Democracy

Last year President Obama made a speech to the two Houses of the Canadian Parliament. It's worth watching and listening to. (Justin Trudeau's words are also worth listening to - so, if you have time, don't skip the first 9 minutes of this video). I would particularly draw your attention to the following words in the President's speech, very relevant now! -

"I think we can all agree that our democracies are far from perfect. They can be messy, and they can be slow, and they can leave all sides of a debate unsatisfied.  ... But more than any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us, through the hard, painstaking work of citizenship, to continually make our countries better. To solve new challenges. To right past wrongs.

...

Democracy is not easy. It's hard. Living up to our ideals can be difficult even in the best of times. And it can be harder when the future seems uncertain, or when, in response to legitimate fears and frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of "us" versus "them," a politics that scapegoats others — the immigrant, the refugee, someone who seems different than us. We have to call this mentality what it is — a threat to the values that we profess, the values we seek to defend. "

Democracy

Overnight, President Obama made a speech to the two Houses of the Canadian Parliament. It's worth watching and listening to. (Justin Trudeau's words are also worth listening to - so, if you have time, don't skip the first 9 minutes of this video). I would particularly draw your attention to the following words in the President's speech, very relevant in this week of turmoil  -

"I think we can all agree that our democracies are far from perfect. They can be messy, and they can be slow, and they can leave all sides of a debate unsatisfied.  ... But more than any other system of government, democracy allows our most precious rights to find their fullest expression, enabling us, through the hard, painstaking work of citizenship, to continually make our countries better. To solve new challenges. To right past wrongs.

...

Democracy is not easy. It's hard. Living up to our ideals can be difficult even in the best of times. And it can be harder when the future seems uncertain, or when, in response to legitimate fears and frustrations, there are those who offer a politics of "us" versus "them," a politics that scapegoats others — the immigrant, the refugee, someone who seems different than us. We have to call this mentality what it is — a threat to the values that we profess, the values we seek to defend. "

1812

Last week I attended a fascinating talk on the war of 1812. Professor Alan S Taylor from the University of California at Davis, spoke of this often forgotten war. Certainly in the UK, little attention was given to it. (We were more concerned with Napoleon on the European Continent). We were reminded that it was the US who declared war. The war was mainly fought in the zone between Detroit and Montreal. [Though the Battle of New Orleans is perhaps better known to history – and those who listened to and remember Lonnie Donegan].

Professor Taylor stressed how much this war – fought mainly on the boundary between Canada and the United States – resembled a civil war. In particular many of the soldiers on both sides were Irish – some were refugees who had fled to the US – others were voluntary (and involuntary) members of the British forces.


Also, many of the settlers in Upper Canada had, mainly for economic reasons – though some for political – come from the United States.

A very interesting evening – and I’ll be adding Professor Taylor’s book to my wish list (to read after I’ve completed the doctorate).