Imaginary Citizen

Flowing through time, like the ebb and flow of ocean waves, the triumph of liberal thought and the growing trend of participatory regimes hoists its flag after each victory. From the early days, when the biggest club, the strongest man, took his share by force we've progressed to the one-human one-vote republics of the 21st century. These stepping stones to freer society was earned through the philosophy of minds questioning the entrenched ideals to bring us greater benefit.

Once and again, after the birth of a freer society, detractors prey on its flaws. Hard line regimes will rally masses against phantom enemies. Usurpers will claim thrones under the pretext of better rule. People forget the ideals of their society as propaganda becomes the media. These same forces that have hindered progress assault Western democracy on its varied forms from Europe to North America.

The political landscape has deteriorated to the point where individuals rationalize Orwellian society for the comfort of its supposed security. Asked if torture is an acceptable means of interrogation, all citizens should answer with an emphatic "No", but no such refusal has occurred. It is hollow a gesture toward human rights when America refuses to release Chinese muslims to China, for the "fear they may be tortured", after having beaten and raped them for years.

There should be no question as to whether we should condone torture done by anyone. As we cannot condone such torture, we cannot help with such torture. Instead, there are upwards to a half dozen Canadians now who've been arrested, imprisoned without charge and tortured for years in countries such as Syria. Yet, where is the outcry against the implicit assistance offered by the Canadian government to torture these individuals? Instead, there are nothing but rationalizations.

When native protesters have their families threatened by the Ontario police and their phones tapped without warrant, there is silence. We ignore actions by CSIS, CIA, NSA, DHS, FBI and any other acronym the government can fathom, under the ubiquitous defence of "national security".

While we rally our political forces to attack the human right abuses of other nations, going so far as to charge the Sudanese president with crimes against humanity, we've done nothing to solve our own issues. It might be that our society has been so severely damaged and we've been blinded to this fact that when are superceded by an opposing political faction because the masses flock to its superior claim to righteousness, we will be left with only one question; "Where did we go wrong?"

However, reality is not so fatalist. It only takes the imaginary citizen, the one with democratic ideals and the steadfast ability to adhere to them no matter the circumstance. This citizen ignores the siren call of the "war on terror" to give up its freedoms for non-existent security. The grasp on these democratic concepts are well founded in education and reason, defending it against popular propaganda and mob rule. The imaginary citizen sees no clash of civilizations because it does not exist. War is merely a fabrication within the minds of the masses. This person can exist, does exist and merely needs to exist in sufficient number to ensure society progresses forward.