Received a comment yesterday critical of my previous post regarding the Layton funeral and the CBC. Except for all the usual and regular critical comments of my kids begging me to ‘stop using my real name’, this was the first real negative I have had on the blog (well, there is the daily critique from Sally, too, but I have developed a selective deaf ear like most husbands. It is a universal coping mechanism employed by 50% of the population – if not more).

The writer disagreed with me and waxed proud of Canada and Harper and the CBC. I am glad he/she wrote. Nice to get feedback. The writer was polite. And that was nice, too. It was good of them to take the time.

Mind you, for the record: I prefer praise but, failing that, encouragement will do almost as well.

One of the reasons for living off-the-grid is a lack of tolerance for living on the grid. Stands to reason, really, if you think about it. If you don’t really like the ‘grid’, that likely means disliking things like the CBC, the government and all that.

You know..I mean…. I don’t really dislike cheap power or roads or piped in water, do I? Who would? In this context, the ‘grid’ is a metaphor for ‘normal living’. I am just not ‘keen’ on what passes for real life in the burbs anymore. That’s all. Nothing wrong with it. I am just not keen.

And, to be fair, it is not so much the life-in-the-burbs lifestyle but rather the lies and constructs that seem so necessary to keep us there, grazing in herds peacefully all the live-long day. I think the news is a farce. T’aint news at all. It is virtually all lies.

I think the justice system is so often wrong as to be criminal in itself (I wrote it off when Robert Latimer went to jail and then again when we paid the millions of dollars to the lawyers for the defense of the Gordon Campbell scum that arranged the BC Rail deal). Actually, I wrote it off a long time ago. I have no idea what it is but justice it most definitely is not!

I think our politicians are corrupt beyond comprehension (see BC Hydro, IPPS, BC Rail, DFO, Fighter jet purchase and the list just goes on and on). And it never seems to stop, regardless of who is in power. I am tired of it.

I think the medical profession has forgotten the Hippocratic oath. And they are not alone amongst the professions to sublimate ethics for money. I am disgusted by that. And even for the still-dedicated doctor and nurse, every hospital in BC is now infected with the Superbug. Hard to have faith in that system, ya know?

I think the education system…………well, you get the idea. I have lost faith in our systems. I have lost faith in our institutions. I have just lost faith.

NOT with people, however. Some of them are heroes (good example: see Alex Morton at: http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/). I have just lost faith in the systems.

Please! Let us be clear on that.

In fact, I think of it like I do the US soldiers. They were sent to Iraq on a big lie. They shouldn’t be part of what is a horrible political blunder/lie but each soldier has put faith (and their lives) in a system that is simply wrong. I don’t blame them. I blame the system.

I have rejected as much as possible living in the big lie. Or, rather, I have tried to. Not so much that I am uncomfortable, mind you. Path of least resistance and all that. I keep one foot dipped into the system so as to get library books, movie rentals and keep my own ‘systems’ going so I am definitely a hypocrite about it all. I cherry-pick. Lick the icing off the top. Drive my car. NOT noble. I am corrupt as well to get what I want. But I am also trying to want less. I am just intolerant of it on the BIG scale, I guess.

I am like the armchair, Monday morning quarterback passing judgment on the weekend football game. Only difference I can claim: I built the armchair and I am free on Monday mornings to do as I please.

But more succinctly: all criticisms are warranted, legitimate and welcome. Thanks for writing.