A consociational tack needed in today's populist current
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| illustration by iStock/ smartboy10 |
French Cardinal Richelieu during the 1600's period saw Canada as a nexus of trade involving fur, migration of 200 settlers per year, and the establishment of Canada as a Roman Catholic colony. The British arrived in 1610 in Newfoundland to establish fisheries. Both events created competition that left the Native communities at a disadvantage to the much more sophisticated European occupiers.
Canadian officials can say that they have no panacea against the Chinese hostage taking of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in a legal entanglement between China and Canada over the arrest of Meng Wanzhou. Wanzhou, the Huawei executive was arrested by RCMP at Vancouver airport on an extradition warrant initiated by American officials. The quest for land clams and reclamation in a current context is rooted in the Aboriginal communities in North America. Hence, the lack of technological savvy by these Native groups precluded them from agreements and left them in genocidal conditions, such as 'Trail of Tears' where up to 60,000 Native Americans were relocated from their ancestral homelands west of the Mississippi and 'Le Grand Dérangement' (Expulsion of the Acadian's from the Maritime's in Canada (1755-1764) where many died from disease or drowned during their transfer.
Native land reclamation pursuits point to stopping incursions onto Native lands for economic expansionism such as the OKA Crisis in 1990 over the expansion of a golf course in Quebec, and recently, the development of an energy pipeline in Western Canada (British Columbia) sponsored by Coastal GasLink and voraciously opposed by the Wet'suwet'en First Nation. Indeed, the spirit of the blockade in British Columbia has spread to Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec where Native groups are installing blockades in defense of their Western brethren. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has instructed police agencies to clear these blockades in the most peaceful manner, and this seems to be working, albeit gradually. Trudeau has sought a conciliatory tone with aboriginal groups during his mandate, yet, the spectre of native rights to traditional lands remain unresolved and managed on a case by case basis. Terrence Corcoran, of The National Post exclaims that blockades are an affront to capitalism in Canada while the indigenous issue is a vehicle to support socialists and anti-capitalists "... The Indigenous aspect is also manufactured, with whole communities manipulated into fronting for the radical objectives of New Green Dealers, whose aim is to shut down the world’s major energy system and usher in the next paradise of equality and clean prosperity via state takeover." No matter, the Native population has endured minimalist life on reserves that include poor water quality, housing, basic educational needs and most services that typical urban folks accept and expect. So, conciliation is one thing, and, ultimately, money talks.
The reality of a populist world now exploits physical barriers at the expense of fringe groups and strong leaders such as Xi Jinping, Kim Jong - un and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among others. However, the spirit of conciliation, of change, lies in giving up control of something to benefit some other area or group of people. Sounds very globalist and Pareto optimal. Nation states, associations that include the EU, UN, Arab League and others, can foment consociational measures to spread peace around while mitigating against Hostage - Diplomacy, Blockade - Diplomacy, and movements such as The Arab Spring (2010 - 2012.)
Tibetans have no recourse against their occupiers except self immolation. This method of civil disobedience is lacking in sound judgment (one man self - immolated leaving his family behind;) it is noble in that unlike suicide bombers, there is one victim only. The statement for the immolator is that we are severely oppressed and need international mediation. One - hundred and Fifty - Six Tibetans have self immolated since 2009, according to 'International Campaign For Tibet.'
Native communities in Canada must struggle to maintain autonomy of ancestral lands without bloodshed. Palestinian's are at the mercy of Israeli hawks such as Benjamin Netanyahu and an American President who is sympathetic (Bill Clinton), or scornful(Donald Trump) while Mr. Trump's officials offer up a map for Palestine that includes a whopping four year moratorium on Israeli land grabs. So, when we're sitting down to morning java, consider the notion of power sharing within your community, central government or employer. Are they doing enough to promote egalitarianism and fairness? The example of South Tyrol in Italy demonstrates the Italian government ceding some control by granting "wide - ranging legislative and administrative powers to the province" compared to the post WWII constitution of 1948.
Authoritarian regimes operate a planned economy and society; look at the central government in China shutting down an entire region due to the coronavirus. President Xi is crowing in the media about the benefit of state control in an emergency. But, what led to the corona outbreak was poor state control of the sale of illegal wild-life in that Wuhan market. Consociationialism needs teeth to counter authoritarianism in all walks of life. The big picture needs to be considered when heading to the ballot box, if one truly exists.