Polarizing

We all desire simplicity. And why not? It's easier to understand, easier to proliferate, and generally an easier state of being. However, to simplify is a tool - not a goal.

With the melting of arctic ice the northwest passage will soon become one of the most commercially viable trade routes on the planet. Not surprisingly sovereignty over the area is now a subject of debate. When most Canadians hear about this they immediately claim "it's ours. Where's the debate?" The debate is similar to a divorce settlement where the separating couple realizes the boudoir at the foot of the bed was owned by Louis XIV. One partner claims it's a family heirloom and is thus rightfully theirs. The other partner claims that because they moved it down from the attic, took it to The Antique's Roadshow, and repaired the missing foot it should go to them. Lastly, the Russian Antique's Roadshow correspondent who identified the boudoir thinks that because he realized what it was first he should get it.

Far from simple, but exactly the contest right now between Canada, the United States, Russia, and a few other nations. The sorry fact for Canadians is that international courts believe that what was brought into the marriage is what counts most - that's why the Americans are winning the debate. Over the past fifty years the United States has established extensive military outposts in Canada's polar region and have been patrolling it for even longer. Canadians, meanwhile, lives mostly within two hundred kilometers of the United States' border and have done relatively little research into its own northern regions. Russia has the strangest yet oddly historical claim to the region in that they planted their flag there first. "But it's on our maps!" a Canadian might say - forgetting that the original boarder between Alaska and British Columbia was over a sixty kilometers East on American maps and sixty kilometers West on Canadian maps. Whether or not the nuances of the situation make their way to the general public is irrelevant because whether or not Canadians recognize foreign sovereignty over the passage they'll maintain it was their boudoir to begin with.

Amnesty international acted the teacher recently when it said both Hamas and the Israeli government are guilty of warcrimes. Of course, this news isn't at all shocking to non-ideologues who realize that neither group has a morally clean slate. Both sides are guilty of using human shields, indiscriminate targeting of civilians, and playing the victim but rarely do we ever hear the voice of reason declaring that both sides need to stand in a corner. The main problem with the declaration is that although it clarifies the morality of the conflict it failes to recognize the gradient of actors involved. Just as neither side is a champion of morality both sides are made up of individuals - some of which work for peace.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to take a step back and observe. More often than not emotions and personal investments are involved, contorting already convoluted situations. However, this is what it means to simplify; to make the difficult decision and acknowledge that everything is complicated. Not so that sides can be taken or judgments imbibed, but merely to be honest.

Tags: arctic, canada, clarity, israel, palestine