Okay...here are some 'social/environmental' issues/questions that I want to raise. Granted they're all largely local/regional/national issues, but they are all things that have relevance for the world at large.

Gas prices. In Vancouver and St. John's it is just under $1.00/L and here we're pushing $.90. My view? Keep it going up. In fact, the price should keep rising til it hits $2.00. Why you ask? Is it to make the rich oil tycoons richer no? Seeing as I'm not part of that wealth, no. No, my reasons are environmental. Yes, Canada has been exhibiting a skyrocketing increase in the number of folks with Ashtma. The reason? Pollution. So, if you increase the price of gas to ridiculous levels then you will eventually get people off the road. Moreover, they will be forced to live closer to their place of employment and even, heaven forbid, take public transit. Don't get me wrong. I'm just as guilty now or at least this past year - but...it eats away at me every day and NEVER AGAIN will I be part of this GREAT EVIL of western civilization. It needs to be fixed, no question.

This leads me to my second topic of discussion, that most glorious anomalies, the 'suburb'. Probably one of the 5 worst things to happen to humanity, suburbs are something that need to be eliminated. The whole breakfast community concept with wide roads and box stores and so forth is immensely flawed. And...it leads me to the next topic of discussion.

There is a large outcry in my neighbourhood to prevent the construction of some condos on a wee piece of woodland in the Dufferin area. For those who don't live here here's the situation. There's a wee wooded area in my neighbourhood, which by Canadian standards is an old one and rather lovely too, behind some apartments. You see, as one heads southwest from my area you near the Grand river and the land dips - i.e., it get's lower and the woodland is in a wee ravine, though surrounded by housing. So, here's my thoughts. First of all, knocking down the trees is bad, don't get me wrong. Moreover, there certainly seems to be a plethora of available and in my eyes more desirable land right on the Grand River and so why they want this spot is beyond me. However, with that said, here's my problem with the naysayers. First of all, this reeks too much of a bunch of rich people feeling the need to give themselves a pat on the shoulder my having their own environmental moment. While not everyone who lives here is rich per say, that term is comparatively appropriate for a significant number of the houses in this neighbourhood. So, in those cases it seems like a whole lot of bullshit. You know, what Ontario needs is more affordable housing. In a country where 1 in 6 childern live in a poverty, is it so wrong to build housing units that are more affordable to those families that fall within that income bracket? Call me crazy, but POVERTY IS STILL A BAD THING. So, if these are rental units that they are building all the better. I believe that there is no place for elitism in this world. Now, let's discuss the environmental impact. I have no problem with folks concerned about the possible environmental problems that it would cause, but I don't see anyone complaining about the mass destruction of woodland and farmaland in the north of Brantford, the west of brantford, or the east part of brantford, have you? So why the fuck is this neighbourhood any more important? If you're gonna complain about this, then you better damn well do something about the important problem of loss of land in the surrounding area of Brantford. Plus, is it SO WRONG to try and increase the number of people who live in the city centre? God knows we have a downtown with loads of potential and so we really should be trying to bring in as many people into the city centre as possible. And that, yes that folks is why I'm not against the cutting down of the wee woodland. I'm not necessarily all for it either, but I think that my concerns are important ones that really are not being considered by either side. The new unit folks are in it for the buck. But I'm not so sure that many of the salvage folks are that much better.

Finally, let's talk healthcare. It's time for privatization. There's really nothing more to say. At least there shouldn't be. But, again, that scorn of humanity, 'ignorance', tends to crop its ugly head up whenever this is an issue, which it should be. The problem is that a lot of folks here the words 'privatize Canadian healthcare' and they immediately freak, and fear that this means a two-tier system and the rich blah blah blah. Ignoring the fact that this country has a thing against those who succeed, I can say that two tier does not equal loss in quality in the public part. YOU CAN HAVE A PUBLIC/PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WHERE EVERYONE WINS. They have it in Britain and their system isn't crumbling. As long as the doctors all must work in both parts of the system, then there is NO PROBLEM. No one loses access to healthcare and in fact everyone would benefit. It can work and if we implement it it will work. In fact, we need it...make no bones about it. Our system is overrun with shortages and delays and something should have been done a long time ago.

Finally, there's always time for Iraq. This idiotic war, which is partly for oil - if you know you're history than you will see that this has been a prominent part of western interaction in the middle east for at least a 100 years. Of course, it's also about finishing up what one's father started. But...anyway, Rumsfeld has to go. There's no excuse for what happened. The Americans are not above the law. And ignoring the fact the US government has completely fucked up what was a HORRIBLE IDEA in the first place, one of the saddest parts is how the situation reflects on Americans in general. Most of the soldiers over there are upstanding citizens who are there for the noble cause of fighting for freedom and their country. In my eyes, there's nothing wrong with that. But, as a result of the greed and near-sightedness of the republican government, the US and its citizens are in more danger than they ever were before the decision was made to invade. So the victims that matter (I don't give a shit about the 'dubya' government) are the Iraqi citizens, police officers, the 'good' US and coalition soldiers, and the western world in general.

And now I'm done.