Moments of Permanence - So, it turns out nothing's changed in the last few centuries...

From: elspethdixon Date: June 9th, 2009 02:14 pm (UTC) (Link)

I think my favorite part is that a 'Thompson,' in addition to being a trigger happy Canadian guy, is also a kind of sub-machine gun.

Why do the Canadian customs officials *need* machine guns, anyway? The Mexican-US border is a major site of drug trafficking involving drug cartels who can be better armed than some militaries, but that doesn't explain why automatic rifles are needed on the *Canadian* border. And given that the methods used by the US Border Patrol on the US's southern border have been called into question and criticized repeatedly for being needlessly brutal (and also not effectie enough), why would Canada *want* to immitate them?

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From: sami Date: June 9th, 2009 02:23 pm (UTC) (Link)

Apparently this reserve is used to smuggle... wait for it... cigarettes.

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From: elspethdixon Date: June 9th, 2009 02:25 pm (UTC) (Link)

They're taxed much more heavily in Canada than in most US states, so there'd probably be a decent profit in that, but seriously, "We have to have automatic weapons to defend ourselves against the cigarette smugglers?"

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From: sami Date: June 9th, 2009 02:39 pm (UTC) (Link)

No, "We need to have automatic weapons to enforce control, because these uppity fucking Injuns think they have rights and sovereignty, and that shit has to stop."

Not that I'm a cynic.

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From: elspethdixon Date: June 9th, 2009 02:51 pm (UTC) (Link)

I have no idea how relationships between First Nations and the Canadian government work in Canada legally speaking, but that sounds about par for the historical course in the US ("Oh, that treaty we signed? We didn't really *mean* it. Also, we'll steal millions of dollars in mineral and water rights from you in the Southwest.").

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From: sami Date: June 9th, 2009 03:45 pm (UTC) (Link)

Yeah, that's one of those first lessons in colonialism I ever learned. From Johnny Cash.

Though it turns out he wasn't, in his youth Cash believed he was one quarter Cherokee. He'd been told he was, and I assume had no reason to doubt it. He retained a lot of empathy for Native Americans and Bitter Tears is an incredibly moving album, filled with pain and anger and betrayal.

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