I am a contemporary barbarian

 

I've done remarkably well not commenting on the current state of municipal, provincial and federal politics both here and due south. I have, like everyone, opinions about these things but for the moment I will ask to be humored while I  express  my truth.

I am a contemporary barbarian.

I don't need to google how to change a tire, I can determine a right angle using the Pythagorean theorem or the 4-5-6 scale. I can wire a lamp and thanks to the OBD2 reader my grandson got me for Christmas I can turn off the check engine light in your car.  

I can also cook, sew,  type about 60 words a minute. About the only thing I can't do is swim.  I try very hard to keep my promises and prefer not to make them if I know I can't keep them.

I was elected to the Alberta legislature for a little while, and the big lesson I learned from that particular experience is that our provincial and federal politicians get elected in a democracy but they do not work in one.  

The leader of the party; be it Premier, Prime Minister  or President is the ultimate overlord.  He or she will surround themselves with "loyal" supporters and then spend a great deal of their time trying not to be too embarrassed by the things these supporters do. 

Case in point, Paul Rehn, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake, whom Kenney was forced to remove from caucus in order to placate a constituency  smart enough to know they had no representation.  Only because it was so blatant and public in the media did Kenney act. He did not act because it was the right thing to do.

I applaud his action as people who are driven by their base instincts, left unchecked and without discipline, can hardly be counted upon to preserve the liberties of the nation or province they serve.  

In other words Paul Rehn might be the poster child for everything that is wrong not only with politics but possibly also the weakened social construct we call society.  

The man violated the trust of everyone who cast a ballot, abused his position, ignored those he was elected to represent and even violated a common sense health order not to travel. "We are all in this together" I can hear him say "Well except for me of course." It is better to have character than be one, Paul, but thanks for clarifying what you are truly all about.

Instead of seeking representatives who's character is based on action and results we align with representatives who's character  is based on charm.  We elect the prettiest show pony and are then shocked and dismayed to discover that the show pony is of no use in battle whatsoever.

Where are the virtues of honor, service, duty and courage?   

Who breaks into the Capital Building dressed like Chewbaca? 

The problem is not that Chewbacca supported Trump, the problem we now live in a world where Chewbacca gets his 15 minutes of fame and the virtues of honor, service, duty and courage are left at home, if they even existed there. We can't tell leaders from Chewbacca because for all we know he was the ring leader behind the riot on Capital Hill. 

We have lost our ability to be self reliant,  A person used to build a house as a means of providing shelter for his family. now it is considered a herculean effort if they build a shed or a flower box outside the mortgaged McMansion. 

We yell at each other in forums and with language we would not dare use face to face, lest the conversation be interrupted by a swift uppercut. We attack character because we have no ability  to draw our own conclusions or consider an argument that runs counter to our own preconceived notions. 

Then  legislators chose as a priority the task of the  eliminate words like "man, woman, mother, brother, father, sister" as though these words were somehow guilty of some form of assault.  These terms do not separate us, they unite us and provide each of us with the opportunity to have an identity. 

Without identity you no longer exist. 

I fear though that for many,  the decision to cease to exist at least as thinking adults', has already been made. 

We are, at best, going through the motions to show that we have some value all the while turning our backs on those values that got our society to where it is today: Honor, service, duty and courage. 

By handing  freedoms and responsibilities over so freely to the charming people we elect it reinforces the very nature that the superficial is all that matters. 

One should not look behind the curtain lest we discover the wizard is just pulling the levers of social media with no interest whatsoever in being of service to those who elected them.  Case in point is Tracy Allard posting Christmas pictures from the legislature while she is in Hawaii. Smoke and mirrors all.

It is about  power and control, that's all it is and the longer we forget that virtue is indeed a necessary virtue, the greater power and control will be centralized and largely forsaken to the so called special interests.

Every time I hear the phrase "special interests" I know that my interests are not being considered. I doubt very much that yours are either.

We gave it away, we literally gave it away to people in leadership roles who could not possibly be less deserving, we elect drama teachers and career politicians, we elect people who are at least as incompetent as we are. 

Stop asking leaders to tell you what you want to hear, start demanding the truth whether you like it or not. It'll soon change the fabric of leaders from show pony's to people of substance, people with idea's, skills, knowledge and most importantly, a commitment to the people who elect them. 

Show me one, show me  honor, service, duty and courage. 

I'll wait......