Throw another log on the ideological fire...

I’m not sure what the situation is in Canada but from my perspective, the Gay Pride parade and wider event is big bucks for major cities like Toronto that host it. The event has been main streamed and legitimized to the point that we have Trudeau marching in the Pride parade with his family. A buddy was telling me last week that the Black movement is looking to become part of the Pride family and wants to include black and brown on the famous Pride rainbow logo. We all saw how the Black Panther movement of the 60's broke down into violence and became a spent force from the public viewpoint. Maybe it’s time to find a new horse that they can ride with pride to where they need to go? But black and brown aren’t part of the rainbow says I! Doesn’t matter, it’s not about color or design, its about getting exposure and latching onto a cause célèbre that has deep pockets and unlimited popular support which includes the media. It seems to me that anything that has this kind of social branding will have potential for being co-opted or infiltrated and imitated by other fringe groups to follow. My friend was saying it’s happening all over. Indigenous people’s movements are becoming infiltrated by quasi related groups that want to get in on a good thing, Muslims want to be seen as part of other religious groups that suffer from discrimination and it goes on and on. It's a jungle out there!

I find the whole affair to be rather confusing and sad. What starts as a courageous and unique way to draw attention to discrimination and suffering becomes just another cause. The obvious truth is no organization has the right over the charter and direction of it’s public role and perception. Like Amnesty has grown to represent everything under the sun regarding human rights and Greenpeace or WWF has the accountability and final word on anything to do with the environment or sustainable development. I’m not comfortable but not surprised by the compartmentalizing of causes as they begin to look more like corporate institutions with their big money and lobbying efforts to be recognized as the only real authority on a given issue. 

The problem with this is any righteous cause bleeds into other issues as the world becomes more interdependent. How to judiciously balance the right mix of support to all the various causes out there so that it does more than make one feel good but actually does good? You don’t, at least not easily. Generally, the one who makes the most noise, gets the biggest crowds, or makes the most money are the ones that gets the attention by the public and the authorities. I know it looks good to see Trudeau and his young family marching in the Pride parade like it’s a carnival parade, but this attempt to be the biggest and most recognized cause seriously damages the reasons why brave souls put their freedom on the line to create these events in the first place?

I just read that CIDA (as I still call it) wants to commit a majority of their ODA to feminist ideals over the coming decade. Is this the flavor of the decade and just another way to justify their existence to a safe and popular cause to taxpayers? Or is it the result of a careful assessment of where the most bang for the buck results are likely to occur? It’s enough to make one confused or at lease a little cynical about how the world works. Meanwhile other groups advocating an end to nukes or save the whales or whatever noble causes are relegated to the bleachers until lobbyists can bring the public around. I don’t know what or who to believe anymore and even if I had disposable income to support such wonderful causes, I would be very cautious in throwing another log on the ideological fire.