There was a Canadian Press piece over the weekend that took a cursory look at how the end of the Trump era may help Canadian conservatives, given that he can’t really be a bogeyman to beat them over the head with. The problem, however, is that this was just a cursory look, and didn’t get into any of the more profound cultural changes within politics that have come out of the Trump era, which the Conservatives in this country have taken full advantage of.
Some of this is the culture war stuff that the Conservatives have been very much keen to dive right in with, and you can see Erin O’Toole very much embracing that as he tweets about “cancel culture” (when it’s very much not about cancel culture), or his refusal to give a proper reckoning to historical injustices rather than complaining that this is about “erasing history” – mostly because it’s historical conservative figures who are the targets of such actions. Some of this has to do with ways in which he is trying to target working-class votes in a way that is essentially twisting himself into pretzels in order to reconcile with is past record and that of his party – populism doesn’t encourage ideological consistency after all.
More than anything, however, the piece doesn’t grapple with some of the broader legacy, which is that it made it permissible to lie constantly in politics – especially because they have learned that the media will only both-sides everything and not call them out on it. And more to the fact, they have learned that they can attack the media with impunity, and will face no rebuke or suffer no damage from doing so. They have learned that they can coarsen politics and crank up divisive rhetoric and that it will get a rise out of people more than civil dialogue and discourse will, and more than anything, they have learned that they can largely get away with it because the mainstream dialogue has shifted to make it acceptable. This is the real legacy of the Trump era that will be harder to dissipate once Trump is out of the picture, because the underlying sentiments remain, and here in Canada, while they may not be as pronounced as they are in the States, they are nevertheless still there, and they are festering because we broadly ignore them by assuring ourselves that we’re nothing like the Americans so we have nothing to worry about. But we should worry that the state of our discourse has moved, and we need to call it out for what it is, which few people seem to be willing to do.
Good reads:
- With contact tracing having been overwhelmed, we’re not getting a good picture of where COVID infections are happening any longer.
- There is a call for Canadian forces to re-commit to doing work in Mali.
- Civilian translators and advisors in the Afghan war are being denied compensation for injuries or trauma faced during their duties, and are headed to a tribunal.
- Transport Canada suspended six employees without pay for a racist email distributed a decade ago.
- Here is a longer look about the possible changes – mostly behavioural – required should there be a federal election during the pandemic.
- Chantal Hébert lists three good reasons why it doesn’t make sense for the prime minister to invoke the Emergencies Act (especially if you ignore the headline).
- Susan Delacourt sees ways in which Joe Biden is using Justin Trudeau’s playbook for dealing with Donald Trump as he refuses to concede the election.
- Chris Selley is deeply curious about just what Erin O’Toole would do differently, now that he’s pro-union and preaching more “fairness” for workers.
Odds and ends:
Just a quick note to say that Loonie Politics was making some back-end changes to the website, and it’s gone down, so be patient for new content there. It’s coming.
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This way over the top, “refusal to give a proper reckoning to historical injustices rather than complaining that this is about “erasing history.” The entire media, politicians and academia are in overdrive bashing our history and pushing “erasing history.” Isn’t it about time someone speaks about our history without grovelling to the “erase history extremists.” Good for him. It shows he is not one of he sheep.
The point is that there is an actual nuanced discussion to be had over this history, and O’Toole is not having that. Instead, he points and shouts “cancel culture!” and “erasing history!” without actually engaging in the dialogue.
Insightful and well said. And validated (in a negative way) by the coarse and divisive rhetoric attracted.
“they can attack the media with impunity, and will face no rebuke or suffer no damage from doing so”
Yes, that ship has sailed, hasn’t it.
In Canada, it sailed years ago, under Harper, when he arbitrarily limited questions and press conferences, and the Ottawa press gallery just went along with it.
I will NEVER forget seeing Rosemary Barton on election night in 2015, babbling happily about how Trudeau might let the press actually ask questions again!!! It was only then that I realized how bad it had been, but also the extent to which the press had internalized Harper’s distain.
Conservative press in Canada has to be cursory in its reportage of the conservatives. If it delved too deep it would run afoul of the dogmatic indifference toward the people of Canada and have need to expose it and that it won’t do. Why would the con press be honest with Canadians, when the CPC won’t. We need more information on exposing the lack of cogent positive policy and there is the rub. The Cons have none other than the overwhelming desire to seize power.