TO say we now live in turbulent times would be a gross understatement. But that is exactly where we are right now, in a raging sea fraught with strife and uncertainty. To paraphrase a curse, purportedly Chinese in origin: we now live in interesting times.
How the world got here is not hard to understand: populist regimes, corrupt and opportunistic politicians, billionaires bankrolling the political campaigns of wannabe despots and dictators, and an organized campaign of racism, bigotry, and Christian nationalism disguised as a “movement of change.” US President Donald Trump upended the world order, ramming through his agenda via violent immigration crackdowns at home and costly but needless trade wars abroad.
By now, most of us understand how we got here. The rise of people like Mr. Trump and his minions was an offshoot of the despair and the sense of uncertainty of many Americans over real world issues like inflation, immigration, and a host of socio-cultural issues that conservatives claim have eroded American values. Why they thought Donald Trump had the answers and why they still think he is the right man for the moment is beyond me though.
Unfortunately, the MAGA “virus” has spread to some parts of Canada (including, lamentably, Alberta) where conservative politicians seem to be fueled by the MAGA’s success (if you can call it that) and have taken to adopting strategies and tactics straight out of the MAGA playbook. We see this right here in our province where repressive policies are masked as “values-driven” government initiatives.
At the heart of this conservative push is an extremist agenda. The privatization of healthcare, the restrictive policies being implemented in schools, and even the separatist movement are but some of the manifestations of this extremist agenda. The unabashed support that some of the province’s elected officials showed for right-wing personalities such as musician Sean Feucht and the late podcaster and conservative influencer Charlie Kirk highlights a push towards the kind of conservatism that has turned off even some conservatives.
What I cannot wrap my head around is why we are still here and, more importantly, why we have not yet collectively risen from this abyss. The recent ovation that the members of Canadian parliament gave for Charlie Kirk is unsettling. These are signs that lines between ideologies and principles have begun to blur, albeit slightly but surely.
I wonder why, despite everything that is happening in the US now, we still entertain the very notion that free speech protects hatred, racism, and bigotry. It does not and should not. Many, if not most, of us agree that there are social and political ills that must be addressed. But acknowledging the concept that extremist solutions are viable options to address these ills is plainly and simply unacceptable. Regardless of our political suasion, there are certain ideals that are non-negotiable. We simply need to look south of our border to realize that extremism is a failed experiment even before it began.
