Sorry if it's difficult to read this screenshot featuring late September google trends. Data reveals that over the past month, Canadian's online use of the word chalant has increased 550% and 250% over the last year. I was not aware that chalant was a word, but nonchalant certainly is, so I gather there's a curious upswing in language encouraging all of us (understandably) world-weary folks to shake off our apathy, resignation, or hopelessness and... what? Get involved? Do something? Care?
If that sounds like a NOPE to you, who could blame you? So imagine being an Albertan right now....
On October 19, in the beautiful, enterprising, and prosperous province of Alberta (Canada), we will be voting in a referendum that (almost) no one asked for, and for those who would disagree with this assertion, I say that this "referendumb-and-dumber" (as one clever Albertan comedian describes it) could have at least waited until we had a general election. And don't even get me started on the millions spent on this political stunt. But here we are.
Sure, when I say no one asked for this, I must clarify that our government did have a series of town halls last summer so an (invited/stacked) panel could "listen" (er kowtow) to (30% of) Albertans and use that "data" to develop new policy (advance the narrative manufactured at their party's annual general meeting beforehand). Yes, some dissenters were able to attended these town halls but when they spoke against the panel's obvious scapegoating and bias, they were labeled disruptors (and I kid you not) one high school student's mic was cut and he was told by the panel moderator he should be spanked.
Cut from this shitstew to the one currently brewing regarding the TEN (I am not kidding) questions borne from those town halls, questions that many say are problematic (confusingly verbose) all the way to racist and illegal. Spoiler: it's all of the above.
Nevertheless our provincial government says this will provide the mandate for subsequent immigration policy and independence from Canada. The most contentious question is this: should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or begin legal proceedings to separate and become independent from Canada? (Note: I have condensed it to 18 words; the actual question has 37, sigh).
Polls continue to say that over 70% of Albertans do not want to become an independent country. But what about the 30%? Led by outspoken prominent (crooked) separatists/lobbyists (who meet and talk money with US officials connected to the expired cantaloupe himself), they spread mis/disinformation to radicalize and fundraise off disgruntled Albertans (some of whom have legitimate beefs about federal government policy). In a short video, this Albertan explains it all soooo well.
Anyway it's time to apologize for this post. You see (cleansing breath), everything within me wants to be nonchalant about this situation. But I cannot. If I (and my neighbours) don't get off the couch and VOTE for Canada... well you know where this is going and *looks side-eye at the world* you know this isn't just in Alberta, is it?
Dear friends, I would love for you to now flush this entire post from your mind but please retain the ONE IMPORTANT IDEA I hope continues to trend, the word/the act that might just save us all: be chalant.
"referendumb-and-dumber" - I love it!
ReplyDeleteI have been reading about the separatist movement in Alberta. Some of the rhetoric that comes out of this group reminds me of the MAGA movement in the USA. I certainly hope that the referendum results are overwhelmingly to remain part of Canada.
ReplyDeleteI am angry at what the UCP has done to this province. The money wasted, the dissent sown, the racism encouraged, it all makes me sick. I am vocal about it on Smith's instagram page and two people have wished me dead because they disagree with me. We all need to speak up and tell people that this is not what Alberta is about.
ReplyDeleteIn college I took a statistics course that I barely passed. I did come away realizing that you can make numbers say whatever you want them to say!
ReplyDeleteWords can be weird.
ReplyDeleteJust as we use nonchalant, but never chalant, we use disgruntled, but never gruntled.
When was the last time you used gruntled to describe yourself when you were feeling content or satisfied?
Side note: spell check puts a red squiggly line under both chalant and gruntled as it doesn't recognize either as actual words.
There is another word that we usually say in the negative but can be said in the positive. But I positively can't remember it right now. I feel quite nonchalant about my lack of memory, however.
ReplyDeleteHopefully many right-thinking Albertans will turn out to quash the malcontents.
This is precisely how Maple MAGAs play wedge politics in Canada. And oh yes, you can bet on me voting in this referendum -- YES to Alberta remaining in Canada and "N0 TO THE NINE" other bullshit questions.
ReplyDelete