Hubris

Humility is a great thing. I find it intensely annoying how politicians of a certain mindset love to lecture other people how to run their countries –the connection to proselytising (evangelical) religion should not escape the thoughtful reader. For example, certain of the current Canadian government take it on themselves to hector Europe (or Ontario ) to get their act together and do the right thing to encourage growth and stability. They don’t say how exactly they might do that, just get on and do it already. Never mind that their own country has done better to weather the recent economic storms because of factors outwith the direct influence of the current Harper government – the relative strength of the Canadian banking system, the relative reluctance of Canadians to get deep in debt, and the resource-based economy (oil). The first was thanks to the fiscal policy of the Chretien/Martin Liberal government, the second is cultural, and the last a freak of geology. In truth, the Canadian politicians have no clue what they would do to restore the European Community to economic tranquillity. How could they presume to comment? Other than to say – get some oil and go back in time to re-regulate banks. The bottom line is that the currently more blessed countries are telling everybody else to do something so that they can continue to enjoy the fruits of their good fortune. No sense of cooperation, no offer to help them so that they can stabilise, just an instruction to ‘do something so that we don’t suffer’. Other countries must do something to encourage growth (the current mantra of the Harper) - just so that the demand for oil and resources does not flag. Such 'advice' the world really does not need.

In a sense, we see the same principles at work in the current treatment of the unemployed. Everywhere are forces directed to drive unemployed to take a job, any job, anywhere and at any salary/work conditions. The presumption being that anybody who is unemployed is a shiftless layabout sucking off the public teat of the nanny state. Why should my tax money be wasted on supporting somebody who has no interest in work when it could be used for something of more direct benefit to me? Like healthcare, education, armies, strip mines, etc. The 'haves' have seen the abyss and are clawing their way against the tide, caring not who or what they trample in the process.

Nowhere do we see a politician saying that they understand where other peoples find themselves, that it is not necessarily their fault, that perhaps ‘there but for the grace of god go I’. Hold out the hand of unconditional aid, share good fortune. Find a penny on the street, give it to somebody else and your karma will increase.