At the Intersection of Alberta and Wall St

Last week Alberta elected an NDP government, breaking a 44-year dominance by the Progressive Conservative Party. For just a moment as I watched the diehard conservatives of the Province freak right out, I thought that maybe there's hope after all. If such a political dynasty can fall (and so thoroughly at that), perhaps the people still have some significant influence on their country's fate. I'm not a political person, but I couldn't help hoping that maybe things can change for the better.

Then I stumbled on a copy of 'Inside Job' on my media hard drive, watched it on a whim, and have been undeniably depressed since. We are so, so screwed. And yes, I know I might now have the 'right' to make that statement considering I'm commenting on US politics as a Canadian. But our two countries are close, and what happens just south of the border seems to have repercussions everywhere else. While the economic influence is certainly worrying, the cultural influence is even worse. Power attracts money attracts power attracts money, and there's nothing your average Joe without a handful of lobbyists can do about it. Yeah, I've read lots of praise for the Canadian banking system and how it shielded us from even worse circumstances... But how long before that culture of capitalistic corruption seeps into our political and financial systems?

It's really, really scary to know that it's just a matter of time before our next financial collapse. And with the way things are headed, it'll be worse than the last. Here I am, thinking about how best to invest my money and pondering the merits of property ownership... When even the safest decision can be utterly undermined by a few well-off individuals at the top of the food chain trying to make another buck. It's damn scary. And how do you even prepare for the next financial shenanigans?

We're screwed. I know this is all pretty much a knee-jerk reaction to a documentary with a pretty bias tone, but it seems to resonate with my particular flavour of cynicism. Rich get richer, and politicians get richer and rig the system to keep it that way.

This is why I tend not to vote. I just feel like all the candidates that aren't scumbags already will become so once they get a bit of influence. Maybe I should just focus on what happens on my side of the border and hope, for all our sakes, that our new political party will do some good.
-Cril

Money, get back
I'm all right, Jack, keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, it's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I'm in the hi-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet

Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away

Pink Floyd - Money