Leadership during Hubbert’s Peak, A State of Eternal Crisis Management
This is something I would love to be proved wrong about, but upon reflecting on the leadership in the United States I’m under the strained opinion that our county (Canada) is severely lacking any sort of positive force in our elected government. There is a some-what lukewarm consensus in the country that our current Prime-Minister, Stephan Harper, is getting something done, and that we “could do worse”.. but he often seems petulant, authoritative and certainly does not inspire vision or confidence in the general populous.
Though I would personally be willing to try either of the other two candidates, Ignatieff or Layton, for a couple terms, and would have been happy to see the coalition government take a crack at our ailing system before Christmas, I have to admit, the roster isn’t all that deep.
And unfortunately the list stays pretty much the same as you venture down the pack into provincial politics as well. (I would try to make the same claim at the municipal level, but I can’t geek out that much on politics). I don’t want to get too deep into the thick of proving this point, but let’s just say Dalton McGuinty is more doom and gloom than solution, Charest ‘s Liberals seem entitled and weak, Danny Williams talks more than he listens, and Ed Stalmach… come ON… at least Ralph was interesting.
So I’m assuming you know a little about Canadian Politics to understand who the hell I’m talking about here, but don’t worry if you don’t… other than Ignatieff and Layton there isn’t much.
For quite sometime, my thoughts have culminated toward this sorry position – mounting concerns on global instability, energy, pollution, toxicity, lack of defined and weighted action… there are just so many issues. For a while, especially before that ramshackle of an administration to the South finally passed out, I honestly wondered if humanity even had the ability to evolve past our alarmingly barbaric conditions.
Thankfully, my opinions have changed thanks to two leaders in the South. Just to set the record straight, I am not a gloomy person. Even given the monumental problems we are currently facing, I still have a lot of faith in the human race. So anyway, my major question right now: Why don’t we have politicians like Governor Schwarzenegger (that’s right I said it) and of course Obama.
I realize that anyone reading this might gasp at the reference to Arnold, but to be honest I can’t think of anyone in the world acting more progressive than he is right now. It might be all that muscle giving him the confidence to do as he pleases, but if you look into it, the man is facing the uncertain future on very certain terms. I mean he’s completely overhauling the economy and redefining the state of California. It’s certainly pissing a lot of people off, and I agree that it’s a gamble not everyone will benefit from (in the short term), but embracing the future like he is… well it’s rather inspiring.
And thankfully, at least on the outset, things seem to be heading in the same direction for Obama. Closing down Guantanamo, pulling troops out of Iraq (hopefully), commitment to technology and science… I’ll take two terms of this kind of insanity please. Two terms of the other kind of insanity enforces the thought in my mind that it really does matter who holds the reigns of power.
Anyway, my point is simple… things are not looking good for the petrol addicted nations in the world. After Hubbert’s Peak it is literally a short brutal decent into madness and though I have faith in man-kind, I wouldn’t trust my neighbor if the social framework didn’t tether our more debase animal instincts. Hubbert’s Peak scares me, not because I give a shake about oil, cause I don’t. It scares me because for centuries human beings seem only capable of making societal decisions that have effect in a very immediate time frame. Hubbert’s Peak however, has a very disturbing consequence if handled incorrectly, specifically if handled in this short-sighted manner.
If we’re lucky, we might have 10 years to put our societies on track, but we really only have now to start to do it. This to mean means massive cooperative commitment to science, technology and communication. Newspapers are dead, over-consuming economies are bloated heart patients and business and politics without the bravery to tackle and conquer negative externalities are dangerous viruses that threaten to plunge the world into distopia.
I hope we soon get to see the same sort of change happen up here, that we are seeing South of the border. I only doubt anyone has the brass balls to anything before experiencing catostrophic failure.. Humanity in a constant state of crisis management. Remind you of anyone?