my evolution of political thought (part I)
When I was young, I thought a young man's thoughts... which mainly revolved around cars & trying to get laid. You were expecting poetry maybe? Politically, I was as immature as I was emotionally. Being from a small rural community in the Maritimes, I didn't spend a great deal of time thinking about "away" and all the exotic wonders of the world. In the quaint vernacular of the Maritimes, "away" means anyplace other than the Maritimes. Rural folks have a curious combination of welcoming acceptance and insular distrust but that's a post for another day. Suffice to say thinking about the politics of other countries was a remote possibility at best.
Although I was a pretty boring rebel as a young'un, I wasn't satisfied to follow in my father's footsteps and become a commercial fisherman. I can't knock the fisherman's life since it fed my family but I was determined to try something else. I didn't know just what that would be but I guess that's not uncommon. Lack of direction is just part of teenage angst.
I was, at best, an indifferent student. This was not due to a lack of ability (or so I'm told) but I wasn't inspired by academia. Mind you, the quality of teachers in rural schools doesn't tend to be the cream of the crop. I still have vivid memories of one teacher literally running screaming from the classroom because she couldn't get the kids to sit in their seats and be quiet. Then there was the rather flaky English Lit teacher with the nickname was "Bubbles" who had an artful habit of neglecting to do up all of the buttons on her blouse. She didn't have much to flaunt and those $1.49 padded bras didn't do much to improve the view, but she was gamely determined and we teenage boys weren't all that discriminating.
Politics in the Maritimes aren't exactly like politics anywhere else. The population is so small that provincial politics are more like municipal politics everywhere else. Rural politicians were expected to know who their voters were by their family line since families tended to vote as a block. Patronage was expected, nay, demanded! When the Liberals ran the house, their adherents got all the government jobs, even the short-term summer jobs designed to get people enough "stamps" to ensure an Unemployment Insurance cheque in the winter. Likewise, when Conservatives ran the house. No-one was outraged by patronage since it was the de facto reality of provincial politics. If you have 10 unskilled jobs and 20 people wanting them, you pick those who voted for your party as their reward.
Before I forget, good luck to Bernard Lord in today's election in New Brunswick!
When I graduated high school, I didn't have many options. I might have been able to sneak into a university with my marks but I doubt any credible school would have had me. So I went to a technical school instead. I was accepted to a private college in Toronto... and thus began the opening of my eyes to a wider world.
I will continue these thoughts later. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this but such is life.
Although I was a pretty boring rebel as a young'un, I wasn't satisfied to follow in my father's footsteps and become a commercial fisherman. I can't knock the fisherman's life since it fed my family but I was determined to try something else. I didn't know just what that would be but I guess that's not uncommon. Lack of direction is just part of teenage angst.
I was, at best, an indifferent student. This was not due to a lack of ability (or so I'm told) but I wasn't inspired by academia. Mind you, the quality of teachers in rural schools doesn't tend to be the cream of the crop. I still have vivid memories of one teacher literally running screaming from the classroom because she couldn't get the kids to sit in their seats and be quiet. Then there was the rather flaky English Lit teacher with the nickname was "Bubbles" who had an artful habit of neglecting to do up all of the buttons on her blouse. She didn't have much to flaunt and those $1.49 padded bras didn't do much to improve the view, but she was gamely determined and we teenage boys weren't all that discriminating.
Politics in the Maritimes aren't exactly like politics anywhere else. The population is so small that provincial politics are more like municipal politics everywhere else. Rural politicians were expected to know who their voters were by their family line since families tended to vote as a block. Patronage was expected, nay, demanded! When the Liberals ran the house, their adherents got all the government jobs, even the short-term summer jobs designed to get people enough "stamps" to ensure an Unemployment Insurance cheque in the winter. Likewise, when Conservatives ran the house. No-one was outraged by patronage since it was the de facto reality of provincial politics. If you have 10 unskilled jobs and 20 people wanting them, you pick those who voted for your party as their reward.
Before I forget, good luck to Bernard Lord in today's election in New Brunswick!
When I graduated high school, I didn't have many options. I might have been able to sneak into a university with my marks but I doubt any credible school would have had me. So I went to a technical school instead. I was accepted to a private college in Toronto... and thus began the opening of my eyes to a wider world.
I will continue these thoughts later. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this but such is life.
posted by Mac at 10:59 AM
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