Just a random shot of my nephew being a lifeguard at the beach close to my house. He hated it up there, so even this shot was tough to get, but it kinda works

Ottawa Update 38

Wow, it has been a crazy week and it all kicked off last Sunday when it was decided that Pope Jean Paul II is going to be sainted. Later the same day we find out Bin Laden was ‘taken out’ and on Monday night Canada re-elected a prime minister who models much of his leadership stylings on the Mao Tse-Tung/Kim Il Jung warm father/brave leader school of governance.

So are all these strange, bizarre, somewhat grotesque things related? Yup, we humans need...no we love a story with large than life people doing larger than life things. No mater where we live we see this all around us everyday and we are all more than happy to give up our common sense and for these folks to ‘lead’ us into the great unknown. And apparently Americans love those stories even more when they kill someone in the end.

On that note, let me start this update by giving my deepest congratulations to America on finally getting your man.

Well done boys. Over the last ten years you invaded two countries--one of them completely uninvolved--killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, tortured thousands of others, broke numerous international laws, stripped your own population of many of their most basic civil liberties, created a culture of fear and jingoism in America and essentially bankrupted your country doing it all. I’m sure for all those folks in Times Square and gathered outside the White House screaming “USA, USA,” that sacrificing their children’s futures on this punk was worth every last penny of it. But as we stand here basking in the knowledge that Bin Laden is dead, and surveying the rubble all around us can you just remind me who exactly won this fight again?

Look America, I completely understand that Bin Laden was a bad dude with an evil ideology. He saw himself as a ‘wronged’ people’s savior, he loved the publicity he received and he lived under the deluded belief that he could force his own way of life on others--whether those people wanted no part of it. Bin Laden was responsible for the attack and murder of thousands of innocent civilians around the world and, of course, we all know that he was a rich kid able to do what he did simply because he was born into an uber wealth family.

Hey America, I actually agree with you that Bin Laden should have been hunted down for all those things he did. But let me ask you this justice loving America, who’s next on your list, George W. Bush?

Awkward questions aside, the real issue we must now ask ourselves is, with Bin Laden dead are we safer today? My answer is nope, not even close.

The lifestyles of the Western world, and what that alone does to the earth, causes more damage to the planet and the people, particularly those in the poorest regions, than Bin Laden and his cronies could have possibly done in 100 lifetimes. While knocking off Bin Laden was a nice prize to hang on the mantle, if you guys really want to do the right thing you could make an effort to clean up a few of the ideologues, sociopaths and wackos you have running your own corporations, political offices and churches. Then we can start to talk about ‘historic moments’.

Let’s make no mistake this began long before 9/11. How many poor, innocent civilians has America watched die as they installed and supported the brutal dictators ruling over them or given corporations free run to do as they pleased? There are many, many more Bin Ladens out there and it isn’t the West's freedom they dislike, but our hypocrisy, greed and arrogance that fuels them.

So please America I don’t need to hear what a wonderful day this is. I know you all like to think that you’re hard, tough, sons of bitches and you love this Hollywood crap, but the only thing that killing Bin Laden shows is exactly how any group of people can be lead so far off the track that they can think that a murder of any kind is justified or a solution to a problem.

Just remember America, and no one should understands this better than you, that it is remarkably easy for our leaders to frighten us, convince us to hate and ultimately attack others when it suits them. Bin Laden did it with his crew and your leaders do it with remarkable regularity to you when it suits them. I mean, wasn’t the same people who first told us what an evil dude Bin Laden who then told us to go and invade Iraq?

Raw, unchecked emotion is the most powerful weapon on earth and it is what every politician, religious group and corporation uses to hook us in. And when the public doesn’t bother looking past it for any kind of truth they are quick to buy into it. As citizens of any country it is this misuse of our trust, above all else, that we have to be vigilant against. So to see a group of people, no matter how few the numbers, dancing in the streets and mindless chanting after a governmental assassination is quite unsettling and somewhat ominous.

I understand that we’re all looking for heros who can explain right and wrong to us. Life is tough and we want to surround ourselves with people who justify our beliefs and who we hope can bring us just a little closer some Shangri-La. These feelings are universal and no matter where we’re born all humans want the same thing. However, we should also all be extremely weary when our leaders undertake assassinations based on what they alone consider to be justice. Not only does this cross lines that should be avoided at all costs and make this a possible option for people much closer to home--maybe even you or me--but it is not uncommon to find out that our governments are liars, immoral and very often incorrect.

While nearly all opinion polls may disagree with me, the murder of Bin Laden has saddened me and greatly lowered my opinion of both Obama and America. The key to a truly great leader is the ability to display kindness and justice, even with your enemies. Understandably it is extremely tough to do, but the reward is priceless. Doing so makes you better than they are. I saw none of that in Obama’s dealing with Bin Laden. In fact, the whole thing with its conflicting stories of what actually happened and the shooting of women and children was all very icky.

So America, as I see it, next time you are faced with an issue like this you have two choices. The first is that you can continue to play the cowboy, happily riding around the world, killing as you please. But should you choose to do so you’d best shut your mouths about being the planet’s last bastion democracy or any kind of shining example to the rest of us. The second choice is that you can actually practice just a little of what you preach, fight for justice, give everyone, even the most vial, a fair and open trail to prove their guilt or innocence and earn yourself a little bit of respect in the eyes of others. But I can see that you’ve already made your choice.

Later kids, take care and I’ll be back next week.

Dan.