A blatantly optimistic criticism

As Canadians have we not gasped in horror at the thought of the Americans buying only American? Have we not seen the writing on the wall as President Obama proclaimed his decision to save the United States from depression through economic isolation? Yes, of course we have - for it has been smeared across the papers of the nation, this fear that we as a raw resource nation will finally succumb to the economic terror that we have only dreamed of for ages, that the world will no longer need our natural assets. And yet, despite the fact that our salvation is glaring at us right in the face, we cannot see it. Or at least we refuse to see the light. You will have to excuse me as I will exercise my abilities in pseudo-cynicism in an effort to hide my true nature as an innocent wide-eyed optimist because here I'm going to suggest that Canada really has no problem as a nation of resources.

The answer is self-sustaining communities strengthened through the support for local resources. A perfect example of this is the "100 mile diet" (or "100 km diet", depending on your measuring system and intensity) which promotes not just a simplicity in dining but enhances the diversity of local crops and resources. A recent project featured on the radio show Deconstructing Dinner demonstrated, through a co-operative of farmers and residents in the Creston, BC region, the possibility of self-sustaining communities. Countless cities and communities across Canada will find themselves at a great loss in the event of a fuel shortage as all of them are needlessly dependent on the transportation of imported goods. This situation, although possible, is not necessarily inescapable.

It is all a question of what we perceive to be a turning point. In this instance it is a simple process of looking at a global situation, such as an economic downturn, not as an apocalyptic crisis but as a cue to reconsider our life styles. Returning to the United States and their apparent tradition of isolationism, we can see the fear evoked by terms like "iron curtain." Such terms are irrelevant and unproductive, relating the American decision to pull out of economic global activity as a return to the Cold War. What is the media suggesting here - that the isolationism is also cultural? Or is it perhaps that the US has gone socialist? Let's face it, it's certainly not the latter as practically every other nation in the western world is more socialist than the United States.

Here is the ultimate point: Obama's decision is not a crime. It should also not be a cause of worry to Canadians - in the face of apparently damaging economic depression nations need to focus on the importance of community, moving from large-scale global relations to more intimate settings. I would not use "isolationism" in this case as this term implies that a larger nation, which has typically employed smaller or less important nations for raw resources and labour, now cuts those off in an effort to protect itself. What I'm speaking of here is the case of the raw resource nation using its own products in an effort to sustain itself. So rather than worrying about our economy in the face of an American shut-down, we should regard this disruption in the post-Cold War global relations not as an end perse but as the beginning of a new era of self preservation.


The impending "American Iron Curtain," therefore, could be exactly what nations like Canada need. It is infinitely easy to fall into the cracks of apathy and lack of motivation - as humans we seem to believe that we are only moved to action through fear, stress, depression, and anxiety. This is a self-fulfilling prophesy: in seeing the futility of the situation we make little attempt to exercise any effort in bettering the situation and thus do nothing to redevelop society to a self-sustaining system where we can rely on ourselves and our immediate environment. (I'm trying to think of a clever way of putting this idea across - but its utter simplicity deflects the showers of sarcasm and irony that I wish to use.) Rather than sitting in our basements fearing change we can, very simply, alter our lifestyles with the most minute level of concentration. Perhaps that's a little too optimistic ... yes, it is, but you understand the drift here. This piece is not written to criticize human nature - it's like shooting fish in a barrel criticizing human nature. Human nature doesn't really exist (so perhaps they're imaginary fish ... which ruins the comparison a bit) and this image we have painted of ourselves as these bloated, unoriginal, conceited, imbeciles merely strengthens the evasion of responsibility.

(This has actually turned into a decent totalitarian-style motivational speech. Canadians! Unite! Earthlings! Fight against the corporate forces which control your food sources! Carbon-based life-forms! Grow spinach and potatoes for your country!)