Two new chickens added to the flock today! Cluckminster and I hitched a ride with local restaurateur Ilan to the Parksville poultry swap where I found one black and one white Phoenix chicken! (I’ll post a photo soon). Integration is going fine. I spent the sunshiny day cleaning out the whole coop and weeding. Evening time, I popped down to the station where I delivered an impromptus playing of this fucking awesome album:
…before loading up Saino-Naimo News. I logged into Facebook a couple of times today, and each time, I learned something new. I pondered a concept I had never pondered. I finally noticed the meaning of the word “Nationalization” and “Nationality”. This happened through an intelligent debate on Facebook on the topic of Canada Day, the “National” holiday.
Ilan asks this of his broad audience:
“Happy Nationalism Day! Consider what it is we are told to celebrate today and how it has become something you identify with and are attached to. Nationalism is a very basic form of divide and conquer, social control. Most people I know are frustrated by and mad at government at all levels, and yet many feel proud to be Canadian (or American, or Israeli, …or French, or British, or …). What exactly does that mean? Are you proud of the actions your government is taking in your name with your tax dollars? Are you proud of your army? Or maybe you are proud of natural features and animals (did you have anything to do with creating these? How about with protecting these from capitalist exploitation?) Who benefits from this nationalistic pride you have? Who are you “other-izing” and excluding in the process of identifying with your national team? Are these words and concepts offensive to you? Ask yourself how and why this came to be! Question the water you are swimming in. It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it! Personally, I love my community, my family, my friends, all children, nature, this planet and much more. I have no use for flags, anthems, national symbols or national pride.”
Then I read the comments below. Along comes a video from Dave O. I have to pause the Mantrakid to listen…
About 30 people share the status. A person complains, and then another. Ilan response is the following:
“I choose to live here too, and feel very lucky that through sheer blind luck, and through no action or merit of mine, I had the right papers that allowed me to relocate to this political geographical arrangement called Canada.
I grew up in Israel where nationalism runs strong and is used to justify all kinds of horrors. I am also a student of history and the countless times (past and present) when nationalism has been used to stampede people into wars committing genocides etc… As for all the things enjoyed by our immigrant grandparents (mine too came to Canada and instantly became proud of it), they are all true and we are lucky for them, but they too are products of a historical context, have a racial element to them, and are not a given in this country for all to enjoy. Immigration into this country has become much much harder and more restrictive than in our grandparents days, and today has racial and financial elements attached to it too. Also, There are plenty of people here in Canada who fear the police (without being criminals), there are peaceful activists who get jailed and detained before G8 summits for thought crimes, there are native women who disappear without the police lifting a finger. I don’t think people who think differently than me are stupid. I do challenge nationalism on a regular basis (not just on Canada Day). I do think nationalism has very dangerous potential elements, and I do think the promotion of nationalistic identification and pride serves the injustices of the status quo. I also enjoy healthy, intelligent debates, so thanks for taking me to task!”
Then I read this article from the Globe and Mail.
Then I read this Wikipedia definition.
*mind blown*
Now try this on for size:
Back to Wikipedia. Jiddu Krishnamurti
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