People and Other Commodities 5: Have You Heard?

Have you heard? Time is money. But how much money exactly? What’s the monetary value of my time? Does it have to do with my salary? Say I make $ 15 an hour- is that it? But then, some people make a lot more than that. Is their time worth more than my time? Is their time of better quality? And what about the many people who make less than I do? Is it that their time is worth less money than mine, or that their money is worth more time?

How do you like to spend your time? Is it the same way you like to spend your money? You know, money talks and time will tell- I wonder what they’re saying about us.

OK- that’s a bit personal, isn`t it?- a bit intrusive, a bit challenging. I didn`t mean it like that- I was just thinking with my fingers as they caressed the keyboard and…OK, we won’t go there- this isn’t about cybersex.

I mean, well...do you want to hear about how I like to spend my time? And no, it doesn’t involve cybersex. This isn’t that sort of article, I keep telling you. Actually, I like to waste my time, the same way I waste my money- on books, on music, on ideas- on sex too, but I must try to keep my mind off it while I write this. Actually, sometimes what I enjoy most is being able to lose track of time- to lose myself in time, trusting that I`ll find myself in time. I like it when I can spend time thoughtlessly- irresponsibly!

I guess the last time I had like that- I was out in the countryside, out there in nature, just absorbing it and being absorbed by it. I`m not romanticizing nature, mind you- I know it`s not all benevolent. The laws of nature can be harsh and unforgiving, like the laws of the global economy. Have you heard?- the economy is the new nature, our second nature. Like the original nature it has vibrancy and growth, but this new and improved nature boasts infinite and exponential growth, and provides for all- or it will in the fullness of time, just needs to keep on growing I suppose.

And some people say we must focus most of our energies on nurturing this new nature to keep it growing. But I don`t think that way of looking at things is very balanced, and we should always seek a good balance. And by the way, I really hope you don`t get the wrong idea just because I keep mentioning political issues, that I`m some sort of raving radical or something. Heavens, no- I believe in moderation and compromise in all things.

That`s why I like the idea of sustainable development- a compromise balancing the needs of the environment and the needs of the economy. It’s a very popular idea- everyone’s in favour of it- in theory at least. You see, I'm not the only one who believes in balance. Everyone thinks there should be some kind of balance- a realistic balance, of course. Some people say that there’ll be no healthy economy without a healthy environment, but others say that those people are unbalanced. Governments of course need to balance competing interests- like the interest of oil companies to get rich quick from the tar sands of Alberta versus the interest of my generation and future generations to not be subjected to catastrophic climate changes.

Have you heard? Canada’s New Government doesn’t like the Kyoto Protocol on climate change because it was made in Japan and they want something made in Canada. I guess certain types of globalisation are better than others. We can buy our products from halfway around the world, but there can be no global response to global warming.

But of course this doesn’t mean that Canada's New Government doesn’t want to act to rein in our greenhouse gas emissions, just that they’re very patriotic. O Canada! And now they’ve just come out with their “Made in Canada” strategy which commits this great country of ours- O Canada!- to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half- by 2050. Oh…Canada.

Well, best to look on the bright side. The ice caps may melt, the seas may rise, lowlands and islands may be flooded out, and the prairies may be turned to desert, but all the while I'll be comforted by the thought that when I'm in my dotage, we'll be contributing only half as much to these catastrophes as we were 47 years earlier. A gift from this government to me in my old age.

Mind you, the people behind this exceedingly long-term policy will likely not even be around to see the fruits of their plan, 44 years from now. What a shame that is. What a shame that despite such long-term thinking Canada's New Government won't even last 44 months, let alone 44 years. Well, all that means is that they don't have to make themselves accountable for actually achieving anything. They don't have to do anything that would require them to commit to shorter term targets- let someone else take care of it. Later. Oh dear, I feel an attack of cynicism coming on. Stop.....breathe deeply, and embrace sincerity. There, that's better....

So what do we do now? Where are the ideals that could lift politics above the level of crass political calculation and ideological insensitivity? Where`s the vision? Where`s the leadership? Where are the leaders who`ll have the vision to make us do what needs to be done? I don’t know. Maybe there aren`t any. Maybe.....maybe it`s going to be up to the followers to lead, and the leaders to follow so as not to be left behind. Not that I`m advocating anything like that, but…hmmm…maybe I should have written about sex after all. Oh well. Maybe next time.

(Fat chance- if I ever do succeed in writing something convincingly dirty, it’s going straight to “Lickety Split ”. But most likely Amber has no need to worry about that possibility)