Helpless in face of growing secrecy
Most people prefer a relatively narrow comfort zone within which to position their lives. As human beings, much like other animals, we gain a degree of safety and predictability in our lives by not shifting into “no-man’s land.”
Evolutionarily, that served us very well. We lived in small communities, knew virtually everyone or their family, knew who was doing what, and did pretty much the same thing day after day.
People initially formed governments to protect each other from growing numbers of people that no longer held any allegiance to the local community, or to the small clan of people they lived with, a structure that had ancestrally characterized human society. Then, slowly at first, came the evolution of money and corporations.
As human numbers grew it quickly became difficult, then almost impossible, to track the flow and influence of money, the activities of organizations like corporations, and the behaviour of governments that increasingly responded to outside influence, to lobbying, and to money interests like land developers and realtors.
People like you and I became ever more helpless in the face of organized money and growing secrecy amongst elected and appointed governments. That’s where we are today, no matter the level of government involved; be it the City of Penticton, a regional district or a province.
Governments, including “our” civil service, particularly senior management, people we once thought existed to serve our interests, quickly realized the growing shroud of darkness created by large populations and “dark” money provided fertile ground for fueling inside deals and paying back those who demanded control because their disproportionate wealth made them feel entitled.
Part of the trickle down of this desire for stability is Canadians’ disturbing trust of government. Virtually unquestioned “trust” of anything is a deadly formula for exploitation, in this case of citizens by government and special interests who cozy up to government, and ultimately become part of the “insider” system today’s governments rely upon.
In my view virtually every social, economic and environmental problem we are saddled with in today’s world has evolved from this cozy relationship where the interests of a few take precedence over the well-being of the majority.
We now have essentially three broad behavioral categories of citizens; those who choose to ignore government (for example, the 70 per cent who do not vote at the municipal level, and do so at great cost not just to themselves but to all of us), those who get in lock step with governments prejudicial decision making (and reap the benefits of their insider status), and those who recognize that drastic change is essential for widespread social, economic and environmental recovery and protection.
A similar division affects candidates for parliaments, legislatures and councils. Most candidates seem bent on fitting into the existing system with their personal “row-to-hoe,” but thankfully others understand how the shroud of favoritism in government chokes the democratic system and cheats citizens; they want at least incremental reform.
In each and every election cycle we should be expecting, and seeing, improvement of fundamental democratic process that allows citizens to control the actions of elected officials and subsequently, our appointed civil service. And that includes addressing the torrent of money that flows from public pockets into private hands!
Only a very few candidates appear ready to work for fundamental “process” improvements that would serve all of us. Look very closely; make these people your choice!
Dr. Brian L. Horejsi is a wildlife and forest ecologist. He writes about environmental affairs, public resource management and governance and their entrenched legal and social bias in The Penticton Herald.