104) Freedom Convoy "vs." the Police

104) Freedom Convoy "vs." the Police

Such a “convoy” of Indigenous people (or say, BlackLivesMatter supporters…), would never, ever, ever make it to Canada’s capital without any real policing occurring.  They would never have selfies with friendly police officers who were proud to get recorded talking about how much they support “the movement”.  They would NEVER be allowed to parade themselves into the city’s core, to harass local residents, to violate practically every by-law that exists without the police lifting a finger.  And the rhetoric of the police would most certainly NOT be about how they don’t want to confront them or are unable to because of a lack of resources.

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16) Murdering terrorism

16) Murdering terrorism

The “terrorism” language, which is directly traceable in its modern incarnation to George Dubya Bush after 9/11, reinforces a particular way of thinking. Geoff Lakoff calls it “Strong Daddy”, referring to a centralist, patriarchal, hierarchical way of organizing power in families, traditionally speaking. The entire rhetorical structure that comes from Strong Daddy ways of thinking, makes it easier to contemplate certain courses of action (e.g., war) rather than other courses of action (e.g., community empowerment, basic income and housing plans, ecological restoration, permaculture and local-scale farming projects). Basically, “terrorism” leads to “war” in people’s minds.

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