In my explorations of the Canadian political landscape I hit upon a complex figure – a person who calls himself a ‘conservative’ but stands for things one wouldn’t normally think of when the concept of ‘conservatism’ comes up. His name is David Orchard and I found his book interesting enough that I thought I should interview him. I read the book and did the interview looking for serious flaws in his framework and analysis. But while we have some honest disagreements, I did find his ideas to be very interesting and worth serious consideration. I also found him to be a person of integrity – he doesn’t dodge questions or shrink from honest debate. Last, even if you disagree, he is someone who gives serious thought to questions of political strategy. There are a number of things radicals could learn from people like Orchard. Take a look at the interview.
Orchard is an unabashed Canadian nationalist. Samir Hussain is an activist with the Indigenous People’s Solidarity Movement based in Montreal. In contrast to Orchard, Hussain finds Canadian nationalism to be offensive. You will find his latest piece on Canada to be an interesting contrast with the Orchard interview.
And since no entry about Canada today would be complete without some mention of Haiti, there are two articles worth looking at about the recent demonstrations against Canada’s role in turning Haiti into a protectorate. One in Quebec Indymedia, the other in The Dominion.
Unrelated but sad, Exemplary journalist Gary Webb has died under mysterious circumstances.
hey bro..
the interview with
hey bro..
the interview with david orchard was fantastic…
see ya tomorrow
ty
My rez has a crack cocaine
My rez has a crack cocaine epidemic, and so I went hunting for info on the cocaine trade and came upon Gary Webb’s work. Now he’s dead. Suicide? A guy from a nearby rez turned up dead, and the offical report called it a suicide, even though the intial police report said, in big letters at the top ‘not a suicide’. Exxon Mobile is active round abouts, and, as any Iraqi could tell you, not to be messed with. The David Orchard interview was disturbing, from an indigenous perspective. Very smooth, very smooth. I agree with Marcos about eliminating power structures, rather than trying to sieze power. The problem isn’t how to get power; the problem is wanting to get power. The other article linked, by Samir Hussain at IPSM, was a soothing tonic by comparison, and had a realistic grasp of the situation. I highly recommend it.
Although i agree that
Although i agree that nationalism is somewhat of a genie in a bottle and we should be apprehensive about encouraging it even when it comes alongside a leftwing agenda, the fact remains that it is also the most effective means of organizing and motivating people for hundreds of years now. I think its naeive to believe that power structures are going to be eliminated or even that their elimination is always a good thing. Instead we should be ensuring that these power structures work in alignment with the values and ideals of those who oppose imperialism, environmental destruction, and rascism. I’ve been following Orchard for a while and even joined and joined up family and friends to the con party during the leadership convention. I didnt feel completely unrewarded for my minimal participation. The coup didnt take place but it did limelight his agenda into a kingmaker role and made it easier to slag the integrity of the neocons who gained their party only after publicly breaking their word and backstabbing most of the partie’s new blood. Some leftists seem too intent on remaining politically pure that they are slow to seize on good opportunities when they arise. The current political climate in Canada is ripe for a movement which can motivate the growing amount of politisized young adults in the country, maybe not to help save the world like activists, but atleast to shed the Vichy France approach the Liberals and Conservatives both offer us. Branding people who love Canada as being complicit in the genocide and continued oppression of indigenous people is similar to dismissing every Communist as a gulag supporting Stalinist, or every Christian as a Crusading murderer. Its hardly an effective way to broaden ones support. Better instead to respect the symbols which some people need and give them the benefit of the doubt that since they are standing down the riot police and opposing the Bush visit, that their nationalism is not blind love for the government and its actions both historic and present, but instead is based on a hope that the people who live in the nationstate of Canada have the opportunity, potential and responsibility to advance a more progressive form of governance both domestically and internationally.