met by nu lack of will 4 STRICTLY PERSONAL I THINK, as a society, we are in the middle of an S-curve, the part where the line loops backwards, rather than going forward or upward any more. When I look around, I see reac- tionazy forces at work — and in charge — more or less everywhere. By “reactionary,” [ mean people trying to turn the tide back, clinging to old ways, hiding their heads in the sand, zeroing in on scapegoats, becoming xenophobic and national- istic, reverting to tribalism, or just plain being in denial about the , botch we are making of the future.’ __ -Probably one of the most chil-' jing ideas | have stumbled across in the last couple of decades was writer Graeme Gibson’s suggestion that it might be possible for people to know perfectly well what needs to be done, yet not be able to muster the will to lift a finger. For society, this lack of will ' gmounts to having somebody at the helm who wan't turn the wheel to avert disaster, someone who has gone numb. ‘Either that, or the analogy should be that the wheel has become too big, too much like a gigantic Swiss clock, for anybody to truly steer any more. "In which case, we are adrift with the sea just starting to rise. When I use the word “reac- tionary” to describe the state of affairs in most of the world today, certainly including Canada (which is a player in good standing in the club of industrialized nations that is hell-bent on cannibalizing what's left of the planet's natural resources), I include failure of political and individual will as a big factor in the mix. And these show up in ways that aren’t usually considered reac- tionary. ‘Like an NDP government being in power, for instance. It may be that we are talking about a deeper phenomenon, some- thing to do with there being no such thing as ideological interests, only strategic interests, but, judging from the experiences in B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario, the political Left in Canada would seem to have embraced the multina- tionals with an ardor that must make most oldtime Lefties barf. In the process, the post-war gen- eration’s socialist leaders have essentially bowed to the status qua, which calls for unrestricted eco- nomic growth. Forget weirdo talk about steady state economics — hippies! As for environment and furry tit- tle animats, oil spills are the price of keeping the industrial megama- chine that sustains us clunking and humming along, so forget any radi- cal tatk about conservation, Example: the province of Ontario came close ty the opposite ofa meltdown recently, when the Power Workers Union and Ontario Hydro management went nose-to- nose. Depending on what side you take, either management played dirty by talking about shutting down nuclear reactors, terrifying everyone from steel mill Workers to owners of fishtanks, or the union played really dirty by unleashing wildcat strikes, playing “Chernobyl Roulette” at one of the nuclear power stations near Toronto. Something like 60% of the province is dependent on oukes for its day-to-day electrical power. This is what happens if you get sucked into the nuclear power scam: sooner or later, your entire society is held hostage by a handful of guys with their hands on the computer programs that control the reactors. ; Sorry; that’s just the way it is. It wasn’t just both sides, union and managernent, playing high- stakes games to get what they want- ed. Bob Rae stepped in real fast on the side of business-as-usual, and told the squabbling nuclear players fo settle, or else. Rae’s message was that the industrial boat must not be rocked for even a day! How strange. It ‘ sounds just like Mikey Hardcore talking about logging. What both NDPers want is to get re-elected. The perceived trick: go buck to your working-class roots, don’t forget to salute the cor- porate bosses along the way, and to hell with the veggies and bunny- huggers. ; The pragmatic Left, decimated nationally, leaving only the regional potentates to make decisions, is determined not to get caught in the undertow of the ebbing envirou- mental wave, even if this means endorsing crude short-term industri- al exploitation economic strategies . — just like every regime before them, going back to the original European thieves who came in and stole everything that wasn’t nailed down from people with no nails. -At the federal level, it’s the Same reactionary story, with pork- barrel politicking as ever to keep Quebec happy, and Canada resist- ing reform and change on all envi- ronmental fronts, from dragging its heels over hazardous waste dump- _ing in Third World countries, to helping finance a disastrous dam project in China, while cutting deals to deliver heavy water to fur- ther nuclearize the cheerful, fun- loving Korean Peninsula. . Like the Tories before them, and just like the NDP provincially, the federal Liberals have positioned themselves on the side of industry, the unions and the courts with pro- ponents of slow- or zero-growth policies marginalized to the point of warranting being labeled “threat- ened with extinetion,” or, in all too many cases, “expirated.” Ifthe human population truly surges to ning billion in the next 50 years, and the pace of global warm- ing continues to increase at its cur- rent rate, we are in for dramatic changes in the way our civilization survives. This is bound to transform the lives of our descendants — and if you can think of some way in which it will be for the better, do write. As for our politica) future, wel- come to yesterday! : [OFFICE | FOR LEASE 126 EAST ISTH STREET, NORTH VANCOUVER Centrally situated, one block from Lions Gate Hospital. All suites facing south enjoy a city view. Space is available immedi- alely ranging from 1500 sq.ft. to 2500 sq.ft. at a very com- petitive rate. Please call Sodican (B.C.) Inc. Telephone: 988-0646. RACTICE DR. F KIRIGIU wishes to announce the opening of her new general practise of Dentistry. (languages spoken: French, Spanish, Romanian, Italian) Plaza 15 Dental Clinic Suite 202, 145 W. 15th St,N. Van. 986-4144 PLIERS ces SPT ae, PO TANCET Vancouver City Savings Credit Union is pleased to announce the appointnent of Elaine Kennedy as Regional Manager. Elaine, will be based at our North Viaeouver Community Branch, 1290 Marine Drive. North Vancouver, B.C. Elaine has held a variety of branch positions since joining VanCity in 1976, including her mest recent position as Manager. Fraser and 47th Community Branch, A lifetime resident of the Lower Mainland, Elaine looks forward to assisting the residents of the local community with all their financial needs. ) na, WE'RE VANCITY 877-7000 VanCity is the largest credit union in Canada with $3.8 billion in assets and 28 community branch locations in the Lower Mainland. < ALL CA The Kitchen Company — 1259 MARINE DRIVE (ACROSS FROM SAVE-ON FOODS) NORTH VANCOUVER 984-0040