Monday, March 25, 2013

You Can See It Coming



Michael Harris writes this morning that his support for native issues is meeting some strong resistance:

Consider this response to my last column on aboriginal issues, which predicted that unless the federal government abandons the status quo, there will be big trouble in the land of peace, order and good government — and sooner rather than later:

“What you fail to grasp Michael is the widespread support Harper has amongst the white majority in Canada regarding the natives. The vast majority of Canadian whites are fed up with the natives. The natives may be fed up with us as well. However, that doesn’t matter, we have the population, the money and the guns.”

Recent polls suggest that the commenter isn't alone:

A recent Ipsos-Reid poll found that 81 per cent of Canadians were against more funding for aboriginals unless the monies were strictly audited; 66 per cent believed that natives already receive enough funding; and 60 per cent thought that aboriginals have brought their problems down on themselves.

So, if Stephen Harper continues to treat Canada's First Nations with disdain, he would appear to have white Canadians on his side.

But, as I read the reaction to Harris' last column, I was reminded of a meeting I attended forty-five years ago. I was a young student teacher, a rube from Canada, preparing to enter the public schools of North Carolina. We neophytes met with a group of young black activists. For three summers American cities like Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington had burned. One of our number suggested the African Americans were hopelessly out numbered. "There are 280 million of us," he said, "and only 22 million of you. And we have the guns."

I have always remembered her response. "Shit," she said. "I'd rather die standing up than on my knees."  You could see the storm coming before it broke.


6 comments:

thwap said...

Most of those crackers going on about how "we've got the guns" are just Cheetos-stained blowhards in their mother's basement.

They're "Blogging Tories" who can't organize a marshmallow roast without some of them getting hospitalized.

Those 60+ percenters who think we spend enough money on the First Nations, and they need auditing and accountability are primarily comprised of apathetic ignoramuses.

An asshole like John Ibbitson might gibber that there's no electoral advantage in doing the right thing for the First Nations, but there'd probably be no serious backlash.

Look at how harper gets away with trying to flush $40 billion down the toilet in secrecy, on fighter-jets that keep failing tests.

Damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead!

Owen Gray said...

Harper is no Admiral Farragut, thwap. And, despite his glorification of the War of 1812, he's no general.

It's not wise to fight people on their own ground. From Russia to Vietnam to Iraq the lesson is the same.

But Harper knows as much about history as he does about economics.

Anonymous said...

Fat boy Harper .. the great white pope of his very own parliament.

Is there a single thing he and his MP's and Ministers have accomplished or attempted, that they were elected to do ?

Aside from the obvious litany of doing whatever he in his infinite wisdom deems purposeful.... Does anyone recall, that attacking The Charter of Rights and Freedom via backdoor deceptions and omnibus 'budgets' was something Canadians elected him to do ??

That simultaneously attacking Canada's elections, our environment, ecosystems, creatures and the First Nations was a mandate from Canadians ?

Owen Gray said...

That's precisely why we have omnibus budget bills, Walker. The program is hidden and it isn't debated.

It's policy by stealth.

Anonymous said...

F.N. are also fighting for their children. We expect the F.N. kids to compete in, a high tech job market, without the tools to do so. Those F.N. kids deserve the same breaks our kids have. They deserve proper schools and, a higher standard of an education program, so they can go on to a higher education.

God help the F.N. if there is money spent on a sports arena, for their kids. They certainly don't deserve that. Ice cold school portables for F.N. children, is good enough for them. Computer's in their schools? Gyms in their schools, are you kidding? Music teachers? Never!! OMG!!! F.N. citizens actually have T.V's? Perish the thought, of a F.N. person driving a decent vehicle. Shacks with an oil drum stove, is good enough for those family's.

We white people and our children, take all of that for granted.

However. A $1 billion fake lake was in order. $50 million to buy a riding with gazebos? Tax payers buying houses for Harper's minions? $1 million to fly Harper's armored vehicles around with him? No big deal.

I won't go into the wasted tax dollars. Harper and his Cons list of tax thefts and abuses, are as long as your arm. The same with the list Harper's degenerates.

Owen Gray said...

In what Ralph Surette calls "the Harpersphere" only certain people count, Anon. The rest are simply ignored.

Canada's First Nations fall into the second category.