Yes indeed, we’re all gearing up for the great Olympic pow- wow and Parliament remains shut. Right now, there should be a protest rally, each day in front of the House, denouncing the slow and painful crucifixion of what still remains of our ailing democracy by Pontius Pilate (our great leader) with a little help from his corporate friends. And as the great Olympian flame burns bright, and comes with ceremonious splendour to Vancouver, Ottawa is almost closed down for political business. The centennial flame still flickers. But its eternal light is dimming, like a fading torch that’s barely piercing the growing darkness, which falls across and over this once -great land. Dear readers, this is the "Twilight of the Gods" in Ottawa. It is the Gotterdammerung of Canada’s representative parliamentary democracy as we once knew it. The lights are almost all out or turned off in Ottawa , perhaps permanently. And as our hopes dim, our fears for the future of this country begin to grow.
Meanwhile, the government is going into auto-pilot mode for a few weeks. The games are about to begin and so is the corporate sponsored orgy of consumerism. There might even be some anti-globalisation mayhem too. Wow, just imagine the Seattle 1999 protests, a glorious dictatorial display worthy of the Berlin 1936 games. Then add a bit of graft and a pinch of medal rigging Salt Lake City 2002 style, all mixed together into one, during this Vancouver 2010 public-private –partnership (P.P.P.) bonanza. How Haperishly splendid indeed!
During the games this land will possibly be converted into some kind of a colonial outpost, with one great viceroy or proconsul running it, as if we were an imperial province or a backwater Siberian district hosting a big-top circus act ( coinciding with Carnaval and "Mardi Gras" season as well). That’s right, it looks like Vancouver will be one giant, private security agencies' mega-show ; a merry mercenary’s paradise. A thriving tactical heaven for crowd control techniques and surveillance technologies.
For those not in uniform or wearing sweat -shop made sporting outfits, there will big fun too. The city is likely to host plenty of sports –crazed, jet-lagged, waiting –to- be- tasered, foreign- tongued (speaking only Polish or Gaelic), fast-food loving, Scottish and Icelandic curling fanatics, ready to be pacified by the forces of order.
All the most grotesque excesses of post-2009 financial crash and rapidly decaying capitalism will be proudly displayed to a war weary world. Meanwhile, Parliament is out of business. The country is nearly politically and morally bankrupt and is a sovereign state in only fictional terms. Does this all sound too grim for you? Ok, let’s lighten up a bit. Here’s a suggestion to the national parks people, who perhaps don’t have much to do in the national capital these days.
Maybe the “Parliamentary cats” can be admitted into the debate chambers and enjoy a bit of warmth and comfort in the midst of this bitterly cold and damp winter for as long as Parliament is shut down ? At least the felines will be in a festive mood for the games.
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