GREG REID

Greg Reid uses his art and music to connect constituents with his platform of innovative political ideas for direct democracy * in the Sunshine Coast riding [POW] of British Columbia. Voting for Greg is voting for yourselves to have the opportunity to be part of the government .

This new political initiative will allow all voters in our electoral district to continue their democratic experience for years past the brief moment of casting their ballot for MLA in the polling booth on Oct 19

Free Your Vote NOW by voting for Greg Reid, independent candidate. Once elected he will generate a secure phone app voting system for all voters on the Sunshine Coast to vote on every piece of legislation.

INTEGRITY in action!

* Select politics menu for a description of DIRECT DEMOCRACY VOTING

for MLA campaigning with art, music and common sense

Campaign Theme Song:

Promises of Rain

This song is for those who feel discouraged and downtrodden at the hands of government that fails to address their needs and favors corporate partners over their obligation to the people, the ultimate authority for power.

A message to all voters

The way it stands right now

Investigating our current form of Government

A few scenarios on HOW WE LIVE in BC.

Definition of CONSUMERISM: the preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods:

Although many people are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of consumerism and even though many people can no longer afford it, consumerism is still the predominant lifestyle choice in BC. Highly promoted by media and advertisements. This is the status quo.

At the top of the food chain we find the very wealthy. If you are part of this group you have a great and luxurious life and enough money to do anything you want. You have no real interest in changing the system as long as it doesn't interfere with your lifestyle. You may even realize that the concentration of wealth at the top will eventually kill the goose that laid your golden egg. Protecting the status quo is the best way for you to forestall that.

Then there is a huge group of consumers who are striving to become part of the first group. They believe that this is the purpose of life. They see what the very rich have and long to be part of that crowd. You are so wrapped up in getting there you have little time or patience for anything that interferes with these objectives. Their motto could easily be summed up with the familiar saying: "Those who have the most toys when they die, win".

We also have a big contingency of those who are very aware of what is going on. You have recognized the futility of our current system of government and the failings of consumerism. If you are one of the many people with understanding that the system is flawed and is heading towards dystopia, you see a lack of solutions forthcoming from government. You may be seeking solace in activism or protesting, community living and counterculture, largely trying to shield yourself from having to face the bad effects from the steady collapse of society. You allow yourself to feel OK because you have a social conscience and you're doing the best you can to effect change for the better. Sometimes you tell yourself that things are going not so bad, they could be worse.

Unfortunately, there is a growing number of people that are simply trying to survive by living hand to mouth. If part of this group, you can't make any sense of all the craziness that is going on in the world. You often feel lonely and disconnected. So, you do whatever it takes to get by, moving from one situation to another endeavoring to navigate whatever opportunities that come your way. Hunkering down when you find something, riding it our until things change and then get the hell out of dodge when things start to close in. Survival is your primary concern.

Independent in body and spirit, often close to or off the grid, we have a more reclusive group that lead self-sufficient lives by virtue of setting themselves up through hard work and effort. They believe the best form of government is less government. They usually eschew involvement in social ventures to solve public problems because they took it upon themselves to create an alternative for themselves and family and the protection and maintenance of this takes all their energy. In this way they are able to ignore or diffuse many of the dilemmas that our civilization generates. They may be outspoken when confronted but are as often as not, comfortable just to comment and spectate as things unfold.

Now, let's talk about the kind of government that is responsible for these polarizations. We'll begin with the election of those who will fill the seats in the provincial legislature.

The Role of Political Party Candidates

FIRST TIME CANDIDATES are representatives of their political parties. They are apprenticing with the party, hoping to become full time employees of the government. Their training consists of fulfilling the role of liaison with the public and doing their best to present the platform of their party so that you will elect them. They do not represent you. That is not possible. They have one master, and that is the political party. They are usually very good listeners. However, apprentices have little political power

INCUMBENT CANDIDATES are MLA's, already experienced employees of the government. If they belong to a party, they will be representing the platform of their party just like the apprentices do, only better because they will have more in-depth knowledge of party policy. They know what their masters expect of them: obedience. They are good at public relations and placating their constituents but most likely have little political power. However, if they are part of the cabinet they will have been introduced to the corridors of power and have a clearer understanding of how the government works. All party MLA's share this common awareness: they must be loyal to their party at all times. The truth is simple, they are representing a political party, not you, the public.

MLA's are like the customer service department of a business while rookie candidates are trainees. If they want to collect a paycheck, they conform to party policy and help each 'customer' as best as they can within that framework

The role of Political Parties

Understanding political parties is the key to knowledge of our government.

How it all began:

The word party was not used in the creation of the constitution . Our form of government does not require parties to be fully functional. Although non-essential to the working of government, they have become an accepted institution. The public has been duped into believing that the party system is a core component of democracy but that is false. Political parties concentrate power into the hands of a few and severely limit the public from involvement in legislation and the implementation of statutes. The irony of it is this: our primary democratic moment as a citizen, is electing a party candidate to form a government that has unchecked power, if you will, an oligarchy. Developed by the British colonialists for the about-to-be-formed nation of Canada in the decades preceding confederation, political parties became the vehicle for the elites of society, on both sides of the Atlantic. Government policies could easily be formed within a party system to enable elites to achieve their objective of both wealth and power.

Here's how it works in 2024:

Elites

Elites make political contributions and indirectly or directly fund the campaigns for many candidates as well as the political parties. Elites are very wealthy and powerful people. They own or manage corporations, banks, insurance companies, investment firms. They are heads of unions and not for profit businesses. They can be members of the Privy Council or the sub-committee Treasury Board [arguably, the most powerful political and banking groups in the country]. Could be company board members or directors, union leaders or heads of organizations. When they issue orders, they are used to having them completed by their underlings.

Lobbyists

Lobbyists work for the elites, although elites also directly lobby government themselves, but more secretly. A lobbyist is an individual who advocates for their own self-interest, or the self-interest of an employer during meetings with members of the government. It doesn't take much imagination to see how lobbyists can have a big impact upon government. Nor does it take any imagination to understand that the people that gave money to political campaigns are the same people who are lobbying the government after the election. So where do you think that is going to lead?

Oligarchy - a political system that defeats democratic principles

For more than 200 years, North American governments have been serving the purpose of the elites. The system has been maintained and improved and optimized, the evidence being the concentration of wealth and power in society today. All current studies show that great wealth continues to become more and more entrenched and prevalent in fewer and fewer people. Nonetheless, elites know that this needs to be carefully managed because people are not stupid. So it becomes a balancing act for them. Their desire is to squeeze as much wealth out of the public as they can. They are smart and well know that as long as they give enough crumbs to the public, they can continue to do this. And they use their involvement in government to control and manage this. They keep a close eye and make sure that enough people are satisfied. In this way they control and administer the programs and distribution of goods and services to the people. They have 200 years of experience and a vast network of minions keeping it in place. They employ the power of suggestion and persuasion. They own mainstream media - and it is a huge propaganda machine.

The Proof is in the Pudding

The economic system supported and maintained by government is the central part of our consumer-based society. As long as GDP continues to rise, it works.

However, it is not sustainable, it is almost at the end of a very long run. The reason for this should be obvious to everyone but we avoid talking about it. Eight billion people on the planet competing and striving to consume more and more resources have wreaked havoc upon the earth's systems and they are breaking down. We know it's true, but we are encouraged by mainstream media to focus our attention on other things. Consider what you listen to and what you talk about. Probably everything under the sun except the critical issues surrounding the erosion of society and the collapse of the earth's systems. The present leadership, corporate, governmental and social elites, distract us while they continue to court dystopia. They know where they're going. They also believe that they have the wealth and power to weather the coming storms while you most likely don't. They are very aware that disasters loom on the horizon. They don't want you to think about that. They want you to remain complacent. That way they can conduct business as usual. And when the time comes they will issue draconian orders to control the population, once again. They have the police and military to back them up. Government employees are the first to fall in line. Remember, they are primarily concerned about themselves. They understand that there are many people on social assistance that suck up a lot of resources and are not capable of giving anything back. You know that to be the case as well. So, what do you think the simplest and most direct solution to the problems on our planet will be? You might want to go for the high percentage answer and use Occam's razor. Hint - the simplest answer is also most likely correct. I'll let you puzzle that one out.

How do we prevent this? It begins with you this October 19. Vote Greg Reid, independent.

We, the people can restore democracy and have a constant voice in government from that day onward.

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE CRITICAL THINKERS AND POLITICALLY AWARE, THIS ELECTION MAY BE THE MOMENT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. THIS IS ALSO A DIRECT CALL TO THE MAJORITY OF THE ELECTORATE WHO HAVE STOPPED VOTING. GET INVOLVED NOW WHILE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING STILL EXISTS. INORDER TO CHANGE THE GAME THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO VOTE, BUT NOT FOR A POLITICAL PARTY. THAT WOULD BE A VOTE FOR ELITISM AND CONTINUATION OF A SYSTEM THAT IS RIGGED AGAINST YOU. VOTE FOR GREG REID INDEPENDENT AND VOTE FOR YOURSELVES. WE, THE SUNSHINE COAST, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RISE OUT OF THE OBSCURE BACKWATER OF THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND BECOME THE LEADERS FOR THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY. DEFEAT THE TYRANNY OF ELITISM AND OLIGARCHY BY SIMPLY USING YOUR VOTE.

I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING AND THE TIME-CONSUMING WORK. I WILL DELIVER THE APP THAT LETS YOU VOTE ON EVERY ISSUE AND I WILL DELIVER YOUR VOTE TO THE LEGISLATURE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO STOP WHEN YOU LEAVE THE POLLING BOOTH OCTOBER 19. THAT SHOULD BE THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END.

It is important to remember that fundamental values like freedom to live a life on our own terms and allowing those around us to do the same are not something we can take for granted, nor should we assume they will always be there. We saw the way governments around the world used the pandemic as a means of controlling their populations and coerced folks with unpopular measures without their consent

FREEDOM

STEAL IT ALL

Democracy is the best form of government we have been able to imagine if we wish to have a system that is concerned about giving citizens the opportunity to choose who they wish to represent their needs and concerns. Through elections the people select candidates that they feel are the best equipped for building a good society through the handling of tasks and administering the greatest good for the greatest number.

Steal It All is a song describing how corruption creeps into the corridors of power when our leaders are not vigilant or lack integrity .

BIG FAT GREEN VETTING - abstract expression derived from a filming of an informal session of discovery with a local political party June 17, 2024

Greg Reid Artist Portfolio

Greg photographs wildflowers growing in the forests along the Sunshine Coast Trail on the upper peninsula of the Sunshine Coast of coastal BC. These images are magically transformed into abstract expressions in his electronic darkroom using tools that represent the forces of nature: gravity, wind, rain, temperature and seasonal change. The resulting pictures are then animated to create a mesmerizing portrayal of color and motion.

Music composed by ALtER

FLOATING ALONG by Greg Reid

The politics of art

This form of art gives the wildflowers their own character as they bend, twist, dance and merge with other plant life in a world that is always undergoing change. In this way the animations become a metaphor for the people, events and ecosystem that shape our world.

Contact Information

Invite/book Greg to speak and entertain your friends and associates. Sing and dance to the music of the Doppelgang. Join the movement for direct democracy and change our politiical landscape. alterindustries@gmail.com phone 604-414-3016 text 604-208-9980