Lines, lines, everywhere lines!
I'm pissed. For a few reasons, which I'll tell in brief.
Firstly, the conservative government is proposing to introduce 22 new seats in parliament: 10 in Ontario, 7 in B.C, and 5 in Alberta, in order to "reflect canada's growing population". I'm weary and very suspicious of this. The government has not named specifically where these seats will go, (what ridings will be created, and in turn, which ridings will have to be gerrymandered to accomodate the new seats). This is suspicious as hell, as I'm certain most of these new seats, as well as gerrymandered old seats will be drawn up so as to consolidate conservative votes in liberal/NDP strongholds. This is an abrupt, and unprecidented assault on Canadian democracy which seems to be going through without protest. Canada always needs new seats, but it has always been done 2-5 seats at a time, never 22 in one sitting. If you're at all as concerned about this as I am, please contact your MP and ask for specifics: Where in these three provinces are the seats going to go, what old ridings will be re-drawn, and then look to how these old ridings voted in past elections. This gerrymandering goes on all the time in the United States and the warning signs are clear as day.
Secondly, like all of you, I am furious at the rise in gas prices coupled with the unprecedented oil company profits. Of course we're being gouged and exploited by a mega-billion dollar industry, and of course we all live in governments which tacitly approve of this gouging by an offensive degree of inaction (by way of legislation which should have been passed after Hurricane Katrina drove up gas prices to levels we have yet to recover from). But that is not what I'm mad about (as much) today as I am furious at "environmentalists" of all stripes who use high gas prices as a vehicle (no pun intended) for promoting theuse of hybrid cars. I've heard too often how high gas prices will force consumers to seek alternative forms of transportation, such as bikes, buses, trains and feet. "People can bike or walk to work, and then the environment will be saved!"
Wrong. I can't stand this inane idea that those of us who drive cars are driving inefficient cars because we chose to, or don't care. High gas prices punish the poor in the same way that spikes in all essential commodities would. I drive a 13 year old fuel-guzzeling beater (which still burns less gas than the average SUV) because it is all I can afford. I cannot bike or walk to work because the distance is too far, and I cannot even afford to take the bus because my student pass is expired, and the public transportation is unreliable to begin with. If I had a job which paid better then I could afford to make more environmentally-sound life-style choices. People who drive SUV's can afford cleaner cars, but the majority of drivers on the road are not even middle class income-earners anymore. There are more poor people on the road than every before, and we are being forced off the road due to high costs, and we lost our low-paying jobs. High gas prices do NOT encourage hybrid-vehicle usage nearly as much as they do encourage the millions of working poor to slide further and further into poverty becase we can't afford to get to work or school anymore.
It is with this last note in mind that I say earnestly, fuck you environmentalists. Your heart is in the right place but your brain is out to lunch. If you want to fix the environment, stop wasting your time yelling at me for using chlorine-based toilet cleaner and driving to my low-paying job, and start pressuring your MP's to pass some real environmental legislation which puts emission caps on cars, imposes a harsh carbon-tax, and fines environmentally-poisoneous companies for browning our drinking water and depleating fish stocks. Some problems are too big to be solved by the individual, and ONLY governments can fix. Me driving to work in a cleaner car, and EVERYONE driving to work in a cleaner car won't make a lick of difference until the companies start being held accountable for their actions. I'm poor, and I'm getting poorer. Gas prices are accelerating my slide into poverty, so stop yelling at me or I'll punch your pretentious face in.