The Government Should...

"My the House of Commons look so inspiring...when it's free of the politicians." The Commentator.

"The government should...."

This pretty much sums up how we debate things here in Canada and in Quebec in particular. Except in la belle province we say, "le gouvernement devront..."

Solve poverty? No problem. The government should....The economy is stagnant? The government should....Our athletes come up short? The government should....Public health is a mess? The government should. Canadian arts? The government should....

No. The government shouldn't have to do everything. Limit the government help rhetoric. The government has no business trying to solve all of our social and economic ills. Our reliance on the government reminds me of a person addicted to nicotine: We don't know how to quit the habit. Government intervention is not an means to an end.

For once, I want to hear people write letters to the editor or call in talk shows talk about how we the people can make Canada a better place. We argue and debate while hiding behind publicly funded programs and initiatives. I know there are many who feel like I do but either we are a silent majority or we are plain ineffective and apathetic.

We tolerate too much non sense here.

Quebec is a different cat altogether. Labour and unions have an unhealthy influence here. Jean Charest and the Liberals proved to be the vulnerable battered immature girl afraid to take on the adulterous and self-serving cantankerous jack ass. Quebecers are socially liberal but that doesn't mean they are naive. More than any region in the country, they distrust government. In this light, they exhibit an individualist and Republican outlook not unlike Americans.

The problem with Quebec is that they also, ironically, suffer from a parochial herd's mentality. They won't do anything unless the politicians - and Priests before them - tell them to do something.

Given these inherent contradictions, that's why the notion if America and Canada were to ever integrate, the Democrats would gain access to million of votes is a little misleading. They would not win Alberta while British Columbia and Ontario would be an interesting battle ground (though the Democrats would have the inside lane). For its part, Quebec has a conservative streak in it. Republicanism would speak to Quebecers.

Pseudo-socialist tendencies does not serve or suit Quebec or Canada all that smoothly anymore. People are finding other ways to be served - much to the chagrin of the NDP and some in the media. Personally, I'm fed up of our tax dollars swirling at the top in the hands of a few greedy souls. Many may have forgotten Adscam but I haven't.

So be it. Many of our nationalized crown "corporations" are corrupt anyway. Liquor, for example, is ridiculously government regulated. The SAQ are not above scamming as they alone choose what we should be drinking. Worse, like with any unionized workforce, its workers over rate themselves. That's why we were treated to the shameless and sickening display of worker whose whole raison détre is to say "c'est bon avec du poulet" going on strike during the holidays last year. It was hell buying liquor that year.

Privatize their sorry asses and see what the market thinks they are worth.

There they stood, in arrogance, wearing their stupid "Boss you're laughing at us" T-shirts. I wanted to punch out every single one of them.

It is about time we learn to solve our problems free of the state. For that, we need leadership and will. The day I see and hear people replace the government should with we the people should... is the day we will be on our way to being a more mature society.