We need to remind ourselves.....

 

A whole lot of kind words are being offered up about Liz Cheney's courageous stand against the GOP's new world order, and with a few caveats, they are probably warranted. 

These are, however, mighty big caveats.

I do think it needs to be remembered that it was Liz and her ilk that turned a blind eye to the hollowing out of the Republican Party that began nearly 50 years ago and accelerated during the Reagan years.  Their lust for power and willingness to court dangerous consequences in order to acquire and maintain power cannot be forgotten, nor can she or historic Repubs (I'm looking at you Lincoln Project) be permitted to skate around the issue of responsibility for the existential crisis (yes, it is that) of the United States of America.

My big problem is this... However well intentioned they think they are in their bold opposition to Trump's grip on the party, they stop well short of expressing the kind of remorse befitting their historic offence.  This tells me one thing... They don't get it.  Yes, I appreciate that they are wrapping themselves in rhetoric about flag and constitution, but that is a dollar dry and more than a few years short.  They were party to a systematic deception that has impacted more than a few generations of Americans that by hook or crook, were denied the benefits of an education that would deny them of, amongst so many things, the critical thinking tools that would serve them, and by extension, the whole country.

Remorse, repentance, redemption.  In my books, the "moderate, old school Republicans" have not yet approached the 1st two of those 3 "R's" and consequently have not enjoyed the consequence that is the 3rd.

Anyways, thanks for tuning into my thoughts on the subject.

Tony

They Just Don't Care.

Every legitimate news outlet and so many experienced and well vetted pundits agree: the Trump administration is building their house on lies....no matter how outrageous, no matter how easily countered, the lies coming from the White House are breathtaking in scope and quantity.  So many lies in fact, that the concern is shifting.  As if the lies aren't distressing enough, here is the greater concern.

The new administration doesn't care.

They don't care what the the press thinks.

They don't care what the opposition thinks.

They don't care what their own party thinks.

They don't care what the public thinks.

They just don't care.


They really believe that the power that comes with the Oval Office is sufficient to deal with their detractors, and that they can skate through this on denials, distractions, and non sequiturs.

Is that true?

Somebody please enlighten me.

Tony

As I see it....

BC is a microcosm of what is wrong with politics across North America. The Clark government was voted in by people invested in the status quo, and the preservation of existing lifestyles and power structures.... I'm an outspoken critic of Stephen Harper, but his flat statement about people not being willing to "sacrifice the economy for the environment, no matter what they say" is as true as it is cynical. I can spend all the time in the world describing the things I don't like about Clark, but that is not going to change her view of herself. The fact is, she's quite comfortable with herself, and possesses an ass triple coated with teflon. She is an advocate for those as opportunistic as herself, and feels empowered to work for the maintenance of a system that benefits people who behave like sharks in our societal ocean. Those of us that have the temerity to label ourselves as "progressive" very rarely offer up a roadmap out of this quagmire. Fundamentally, we behave similarly to our conservative adversaries, by offering up unsustainable promises to our constituents....we cater to their bottom line. The rich want the system to perform in a way that guarantees the maintenance of their wealth, the poor would like the system to work in a way that redistributes the wealth to them. Humans do that...vote preferences that affect them immediately. The idea that we have to look at the big picture and wrestle with the messiness of the human condition (and actually concede that our political enemies make points that are worthy of serious consideration) is for most of us an abstraction, better left to philosophers and political scientists to sort out. The fact is, the edifice's that set themselves as the grand apologists for their respective philosophic/economic/political cultures (labour unions, conservative think tanks, media outlets editorially dedicated to either side of the divide, etc.) are usually scoring no more than talking points, offering very little of substance to the constituents they claim to serve. What always seems to be a constant (at least until the pipeline rejection expressed by Kitimat, a community that would benefit mightily from the pipeline's presence) is the desire for immediate satisfaction. Clark offered that to a lot of people, who are morally insulated from her misdeeds and hypocrisies. Her voters, when marking their ballots, essentially told her, "don't change the climate that brought us the wealth and privilege. Apart from that that, we really don't care what kind of person you are." Unfortunately, we do tend to kick to the curb those that possess a desire to guide us to a better place. Our cynicism and pessimism tells us the ship is going down, and we just want the ride to be as comfortable as possible. Hello Christy.

SOCAN... I'm sick of your behaviour...

SOCAN - I’m sick of your behaviour....

By way of qualification, I’m a SOCAN member, and thanks to their efforts, receive an occasional stipend thanks to my contributions on a few songs over the years.
Additionally, I’m a working musician, performing at restaurants and public houses around my city.

SOCAN’s militant and petulant efforts to make every venue pay extravagant licensing fees for live music is going to generate a fiscal nuclear winter for many working musicians, many of whom are SOCAN members themselves.  While SOCAN has the law on their side, they certainly are up against it in terms of discretion, and making fair and reasonable choices about how such poorly drafted laws are implemented.

It is not the principle that intellectual property owners ought to be properly compensated for the public commercial performance of their works that irks me....how could it?  I’m a creator too.  Rather, it is a systemic issue with how these statutes were devised in the 1st place, who they assist, and who they harm that has had me in knots for some time.  While I respect letter of the law interpretations, this is an instance where it can be substantially argued that the law is an ass, and ought to be challenged as such.

I have much to say on the subject, including commentary on the utterly preposterous distribution of the funds collected from these little and big venues.  Would it surprise you to know that an evening of original music performed by non-SOCAN members would still be subject to tariff?

This is my 1st salvo.  I’m really interested in the feedback of my FB friends on this....I have to be open to the idea that I’m being completely wrong-headed about this...

Comments please...

Moments Of Beauty

Last Sunday afternoon saw me sitting in Slainte By The Pier in White Rock. The weekly Sunday afternoon Celtic Music Session was in full swing, and Laine Henderson, cradling her youngest child was delivering a beautiful Irish ballad, in that clear as glass voice of hers. Sunlight was bouncing across the water, and I realized we were sharing one of those moments we would trade it all for to experience once again. I'm grateful....

A letter I wrote to the Peace Arch News in White Rock

To the Editor, Peace Arch News

Re: Row Over Restaurant (P.A.N. 3-11-09)

After having attended the meeting at city hall regarding the West Beach Bar & Grill's application for a variance on their existing liquor license, and having been quoted in the aforementioned article, I am compelled to write this missive, as one way of restating my support for the application, and admittedly, to draw attention to the powerful inconsistencies presented by a cabal of citizens so caught up in their opposition, that respect for objective evidence and common sense has taken a back seat to small town political histrionics.
So inflammatory was the rhetoric posited on this evening, I thought for certain that responsibility for gang wars and the current financial meltdown was going to be laid at the feet of this 9 month old restaurant. I jest of course, but my point has to be made emphatically. This establishment cannot be held liable for the scurrilous accusations hurled in their direction, many of which bordered on libelous. I can cite far too many instances of patently wrong information being fed to the gallery by those opposed, yet the supporters of the application took the high road, preferring to demonstrate to council the quality of people that habituate the West Beach.
Here are some simple unadorned truths that your readers should know. This application amounts to a modification of an existing license. It simply takes the existing license, and tacks on the opportunity for patron participation, the most obvious being the ability to jig by the table if the spirit moves. Business hours will NOT change, nor will the stipulation that the license be food primary. Claims that the food primary component of the current license is being abused are uninformed conjectures. The ratios are documented, as they must be fastidiously reported. It seems odd in this day and age that specific permissions must be applied for to allow a couple dining out on their 10th anniversary the opportunity to waltz to their favorite song, but that is the law, and the proprietors are doing their due diligence in this application. I can tell you from observation that the staff do their very best to ensure that patrons play by the current rules. While the license application opens up the potential for karaoke sessions, I can assure the general public that the proprietors have a very short fuse when it comes to mediocre or worse vocalizing. That bias virtually guarantees that karaoke is a non starter at the West Beach. The West Beach is a restaurant, plain and simple, but with the real human appeal of a highly socialized household. The live music and other ambient touches greatly enhance the experience of the patrons, (as well as the consistently good food) and this business model has been a recipe for success, especially given the local White Rock based support for this business. Everyone knows that Marine Drive has been a virtual graveyard for well meaning entrepreneurs who could not survive the cold shoulder that local consumers gave them in the long off season, yet the West Beach survives and thrives, because they have given locals a place to call home, and have rewarded the West Beach with their continued patronage. The West Beach knows the formula that gave them this devoted and expanding clientele, and have no intention of modifying that, with or without the variance.
Another truth the public ought to know is that some of the highest caliber of people I have met are West Beach devotees, and to put it bluntly, find the characterizations of the clientele as forwarded by many of the naysayers highly charged and acutely offensive. It is very difficult to find middle ground when confronted by these high grade hostilities, yet I am consistently impressed by the proprietors insistence on offering olive branches in the face of them.
In conclusion, I can only hope council has the wisdom and insight to recognize the dreary predictability of these shockingly misinformed NIMBY attitudes and objections, and demonstrate support for a business that forwards a positive social climate, and a consequently upbeat environment for businesses to survive all year round on the most popular seasonal destination this side of the Fraser. This council witnessed the quality of people who took time out of their lives to enthusiastically support this business, as well as the stack of supportive petitions and letters furnished to them. Do the math council. The electorate is watching...

Tony Chamberlist
Gordon Ave,
White Rock

My progressive self assessment....

I was speaking with my friend today on the phone, and I told him that I had commenced a blog. He told me that of anyone he knows, I should have one. I don't think that was empty encouragement. My friend isn't one to offer shallow compliments, and besides, he's a prolific writer in his own right. I feel the healthy pressure of living up to his belief. I suppose my reluctance to do this is based on the idea that there are too many poorly qualified folks climbing the pedestal afforded by virtually free access to this global soapbox, and I'm not sure I want to contribute to the empire of noise that has ensued. Yet, I do know I have something to communicate, even if it is just transient day to day thoughts. I meditate on the difficult conflicts in life, be they personal, political, spiritual, or social, and I have formed an appreciation for well thought out perspectives and arguments on all sides of these engagements. I have found that at the very bottom of all arguments, however divergent they appear on the surface, is the tremendous difficulty of dealing with the human condition, and it's inclination towards tunnel-visioned self interest. I suppose I could give in to the temptation to be glib and simplistic, and offer solutions based on the imposition of my worldview, but then I would be coming full circle, back to the "Empire Of Noise" that I so desperately want to avoid being in lockstep with. No, I have a responsibility as a blogger, to tell MY truth, without the judgmental component that demands the reader to adopt it as THEIR truth. I want to entertain, amuse, and enlighten my readers. I want to assure readers that this is not about me, or them, but US, sharing moments that become ours. If the reader finds that they agree with me on certain issues, that's just great, but if they disagree, that is even better, because we will both sharpen our rationales and processes. In terms of opinions and convictions, the journey to those conclusions is EVERYTHING. My closest friends will not be those who ape my opinions (or any others) because they have inherited them from their social or family strata, but rather those who vigorously disagree with me on everything and have carefully thought out their positions. When I have something to say, they will listen, and perhaps modify their own positions if the arguments presented are that compelling. Critical thinking is at a low ebb these days, and if I can serve in some small way to turn that tide, then I can feel satisfied with my contribution.

We'll visit everything... music (I am a professional musico, both in performance and production) and other entertainments, politics, you name it. If you write in and want to engage me on a subject, we'll go there too. To my friend who encourages me in this endeavour, I can only hope I live up to the energies you put into your projects. Now, wagons forward!