Is Bob Rae cynical or naive? What else can explain his going to Attawapiskat and demanding that the feds immediately pour more money into the place and forget about figuring out what has happened to the huge amount of money that has already been poured into the place.
And consider the long term. Even if some successful band aid is applied, the community will then go back to normal and "normal" is a rolling disaster.
This should sound familiar. It's the politics of magical unicorn sweat again. The thing is to care. But what possible difference could caring make here? Attawapiskat is in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing to base an economy on. The band council is clearly incompetent if not corrupt. The standard joke is to say "What could go wrong?" but the deeper question is "What could possibly go right?" And the answer to that is nothing could or will ever go right in Attawapiskat. That's the thing that it would take real political courage to say.
And it's not just Attawapiskat. There are hundreds of Aboriginal bands across Canada that are potential Attawapiskats waiting to spin out of control. And there are a whole line of cynical politicians and journalists waiting to exploit the situation by making other politicians prove they care. That "caring" in this case means condemning another generation of Aboriginal youth to poverty and suffering doesn't matter.
And note that the media, who brag about their ability to hold governments accountable, are doing everything they can to keep the band council here and at other reserves from being held accountable.
Isolated communities built on failed cultures cannot succeed, It doesn't matter how much magical unicorn sweat is poured over them. And there is the problem. We're not allowed to say anymore that some cultures are better than others. Well, you can go die in a sweatlodge ceremony run by some fraud because aboriginal cultures are supposedly better but you can't point out that the most successful form of liberal democracy was produced by WASP culture.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my Irish ancestors from Saint John and my Quebecois ancestors didn't like the WASPs who lorded it over them one tiny bit but they were smart enough to recognize that the moral and political culture the WASPs had was better than their own. They climbed from poverty to success by doing WASP culture better than the WASPs did.
The government’s attempt to “turn the political tables” by trying to put the spotlight on how the band has managed its funds is “disgraceful,” Mr. Rae said.Bob Rae isn't stupid, he knows the band council has mismanaged the funds. The only outstanding question is whether this mismanagement is due to incompetence or corruption. He doesn't think it would be any use to find out. He says this even though he knows that any additional money sent will have to be funneled through the same flawed and unaccountable local government.
And consider the long term. Even if some successful band aid is applied, the community will then go back to normal and "normal" is a rolling disaster.
This should sound familiar. It's the politics of magical unicorn sweat again. The thing is to care. But what possible difference could caring make here? Attawapiskat is in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing to base an economy on. The band council is clearly incompetent if not corrupt. The standard joke is to say "What could go wrong?" but the deeper question is "What could possibly go right?" And the answer to that is nothing could or will ever go right in Attawapiskat. That's the thing that it would take real political courage to say.
And it's not just Attawapiskat. There are hundreds of Aboriginal bands across Canada that are potential Attawapiskats waiting to spin out of control. And there are a whole line of cynical politicians and journalists waiting to exploit the situation by making other politicians prove they care. That "caring" in this case means condemning another generation of Aboriginal youth to poverty and suffering doesn't matter.
And note that the media, who brag about their ability to hold governments accountable, are doing everything they can to keep the band council here and at other reserves from being held accountable.
Isolated communities built on failed cultures cannot succeed, It doesn't matter how much magical unicorn sweat is poured over them. And there is the problem. We're not allowed to say anymore that some cultures are better than others. Well, you can go die in a sweatlodge ceremony run by some fraud because aboriginal cultures are supposedly better but you can't point out that the most successful form of liberal democracy was produced by WASP culture.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my Irish ancestors from Saint John and my Quebecois ancestors didn't like the WASPs who lorded it over them one tiny bit but they were smart enough to recognize that the moral and political culture the WASPs had was better than their own. They climbed from poverty to success by doing WASP culture better than the WASPs did.
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