By focusing solely on China or Russia and other state actors, Canada is missing the potentially far more troubling forces that proved so disruptive during last year’s convoy protest, Susan Delacourt writes.
Important read about hostile foreign influence/meddling in Canada’s political system.
Sure, but how much cross-border support do activists on the left get? Hillary Clinton was just here speaking about left wing ideals of feminism, diversity, and inclusion. The dogma of the left, if you will.
This person hardly has an unbiased perspective. My personal belief is that people who use the term “far right” are suspect from the beginning. It’s not a real and definable group. It’s a dog whistle for left wing supporters that these people are “outsiders” who fall outside the liberal orthodoxy.
I fall center left on almost every issue. I am regularly called “far right” because I spend most of my time trying to explain and defend the mentalities of the right to the left. When you stop demonizing them and start talking to them, even someone like me can find a lot of common ground with the right. Common ground leads to compromise, and compromise leads to peaceful resolution.
The convoy is a perfect example of what happens when you pretend that we can ignore a large section of our citizens just because you don’t like what they believe. We tried to force vaccines on people by making employment conditional on them. Not a very liberal thing to do. We acted out of fear, and so did they. The convoy was about the fear of giving up bodily autonomy. How hard would it have been just to keep recommending them instead of forcing it on people? Do you think so many would have protested if we weren’t so heavy handed?
American influence, direct or indirect, is impossible to avoid in Canada. We are neighbors. Even the way I choose to type is American, otherwise I would have written “neighbours”. It’s inevitable. But that’s not an excuse to downplay the interests of either side. China’s interests are entirely different. The US government isn’t seeking to undermine us. China wants to destroy both the US and us. The Chinese are systematically trying to insert their citizens and paid operatives to erode Canada for their own gain, through economic means as well as by eroding national security.
The threat and nature of the two is entirely different. Comparing them is severely underestimating the intentions of China.
My personal belief is that people who use the term “far right” are suspect from the beginning. It’s not a real and definable group.
Lots of people have gone to a lot of trouble to define it.
I fall center left on almost every issue. I am regularly called “far right” because I spend most of my time trying to explain and defend the mentalities of the right to the left.
Are you familiar with the concept of the Overton window? You might consider your views centre-left relative to the mainstream, but from your posts I’ve read, those views are definitely right-wing relative to the entire political spectrum.
When you stop demonizing them and start talking to them, even someone like me can find a lot of common ground with the right.
As a queer person who just wants to live my life and make things easier for the generation coming after me, there really isn’t much common ground, no. And I say that as a white person who doesn’t have to endure racial oppression, among other privileges I have.
The convoy was about the fear of giving up bodily autonomy. How hard would it have been just to keep recommending them instead of forcing it on people?
No one was forced to get vaccinated against their will. For quite a while, restrictions simply weren’t lifted for unvaccinated people, which is very reasonable when dealing with an infectious disease actively killing many millions of people. The convoy’s fears were misguided. They still had bodily autonomy, they just didn’t have the right to put other people at grave risk. (Being vaccinated can’t give any individual person total protection, so it’s crucial to have widespread adoption.) Health isn’t just an individual thing, it’s communal, too.
The US government isn’t seeking to undermine us.
Not as far as we know, and only because they don’t need to. If the countries weren’t close allies, the US wouldn’t hesitate to try to influence us. They have a long history of doing exactly that, including some failed coups.
China wants to destroy both the US and us.
Destroy? No. We’re far too valuable as trading partners. I don’t doubt that the Chinese government would like to influence our government to be more aligned with their desires and are probably making efforts to, though.
The Chinese are systematically trying to insert their citizens and paid operatives to erode Canada for their own gain, through economic means as well as by eroding national security.
The way you’re describing it here is dripping with racism and nationalism. This isn’t centre-left talk.
Well written but there’s sus contents in there. Finding common ground with reasonable people is one thing. Affirming their negative opinions about objectively good concepts like feminism, diversity, and inclusion for example is very different. 🙃
Sure, but how much cross-border support do activists on the left get? Hillary Clinton was just here speaking about left wing ideals of feminism, diversity, and inclusion. The dogma of the left, if you will.
This person hardly has an unbiased perspective. My personal belief is that people who use the term “far right” are suspect from the beginning. It’s not a real and definable group. It’s a dog whistle for left wing supporters that these people are “outsiders” who fall outside the liberal orthodoxy.
I fall center left on almost every issue. I am regularly called “far right” because I spend most of my time trying to explain and defend the mentalities of the right to the left. When you stop demonizing them and start talking to them, even someone like me can find a lot of common ground with the right. Common ground leads to compromise, and compromise leads to peaceful resolution.
The convoy is a perfect example of what happens when you pretend that we can ignore a large section of our citizens just because you don’t like what they believe. We tried to force vaccines on people by making employment conditional on them. Not a very liberal thing to do. We acted out of fear, and so did they. The convoy was about the fear of giving up bodily autonomy. How hard would it have been just to keep recommending them instead of forcing it on people? Do you think so many would have protested if we weren’t so heavy handed?
American influence, direct or indirect, is impossible to avoid in Canada. We are neighbors. Even the way I choose to type is American, otherwise I would have written “neighbours”. It’s inevitable. But that’s not an excuse to downplay the interests of either side. China’s interests are entirely different. The US government isn’t seeking to undermine us. China wants to destroy both the US and us. The Chinese are systematically trying to insert their citizens and paid operatives to erode Canada for their own gain, through economic means as well as by eroding national security.
The threat and nature of the two is entirely different. Comparing them is severely underestimating the intentions of China.
Lots of people have gone to a lot of trouble to define it.
Are you familiar with the concept of the Overton window? You might consider your views centre-left relative to the mainstream, but from your posts I’ve read, those views are definitely right-wing relative to the entire political spectrum.
As a queer person who just wants to live my life and make things easier for the generation coming after me, there really isn’t much common ground, no. And I say that as a white person who doesn’t have to endure racial oppression, among other privileges I have.
No one was forced to get vaccinated against their will. For quite a while, restrictions simply weren’t lifted for unvaccinated people, which is very reasonable when dealing with an infectious disease actively killing many millions of people. The convoy’s fears were misguided. They still had bodily autonomy, they just didn’t have the right to put other people at grave risk. (Being vaccinated can’t give any individual person total protection, so it’s crucial to have widespread adoption.) Health isn’t just an individual thing, it’s communal, too.
Not as far as we know, and only because they don’t need to. If the countries weren’t close allies, the US wouldn’t hesitate to try to influence us. They have a long history of doing exactly that, including some failed coups.
Destroy? No. We’re far too valuable as trading partners. I don’t doubt that the Chinese government would like to influence our government to be more aligned with their desires and are probably making efforts to, though.
The way you’re describing it here is dripping with racism and nationalism. This isn’t centre-left talk.
I love “the dogma” of inclusion, feminism and diversity. People aren’t being killed by the ones who want that.
Well written but there’s sus contents in there. Finding common ground with reasonable people is one thing. Affirming their negative opinions about objectively good concepts like feminism, diversity, and inclusion for example is very different. 🙃