Jonathan Brun

Freedom ain’t free

Yesterday, I went to vote in the advance polls for the May 2nd Canadian Federal Election. While at the polling station, one of the clerks recounted how she rejoices in seeing people come to vote at every election; exercising their right to have a say in the formation of their government. In many parts of the world, this is not an option.

The elderly clerk went on to describe a middle age man from a North African country who came to vote during the last election. As a newly minted Canadian citizen, it was the first time he had ever voted. With tears of joy in his eyes, he asked the election clerk to take a photo of him at the ballot box so that he might send it back to his brother in their home country.

While these stories are inspiring, far too many Canadians are apathetic about the election. At the last federal election, only 56% of people voted. It is hard to understand.

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index〈=e

My friend recently took a taxi ride and asked the driver if he intended to vote. The driver, a man from Ethiopia, said “no”, saying he was mostly just concerned with having a job. My friend then asked if he had not come to Canada to escape an oppressive regime where voting was not an option. After a moment of thought, he proclaimed, “I never looked at it that way, you’re right, I think I will vote this time”. It’s as simple as that, just ask people to vote.

Freedom ain’t free. Vote.

Hans Rosling does it again

Since TED began publishing TEDx talks, the average quality of talks has decreased and the volume has increased. However, there are still gems out there and Hans Rosling, not one to disappoint, does it again. In this 9 minute talk he explains the importance of technological innovation for the health and freedom of women and future generations. A large part of my disenfranchisement with the green mouvement is their scorn for modern technology and the “return to the land” mentality some of them have. Let me be blunt, technology is awesome.

I am a firm believer that human ingenuity and compassion are the two key elements for the survival of our race. If we can combine the two to equitably distribute resources and opportunities to all of the members of the human community, we might just have a chance. Watch the talk:

Get Mad like Howard Biel

I’ve made a point of not endorsing any political party, but to simply ask you to not vote for a Conservative government. That is why I built WhyHarperSucks and shared many articles via Twitter and Facebook. Let’s be honest, none of the party leaders have been very inspiring.

That being said, there are real issues at stake in this election and we must make a real and tangible choice with regards to our government. This brief clip from a Liberal rally is perhaps a glimps of what the leaders should be doing more of: putting their foot down and exclaiming, “Enough!”. The progression under Harper towards a socially conservative government, erosion of democracy, and partisan hackery has to stop. Take a look at this clip and then the next one from the famous movie Network, and then, get mad.

Michael Ignatieff

Howard Biel

Conservative Corruption

As you might have noticed, I am no fan of Harper. It’s not personal, I’m just not a fan of secrecy, manipulation and corrupt behaviour.

Today, a draft report from the Auditor General was leaked and it paints the Conservatives as band of crooks lining their friends’ pockets. Add onto that the statement by Montreal conservative candidate that conservative ridings get more money. And then, to add salt on an open wound, the Harper Conservatives used a quote that Sheila Fraser made in reference to the prior Liberal government of Canada and tried to attribute it to their G8/G20 summit (Source) (GC Parl Doc). I am not sure pathetic and amateurish cut it. This is just plain sleazy.

Don’t forget that this government was brought down on contempt of parliament, refused to hand over documents related to afghan detainee torture, fudged numbers on the F-35 fighter jets, and refused to break down the costs for their crime bill. Really Canada, would you tolerate this behaviour from your family or friends?

6 Facts on Stephen Harper, Prime Minister

Elections are messy business, the truth an ever moving target. Spin, spin, spin. In 2008, Stephen Harper ran on a campaign of 5 promises. His tactic of focusing on only 5 items significantly helped him communicate his message to Canadian voters. With that in mind, I decided to choose 6 important facts about Stephen Harper’s prime ministership and display them on one page, to allow Canadians to make an educated decision on his qualities as Prime Minister of Canada. The facts we chose are:

1. Abuses Canada’s Parliament,
2. Foreign Policy Fail,
3. Wastes your Money,
4. Hides the Truth,
5. No Regard for Science, and
6. Doesn’t defend canadian citizens.

Well, maybe more opinion than fact.

We made an effort to present these items in a tasteful and aesthetic manner, to encourage you to share the site. Far too many progressive sites veer off into crazy town; we wanted to avoid any such image. We are not endorsing any alternative party, we simply encourage you to consider Stephen Harper’s track record and what his re-election might mean for the future of Canada and your children.

The website is now archived… but you can see the content here : Why Harper Sucks, or alternatively, Why Stephen Harper is a bad Prime Minister. Read the facts, get the talking points, and decide on your own. If you agree, please share these points with your friends and family.