Thread by @vipertwosix

"NDP Drug Sites" huh? Okay, let's dig into that.

Let me be upfront about this and say that Kenney is not likely to apologize. The wording was very specifically chosen, designed to appeal to two types of conservative voters.

1. The Angry cons.
2. The So-Cons.

#ableg

1. The Angry conservatives.

Their reflexive dislike for anyone other than themselves means they have no sympathy for people suffering from addiction.

These are the guys fed a steady diet of Fox, The Sun, and in some cases, Ezra and other like-minded rw grifters and goons.

These are also the very same people who sneer at the poor, the unemployed, and really, anyone who is having a tough time. It all boils down to "you're not my problem" or "it's tough all over" or, all too often "if I'm suffering for something, you should also feel pain."

It's an appeal to people's worst instincts, something that modern conservatism in both the US and Canada has leaned into heavily. In Canada, that type of angry conservatism started with Manning and the Reform Party. Now it's being stoked again.

Of course, most these people would be the first to say that it's different if addiction happen to them or their child. It's like how so many Republican politicians are one gay son/daughter away from a revelation away from homophobia... but that's another thread for another time.

2. Social Conservatives.

This is something that comes to us from the US, this right wing Evangelical idea that God punishes people for sin, and a good Christian shouldn't interfere with that.

That's why so-cons oppose poverty programs. God made them poor. Don't interfere.

That overview of the world is also where Prosperity Gospel oozes out of; If you're a good Christian, God will reward you with material wealth. (Also, God favors me, so send me your money! But that's a whole other thread, for another time!)

So what about drug addiction?

A so-con would say that addicts have a moral failing, and addiction is their punishment. It's even in our taxation vocabulary when it comes to liquor, tobacco, etc. We call taxes on those items... wait for it.... a SIN TAX.

Sin. Morality. God's favor or wrath.

This is why conservative parties with heavy so-con influences view addiction in this manner. Don't help the sinners, because God is punishing them. If they were morally upright, they'd never have become addicted.

In the right wing Evangelical world, the Redemption Story is a huge, powerful part of the game. There are endless numbers of speakers who go from church to church, talking about what sinners they were, and how Jesus showed them the light.

Remember that Kentucky county clerk who wouldn't fill out marriage licenses for gay couples? People called her out because she'd been married. A lot. Like, more times than Trump. Progressive found her hypocritical, but other so-cons loved her, because she was redeemed!

This is really the underlying theme, here. We're not speaking the same language as the so-con world. They love that clerk because she's a sinner who found the light, and is now fighting the good fight. Trump is their hero, because of biblical King Cyrus. (Look it up).

Anyway, back to addicts. Any ethical medical professional will tell you that addiction is a disease. It can be treated. Anyone who lives in the world, regardless of politics, will tell you that addicts are people deserving our empathy and support.

But the so-con world isn't having any of that. To them, addicts are immoral, and God is punishing them. To help them in any way other than berate them for their sin is to interfere with God's Will. They're suppressing empathy to enforce doctrine. It's gross.

If an addics cleaned themselves up and became a full functional member of society, they'd throw him a parade. But they won't consider ANYTHING that's even adjacent to risk mitigation like a safe injection site. That's not the harsh judgment of God that they fetishize.

Alright, so what does this have to do with Kenney's tweet?

Easy. He's down in the polls. His internal polling must be showing him just how much the "workin' man" is angry with him, so he's trying to shore up his support with so-cons, who don't care if he burns the province down, so long as he has a bible in his hand while he does it.

As a side note, "NDP Drug Site" is really just a cleaned up, slightly less absurd version of Larry Heather's "Sex Marxist" nonsense. It's a scary word salad designed to get the attention of a very particular crowd.

So, will Kenney apologize? Probably not. Even if he does, so-cons will know it's done with a wink. They've been playing this game since Reagan and Falwell dragged them into right wing politics in the late 70's. They "know" that Kenney's on their side, no matter what he says.

All of the people on progressive twitter who think they can shame the UCP into doing what's right are fooling themselves. The UCP is speaking a different language to a very different base, one that will never vote for a non-conservative party.

Yes, the UCP will say other things to appeal to the centrist voters out there, but like the CPC saying one thing about abortion in French and another in English, this is their game. "NDP Drug Site" is exactly the same thing.

They don't care what progressives think! They'll never win us over, so why try? In fact, why not say something inflammatory that will get us all angry an yelling? Then they point us out to their so-con base and say "Seem they're not like you. We're with you."

So here's what we need to do. (If I'm going to rant about what the problem is, I suppose I should offer a solution.)

Let the Rachel and the NDP fight the political fight. The rest of us need to educate the public about the realities of addiction and offer a competing ideal:

Compassion.
Empathy.
Treatment.
Patience.
Love.

The details of all that, I leave to people better qualified than myself.

Fin.

Huh. Lotta typos in this tweet thread. I wrote it while on a break, so I apologize. Nonetheless, I think you get the point.