Canada is a G8 nation!! Pause and think about that for a second. Has anybody ever wondered how that can occur by having a spotless image on the world stage and be considered as peacekeepers all over the world? Majority of the other players on the G8 (i.e.: China, Russia, U.S.A., France, U.K.) are all known for what they do all around the world in terms of imperialism and intervention/occupation in Third World Countries (not to mention human rights abuse cases and exploitation). However, why is it that we are often overlooked for our atrocities? Is it because the government completely controls the media and institutes which informs you? Is it because our neighbor from the South is far worse than us in comparison so people often overlook our history and what we participate in presently?
Canadian often think Americans are "stupid and uninformed" because they know very little about the atrocities of their country, yet how many Canadians know what we support on the international stage, what types of government we prop up, what our government does in protecting Canadian companies from blame in other Second and Third World countries, and where our Canadian tax payers money goes towards and funds. We're not just involved in Afghanistan as "peace keepers” and in helping the West wage the War on Terror, we in fact do much more on the world stage. For ex: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/594896 Mining in Tibet
We have collaborated, built, and sponsored the building of sweatshops all over the world by not only companies that are Canadian but also we support and help other countries set-up theirs. We have supported countries who have funded coups and even kept silent on the international stage when coups have taken place. We are also one of the major countries when it comes to exploitation of the brain drain phenomena by building contacts and creating ties with other countries and helping those successful graduates come to Canada but making it almost impossible for them to get into their fields. Immigrants who also get into this country who have degrees from their home country and have worked in their fields for years, find it difficult and almost impossible to get into their fields once they are here. Often having to re-do their programs or do at least half of their programs again and pay money they do not have to re-earn the degree they already do have. The criteria to get into Canada is now much tougher than that of the surging 1980's and 1990;s when many immigrants and refugees from all over the world got into Canada. Now it's solely based on the education level one might have, the amount of money one has, as well as if they are sponsored into this country. In other words, it is more systematic than ever.
Canada has a mediocre attitude when it comes to all things in life because in truth we take orders from our family (our mother in U.K., our father in France, our brother in the United States, and our cousins Israel and the Vatican City). We have always served their interests and their will. Our nation itself is filled with “educated”, yet indifferent and apathetic citizens who are only interested in our selfish individual successes and consumerism. We are the perfect product of an engineered society. Canada’s identity is that of being multi-cultured, however, that is a myth since visible minorities are only limited to 20% of Canada meaning the rest of the population is White. Let me say that again, the 20% of the visible population are centered in and around urban areas, the rest of the country, especially rural areas are White. Canada’s real identity is about old money. A well connected, “old Boys” network which is very limiting to the gains of anyone not connected to the network. We’re not just a hockey country, that eats beaver tails, and lives in Igloos. Our history is built and based on and around systematic oppression and exploitation of people. For example, the Native Indians, followed immediately by the exploitation of the Chinese migrant workers. Our county is cemented in the exploitation of it’s immigration population and it’s workers.
Look at all the images in the ads, the commercials on television, the newspapers, etc. who portray a "Canadian" or a "Canadian family". The average construction of a person is an image of a white person or a white nuclear family. When it comes to stories about crimes, it’s focused on colored peoples and colored areas. Success is often equated with how "white" you are. White being equated with being professional and assimilated. For example, let's take the Ben Johnson issue. When he won the Olympic Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympics he was touted as Canada's hero. However, when he was disqualified for doping and stripped of his medal, he was referred as a Jamaican immigrant. So let me get this straight, when you're successful, you're Canadian and when you're not, you're an immigrant? Isn't that what most WHITE Canadians do though when asking people what country you're from if you're not white? Asking often, what country you're from and if you say "Canadian", then they often follow it up by asking, "no, really what country are you from?". However, it's an accepted behavior for a white Canadian to just say, "I'm Canadian". How is that possible if Canada is a country created by immigrants and if a visible minority is not considered a Canadian, then neither should the white person, yet he is, and the colored people are not and have to prove they are Canadian.
Another thing is how average native born Canadians often tell immigrants to go back home or go back to their countries when they voice their opinions and thoughts. The question remains however is that how can immigrants go back to their countries when "their" countries don't exist and is an idea of the past since their countries (after colonialism offered them independence) are now owned by the IMF, WHO, World Banks, and the United Nations (all of which the Canadian government supports, funds, and props up as well as going on "peacekeeping" missions for them). How can an immigrant go back to their countries empty handed especially since immigrants pay taxes which fund the government? Shouldn't immigrants who are asked to go back to their respective countries also be given back their tax money since they are not included as Canadians and are limited when it comes to voicing their thoughts and opinions. How is it that Hate Laws protect certain groups (Jews and Homosexuals) better than others (South Asian, Asians or Africans) and those groups can still be discriminated upon? Where is the equality and fair treatment? Why is it that racial profiling cases have propped up numerous times a year but has not been addressed by any level of government? Why is it that urban areas (i.e.: Toronto, Vancouver) where mostly immigrants live are considered as dangerous and propped up all over the news and the media when in fact, those areas are not the most dangerous in Canada at all? In fact the most dangerous areas are often poor white areas or poor Native Indian reserves. However, that is often overshadowed by the image of the black man or the Muslim/Sikh terrorist whose planning to do something to the white (suburban) population.
People who view Canada as being one of the best countries to live in overall must ask themselves, what are we really comparing it to? When it comes to cost of education, standard of living, maternal/paternal care, and cost of health care (among other things) we are far behind most industrialized countries. We might compare ourselves better than countries on the African continent or South east Asian continents but when it comes to Europe or Scandinavian countries it's basically like comparing First World countries (them) and Third World Countries (us). We think Canada is multicultural and tolerant because we give visible minorities a couple channels on television and a day to celebrate a parade? Canada is a fragmented country filled with enclaves of social groups who live within their communities, some who have yet to adapt to this country or even speak their language. Who are often isolated inside their communities because they have chosen that life or are not openly accepted into ours.
Canada's real identity is that of apathetic, misinformed, and indifferent people. People who are intolerant of hearing opinions and ideas about addressing issues or problems. Often faking concern but not really wanting to work towards addressing it. We depend on our two party system (some can argue either 3 or 4 parties) to fix the problem, however they do nothing but go back and forth without fixing Canada for the better or without enabling other voices from being heard. What do I mean go back and forth? Well brothers and sisters, one government party (Liberals) will always come into power when there is a surplus of money to spend on the budget and thus increase spending money on social programs. The other governmental party (Conservatives) comes when there is a deficit on the budget and start cutting social programs. In other words, those parties have monopolized complete power over Canada and yet this is who we expect to solve our problems rather than helping those with voices or opinions to be heard.
Anyhow, before criticizing and speaking up against another country, we as Canadians need to inform ourselves on what it is that we do and engage in. Before protesting for Canada to act on any issue, we need to look at their actions and what they really stand for and who Canada really is. Canada is a manufactured product on the world stage, an example of a global nation and a multicultural country but it is far from that. Canada is complicit in many negative and destructive processes happening all around the world but since we do not know or do not care -we will always be unaware of it. That is the true legacy of Canada.
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