McGuinty (that’s David, federal MP and Environment critic - not to be confused with his brother Dalton who is Premier of Ontario - a provincial politician :) ) was, as most in attendance said, inspiring. The biggest lift the group got was from his desire to hear what we had to say, and his intentions to continue holding meeting such as that one - but free- to see what direction the Liberal party should take, and what Canadians would like to see for Canada by 2017.
A common concern/question dealt with having no clear alternative to the Harper government. People asked why Harper could not break out of his 30 something percentage of support, and why the opposition groups were stalled.
I think one big reason is (other than Harper being a creepy fuck), that the conservatives have settled into a very concrete, boxed in mentality which is reflected in their speeches, policies, and platforms. The past few months, we have heard over and over that the economy is the number one priority. Most other policy suggestions are interpreted through their dollar value; goals are short term with concrete, shiny results (cutting the GST); and less physically tangible ideas such as tolerance, compassion, quality of life, creativity, fun(!), and even research without a concrete, specific goal are given little attention.
Space research is a good example of how the right and left differ in the concrete/abstract.
One of my co-pilots believes we should not spend money on space research. He believes there are more important things needing funding. While space research may not be a top priority, I don’t agree that spending money on it is a waste, or even something we should sacrifice at this time.
Besides the obvious scientific knowledge we gain through space exploration, there are those less tangible benefits that carry us forward as a species. Space exploration reminds us that there are far more possibilities in our future as a species than we perceive here, focused on and ound to this little planet. It also encourages us to imagine, and imagination is an essential tool in developing ideas and creating new technology. It helps us to understand that the universe is larger than our planet, and causes us to explore our own place and role in time and space.
Look at how so many people got fired up over the Olympics. Many said they felt inspired, encouraged by what human beings could do. The achievements of a few helped others to believe in the power of the human spirit, in wonderful possibilites, that a person reach should exceed their grasp.
Space exploration helps us to understand that there is more, far, far more to our future and our world that our day-to-day existence. This is why the arts have value, why education must include literature, philosophy, music.
That reach for something better, that grasp of the importance of the abstract is what keeps, in part, the conservatives in their self-made box. It is what the opposition parties need to promote, not merely to win more seats, but because without feeding those wonderful abstract apsects of Canadians, we become more drone-like every day. We focus on getting by, not on excelling. We focus on existing, not on experiencing all that it means to be a human being.
Concrete policy is absolutely necessary, but reminding us of what we are capable of as creatures with imaginations and beings with compassion would fire up a population that is sliding into the state of the living dead. It offers hope for something better, and isn’t that what so many Canadians are calling for?
