Thread by @sunnshiiny

I don’t like agreeing with Evan Solomon. But the NDP stance on Venezuela is ridiculous.

What kind of mental gymnastics are required to claim Maduro is the president that won a fair election and Guaido is the imposter? Does it involve drugs?

https://twitter.com/evanlsolomon/status/1222218805591642115

There is a well documented account of the Venezuelan election in 2018 and the controversy surrounding it in Wikipedia. With 190 referenced sources, the Wikipedia info supports the decision of Canada to refuse recognition of Maduro as president.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Vene…

Take a look at who does recognize Maduro.

Russia
China
North Korea
Cuba
Antigua & Barbuda
Bolivia
Nicaragua

That is who NDP MP Niki Ashton is standing with.

Dictators. Totalitarian governments. Autocracies.

Does NDP not see a problem with supporting some of the globe’s worst dictators propping up another brutal dictator? Apparently not.

Look at the number of NDP supporters echoing Ashton’s virtuous display of support for Maduro and disdain for Canada’s PM.

It’s sickening.

Far be it from me to restrict people from voicing their support for whatever ideology that resonates with them. It is a free country. From communism to fascism and every ideology in between, Canadians can support whomever they want.

But this clearly indicates NDP and many NDP supporters are perfectly fine with autocrats, and the human rights abuses of dictators, as long as they support far left ideology!?!

That circle is not able to be squared for me. What is this nonsense?!

Far right neo-fascist ideology and far left socialist ideology share some troubling commonalities. Both are extremist belief systems. Inflexible, exclusionary, rigid, fanatical, these beliefs & values are not consistent with social democracy.

Canada is a social democracy.

It is time to review the differences between social democracy vs democratic socialism.

Social democracy is the Canadian form of government. This is what Canada has become to be known for as a strength.

Social programs, liberal beliefs and regulated capitalist economy.

Canadian SOCIAL DEMOCRACY supports pluralism, diversity, wealth redistribution, egalitarianism, social justice, regulated capitalism, including regulation of the economy applying Keynesian economics.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM, the belief system supported by many NDP supporters and obviously by many of the NDP MP’s IS NOT THE SAME THING. Not even close!

Democratic Socialism is a belief system that promotes a “democratically” installed socialist system.

Democratic socialists put direct democracy and equality at centre stage.

Everyone is considered equal.

Sounds reasonable. Until you delve into what that actually means to a socialist.

It means decentralized decision making using direct democracy.

Federal government becomes redundant and unnecessary. Communities use direct democracy to vote on budgets, policy, economic decisions, investments, etc., while day to day maintenance is run by representatives. But the public remains in control of decision making.

Sounds attractive? What that means is referendums and constant debate about decisions Canadians currently elect representatives to decide.

Some representatives (MP’s) use consultation with the public, experts, research & knowledge to make decisions for all citizens needs.

Other MP’s use ideological beliefs & values to make their decisions about what’s best for citizens. Those are called ideologues. They make decisions consistent with their belief system, regardless of the facts.

Still, others use emotions to govern their choices. Whatever feels good in the moment, it guides their choices.

Economics is a complicated field of study. So is healthcare, public health, taxation, human rights, environmental issues and law. All complicated matters.

But in a democratic socialist system, every citizen gets a vote. Whether expertise, ideology or emotions are used to inform that vote.

Every person’s opinion on economic decisions is valued as equal. Public health decisions, like vaccinations, become public opinion polls.

That would be utter chaos. Anti-vaxxers would be validated, so would far right ideologues. Because all opinions matter equally and are equal. Budget decisions about the need for experts is left in the hands of populist leaders leading populist and demagogic rationale.

It’s tyranny of mob rule. Whomever can muster enough support wins the referendum. Knowledge, facts, truth, evidence all become irrelevant in direct democracy. Because only some possess the value to use them.

Which leads to the central thematic belief. For social democracy it’s liberalism.

Recognizing individuality, liberalism supports egalitarian beliefs. However, democratic socialism believes everyone is equal and deserves the same resources and access to resources.

Universal basic income would provide the equalization valued by socialism. Everyone gets the same wage, regardless of the job they perform. A nail technician makes the equivalent to a brain surgeon. A barista makes the same as a lawyer. That’s socialist equality.

Democratic Socialism has some attractive selling points. Housing, pharmacare, free post secondary, universal health and dental care, elimination of poverty and hunger, a Green New Deal.

But, Socialism does not account for human nature. And that’s where the problem lies.

Humans are not all equal. We don’t all have the same skills, knowledge, desires, ambitions, worldview or belief system. We don’t have the same abilities, resources or drive. We are different, but equal in value. Not equal in everything.

A move to adopt a form of direct democracy, something both federal NDP and Jason Kenney in Alberta UCP want to implement, is an attempt at mob rule. It’s extremism and is not representative of democratic principles.

It’s populist propaganda.

The NDP leadership, party & many supporters have abandoned democracy & want to impose true Socialism in Canada. Democratic Socialism is just a shortened version of “free vote to choose Socialism and the end to individuality and pluralist democratic values.”

Know the difference.