Dirty Politics: The Choice is Ours

Posted by Matthew D.S. on 12.27.2005

Reflecting on the Spirit of Christmas, and Your Votes are Still Wanted

First and foremost to all those who are gracious enough to read what I have to say week-in, week out (namely my friends and my girlfriend, love you babe!), I hope you all had a very enjoyable Christmas and hopefully a prosperous year to come.

Special thanks to Jason Easley for plugging my Christmas CD which is still available in large small quantities to those interested for only three easy payments of $29.95.

I am also still taking votes for the Disorder of Canada and it is a staggering TWO votes that have determined the outcome thus far, so despite the limitations of my inbox, feel free to send in your vote to [e-mail] anytime in the next week before I announce the winner (for a disposition on the nature of the Disorder of Canada just copy, paste, and read: http://www.411mania.com/politics/topics/article.php?news_id=9392).

So then. Grab yourself a coffee, sit back, relax, and let's get to it shall we?

Peace on Earth, good will towards man.

Less than twenty-four hours ago as I take keyboard in hand to type this, the world over (save for those still on the Julian calendar) marked the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, be it not even the actual day He was born. We can thank the early Church Fathers for picking the Roman holiday of Saturnalia as the day for Christ's birth, in order to attract more pagan followers to the new faith. Guess it worked!

Regardless, the birth of the Prince of Peace is perhaps one of the few times on Earth when people try to invoke the spirit of peace into their lives, albeit for just one day.

What can us as individuals do to spread His message, whether you believe in Christ or not, of peace, love, compassion, and doing unto others as you would have done unto yourself?

What must we counter? I can think of two.

Revenge. I understand the idea and concept behind revenge; it is allegedly justice, retribution. Revenge however is the opposite of justice, for justice is just; revenge is spite. What will harming someone who has harmed you do in the grand scheme? Revenge only brings suffering to this world, and blood, and of course, blood begets blood.

This is why I oppose the death penalty. Putting to death one that has done terrible injustice does not leave room for repentance, for mental penitence, or reform. It merely sweeps the problem under the carpet and causes more grief for the family of those convicted persons.

Greed. Time and time again I have reflected on the idea of money and corruption be it in the halls of Congress, during the sponsorship scandal in the Canadian Liberal Party, or in corporate offices that buy contracts and pollute the environment. It is incredible the lengths people will go to trying to advance their social standing or to increase profits. Money is a necessity but it brings out the very worse in people all too often. We all should count our blessings for that what we have, and never should we put people under our feet in attempting to line our wallets.

I am further convinced that global poverty exists because we allow it to. If the collective world wished to see it eliminated truly and forever, this world could make it happen. Look at Microsoft, with yearly revenue of nearly US$40 billion, or Wal-Mart, with yearly sales of over US$240 billion. The entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP, the value of all the goods and services produced) of the continent of Africa, by contrast, is less than double of the sales produced by Wal-Mart. Just thinking about this fact staggers me.

A single corporation, a company, whose sole aim is to sell common household items at low prices produces more wealth than all the combined efforts of the peoples and governments of several nations, dozens of nations.

Clearly there is enough wealth on this planet and enough food: this is not debatable, it is fact.
At this time of year perhaps we ought to reevaluate the priorities of this planet. Wealth or poverty? Environmental protection or degradation? Love or hate? Forgiveness or revenge?

Two thousand and six draws near, and it's time for resolutions. What shall be yours? What will be George W. Bush's, Tony Blair's, Paul Martin's, Junichiro Koizumi's, and other world leader's resolutions?

I know mine, and that is to try and be more faithful, and to be a better person, as it is every year.

And I'd be content of politics became less dirty, even if it meant having to change the name of my column.

(References: wikipedia.org, The Economist "Pocket World in Figures 2005 Edition.")