Daily Archives: June 8, 2014

An Excess of Situational Awareness

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An Excess of Situational Awareness

If you protest, they will hear you. Demonstrate,

and they will come. Through the wires, over internet,

by email, social media, the government will watch you.

Criticize and they will come.

First they choked off their own cabinet, the ministers

and their deputies, then attacked their official opposition.

The scientists were silenced, literary handouts chopped

in the name of fiscal clarity and balanced budget.

Say nothing now on Facebook, not a chirrup nor a twitter.

They may claim anti-anarchy is their sole and guiding purpose,

Big Brother’s out to save us all by focusing on anyone

who dares to speak aloud to take their leader’s name in vain.

You always thought your nation was the haven of the free.

Now our government is watching and its target’s you and me.

Carol A. Stephen,

June 6, 2014

Carol A. Stephen is a Canadian poet. She’s twice been shortlisted, and in 2012 took 3rd place, in Canadian Authors Association National Capital Writing Contest. Carol is the author of two chapbooks, Above the Hum of Yellow Jackets, and Architectural Variations.

Carol A. Stephen,

Carleton Place, On. Canada, K7C 4P8

Published with permission of the above author.

Chianello: Hudak’s ‘No’ to LRT Phase 2 funding a tough spin | Ottawa Citizen

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Tim Hudak: “No, we can’t afford it. We’ll continue with the funding that’s been discussed and been budgeted for the first phase. But if you’re asking me … if I discovered a new bucket of money in the drive here to Ottawa, the answer is no. I know that the Liberals and probably the NDP will make promises they know they can’t keep. They’ll do so to try to win votes. And they’ll probably look at you in the eye and they’ll be convincing. They’re good actors. But they’ll give you the same acting routine if they get elected and they’ll say the cupboards are bare.”

 

Chianello: Hudak’s ‘No’ to LRT Phase 2 funding a tough spin | Ottawa Citizen.