Behind-the-scenes of The Missive

What I'm reading, watching and listening to this week - July 31, 2021

Hello subscribers,

I’m launching new content options for paid subscribers this week. Subscriptions are available for those who want to support my writing monthly or for a discounted rate annually.

Don’t worry, my weekly irrational report on the UCP will continue to be free for everyone, for always!

Since I spend so many hours every week doing background reading and writing before actually releasing my newsletter, I thought I may as well share some of that work with those who are interested ahead of the newsletter’s release. This reading and thinking shapes my approach to the final newsletter.

I also want to curate some other content that I find inspiring and may be informing my opinions each week. This week, for example, I watched a show about a psychopath, read about Indigenous teachings on wildfire management and listened to the history of the Second Amendment as it relates to slavery. Any connection to Alberta politics? I’ll leave that for you to decide. :-)

This small subscription fee will also support my eventual transition to retirement in the next few years and potentially help me with several writing projects I am exploring, including my experiences behind-the-scenes in the oilsands industry as a PR person, in the political backrooms at all three levels here in Alberta and in my experiences with activism while living in Okotoks in the early 2000’s. I may have a few stories to tell! I will also test excerpts out with my paid subscribers in order to get feedback.

The subscriber posts will not necessarily come out on a regular schedule but on an occasional basis. My goal is to write these several times monthly, probably depending on the season (and the weather, let’s be honest - I like being outdoors biking a lot!)

So, here’s a free sample of what this might look like. This is my first attempt and it may morph and change as I go. These will be available ONLY to subscribers in a couple of weeks. It you’d like to join as a paid subsriber, hit this button up. If you’re not already a subscriber, why not join for free to test the waters.

Thoughts ahead of this week’s newsletter:

Watching the reaction to the announcement of Alberta’s lifting of COVID-19 protocols, what is really striking is the disconnect between the government and the reality of most people’s lives.

By sending out Dr. Deena Hinshaw to announce a major shift in public health policy, was the government actually unprepared for the resulting backlash? Or, did they hope to pass it off as an independent decision of the Chief Medical Officer, even though Dr. Hinshaw has said time and again that she is only giving advice, not making the final decision.

Kenney has been clear that his cabinet has the final say, so why suddenly is Health Minister Tyler Shandro absent from such a significant news conference? It has to either be total incompetence or a blatant attempt to duck accountability. They may have underestimated how poorly the news would be received, in which case they must be living in an alternative conservative universe with Q-Anon Republicans and Trump-supporters.

They may not actually care that kids are heading back to school two weeks following the lifting of all COVID restrictions. They may choose to believe the virus is not as bad when children get it and even if a few do get seriously ill or experience long-COVID symptoms, it is just an “acceptable risk.” If this is the case, then their disconnection with the real voters of Alberta is pretty massive.

They may have thought they could limit their personal political damage by sending out a bureaucrat to explain why they are bucking the global trend and lifting all restrictions, including requirements to isolate when positive for COVID and seriously curtailing free testing for all but those who are extremely sick. You can still book an appointment with your doctor who’ll decide whether you need a COVID test, of course. But otherwise, you will be forced to buy your own test from a private company.

Sending out Dr. Hinshaw smacks of cowardice and again, indicates how out-of-touch Kenney is with everyday voters who still expect leaders to show some level of courage and transparency. That hasn’t changed and probably never will - and it transcends partisanship - both left and right leaning voters want to see this.

Every week, I’m shocked at how out-of-touch the UCP government is with reality and this week’s COVID announcement was another example.

The biggest problem of course was the mixed messaging. At a time when we really need to increase Alberta’s vaccination rates, the government just effectively downplayed the threat of COVID significantly. They even compared it to the flu. Do you know how many people usually get vaccinated for influenza in Alberta? About 33 per cent. If we start to take the COVID vaccine only as seriously as we take influenza, we will be in deep trouble.

Featured image:

Culture wars

Caught this brief moment of conflict at the Friday protest against the government’s announcement about lifting the restrictions. An anti-masker tried to join the crowd and disrupt the speeches and was carrying a sign with what looked like the Ralph Wiggum character from the Simpsons wearing a mask that read, “I’m helping.” Another man is seen grabbing and ripping the sign, before others intervened to stop him. Several media outlets captured it and the anti-masker’s friends seemed to be filming it and will surely share it in their circles.

One last thing: On putting people on pedestals

When times are troubling, people often look for heroes. And all too frequently, there are people willing to step up into the role, either by design or by the sheer force of momentum.

This week, we are seeing this dynamic play out in Alberta and in Calgary, in particular. Dr. Joe Vipond has always had a presence on the COVID policy front and is a strong social media influencer on the pandemic approach taken by this government. He is an emergency room physician at the Foothills Medical Centre. He’s also been ever present in the climate change front as a member of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). I have a lot of respect for him.

What we see now, with his commitment to daily protests, is a natural progression of his leadership, but also a moment to consider whether Dr. Vipond should be regarded as a saviour or as a reflection of our own ability to step up with courage and conviction.

Instead of looking to him to tell us what to do, we should look at him in the context of our own lives. Often, the pressures of being elevated to leadership can put unrealistic expectations onto individuals unfairly. Dr. Vipond is a strong advocate for the causes he believes in, but let’s spread around the responsibility instead of loading it onto one person.

Do we also speak up about things that are clearly wrong? Are we brave enough to challenge people in power? Can we do something more than we’re already doing and take action to bring about change?

The answer is yes, to all of the above.

Don’t put Dr. Vipond on a pedestal. Stand next to him and lock arms as an equal. If and when he’s not around - join together to fill the gap and keep going. It’s not about one person, it’s about all of us together.

Above: Dr. Vipond facing the media.

Above: Dr. Vipond with everyone walking beside him. Which is better?

Reading:

This is a beautifully-written and thoughtful look at how ancient knowledge of Indigenous basket weavers relates to forest protection and wildfires. It’s also a story of adaptation of tradition practices during the pandemic. Written by Emily Buhrow Rogers and Carolyn Smith with some lovely photography as well.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2021/07/27/indigenous-ecological-knowledge-california-wildfires/

Watching:

The Serpent on Netflix is a surprisingly complex and creepy true crime series about a psychopathic serial killer and his mysterious French-Canadian girlfriend and accomplice (what was she thinking??). Be forewarned though, Tahar Rahim is damn convincing in the lead role and you may have nightmares after watching his performance.

The series offers insight into the psychological manipulation of the real-life murderer Charles Sobhraj as he enlists multiple people to participate with him in his many crimes, which include cruelly poisoning his victims, robbing them of their passports and money while they convulse and die slowly.

It’s unfathomable how many police and prison guards he outwitted to evade them and break out of custody several times. It wasn’t until a determined (some might say - obsessed) Dutch diplomat tracked and documented his crimes so thoroughly that Interpol had no choice but to get involved. A great series about a disturbing con artist and an amazing period piece that immerses you back in the 1970’s culture.

Listening to:

A "well-regulated militia" was a bribe to get the enslavers on board. Emory University professor Carol Anderson recounts the history of the second amendment. She's the gifted storyteller we need to help us understand white supremacy and systemic racism.

https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus/2021/07/gun-rights-racism