Jonathan Brun

Non-Violence – The Power of Iteration

My most recent discovery has been the power of non-violence and iteration. After reading a number of books on Gandhi and his general philosophy, I have come to accept non-violent resistance as the most powerful political force available. Ultimately, it is not so much about changing others, but changing oneself and letting that affect the behaviour of others.

Everything boils down to action-reaction, where you control the action, you can control the reaction. By iterating rapidly over many actions, you can identify the best and most effective way to obtain the change you seek. Gandhi exemplified this strategy by repeatedly defying unfair laws, inciting a disproportionate reaction from the government, which further highlighted the injustice of the law. If the reaction did not meet his expectations, he would simply try something different. This strategy of continuously tweaking your approach strikes me as a fundamental principle of everything, from business to science to politics. Iterate, Iterate, Iterate.

Jay Peak has Lost its Way

I have been an avid Jay Peaker for years. Deep snow and a 250$ college ski pass was an easy sell, but they have lost their way. A couple years back, Jay Peak owner and my neighbour Jacques Hébert passed away, I think his management style went with him. In many ways, Jay seems to have come down with a case of “Vailitis”, a disease named after the famous Colorado resort. The disease afflicts resort owners who continually upgrade their sites with luxury hotels, golf courses, and other perks to attract the rich elite. The problem is that that elite is very small and very fickle.

Jay has installed new chairs, a new gondola, more condos, a golf course and is building a new hotel – all of which was needed. However, the new chair, named the “Flyer”, but nicknamed “The Freezer” is horibly designed and each lift up freezes you to the bones. Can’t they throw up some bubbles or wind barriers? In conjunction with these changes, they have hiked the ticket price to 65$ per day and cut down on the food quality; my poutine is now half the size and half as good – making it 4 times worse.

Very cool visualization of the stimulus package

Hope in the DRC

I am very pleased to see Rwanda has captured rebel leader Nkunda in the DRC (BBC Article). Though this is far from the end, it is promising.

Last summer, I was in Zanzibar where I met a UN observer who was embedded with the DRC troops. To put it mildly, this guy was a crazy russian. As a UN military observer, his job was to fill out reports and send them on to headquarters, he could not intervene in any way. He told stories of rape, murder and burning villages. I can’t even begin to imagine such horrors.

The Eastern Congo truly is the most dangerous place on the planet and well over a million people have died there over the past fifteen years. There are many reasons for the ongoing violence, notably the belgium dictatorship followed promptly by that of the US backed Joseph Mobutu, but the shear size, ethnic variety and rich mineral resources makes it ripe for becoming a conflict zone. Even Rwanda has profited handsomely from the conflict – exporting over 250 million dollars worth of Coltan, a substance used in our cellphones and computers. That being said, the news of Nkunda’s arrest in conjunction with the war crimes investigation of ex-congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba is a ray of a hope in an otherwise dismal picture. What lessons can we learn from this conflict?

During my recent flurry of posts on the Israeli-Gaza situation, I was criticized for singling out Israel which has arguably done less ‘evil’ than other nations. When I suggested a boycott of Israeli products, I was asked, “Why don’t you boycott Rwanda for their support of DRC rebels?”. Some of reasons a boycott of Rwandan coffee would be ineffective include the level of poverty, development and history in the region; however, ultimately I think Rwanda is already on the right path. Israel, I fear, is not. For a poor country in a remote area of the world, the Rwandans’ ability to compromise has deeply impressed me; their decision to crack down on this rebel and former ally reinforced my hope of Rwandan development.

The Rwandans, though far from perfect, were able to see that after the genocide in the 90s, any sort of “revenge” or “communal punishment” on the Hutus would backfire. Much like the Nazis, the Rwandan government prosecuted the serious criminals and pardonned most of the low level thugs who partook in the massacres. This was largely done without foreign aid and despite remaining tribal rivalries.

It would have been easy to seek revenge and lay blame, but they saw beyond that. This small lonely country, surrounded by instability and violence, lost a million citizens to tribal warfare; and yet, they forgave and compromised. Israel could learn something from this remote, poor, African nation.

Why I am digging the Kitchen

Lately, I have been really getting into cooking. Largely, because of a certain Mr. Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay. The guy is a fucking maniac/genius/brash/crazy cook who has a series of shows – I particularly like the BBC Kitchen Nightmares.

Cooking is very much like running a small business. You have to improvise, get immediate feedback, gain confidence…

P.S. Before meeting Digital Ramsay, I thought I knew how to make eggs, I was wrong. He knows how to make scrambled eggs. Video below: