Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Indifference is Bliss

So George W. Bush is coming to Halifax. And I don’t care. I’m a little surprised at my reaction to this as I know I should be livid and marching through the streets. Honestly, I hardly feel anything one way or the other. I realize he’s a terrible president, and from most accounts not a very nice guy in general. I’m fully aware that he’s causing chaos in the middle east, helping to ruin the environment, and doing all he can to strip gay Americans of their meagre rights. I know that I stand for almost all he stands against, and vice versa. And yet I still don’t care that he’s coming.
Why? Because I’m tired. I’m so tired of him, of America, the whole bit. As a Canadian, I am fortunate enough to live in a relatively free, democratic country that for the most part respects my rights as a citizen. We have gay marriage, the Kyoto accord, the forthcoming de-criminalization of marijuana, and most importantly, our military isn’t occupying a formerly sovereign nation. Sure Canada has it’s problems and shortcomings, but we’re no America, not by a long shot.
And since we aren’t America, I feel justified in letting go of my rage against President Dubya. He’s the American president, so let the Americans worry about him. And the Iraqis of course, since he is the real President of Iraq for the time being and foreseeable future.
I hope that when Dubya arrives in quaint, friendly little Halifax he is greeted by an absolute horde of protesters. I hope that he has a miserable time here, and that Canadians’ abhorrence of current American policies gets broadcast around the globe. And I hope that nobody notices that I didn’t bother to go out to join the crowd.
I’ve said before that the only thing worse than hatred is indifference. At least when somebody hates you they still have very powerful feelings for you. I don’t hate Dubya, that would imply that I give the slightest bit of a damn about him. Frankly, he’s proven over and over again that he’s not worthy of my time. So when George W. Bush arrives in my city, I intend to give him the reception he deserves here and everywhere else in the world.
I’m going to ignore him, and wait patiently for him to go away.

1 comment:

lucifuge said...

i don't hate g.w., but then again i don't hate anyone, because it gives them too much power, and it's a wasted emotion that's gotten humanity in a lot of trouble, and continues to. nevertheless, i will be out in the throngs of peeps representin' the angry, disapointed people who're too lazy, apathetic, working or otherwise busy to go, and all the peeps in the countries he's too scared or too busy fucking up to visit, oh, and all the peeps whose lives he's destroying.