Long overdue for another post here. School is going great and I am having sooooo much fun with my students. They are, as always, teaching me so much. Native Studies especially right now is an area with a lot of ferment and things happening that is making it exciting and changing the very shape of the curriculum at times. Bill C-3, for example, which received royal assent and became law on January 31st this year, once again changes the future shape of Indian Status. What its' long-term implication are financially, socially, culturally and politically remain murky at best.

My training has been going very well, I feel. But we will see this Saturday when I do the 10k at the Saskatoon Police Half-Marathon. I'm hoping for a time in the 56 minute range, which is certainly way off what I was doing even 4 years ago. Age is definitely catching up to me. At least it is still as fun as it ever was, just not as easy. Also in the running world I am still blown away by the fastest ever in the world times from the Boston Marathon earlier this week. 2:03:02 for 26.2 miles is incredible.

Time to put up another post. It has been awhile. Winter continues pretty much unabated. We had a couple of nice days about freezing this week but we also got almost 3" of snow on Wednesday night and then temperatures back well below freezing (-20C last night) and generally fairly windy. In one sense this is perfect and in another it isn't. I, like almost everyone, want some sunshine and warm weather, but we have close to 4 feet of snow on the ground and I definitely do not want it to melt too rapidly. We are going to have enough flooding and water issues without a rapid thaw. Below freezing and sunny would be perfect for most of the snow sublimating away.

Between bouts of cold and wind, 15 of my last 17 runs have been on the treadmill, which has made me very glad I bought it but I would still rather be outside running. At least I am running and getting some good workouts in; the treadmill is turning out to be a great tool for me for doing intervals, much better than outside on the road, and for hillwork in an area with no hills. I am also starting to get in the mileage that I need. Last week was 22.5 miles and this week should be about 25 miles, which is right in the range that I want right now. I'll start upping the mileage a bit more in mid-April, especially the long runs. I still haven't registered for any races this spring or summer and I need to get on that right away or it will be too late. I'm planning on running the 10k at the Saskatoon Police half (Apr 23) and the Half-Marathon at the Saskatchewan Marathon (May 29). After that I don't know. Certainly the Queen City Marathon in Regina in Sept and the Sask Ultra in Oct.

Meanwhile school proceeds with its ups and downs. Mostly this semester they are ups; I have some great students who are enthusiastic and doing great work. Teaching and working with them is fun and energizing. I found this really good op-ed column in the New York Times on kids and school. It really talks about the kind of teaching I would like to be able to do, and that I suspect most teachers would like to do, if they could. But I also think that the bureaucracy would go ballistic, as would politicians and far too many parents, etc. who are predisposed to disapporve of change and openness.

The cold weather and my timidity continuing unabated, I broke down last month and bought a treadmill, a NordicTrac middle grade machine. I have been using it steadily and am slowly getting back in shape. I can't say that running on it is all that much fun, but it is a lot better than not running at all. Soon though it will be Spring and I can head outdoors again, especially for the long runs. I have missed several races this year that I would normally do, but the training is not there at all.
The political scene continues to fascinate me, largely because of how disfunctional it is, here in Canada as well as the United States. Demagogues of various stripes are mixed in with a lot of people who seem to be saying "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts." And the sheer amounts of money floating through the system, especially in the United States, really influences behaviours and judgments. But I started this paragraph, this line of thought because of this article on Dignity in public discourse. I also have been struck by how much of our public discussion of issues is embedded in language that attacks and demeans the opposition rather than acknowledging our common humanity and freedom.
On a slightly different tack, I have been struck by several of the stories I have heard coming out of the sudden eruption of conflicts in the Arab world about people who have left good safe jobs to got to areas of great danger to start of participate in humanitarian activities, bringing in food, shelter, medicines, treating the wounded, caring for the sick because "it needed to be done." People like that are inspiring and awe-inspiring., a treasure in short supply in our world.

The Real Threat of Glenn Beck's Fantasies | Common Dreams

I am a Canadian-American, born in the United States to American parents and raised in the United States and Brazil. I have lived in Canada for 13 years and have no desire to move elsewhere. I love it here in Canada and in Saskatchewan; the land, the people and the climate. I love the United States also; it is my native land, where I went to school, worked, got married, served in the military, voted, and where my mother and siblings live. I majored in American History at University and taught it for several years. It has been a fascinating study and the ideals and the struggles of the Republic's founding fathers resonated deeply with me, as they still do.

I do not, however, and never have, believed in the vision of "A City on A Hill." American exceptionalism is not something I can accept as being a part of the nation's identity and reality. That many if not most Americans do believe it I do understand. Certainly many key people in the nation's history have believed in it and acted accordingly. While I do believe that the United States has had a unique role in the world during its time on the stage, I do see it as having been especially blessed by God or that it is essentially "better" than other countries because of its destiny. I do believe that God would like to bless the United States, and all the other countries of the world, but America can only call itself blessed if it lives out the ideals that it professes. To live those ideals out requires the willing acceptance sometimes of risk and hardship, of self-sacrifice, of placing the common good of the nation and the world above personal benefit; at times placing the good of the world ahead of the nation's short-term good.

Having said all this, the United States of 2011 is wandering badly from the ideals that it professes to believe in and uphold, and that are credited to the founding fathers with religious fervor. It is clearly not the first time the nation has wandered. In fact it has never completely lived those ideals. Many of the 'ideals' have been themselves the subject of dispute and acrimony since the founding. For example, Jefferson's 'Yeoman Farmer' ideal was never a reality except in myth, and from the beginning it collided head-on with Hamilton's strong government and stable order ideal. Today I think that the United States has wandered farther from the core ideals than ever in its history, not necessarily on any specific front but broadly over the entire spectrum, from race to social supports to religious tolerance to civil liberties to economic opportunity and equality to the welcoming beacon for immigrants, and on and on.

The United States has never been a nation that was completely at peace with itself. the strains have, of course, several sources, and date generally, from the earliest days of settlement in North America. For example, significant numbers of the early arrivals came seeking freedom from religious persecution, which is not the same thing as religious freedom. Thus, while they wanted religious freedom for themselves, they didn't necessarily want it for others. Religious freedom as brought to Virginia by Thomas Jefferson and then to the nation was embraced by some and reject by others. That has not changed, with significant portions of America always wanting their version to dominate by law.

Another long-standing tension surrounds the American way of treating the indigenous peoples who were here first, the Africans who were imported as slaves later, and other identifiable or not-so-identifiable groups arrived in the United States for one reason or another. The concept, espoused so early, of democracy and representative government, seemed to be easily shunted aside when a specific minority got in the way, as with Aboriginals interfering with the spread of settlers across the continent, and especially later when they so obviously interfered with Manifest Destiny. Or with the issue of slavery, the legitimacy of which was written into the Constitution.

Today there are many tensions twisting the American fabric, tensions showing in anger, frustration, violence, factionalism, extreme mono manias, and fuelled by demagogues, economic hard times, rural-urban and East-West tensions, the fast pace of often bewildering social, economic and technological changes, and the fear, real or imagined, of external threats. Compounding the situation is the thread of seeking simple, often violent solutions to perceived problems, starting with Indian wars through the 17th and 18th centuries, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, multiple adventures in Central America, Vietnam and Afghanistan and Iraq. At a more local and individual level, there is the myth of the Wild West and the "John Wayne" syndrome. Whether the 'Wild West' ever really existed or not is largely irrelevant as the mythos of its existence has become fundamental for Americans.

The 'Wild West,' a paradigm of how the West was won, has for many become the paradigm for how the entire nation should function, irrespective of its historical or practical applicability to urban centers or to any densely settled area. The 'John Wayne Syndrome' as a name comes from the stereotypical role that John Wayne played in so many of his movies; that of the lone hero riding into a dangerous situation, solving the problem with blazing guns and then riding away into the sunset at the end, as unattached and alone as when he started. A lot of the time, law and the Law don't appear in these portrayals of justice. Again, while not wholly accurate, this image has become a vivid part of how Americans see themselves and their history. Contrast this image with the Canadian experience of co-operative barn-raisings, the omnipresence and respect accorded the RCMP from the beginning.

Whether the mythos matches the historical reality or not, it is the mythos that is held up as the American ideal, the 'Way We Do It.' At the same time, and especially since September 11, 2001, various demagogues, as well as the government, have used the fear of terrorism and violence to drive their political agendas, never mind the contradictions inherent in the marriage of the two. Americans seem to want the complete freedom to take care of themselves in all ways, to carry guns, etc., and at the same time they want the government to protect them. While I think these two urges are seriously contradictory, I have never heard or seen them discussed together in this fashion before.

The various factions and fractures in American society are not easily labelled or categorized. Oh, it is easy enough to say this or that position is liberal or conservative, and I think that the popular media and most commentators do just that. However, I do not believe that such easy divisions stand up to any serious examination; I am not at all certain that the general categories of liberal and conservative make much sense any more, partly in spite of and partly because of the way they are bandied about so freely. While most of the factions and fractures have been present, in one guise or another, since the nation's beginning, they have not been this visible or rigid since the 1930s. People are gay and conservative at the same time; liberal politically and opposed to gun control; politically conservative and socially liberal.

As in the 1930s, demagogues shout loudly and belligerently, touting their views and calling all other views wrong or treasonous. This is not a civil debate on issues; this is the shouting across some arbitrary line drawn in the sand. The issue, whatever it is, is normally framed as a life-or-death situation/choice for the nation with only one or two possible answers. This time around, as opposed to the 1930s, the loudest shouts are from the far right, not the far left, though sometimes the difference is more a matter of name than anything else. The stridency is the same, the confrontational tactics and violent language are the same, and what they offer are rarely very different. What is driving all of this at this point in time?

My feeling is that the economic hard times coupled with the fast pace of cultural and technological change over the last 20+ years have left people very unsettled, often fearful and uncertain about their own futures. The urge to hunker down and hang on tight, to resist any further changes, to view the past as 'golden', to seek a return to a somehow idealized past, can become irresistible. With unemployment rates in the United States hovering at about 19% and 14,000,000 people, and showing little sign of improving significantly, many people are afraid and often desperate, seeing a bleak future for themselves and for their children. The Internet with its vast spread and reach has also allowed, not the rise of, but an enormous increase in the reach and influence of, people and groups espousing extreme views and extreme solutions. Logical coherence in thinking and opinions is not a criterion, often seeming to be a negative. Anti-intellectualism is a very strong strain, an attitude often strongly encouraged; making me wonder what is taught in schools and Universities. I am fascinated by the various people I encounter online who can proclaim their patriotism and commitment, and then a few minutes later talk about seceding from the United States. This thinking and talking seems to me to be an good exemplar of the triumph of emotion over logic and reason in political and social discourse these days.

Ever since the end of World War II Americans have become increasingly enamoured of conspiracy theories, with the government as the villain in most theories, witness the flying saucers and Roswell, NM, the John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinations, 9/11 theories, etc. Whatever their causes, one of the consequences has been an increase in suspicion of and distrust of the government and any of its activities. The sum of what I am saying is that there are increasing levels of disconnect between the actions of those in power and the realities on the ground. When a nation's leaders nor longer have a clear strong vision of the commonweal to guide them and instead pursue narrow goals of personal or class self-interest

The American Empire is coming to an end. The United States is not the only Super-Power. Europe, China, and India and Russia want very badly to assert themselves; the US is finding it very hard to adjust to a world where it is not the automatic cop and decision-maker. The US currently faces enormous and growing budget deficits, and yet still supports upwards of 400 military bases across the globe, shows no signs of shrinking that number nor of reducing forces levels or expenditures in either Iraq or Afghanistan. The nation continues to try to support both guns and butter, a project that history would suggest is not viable over the long term. High levels of unemployment and tax reductions on the wealthy seem to be acceptable in the short-term but in the long term I cannot see that rhetoric alone will paper over this and other discontinuities. When the masks fall off I do not know what will happen. The many undeniable strengths of the country can go a long ways in holding things together but are ultimately not sufficient glue.

Where is this all taking the United States? What does the future hold, short- and long-term? I look for increasing levels of domestic violence, a weak economy, increasing political polarization, reduced social services, bankrupt states, increasing income disparities, significant numbers of traumatized and unhappy servicemen (and women) returning from combat tours and yet more social and technological changes with their own unsettling effects. I do not believe that the United States, as a coherent entity, can stand the cumulative strains. Unless a very different understanding of what the nature of American society emerges in the next 20-30 years I would expect that the country will implode, most likely in the form of various secession movements, serious nativist violence against various immigrant and racial groups, and urban wars, all of it underlain by several factors I have not even touched yet.

The election of an African-American as President has deeply and profoundly changed the political dynamic. While the majority of Americans have no or minimal trouble with the idea of a black President, many millions still hold views common in the 1940s and 1950s. For them this election and the rising status of black Americans and latinos represents a very real threat to their visions of America and their status in the nation's cultural map. For some this reaction is rooted in their geographical and/or cultural heritage; for some their socioeconomic situation. Regardless, it has served to greatly ratchet up the levels of tension and anger. The deindustrialization of America has also had a big impact both physical and psychological. For many, especially in the upper mid-west, the image of the US as an industrial giant is pretty fundamental. That has gone and the nature of work has changed for

The biggest unknown is climate change. Whether man-made or not (and I believe it is), global warming is clearly a reality and will bring permanent and traumatic changes to everyone's lives -- to coastal cities, to water supplies, to agriculture, and to the economic lives of millions of Americans. Not to mention the global migrations of people that we are already starting to see. We can assume that we will see the usual disruptions that accompany a highly stressed society and economy -- labor unrest, ideologues of several stripes busily stirring the pot, rising intolerance for differences and the search for panaceas. Will the United States see a repeat of the dirty 30s? Hard to say, but I expect it will be worse, largely because even with an open mind and the best will in the world, the solutions will be much more intractable than they were 80 years ago. The world today is much more cross-linked, though Americans tend not to want to see or acknowledge it and therefore the solutions will require forms of cooperation and compromise that they are very uncomfortable with and suspicious of.

The Real Threat of Glenn Beck's Fantasies | Common Dreams

The new semester is well underway at this point and I am starting to get comfortable with my new classes. This looks to be a really great semester, with an awesome set of students. They are eager, participating and coming from a wide variety of places, ages and backgrounds. We have had some super discussions and I hope for more. they really energize me.

My running is slowly starting up again; not really taking off as that implies a great surge. This is rather a very slow incremental increase. The weather has improved so that I can get out most days in the morning. However, after a lot of internal discussion, Joan and I broke down and bought a treadmill. I really need something that I can use in bad weather, though I really prefer being outside. I guess that I am not as tough as I used to be. In any event I have only used it a few times so far. We'll how it goes; it is certainly a different experience than being on the road or trail. I have aches and creaks in different places.

Cold again this morning, as it has been almost every morning for weeks, too often with lots of accompanying wind. It has been very hard for me to get back onto the rhythm of running every morning. When I do go out it seems I either freeze my face or the wind just blows me around and sucks all my body heat right away. The whole thing is very frustrating as in the past I have thoroughly enjoyed winter running and have had no problem keeping it up right through the season. I guess the only thing to do is to keep trying and hope that eventually habit or something clicks in. lol

I am loving my classes this semester, great students and decent sized when they are all present. Bigger classes are much more fun because there is much more dialogue and many more viewpoints represented. Attendance is going to be an issue for some of them but I'm really hoping for decent numbers all the way through.

Changing the subject completely I found this marvelous Youtube video of one of my favorite pieces of music yesterday, the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah

Boy, how time flies. Christmas break is over and school is back in session. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the semester, and the new semester starting in less than a month. Again, I'll have a full load and one new class, but I'm really starting to feel comfortable with some of my classes and ready to try some new techniques and strategies with them.

My running, on the other hand, has really taken a beating. Through most of the Christmas break the wind pretty much defeated my efforts to go out running and then the day after New Year's I caught what I assume is a cold and the sore throat has prevented me from heading out running; just being outside tends to really hurt my throat. So no exercise at all except for my core workouts and those have been truncated so as not to exhaust me first thing in the morning. Right now it seems as if half the muscles in my body hurt, mostly from not getting their accustomed exercise, and my head very much wants to get out and run also.

However, the big thing on my mind the past several days has been the shootings in Tuscon, Arizona. It sounds to me very much as if the gunman was a lone, random nut with a gun doing what gun-toting crazy loners do. But the violence itself and the response to it seems to me so almost stereotypical of the American obsession with guns and violence. I realize that the news media operate under serious time constraints given our short attention spans but the bulk of the news analyses that I have read have been long on analysis and short on thought, fact and reason, mostly being geared to grinding one axe or another. It seems to me pretty clear that the constant stream of violent language in political discourse, the violent imagery used and the prevalence of guns in America make the use of weapons in a violent way to be seen increasingly as acceptable ways to settle disputes and to make statements of opinion.