Phillip Williams and I happened to be in Toronto on business during the Canadian Thanksgiving, this year, which was yesterday, October 9th. On the surface, it is much like the USA Thanksgiving holiday... lots of comfy people eat turkey and tofurky and trimmings, while TV news broadcasts happy homeless people eating something similar in soup kitchens. What made the experience interesting for us is we spent the past few days with First Nations people, who view our Thanksgiving celebration quite differently from we of European and other non-indigenous descent. "What would our people have to be thankful for about what you did to our land" is the reasonable viewpoint of our friends here, which we discussed over Vietnamese food in Chinatown, the night before, and fresh peaches and grapes from Ontario, Thanksgiving morning. That experience was to be thankful for, as North Korea makes the world wonder what else to be thankful for.
As Phillip and I work with First Nations people we see different perspectives on humanity and business than back in conquered Cleveland. Whereas we immigrants of the Americas do not truly have a sense of place and peace within ourselves, the First Nations people have intact identities on Earth, and so are able to consider spirituality without guilt. Business is not about following rules and laws created to destroy other nations and cultures, as were created by generations of conquerors, but are based on personal freedom and continuity of well being for all for the next seven generations. So business in the First Nations is based on trust, handshakes and the understanding you cheat, steal or lie and you die. Quite the opposite of the unalienable superpower mentality espoused by American government and business leadership... before the bomb.
On Canadian Thanksgiving, North Korea successfully tested their first nuclear bomb, and all the other conquering countries condemned this act, as they feel only a few conquering nations should have the ability to blow up the others, all under the authority of the President of the United States, who has always refused to agree to global nuclear non-proliferation, as the USA has stockpiled enough nuclear arms to kill all life on Earth many times over, and stockpiles more daily, and as colonial USA and Canada are in the middle of blowing up other nations and want to attack more.
It is safe to say we have no moral high-ground from which to attack North Korea and that colonial warmongering has finally meant all life on Earth is in jeopardy for all. Perhaps, faced with such an imminent threat, all colonial nations may now step back and ask themselves how it feels to be weak - powerless - after centuries of genocide and theft of nations from those less powerful. Are you now thankful for being of bloodlines that murdered nations, in light of the fact there is a nation that may easily murder you and all the people of your nation, and wants to very much? Are you thankful for the genocide of the First Nations, and for squandering their lands, and ignoring the needs of the next seven generations around the world?
It is time to create a global society that respects First Nations, rather than colonization, and pursues happiness and peace for all for the next seven generation, or we all shall soon die. That is a good topic for discussion over turkey or tofurky, and all the trimmings, at home or in a soup kitchen, as you decide what it is worth giving thanks for and to in your life, November 23rd, 2006 and every day.