mentions examples of countries today that are enduring crises. They include Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and Congo. Most of us old guys remember the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars. Crises are complex and multifaceted and are not without hardships on much of the world.
The USA struggles over a threat to its long-standing democratic conditions. President Trump is accused of a plethora of indiscretions or criminal activities. Athletes kneel and wear declarations on their jerseys claiming that “Black Lives Matter”. State governors express their ideas in contrasting ways. Citizens are quick to blame police for unjust or racist shootings.
Political contests, economic arguments, civil war, natural disasters, pandemics, human error, selfish goals, racism struggles and cultural hatred run rampant. National unity is almost impossible to achieve. I doubt that human kind has the ability to accept cultural differences and appearances.
Finland’s crisis in 1939, when the country of 3.7 million people was attacked by the Soviet Union and abandoned by its allies. The fighting was uneven and fierce, and Finland lost 5 percent of its male population, a proportion that would be equivalent to 9 million Americans killed in a war today. Yet the Finns managed to remain independent from the Soviet Union, even though they were outnumbered 40 to 1.
The Japanese government signed a treaty that would open its ports to foreign trade with the Western world. This created wide-ranging changes that threatened to undermine many traditions in Japanese culture and society. Japan successfully managed the crisis and was able to protect its culture while also opening its doors to the world.
THE MUSIC:
John Lennon: Imagine
THE QUESTION:
How would you eliminate the smuggling of guns and drugs into Canada?
THE LEMON:
THE QUOTE:
THE CLIP:
No comments:
Post a Comment