Thread by @sunnshiiny

Wrote this thread a few hours ago. Low and behold a swarm of Singh supporters with extremist and radicalized beliefs come to his rescue.

https://twitter.com/sunnshiiny/status/1439973845578878977

Trotskyists, Marxists, left libertarians defending their nihilism and anti statism.

People who fall much further left ideologically than NDP presents itself typically.

Their beliefs and conduct during discussion are questionable.

Manipulating truth and statements to serve an agenda. Using personal insults and attacks to discredit or nullify opinions they don’t like.

That’s mobbing. Applying multiple points of peer pressure to retract dissenting narratives or attack personally when that’s not followed.

That’s the NDP in 2021. That’s what Singh has inspired. A bunch of young adults who have been indoctrinated in communist and Marxist socialism who converge on anyone making a disparaging comment about Singh’s behaviour. Mob enforcement of socialist beliefs.

While ten to twelve people descend on me to tell me how wrong, old or uninformed I am, the irony that NDP espouses freedom of expression and diversity of beliefs entirely escapes their self awareness of their aggressive behaviour to defend their hero.

Imagine defending a leader who sits half naked in a running shower holding a placard telling people to vote for him.

I was told I don’t understand Tik Tok. Or younger generations. Both of those may be true. But I do understand imagery and subtext. Symbolism and disrespect.

Those I’m quite familiar with.

I get so tired of people defending the indefensible, misrepresenting history, venerating extremist revolutionaries as heroes, and telling me what’s best for me and everyone else because they read some favourable reviews of communist theory.

I thought communist theory sounded pretty good as a youth too. But the realities of the restrictions on individualism, private property, work and career choices, education, freedom of thought and belief was a sharp deterrent upon further examination.

But that’s me. I don’t speak for everyone.

There are some community benefits to communism. So it’s not all bad. I can admit that. But I don’t appreciate people trying to undermine my criticism to conceal the parts that aren’t so good.

Like thought control, a tendency for authoritarian totalitarianism, direct democracy (🤢), conformity, homogeneity, lack of options, sameness.

Not my cup of tea.

But others may like it. I’m certainly not going to vote to become a communist nation.

And I don’t like that Singh isn’t forthright that these are some of the people supporting his appeal for votes and parliamentary acquisition of additional seats.

Just like I don’t like CPC enabling white supremacists and religious zealots to support their party.

People tend to support a party as organized voting blocks in exchange for policy demands.

I support LPC because of their policies. I don’t need to demand any additional policy, and my support isn’t conditional on a transactional arrangement: policy for votes.

I don’t feel restrained if a need emerges. I feel like I could approach the liberal party. I’m less convinced I could approach my MP. He’s conservative but a semi moderate backbencher. Not convinced at all I could speak to NDP & find support. Not if this hyper idealism is common.

What’s wrong with Canada’s political system?

In a word: extremism.

For the better part of 50 years, moderation, decency, politeness, compassion, empathy, responsibility, pragmatism, peace loving, diversity, plurality, and progressive representative democracy defined Canada.

Those were the good characteristics I appreciated about being Canadian.

Of course Canada was still sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, racist, very white, eastern Canadian centric, patriarchal, and expensive.

But being almost 54, I’ve seen many huge advancements and progress.

But apparently those at the extremes of political belief experienced Canada differently. Disadvantages persisted and privileges withered. People at the fringes got angry and resentful. Hating the changes or resenting the slow creep towards progress.

It’s those people who are destroying what Canada became over the past 50 years.

The centrists were fairly content & supported continued progress.

But it was the privileged who resented losing their privileges one at a time: to women, BIPOC, LGBTQ, to western Canadians, etc.

That’s what spawned the creation of the Reform Party, a federal version of the Alberta provincial Social Credit party, in 1987. I was 20 years old and oblivious to the objectives of these people.

They hated me and it was their goal to keep people like me poor and uneducated.

I heard their speeches and disliked their policies, intently. It was obvious they wanted to get rid of civil rights, women’s equality, indigenous rights, immigrants, suppress homosexuality and trans and impose Christian beliefs on everyone. They used fear & anger to gain support.

They hated what Canada became. Because they had to compete with people like me and many other diverse Canadians for economic and social status. At the time, the era of men with high school educations leading top management positions was coming to an end.

Threatening the entitlements of young men. The old boys network and nepotism wasn’t as reliable for career attainment. Young men had to prove their worth amid stiff competition. They watched their fathers generation be the last who claimed “king of the castle” privileges.

Women went to work and men occasionally were guilted into child care, housework, and cooking. Many men hated it. My husband was no different. He does everything but cook. But he hates every second of it and feels imposed upon. I lack empathy for his burdens. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I remember writing a paper in 400 level women’s studies about the backlash on women after WW2. Same concept occurred in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Women were chastised for wanting independence and to escape subordination to their husbands. That’s happening again. Now.

What I can’t accept is NDP, the champions of progressive social change, are now assisting the far right to reimpose traditional gender roles, reduced labour participation of women and elimination of social diversity by helping the far right win elections.

Then I remembered. Many on the progressive left are men. Many who defend Singh and Bernie Sanders are men. Not all. But many.

Are left progressive men having difficulty coping with all the social & economic changes too?

Why do they lie so much to gain power?

I don’t know. And frankly I don’t care.

I want the good Canada back and to continue to make progress. I don’t want to slide into regression like we did under Harper. I don’t want another generation of women forced to put children before their own needs when they can have both.

I don’t want women to be forced to assume traditional gender roles. Some will choose these roles. And that’s ok. That’s their choice. But a free nation doesn’t make those choices for every woman.

I’m sick of being housebound in my home because of a selfish few who refuse to participate in society by putting public health ahead of their individual rights and freedoms. I can’t help but notice the majority are young and older males.

When women forgers new identities and started careers, men were left to fend for themselves and process those social changes independently. That hasn’t worked out so well.

Men have managed to gain the most with the least effort throughout eons.

Women aren’t going backwards.

We are not going to be subjugated by patriarchal hierarchy again. We want progress. We want change. And we want men to embrace that change with us.

I don’t believe NDP represents that change. But I do believe it’s possible with LPC.

That’s why I’m voting LPC today.

Not that it will make much difference in my riding. The incumbent conservative has 60% support.

But that’s irrelevant. I’m voting Liberal because I want progressive change and I refuse to allow the extremists who struggle with adapting to change run this nation.

I want the good Canada back. I want the bad Canada to change. I want the extremists to get out of politics. They are only there because we permit them a platform.

Canadians need to stop giving extremists their support.

If you want change, vote for it. And quit listening to populist grifters.

And if I have to hear how much the fricking election cost one more time I’m going to scream.

I’ll gladly pay the bill to shut down extremism. 34 years of extremism is enough thanks.

Now let’s ignore the trouble makers and get out the vote! We can wipe these fools off the political map in one fell swoop. Then we can get some actual work on progress done.