This past week I lost a few things but found others that had been shelved for far too long thanks to the results of the US elections and the resignation of Rumsfeld.
Here's what I lost:
- a sense of endless impending doom.
- the urge to check out right-wing punditry to see what we lefties were up against on a daily basis.
- the feeling of screaming into the ether.
- frustration with the majority of the American public.
- the need to hold my breath while wondering what Bushco would come up with next in the realm of unchecked power.
Here's what I found:
- relief
- a renewed belief in the power to overcome adversity.
- the possibility of accountability restored.
- the glint of diplomacy ahead.
- the will to believe in American democracy again.
- even more faith in and gratitude for my American friends who worked so hard to evoke meaningful change.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
-Gandhi
Now, I certainly am not naive enough to believe that the Democrats will automagically fix everything that's gone so terribly wrong at the hands of the neocons and those who foolishly supported them without question, but the sense that their power has been neutered is a start. There is no way to predict what will happen during the final two years of the Bush presidency but the idea that he and his partners in crime will face much tougher scrutiny by a congress that will no longer bow to his every whim is a vast improvement over what the American people have had to endure the past six years.
The era of unchecked tyranny is over.
A while ago, a Canadian blogger friend asked me why I am so interested in US politics. To be honest, during the Clinton years I watched from the sidelines because - regardless of the Lewinsky scandal - I had faith that with the Democrats in charge the US was moving forward. That all came to a screeching halt when Bush was elected, surrounded by neocons whose manifesto would now have the chance to become reality. There was definitely a sense of global danger in the air and we now know that that was not unfounded. It was that mood that drew me into watching the actions of the new US administration much more closely.
The years have gone by with imperial powers exercised by that administration which many Americans never dreamed they would see happening in their lifetimes and the urgency to swim against that tide grew stronger with each breach justified by neocon legal minds who had set out to destroy the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the US Constitution and international laws. It's been an extremely dark time.
It is by no means over, but there is finally light at the end of this long tunnel for my American friends and many people all around the world who have been impacted by such destructive and backwards policies. Finally, this period in American history is also a stark reminder to Canadians to be ever vigilant that we never allow our government to use fear and terror as justifications for absolute power that would crush our rights as well. As I'm continually reminded by one of my online Canadian friends, knb, our current prime minister is quite enamored with many of the neocons philosophies and we would do well to keep that in mind every step of the way to ensure that we do not slip into the past as well. Fortunately, our Conservatives only serve as a minority government at this point, but we need to follow the lead of American activists to fight hard to hold their feet to the fire as they attempt to push their so-called conservative, regressive values on all Canadians.
Let the American experience be a wake up call to all Canadian liberals to not allow a rollback of our civil and constitutional rights at the hands of ruling Conservatives. We do not want to live through the nightmare that so many of our neighbours are going through and we must be cautious. It can happen here too if we don't pay attention.
For today, at least, I can feel empowered by those who have fought against the crushing power of the American neocons and have emerged victoriously. They are an inspiration and I offer all of them my humble thanks for the spirit they have displayed in the face of such a huge challenge. They're all heroes.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
- Gandhi
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