Over the past 10 years, I have been closely observing Canadian culture with an even closer look post 2016 after Donald Trump became President stateside and have made some observations that I think are pretty accurate. That thing that divided them has also divided us.
Today, roughly 1/3 Canadian adults are Liberal, 1/3 are Conservative and 1/3 are ‘moderates’ meaning they have no particular affiliation with one side or the other but are still leaning left or right. Moderates are everywhere (all around you) and you know many. They have traditional values; can be more easily swayed/persuaded and are generally tolerant of new trends around vaccines, immigration, religion and gender preference. That said, they can still find fault with one side or the other’s point of view and like hard left or right wing thinkers, tend to follow the thoughts/ideas of their friends & family but prefer not to talk Conservative vs. Liberal at all because once you go down that road, there's no turning back.
When it comes to politics, they're the quiet ones.
Lock her up - Lock him up.
Ok, hardliners are more into punishing those who disagree with them and moderates really aren't into taking it that far at all. Finding an amicable solution is almost always preferred.
I’m guessing there are between 10 - 15 million Canadian moderates who could vote Liberal or Conservative in the next election depending on what’s on the table in the months preceding (could go either way). Right now (late 2023) more than two thirds of Canadians strongly disapprove of Justin Trudeau which means that all Conservatives and almost all moderates want him gone. That said, a larger percentage in the middle could easily still vote Liberal in the next election IF Trudeau stepped down which is why he almost certainly will in 2024. Now it's this ... why would moderates swing back into the Liberal camp after being seduced? Well, maybe it's because Pierre Poilievre is really creepy. Something to be said for good instincts.
Saying that moderate Canadians are gullible is perhaps unfair even though the resentment politics game played by the opposition leader has in fact swayed 90% of them into his fold and would explain their soaring ratings in the polls recently. So - gullible? I’m afraid so. It’s a no brainer amongst Populist politicians that shame & ridicule is successful at harnessing people’s anger and focussing all that rage in a singular direction has proven a useful strategy in getting more support, even from the moderates who can make or break an election campaign (like we saw in November '16).
Quite simply put, blame works.
The reaction vote. Thank God for it.
It worked in America in 2016 so it can work here in 2025. That’s what Poilievre is counting on, placing all his chips on the table on that marker for all the obvious reasons in an all or nothing gesture designed to divide & conquer. It’s easy pickings and the country is his oyster - or is it? Maybe it's a short term gain - long term pain agenda that has a short shelf life, after all - history has shown us that the reaction vote never holds. Moderates remain wary (from experience) and weighing out the options is a honed skill and we are still mid-term.
With Ontario Premier Doug Ford tarnishing the brand in a big way right now and Trudeau inevitably on his way out, can Trump’s evangelical strategy work north of the 49th Parallel 9 years later? Only time will tell. Personally, I’d like to think that Canadians are smarter than that and that our moderates will see through all the red herrings & smoke screens and vote for reason over (so-called) treason; seeing the freedom farce as just that - a distraction.
One thing that is certain to me going forward and a message to Pierre Poilievre. What we've endured since the pandemic & global inflation flattened us has been tragic and NO one person/Prime Minister, political party or ideology could have circumvented it - so DON'T tell me it would all be different if you had been running the show because I'm not buying it.
When it gets right down to it, I don't think most Canadians will either in 2025 when they go to the polls. It's just too easy - a painfully obvious scam (to anyone who actually looks).
In closing, I ask this question. Will people see through the facade and expose Pierre Poilievre for who he really is or will they succumb to the resentment narrative and vote in reaction just like they did in the U.S. in 2016? You don't like Trump or MAGA? Welcome to MAGA light - because we're Canadians and everyone gets a say (except THEM).
Same bowel movement, different toilet.
Until that fateful day when we as a country rise up and reclaim our freedom, Mr. Poilievre hopes you stay stupid because it's in his best interest. Trust me, what you don't know? Won't hurt you ... you can bet yer bitcoin on it.
I'm not sure if you've noticed but it's in the news every day now. mainstream media is on board
doom is approved
Today? Saturday May 27, 2023 - CBC headline reads Thinking the 'unthinkable' (translation: if you're not, you better start) A preparation for dire consequences w/the ongoing indoctrination (narrative) that conflict is imminent.
The message is loud - the message is clear. We need to be actively preparing for war!
NOW!
Shake it up, then watch the fruit fall from the tree.
Right, ok. The sordid story is actually decades old. I remember hearing Reagan and both Bush Presidents, even Clinton mumbling rhetoric around the Chinese threat, then more recently in 2016 when Trump was elected. The orange man turned up the volume to 11. Time to rawk!
Trump poured gasoline on the fire and his base have been subscribing to the scare ever since. Hook, line & sinker - welcome, to the con. In the first few months of his Presidency ranting & raving about CHINA! Day in and day out spewing the mantra on the evil in the east and how they threaten America's livelihoods by flooding our markets w/their 'cheap crap', while much of what was/is in his product line (clothes, suits, jewellery & accessories) are in fact made there.
Hypocrisy? Off the charts. My thinking? These politicians really don't care about foreign interference. If anything? They welcome it! It just pumps up the fear factor which plays nicely into their hands. It's the all too familiar Populist power-play. Shake it up, then watch the fruit fall from the tree. Collateral damage and a pool party later.
Here in Canada it was never even a thing UNTIL Conservative Party watchdog Pierre Poilievre entered the picture, becoming the CPC leader and has been capitalizing on it ever since for political gain; running with the ball that Trump passed to him 5 years ago. Hey. Worked for the Donald right? Maybe it can work for ME too! Time to spin that wheel!
Ok kids ... so if you haven't yet received the memo, let me bring you up to speed ... we're f*cked AND it's all Justin's fault! CHINA! Now say it after me ... CHI-NA.
We've just been through a 3 year global pandemic and global inflation eating us alive but no. We need war to make it right. It's in our DNA. Front line challenge in Ottawa. Nuclear decides.
Soft on China? Soft in the head.
First it was the Huawei 5G security threat, then the frikkin' balloons, then the 'foreign interference' now from China in a full throttle campaign filling the news cycle daily while Poilievre sits back w/that adolescent grin and rubs his hands together. Perfect plan.
The narrative solidifies ...
Nuclear war? It's inevitable. The threat is more real now than it's ever been. Strap in and strap ON! It's gonna be a rough ride folks and the media? All over it. America's top military minds are casually throwing around the likelihood of a nuclear exchange w/China or Russia in the next 2 years over Starbucks coffee and danish pastries in Pentagon boardrooms and we're complacently accepting the probability like it's just what we may need to do? Insane.
Yes AND Justin Trudeau? Oh he's IN on it! Guessing Xi Ginping is paying him off while 'socks' fudges the truth and desperately tries to squirm out of a public inquiry on foreign interference and the election meddling that threatens our 'democracy'. Interference that HE orchestrated.
False narratives are in abundance and calling anyone out on any one of them has become a violation of our freedom of speech. Fact checking misinformation has become a game of 'pin the tail on the donkey' because the accuracy of information is only relevant/applicable to one's beliefs, so it's like living in the wild west. Anything goes.
Fake news, fake science & fake money. Take your pick. You can be rest assured of this - it's a shaky showdown and our blackface PM is at the heart of the conspiracy.
You can bet yer bitcoin on it!
You snooze? You lose!
That said, I do believe that China is far from innocent and that there is quite likely ongoing interference in play, so yes ... some truth there BUT ... really? War? More nukes??
Our misinformed, complicit ignorance is truly frightening.
My observation is that the rhetoric/spin being implemented in our leader of the opposition's plan for Canadian domination is far greater than China's alleged threat for world domination ever was. It's a scare tactic and it's working! Millions served! The lemming theory comes to mind as the narrative continues to expand (now fuelled by our national broadcaster).
Yep, finally! Canadians are tuning in and turning on to the abuse that China represents. Our precious 'freedom' is on the edge of extinction unless we wake up and prepare for the inevitable conflict that's right around the corner. We're snoozing, so we're losing.
It's just a matter of time. Thank God we have Pierre Poilievre on our side. A real savior. Here to take care of business and jettison the bad guys out of existence.
