Closing The Divide, 6

We often, too often think of wonderful ideas and strategies for changing our world, rescuing our planet, and healing our broken and fractured humanity, and usually to no avail, and for one simple reason: few people, and even fewer with the power and influence to effect change, could even be bothered. Sad, isn't it? Right now, here in our own dear little Canada, we are up against this classic face-off: our federal government, which like governments all over the world is in the pockets of the global corporations, have decided that whether the government and people of my province like it or not, a trans mountain pipeline is going to be built to carry the diluted bitumen from the tar sands of Alberta to the coast of my province, British Columbia. This is a recipe for environmental devastation, not to mention the ongoing concern of the impact of fossil fuels on climate change and global warming. The government and people of Alberta have spoken: short-term investment and economic gain are more important than the future of our planet and the wellbeing of our children and grandchildren. And Justin Trudeau, our fabulously handsome prime minister (in some people's opinion!)is agreeing with them. And making threats to my province if we don't comply to this environmental disaster in the making. Common sense does not weigh in here. And the players are completely deaf to our remonstrances that there are many environmentally sustainable alternatives that need to be considered, and that will still provide generations worth of jobs and wealth. The worst case scenario, of course, is that Prime Minister Junior will strong-arm this pipeline into existence and will put the people of my province under incredible duress and hardship if he has to. This also brings to mind the old Aesop's Fable: "The Council Of Mice." Basically, a council of mice convened in order to strategize on how to deal with a marauding cat that was decimating their numbers. After many less than realistic suggestions were proffered, one bright young mouse piped up and said, "Here is what has to be done. A bell must be put around the cat's neck. We will hear him when he is approaching and this will give us advance warning so we can run and hide and save our lives." All the other mice murmured with approval. Then a very sage old mouse stood up, leaning on his cane and said in a fine, strong voice, "That is a wonderful strategy. Now, we must hold another council meeting to elect who is going to bell the cat." No one said a word. And this is the problem that always confronts even wise old idealists such as my own humble self, my Gentle Reader. How can we bring social and economic equality into a society and culture that is so dominated by ambitious and self-serving greed. How do we persuade the vectors of this social disaster that it is going to be in their better interests to become prudent, generous and compassionate. In the meantime, the divide keeps growing. We have more people leaving this city because it has become so prohibitively expensive, and a growing number of desperately homeless. How do we get through to our governments, the home owners, the developers, the real estate brokers and the wealthy foreign nationals who are buying our stairway to heaven, how do we persuade them that this is also their problem? How do we educate them, and what guarantee is there that they will change their thinking enough to become vectors of change. Che Guevara's big error, in his zeal to help create a new human being, a person dedicated to the wellbeing and health of their community over their own self-interest, was to simply take out and shoot all those he disagreed with and dislike. I like to believe that there are more creative and less violent solutions.