Is Canada Sliding Into a Form of Tribalism?

 

Like most democracies, Canada has always had a left/right, liberal/conservative divide. For most of this nation's history there were bonds between the two, enough that we were usually able to find common ground on even difficult issues.  The Tories went so far as to brand themselves Progressive Conservatives.

What kept the parties in compromise range of each other was a fact-based approach to governance.  We could and did see those facts differently. The parties interpreted them differently ideologically and we once accepted that neither side had a monopoly on good ideas.  But basic facts were facts.

It's unclear how or even if this is some manifestation of the past 40 years of neoliberalism but this essential common foundation of fact has been lost. One side has adopted a belief-based reality, very much akin to the narrow, often strident faith-based thinking that underlies radical religion (of all faiths). The other side, Liberal, claims to be fact-based at least when that's convenient.

This divergence is dangerous. Look at Trump's first year in office as he set fire to political convention, issuing endless presidential edicts to dismember checks and balances, political accord. He poisoned everything he touched. When Biden took over he had to do a 180 to reverse Trump's 180.

In our Conservative ranks, the latest in the Tories' revolving door leadership, Erin O'Toole, tried to convince party delegates that the Conservatives had to chance course on the issue of climate change. He didn't even try to convince the Tory coven to accept climate science as fact. No, he said the party had to do this or it would not be electable. The Conservatives needed a carbon pricing policy, albeit "Liberal Lite." And, predictably, the coven howled like scalded cats.

On Monday, Angus Reid released the results of a survey of Conservative supporters on their views of the climate emergency. 43 per cent of respondents said the climate change underway is not man made but a natural cycle. 17 per cent said it's a hoax. There is no climate change.

This graphic is, or should be, jarring.


The disparity shows that the Conservatives stand alone. Theirs is a belief-based construct in which fact-based knowledge or, as I like to call it, truth, has little purchase. How do you compromise with that? How do you find consensus in the irreconcilable?

And now a word about electoral reform. In a Canada in which every vote counted, one aberrant party wouldn't pose a great threat. In a Canada in which every vote counted, the Conservatives wouldn't be able to pull this crap without consigning themselves to oblivion. Only in a First-Past-the-Post Canada would this be menacing and menacing it is. Well done Justin!

Has FPTP delivered us into a form of tribalism, a 'house divided against itself'? Isn't this what is unfolding before our eyes? If it is at least we know how to fix it. All we need to find is a better prime minister.

Comments

  1. TrailblazerMay 4, 2021 at 1:01 PM

    As the pages of this and other blogs attest, we Canadians too often compare ourselves to the USA.
    Indeed we try and emulate them right down to their divisive politics, business models and even fight their wars.
    When we gutted our Canadian content rules it was downhill all the way.

    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Disaffected LibMay 6, 2021 at 9:22 AM

      Do you really think Canadian-content regulations are the root cause of this malaise, TB? I think the quest for globalism forged a "lowest common denominator" for our political caste. It seemed to suffocate vision and uniqueness, turning many nations into clones.

      The Tories have indeed worked hard to emulate their Republican brethren. Harper promised as much well prior to becoming Conservative leader - and he delivered. He loathed the traditional "Progressive" Conservative mantle and wasted little time in purging not just the name but the identity of Canadian conservatism.

      Harper said, quite openly, that his overarching objective was to shift Canada's political centre well and permanently to the right. I had hoped the Liberals would right Canada's political keel when they replaced the Cons. Instead Justin proclaimed Canada a "post national" state and declared himself to be foremost a globalist. There was just enough window dressing - promises of electoral reform, First Nations reconciliation, "follow the science" etc. to deliver a Liberal majority, most of which were jettisoned with unseemly haste once the Grits had control, another false majority.

      Harper's Conservatives lost power but his prime objective remains intact.

      Delete

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