North Cowichan - All politicians are hypocritical, opportunistic, and untrustworthy. It has always been this way. It is a matter of the degree that these vices are practiced, since we all, from time to time, practice them.
But we expect more from those in elected and/or professional positions, our "leaders", because we entrust our welfare to them.They play a game of cat and mouse for their own ends. In the process, if they can help a few people, so be it, but it is not their intent. Otherwise, most must be evaluated as abject failures. Further, they will not shy away from taking credit they don't deserve, but will evade due criticism. Their main intent is fame, glory, and the money fame and glory bring. Either vice alone can bring about the others.During war they/we glorify death and heroism to inspire the fight. We have not been able to get out of that mode in any significant way, where a difference can be realized. Actually, we embrace it, the warrior "sacrifice".The elite that control us know it and wield propaganda with that in mind. With each newmanufactured crisis, more extreme flag-wavers are awakened. Worshippers and the killers they worship are a mixed bag; all searching for solidarity in a cause, not necessarily righteous. Public relations mechanisms focus on issues that lend most to patriotic propaganda, where scoundrels meet en masse, patting each other on the back. America and its counterparts, which includes Canada, are the evil queen in Snow White. She refuses to accept the mirror's objectivity when she sees she's no longer the fairest of all. Rather than grow in maturity and morality, she becomes a bully to retain her status; all driven by self-absorption, an inflated ego.Sanctifying soldiers and idolizing murderous attitudes is symptomatic of a decaying society, as evidenced historically in past gruesome civilizations - Rome, Egypt, Mayan, Aztec, and Incas come to mind - all had gruesome practices, human sacrifice. We're still primitive, but with technology. We draw the line at beheadings, at least in front of the camera. After being through Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, a beheading is euthanasia.Never mind how our prison system tortures and dehumanizes our population after unjust laws put them there. Out of sight, out of mind.After decriminalizing all drugs 15 years ago, Portugal has seen a dramatic decline in crime and addiction.Injecting drug use is down 50 per cent, where once one per cent of the population was addicted to heroin.A popular Portuguese police chief was originally an opponent of the new policies. He now praises them.Daniel FerreiraNorth Cowichan