Thread by @sunnshiiny

This is what’s wrong with populism. People with very good intentions, but no training, knowledge or context want to decide what the nation’s leaders should do in foreign policy.

https://twitter.com/perfumeflogger/status/1185390614399115265

It is frustrating and lawless for Trump to force G7 leaders and their huge entourage to stay at Dorval. But the citizens of Canada do not decide foreign policy by popular vote, because the citizenry do not have all the available information to make the decisions.

Just like the average citizen is unqualified to perform brain surgery, so is the average citizen unqualified to decide foreign policy, especially by popular vote. We do not have enough information. Leaders and diplomats and foreign relations staff do have the information.

Citizens vote for the leaders they believe will make the best decisions and will put Canada’s national interests and national security as their primary consideration.

That’s why we elect leaders and why people train to become diplomats and career bureaucrats. To serve Canada.

We elect a government on Monday. Whomever we choose will make these decisions in the best interests of Canada and for the safety & security of its citizens.

Populism has made many believe they have the skills and knowledge to make those decisions & make demands.

Populism has been the gaslighting most damaging to democracy. Populists promote the belief that every citizen has the skills and knowledge to make decisions by popular vote and create pressure from citizens to direct policy.

Foreign policy by popular vote is an insane idea.

Brexit is a clear and blatant example. Using populism, demagoguery and micro targeted campaigning, cons engineered a referendum that UK residents voted to leave the EU against their best national interests. Populism is just a fancy word for lynch mob mentality.

Using emotional manipulation, populism can get an angry and incensed mob to make decisions that are harmful, evil, violent and counter to their own interests.

Is Lisa Mockingjay evil? No

But she’s incensed and making decisions from an emotional state, not a rational decision.

Much more needs to be considered than how angry we feel about Trump and Dorval. Trump is a sociopathic madman and the globe is walking on eggshells. The US is in the process of removing him from office and he is not going to go quietly.

As a taxpayer, I would gladly pay a portion of the costs for Canadian G7 participants to attend Dorval and enrich Trump, if it means nobody else dies needlessly.

This is the same emotional conundrum we face in the federal election on Monday.

Do we vote for populist rhetoric of CPC, NDP or GPC? Do we vote for the party or candidate that promises to carry out demands made by angry, incensed citizens looking to punish wrongs & demand virtuous actions that align with their beliefs and values? That is what is being asked.

GPC has branded their image as the ethical green choice to address climate. Using catch phrases like “Just Transition” & “FN Rights” & “Green New Deal”, a perception of superior ethics & promises to hold all those nasty typical politicians to task over climate action.

CPC has branded themselves the morally superior prosperity party. Cut your taxes, balance the books, focus on social conservative belief system and restore traditional values to the nation. Catch phrases like “Freedom” & “Prosperity” and “SNC scandal” define them.

NDP has branded themselves the voice of the working class. Promising to punish those who have refused to pay their fair share. Promising to equal the playing field. Catch phrases like “Tax the rich” & “Fair Votes” & “But the pipeline & PR are betrayals”.

All three are targeting only minority voting blocks or subgroups of the population.

If you are emotionally enraged, you may miss that fact.

Greens target panicked climate activists; moderate right centrists who recycle and want to punish all those not addressing their fears.

NDP target low income, POC & labour, & those with a guilty conscience for their affluent position in life. Punish the wealthy, eradicate poverty, save the planet. The saviour complex propelled by sanctimonious judgement of those who don’t share their beliefs.

CPC targets the economically motivated: those seeking luxury & financial comfort; traditional; faithful; authoritarian; privileged. Punish the poor for being needy, punish government for regulations that prevent prosperity.

So who do Liberals attempt to appeal to? Everyone. Liberals are the only party that tries to govern for all. Pluralism not populism. They don’t seek to punish any particular group. and try to negotiate cooperation and compromises that meet the needs of the majority.

Too slow to change and they don’t punish the wealthy enough for NDP.

Too flawed for the GPC. They don’t focus enough on climate.

Too socialist for CPC. They actually have the audacity to expect everyone to contribute to society. And they are modern not traditional.

All three opposition parties are fomenting wedge issues to inflame emotions and gain protest votes & pushing their own agenda. Manipulating voters to believe only their values are acceptable. That is populism.

opendemocracy.net/en/can-europe-…

Foreign relations is a complex endeavour & requires understanding the plurality of Canadian national interests & security concerns as well as foreign national interests. Promotion of Canadian values is optimum. But hardly an easy task in an ever increasingly populist globe.

Other nations may not be open to advancing Canadian interests without compensation or compromise. Diplomacy is an art form. Gaining support for Canadian interests & national security, while offering support for interests contrary to our own. Tricky, complex, difficult.

Diplomacy isn’t a task for those unable to cooperate or compromise to achieve common goals. Populism is the opposite of what a diplomat uses to preserve Canadian interests. They use pluralism to achieve national security and compromise to gain achievement of Canadian interests.

So no, I don’t think it’s a good idea to promote populist demand to refuse attendance at the next G7 summit. I think it’s a much better idea to elect a party capable of assembling the necessary expertise to guide Canada through the next few years using pluralism.

Virtue signalling to Trump & global autocrats is confrontation. He’s a psychotic madman backed into a corner and I don’t feel the need to poke him with a stick. I’m far more concerned about loss of innocent lives than a few of my tax dollars.

I wish you were too.

That’s why I will vote Liberal on Monday and #ChooseForwardWithTrudeau
#canpoli

It’s about to become a very unstable world. We need a leader that understands pluralism if we want pluralism and democracy to survive. The other 3 parties have a limited understanding of pluralism.