As the war in the Ukraine continues unabated, there are two facets of this horrific and unnecessary conflict that stand out for me. I voiced my concerns to Camp over a pint of beer, looking out at the peaceful paradise of Howe Sound and the picturesque harbour of Gibsons. So far removed from all the hurt and wars and yet, thanks to our up-to-the-minute coverage of all that goes on in this world, unable to escape the fact that we are all connected.
‘The first thing that strikes me is, while the Ukrainian economy is being devastated and its infrastructure demolished, Russia’s cities and industries have not been bombed and attacked, and despite sanctions, are able to stumble along. Families are ripped apart and uprooted and the remaining 35mil Ukrainians are traumatized and face a potential famine because they cannot plant, harvest and process their wheat and crops. Secondly, while more and more heavy arms flow from the west into the Ukraine, Russia finds itself in a war not against NATO but against the west’s military and arms industry and capability, including leading technology and advanced systems which have not been used in the theater of war before. The kind of war Russia was not prepared for and is certainly loath to be up against.’
Camp nodded. ‘In 1994, Ukraine gave up all its nuclear weapons. In return it received solemn ‘assurances’ in the Budapest Memorandum that Russia, the UK and the US would refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. How did that turn out?’
‘Did you know that last week the state of Florida has rejected 54 out of 123 (41%) submitted math text books from their curriculum? Critical Race Theory is one of the main reasons for the rejection.’
‘What is Critical Race Theory?’ I asked.
‘It’s the study of the history of inequality and racism in the US and how it impacts American society today. According to DeSantis allowing critical race theory in schools would teach children that “the country is rotten and that our institutions are illegitimate.” At least a dozen laws aimed at restricting teachings on topics like racism, sexism, and American history have passed in several states.’
‘Yes, I see it as another sign of how deep our political and ideological divisions are and the rejection of critical thinking and science by a large part of the population.’
Camp was late and to pass the time I reread some recent articles on the worldwide demand and production of electricity, all of which leads me to the conclusion that we’re not really burning less fossil fuels and are a far cry from being on a path to net-zero emissions. This was the case even before Russia’s horrific war and the realignment of global fossil fuel politics which will only exacerbate the whole issue of extractions, supply and end-use.
According to the International Energy Agency, IEA, global demand for electricity surged 6% in 2021 and was especially intense in China where it jumped by about 10%. So far, renewable sources of electricity haven’t kept up, although they grew by 6% globally while coal fired generation leaped 9%. Carbon dioxide emissions rose by 7%, reaching an all-time high, after having declined the two previous years. In the US, coal fired generation spiked by 19% in 2021. The good news is that rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity should cover most of the growth demand in the near future.
Over the two years ending in February 2022, the average house price in Canada increased by more than 51 percent, to 868,400 Canadian Dollars, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.
In today’s Canada Letter in the New York Times, Ian Austen talks about Chrystia Freeland’s budget proposal to make housing more affordable. Specifically, he mentions the two-year block on most foreigners and non-Canadian companies from buying residential real estate in Canada. The effect of foreign buyers on house prices is not as significant as many people believe and this ruling could create some bad headaches of its own. Many real estate purchases are made by residents or citizens of Canada acting on behalf of relatives or other people living overseas. What matters is not so much citizenship but rather the source of funds for real estate purchases, as Mr. Gordon an adjunct professor at SFU in Burnaby, pointed out.
This new rule will also run afoul of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by discriminating against people on the basis of nationality and it also violates the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Trade Agreement” by discriminating against American and Mexican buyers.
In light of all this fancy dancing by the Finance Minister I hereby reprint a couple of earlier posts, form 2018; conversations where Camp and I addressed the housing issue.
13th June, 2018
“You know Camp, we’re lucky to have a permanent roof over our heads, unlike the over 3’000 homeless people in Metro Vancouver.”
Campbell or Camp for short was just putting away the local paper and Vicky arrived with two ice cold pints of happiness. “Yes, but luck should have nothing to do with shelter and health in our rich society,” Camp said, “the right to healthcare is universal but impossible to achieve without proper shelter and housing.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “The reason I bring this up is I came across a year-old report by the EU housing organisation Feantsa, which has found every country in the EU in the midst of a crisis of homelessness, with one exception: Finland.”
“Really, so how has Finland done it?”
“By giving homeless people permanent housing as soon as they become homeless, rather than muddling along with various services that may eventually result in an offer of accommodation,” I quoted from the article. “They enacted a policy called ‘Housing First’ dedicated to ending homelessness instead of managing it. With Housing First people do not have to earn their right to housing by proving their capability to manage their lives. Instead, they are provided with a stable home and individually tailored support.”
“That sounds almost utopian and why can Finland do it but we cannot?”
“That’s the multimillion-dollar question,” I said. “It’s quite simple really. They made Housing First a national homelessness policy, making it possible to establish a wide partnership of state authorities, local communities and non-governmental organisations.”
“There must have been problems and opposition to this common sense but albeit radical approach?” Camp said.
“Not really since the plan included concrete objectives and resources to meet them. However, some attitudes did have to change, I’m sure.”
“But how does it work? It all sounds so simple?” Camp said.
“From what I read the tenants pay rent and are entitled to housing benefits, depending on their income. The rest is covered by the municipalities or services they buy from NGO’s. It costs money for sure but there is plenty of evidence that shows it is more cost effective to end homelessness instead of trying to manage it, to say nothing of the human and ethical reasons.”
25th October, 2018
“Camp, what do you think of the argument that all these Airbnb’s should be permanent rentals, instead of temporary holiday rentals?”
Camp took a long swig from his cold beer and sat back in his chair. This was going to be a long answer. “First of all, you can’t force people to rent out their extra apartments or rooms to people who can’t find affordable housing elsewhere,” he pontificated. “You cannot roll off a communal and collective responsibility onto the shoulders of individuals. You can tax holiday rental income and put that money to work and you can limit the amount of Airbnb’s in specific communities and maybe even give out licenses but then you’ll have the big operators buying up all the licenses and leave the mom-and-pop operations out of the loop.”
“There were always B&B’s and holiday rentals and house exchanges. I remember my parents renting somebody’s flat or farmhouse in the mountains for ski holidays. Cheap and affordable. Nothing new about all that, except Airbnb has really cornered the market with their user friendly and peer reviewed platform. We use it all the time when we travel.”
“It’s a shame how the real estate and housing market has managed to price people out of house and home,” Camp lamented, “and no developer, investor or speculator will solve the crisis. Not as long as the rules and laws turn the whole housing market into a casino where the highest bidder always wins and dirty money can be laundered in a simple real estate transaction. You do know that they call Vancouver a Casino, ready and willing to accept anybody’s money.”
“I tell you how to solve the housing crisis,” I said, just after Vicky set down a couple of fresh pints for us. “Housing co-op’s that’s the way. It works in Switzerland and in Finland and it guarantees housing at stable, affordable rents without speculator landlords and realtors involved. Here is how it works: 100 people put in $ 5’000.- each and together they borrow 10 million from the bank or a government fund. First time buyers can get a grant or a subsidy, depending on income. For the next 25 years, the rent, tied to a fixed interest rate, pays off the initial loan. Now the co-op owns the buildings and the land and now the rent, which doesn’t fluctuate, pays for upgrades and renos. If you move you sell your initial share and that’s it.”
“That sounds just too simple and perfect,” Camp said. “Why don’t our governments adopt this strategy? Everybody wins. The renters, the builders, the banks and the government.”
“I have a suspicion that the developers which own the civic governments would viciously oppose this kind of socialist idea,” I said.
We both paused, took a drink and looked out at the pristine vista spreading out before us.
‘You know Camp, when Biden said that ‘for god’s sake this man cannot remain in power’, he meant it. It’s called a gaffe because everybody knows it to be true but nobody wants to spell it out. Also, when he called him a butcher. Yes, none of these words were scripted but Biden said what he felt to be the truth and I for one agree with him.’
‘How many times did Trump speak off script and did he get lambasted for it? Ridiculed, yes, fodder for comedians yes, but his words did not change the world. Nor will Biden’s. Let’s face it, who is the villain in this tragedy? Who is raping and destroying his sister nation and plunging his own country and indeed the rest of the world into dark times? The words of an old man will not change much, even though he is the president of the USA. The unprovoked violence unleashed by Putin is the real culprit here and Biden is right. He cannot remain in power. He needs to be exiled into a Siberian gulag or better yet, Guantanamo Bay.’
‘The Russians are told that the horrors left behind in Bucha is just a movie-set staged by the Ukrainians, disregarding the dozens of journalists who witnessed the apocalyptic scenes. Also, movie corpses aren’t real and don’t smell,’ I pointed out.
When Camp came into the pub, I could tell that all was not well. He mumbled to himself and seemed out of sorts. ‘What’s happening Camp. Everything all right?’
He sat down with a heavy sigh and shook his head. ‘I’m so fed up with trying to reach people from Revenue Canada or Expedia, from the bank to my internet provider or insurance company. Either I get somebody on the phone I can hardly understand or I get put on hold or they forward me to another number which usually brings me back around to the number I originally called like an endless loop.’
‘You’re not alone Camp. It happens to all of us. Try calling Amazon or WestJet and you’re up against a virtual stone wall.’
‘It used to be the autocratic East against the democratic West or the poor South vs the rich North with all the countries caught in-between like the Far and Middle-East, South America, the South Pacific,’ I said to Camp.
‘Yes, and today most countries are siding with the democratic West as evident in the 141 vs 4 votes at the UN, condemning Russia’s or Putin’s war against Ukraine. Yet, there are large, populous countries like Indonesia, China and India who are not on NATO’s and the USA’s side when it comes to arming Ukraine or condemning Russia but are willing to help in humanitarian ways.’
‘Only North Korea, Belarus, Syria and Eritrea stand behind Russia. No surprise there. Nobody else condones or supports this horrific war but it’s a different world from the one after the second World War when the US was the sheriff of the so-called free world.’
‘Except they interfered without impunity in other countries’ elections and regimes and fought proxy wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria,’ Camp said. ‘Also, the writing was on the wall, at least since 2014 and even before. Russia was never going to be a western style democracy especially under Putin who hates the west and the USA in particular.’
Camp is away at a book fair this week. I admire his faith in books and writers. ‘They are the keepers and tellers of the stories,’ he said. ‘It’s what distinguishes us from the other life forms, the stories.’
Here are my thoughts on the recent unleashing of the dogs of war in the Ukraine by their alpha dog, the warmonger Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
The recent, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Putin and his henchmen, will result in death and suffering, destruction and misery, mostly for the Ukrainians but also for the Russians. All for one man’s hubris and delusions of grandeur which is propagated on Russian State TV by his ‘Lipstick Army’: women TV commentators and pseudo journalists like Margo Sacharova, Margarita Simonjan or the Russian spy Anna Chapman.
I walked into the pub and saw Vicky polishing glasses at the bar. ‘I hear you had the covid,’ I said. ‘Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. A couple of days of headaches and congestion. It scared me though but I soon got over it. Troy, my son, probably brought it home from daycare. He never had any symptoms though. I now have two jabs and one recovery. Should be good for a while.’
Everything seems so normal here: The pub, the lovely view, the beer. Meanwhile Europe is at war and the death, destruction and lasting impact on the world, the environment and the crippling psychological impact and devastation of Putin’s brutal war are ongoing. Ukraine is suddenly Aleppo or Srebrenica or worse.
When Camp walked and sat down, I knew that the war in Ukraine was the elephant in the room. No way we could not talk about that catastrophe. He plunked down his newspaper, I think it was the Globe and Mail, and sighed. ‘It doesn’t look good,’ he said.
‘I hear a lot of people pointing out how lucky we are to be living here, on the Westcoast in British Columbia, to be born where we were and that it is even a privilege to be who we are and that we should be grateful for it all etc. Do you feel privileged and lucky Camp?’
‘I have to admit, I’m happy to live here, considering Putin’s insane war of attrition in Ukraine, but then again, we’re all connected. I don’t feel privileged, certainly not because of who I am or where I come from. I had nothing to do with it. And lucky? Luck implies active participation like rolling the dice, playing the cards, buying a lottery ticket, so no I don’t feel particularly lucky or privileged.’
‘But you’re born in a free country, into a middleclass family, never had to go hungry or without a roof over your head, never had to run and hide, or go without meds when you’re sick. Don’t you think that constitutes privilege?’
It was a cold and clear sunny day, with a faint promise of spring in the crisp air but reluctant to let go of the hand of old man winter. At the top of my agenda, indeed what kept me awake most of the night, is the bully-war, presently under way in the Ukraine. It’s not a pleasant topic but one that needs discussing, even though mine and Camp’s opinion feel so futile and inconsequential and yet I had to get it off my chest. Camp was already seated when I walked in. I took off my mask and sat down just as Vicky placed a frosty mug in front of me.
‘You want to talk about Putin’s invasion, don’t you?’ Camp said before I could utter a world. ‘It’s what he has always wanted, to be master of the universe and to bring back the USSR.’
After a five-hour flight from Toronto we landed on the single air strip in São Miguel, at 750sqkm the largest of the cluster of nine volcanic islands that make up the Azores, a bucolic archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic, between Europe and North America, first colonised by Portugal in the 15th century.
The last localized active eruption was about 500 years ago but most of these islands were formed some 40’000 years ago, long before any seafarers or tourists had to worry about what’s under foot. Hot bubbling springs and steam vents are active today in several places all over this island and the distinct crater walls, wooded and green today, are tame but spectacular evidence of former geophysical violence. The porous volcanic rock and rich black soil provide the island with building materials and vegetation and the regular rainfalls supply plenty of water and keep the island green year-round.
Now that some kind of war on the eastern front seems imminent – according to all the major news outlets half of Russia’s army is parked on Ukraine’s borders – I knew that my friend Camp had some views on this situation. It’s all so unreal, sitting here at our seaside pub in peaceful Gibsons; an oasis of tranquility in a sea of madness it seems. So far away from the Ukraine, Ottawa and Washington and yet so close whenever I turn on the TV or pick up the newspaper. Like it or not, we are part of it all, little tribal ants in a big, complicated colony, revolving around a sun, on the edge of a minor galaxy.
‘It’s pretty clear to me,’ Camp said. ‘This is exactly where Putin wants to be.’
As countries and provinces are scuttling pandemic protocols and restrictions, we here in Canada have the biggest insurrection of any country. A few hundred angry, right wing, mostly white men with big trucks are occupying the streets, neighborhoods and border crossings with their big rigs. They are flying flags other than the maple leaf, proclaiming some kind of ‘freedom’ and demanding the reversal of all vaccine mandates and pandemic health orders as well as the resignation of the prime minister and the dissolvement of parliament. This has been going on for two weeks now and neither the RCMP nor the government has done anything to stop or end this anarchy. I think that’s it in a nutshell. I wanted to know what Camp made of this whole situation and if he had any solutions in mind. I wasn’t disappointed.
Camp was contentedly sipping his beer when I came in. I hoofed it to the pub along the waterfront since the days are getting longer and I can actually see where I’m walking. That’s a good sign. On the news front the ongoing and growing divide between the so called ‘freedom fighters’ and all the other people is at best perplexing and at worst disturbing and is not a good sign for society as a whole. I also read those recent CBC interviews with the Ontario ICU nurses and doctors in which all tell the same story. I pointed this out to Camp for the umpteenth time.
‘It seems these days we are paying more attention to fringe and extreme groups than to the broader consensus that a direct democracy requires,’ Camp said, putting down the newspaper that he was reading.
‘You’re referring to the trucker’s protest convoy bearing down on Ottawa?’ I said. ‘They call it the Freedom Convoy. What a crock. Even the Canadian Trucking Alliance strongly disapproves of the demonstration.’
‘Yes, they had months to get the jab which is completely harmless and saves lives and hospital beds. They think of themselves as road warriors and freedom fighters when in fact they are drivers and movers of goods. Also, only about 15 percent of them are not vaccinated while the vast majority have complied with the public health mandates and are keeping the goods moving and our grocery store shelves stocked. It is those we should thank and support and ignore the others who think only of themselves, confusing personal freedom with selfishness.’
After I sat down across from Camp who was pawing his silly gadget we commented on the weather, the sorry state of the US body politic, the Russian aggression on the Ukrainian border and the ongoing crisis of the Covid pandemic. So many people dying prematurely and unnecessary and so much trouble in the world.
‘Are you afraid of death?’ I asked Camp, off the cuff, like asking him about what he had for dinner.
He gave me a funny look, took a sip and then said: ‘I’m not afraid of death, just of dying. Suffering and loss of physical functions and memory are what I’m scared about. Death itself, the grim reaper, could be a welcome sight, almost a relief I think.’
‘What about after death? Aren’t you afraid of what comes after?’
‘Like what? Heaven or hell?
‘Or eternal darkness,’ I said. ‘Lights out, show over.’
‘Is this the pandemic that never ends?’ I asked Camp after we both huddled around our beers at our usual table. I was feeling kind of gloomy about the relentless harsh and wet weather, the daily covid statistics and the fact that being boosted doesn’t provide any privileges or special status. And the conservative US Supreme Court has struck down Biden’s vaccine and testing requirement mandates for big business but we’re all forced into mandates by the irresponsible behaviour of a radical, self-serving minority.
‘If you would have told me two years ago that we’re at this stage in the pandemic I would have thought you were the worst pessimist ever but here we are.’
When the sun shines and the skies are blue there is no place more scenic and awe inspiring then the dotted, pale blue waters of the Salish sea, rimmed by the snow peaked coastal mountains. As the days are getting longer by the minute, walking along the shore to our watering hole always lifts my spirits, rain, snow or shine. We’ve had some extreme winter weather lately, with snow falls not seen since 2008. The white stuff turned the Sunshine Coast into winter wonderland with kids tobogganing up and down residential neighbourhoods, being the only traffic on these streets. We were all getting our exercise shovelling the white stuff, clearing our driveways and meeting our neighbours who we never really talk to since everybody is always coming and going. Playing in the white stuff wasn’t just for kids. Clare and I managed to go snow shoeing on Dakota Ridge which is every bit as alpine and snowbound as the well-known resorts and ski hills on the mainland.
‘Well, I’m glad you’re able to appreciate the snow which basically slows down traffic at the book store to a wintry freeze frame. Time to go over some depressing Christmas bills and back orders. We’re not equipped for winter or prolonged arctic freezes. We can deal with the rain but when it turns white, it’s a whole other world out there.’
Camp is taking some time off from the bookstore and our pub has closed the doors until the New Year. We’re in the midst of the coldest week anybody can remember around here. Snow up to mid-calf and double digit minus temps ever since Christmas. Inside weather, that’s what it is. Instead of New Year’s Eve in an exotic locale, we’re staying home, make a camp fire in the snow, play some card games and maybe watch a silly movie. Here is my recap of the tumultuous year 2021.
While Omicron is lurking around every corner, we will have to pretend that life goes on and drink our beers with joy and be merry despite feeling demoralized and even defeated by the poxy virus. On top of that we’re all fed up with the depressing politics like from the emerging dictatorship in Moscow to the evolving fascist state in Washington, from the stone age Taliban to the collapse of Lebanon. Maybe Chile offers a glimpse of hope. They have elected Gabriel Boric, a 35 year old millennial socialist but we’ve seen this movie before. Wasn’t Mugabe a socialist and Ortega?
Not a day goes by without a constant barrage of instant newsfeeds, alerts and announcements about the pandemic, making us all into amateur scientists or worse, conspirators. We have the vaccinated majority and those refusing to listen to their teachers, parents, scientists and even politicians. I don’t get it. I’m a sceptic myself but getting the vaccine was an easy choice. If I have a headache, I take a pill. Do I know what’s in it, who makes money from it or if they have long term effects? The new covid-variant is so contagious that just being anywhere near it can lead to an infection. To take the vaccine is as easy as drinking a cup of coffee, even if you don’t like coffee. Just take it. For yourself and the good of the community.
This pandemic killed and is killing a lot of old people in the past year – our elders really – but we don’t honour our old folks as elders who have a lot of experience and wisdom to share and impart. Here is an interesting sidebar to this problem: ‘Granny dumping is an international Emergency Room event where one’s inconvenient elder arrives in the ER with a packed suitcase for a brief stay over the holiday season,’ Dr. Alan Drummond from Perth, Ontario, said and then goes on: ‘We don’t seem to have an elder-care strategy. This problem is just a sad comment on where we’re at as a society and how little we value our elders.’
During this pandemic it has become blatantly and embarrassingly obvious that getting old is not a dignified affair in most cases, being sequestered into warehouses and silos, euphemistically called old-folks or care homes. The expensive care we give consists of food, shelter and meds. Not so much companionship, involvement or respect.
How do we, as a society, change our attitude towards our old fellow humans? Not as long as we’re too busy chasing money, careers, the best schools for the kids, holidays in exotic places and bigger and better homes. Old-folks-homes should be built on top of kindergartens and care givers should be paid twice what they are right now.
Lucky are those who still have their minds and are able to do their own ablutions and make some choices. Lucky those as well who are part of an extended family or household, have young people around and are included in everyday life and lucky those who have no clue what goes on around them.
How about the changing environment, the largest looming catastrophe that we want to wish away and delete from our minds and lives? We’ve seen the symptoms of it in our erratic weather last year. Let’s face it, we cannot engineer our way out of the mess we created. Not when 8 billion people want what we have here in the west: electric cars, flat screen TV’s, gadgets and gizmos and homes with two car garages. We can’t even deliver clean drinking water to everybody, never mind shelter, food and health.
Sequestering carbon into the ground or seeding the atmosphere with reflecting particles isn’t going to fix the melting arctic, the die-off of hundreds of species and the rising temperatures or the resulting wars, famines and desperate migrations of millions. Not as long as we consider the environment as something apart from us; over there in those other places; not in my perfect little back yard. We are part of the environment. We are in it. It is in us. We need to embrace it, live in it, feel it, heal it. With our minds, our bodies and our actions. Every day, everywhere.
I have to admit that I’m just a modern-day fossil burner, polluter, and litterer (I have my refuse taken away) and waster of energy. I try and do the right and responsible thing, but only within my comfort zone, not wanting to give up anything important like my 4×4 truck, my beer or my holidays in the sun. Let’s face it, I’m going to be ok – I’ve already had a good, long life – but I’m worried about the kids and their future but then again, parents during the medieval dark ages probably said the same about their kid’s future. Little did they know that a thousand years on those kids would have little gadgets in their pockets with all the knowledge of the world accessible to them at the touch of a button via an Avatar voice, move around in climate-controlled capsules and fly across oceans and continent in a matter of hours in big silvery metal birds.
It’s been an interesting year starting with an insurrection and a new President in the US and finishing with an aggressive mutation of the same Covid-19 virus. We had a year of freaky weather around here: heat domes with temps up to 40 degrees. It cooked millions of shellfish exposed at low tides. Then came the atmospheric rivers, flooding much of the farmland in the Fraser valley. Bridges and roads were swept away, livestock drowned, houses flooded and lives ruined. All the physical damage can be repaired and replaced but the human cost is not so easily fixed.
We live in the best of times but it’s a tenuous existence and we’ll do well to cherish what we have, take care of each other and work towards a better future, for all it’s worth. Nothing else will do and doing the ostrich thing is not an option.
It’s good to dream and have uplifting fantasies. It makes reality easier to live with. There is a German proverb: Hope dies last. Let’s hope for a better year and a new beginning, the end of the pandemic, a democratic sweep of Congress, better weather, no new wars and health and happiness all around.
Next week I look forward to catching up with Camp, who I’m sure will have something to say about the past, the present and the future.
Auld Lang Syne, out with the old, in with the New.
Bruno's point of view 