Thread by @AntibioticDoc

Buckle up
#abpolitics
Personal but evidence based opinion incoming.

I’ve worked hard to untangle messy information in the pandemic and offer the clearest and current best interpretation of the facts that I can.

So let’s dissect some political messaging.
1/

From a message from the NDP:

“This election, we can go down one of two paths.
Danielle Smith and her gang of extremist supporters are pouring millions into a campaign to sway Alberta towards a future that stands in stark contrast to the principles we hold dear..."
2/

(NDP message continued
"Their vision for our province? A harsh landscape where compassion is scarce, safety is not a guarantee, and the divide between the rich and the poor only continues to widen.”
Assessment:

True.
Objective assessment matches the content here
3/

I mean, we have a massive surplus and for sone reason health care and education are on the chopping block anyway, the UCP tax promise puts us MORE reliant on oil and gas revenue, and when oil and gas prices tank there will be nothing left but to privatize.
4/

86% of my physician colleagues (self selected survey so it’s a temperature check) are worried about their ability to remain Alberta if Danielle Smith wins. Of this 20% are looking elsewhere, or would start looking election day.
Since 2019-20, BC doctors numbers 🔼, Ab🔽
5/

Summary: This is not your parents UCP. This is a totally different and actually less ethical beast wrapped up in a conservative wrapper, and I’m not sure the content can be easily changed out. In other countries, w=once populists are in, they don't go.
6/

Problem 1:
the classic R core has been misled, and fed a steady diet of serious misinformation without fact checking. This has steadily pulled farther into extreme views a lot most would NOT have held 5 years ago.
Clear untruths are well documented.
7/

One example: Danielle Smith told two sources she regularly talked with crown prosecutors about charges laid against a group planning violence against police.
She issued a issued a clarification that she had. The next day she clarified she hadn’t.
??
8/

The doubt has seeped into the moderate conservatives who are worried about economic health mainly. Totally decent people are possibly planning to elect a premier that committed a verified ethical breech, has antiscience stances, and lacks understanding of Canadian governance
9/

Misinformation related doubt has made our neighbours and friends possibly willing to overlook major truth issues to get their usual party in office.
But I’m afraid this election will see the UCP lose control of the alt R faction. They should right the ship first.
10/

The actual plan is not public. The ties with extremist groups are concerning. Say anything, do anything to get elected- then bring out the real playbook. Take Alberta Back are planning to train people to stand at polling stations - to claim the vote was stolen if necessary?
11/

Once in, the leash is off.
Danielle Smith brought her more moderate political opponents in the UCP into her uncommonly huge cabinet over double the NDP cabinet.

Will they be able to reign in the extreme faction? Other places couldn't.
12/

Healthcare promises are probably worth the weird big cardboard sign they are written on.
As premier, Danielle Smith talked about user pay fees. She wrote a paper about privatization in 2021. As a radio host this was a major topic she was incredibly consistent about.
13/

The thing that makes me sad is how many seniors - who can’t afford private health care are getting misinformed. Seniors building have these “newspapers” that have the most appalling conspiracy theories in the lobbies of their building....
14/

Please check in with seniors in your life, make sure they aren’t working from misinformation.
I’m certain if they were given a true account of what's on the table they’d not vote to undermine what what they helped built up in Alberta. And they don’t want worse health care.
15/

Minilecture: Things are uglier than before because of extra intense (social media based) manipulation of psychology that is HARD to push back against. The pandemic accelerated this.
People can end up with inputs only from “their” group, making it part of their identity.
16/

To consolidate a false consensus, of what "everyone thinks" - a small number of aggressive characters can intimidate people out of supporting comments that go against the group belief, silencing different viewpoints, building a stronger impression of what “everyone” thinks.
17/

Everyone is wired to easily accept (pretty much without questioning) information that confirms their beliefs and push back against things that contradict. Especially if it riles you up - it’s hard to avoid this.
But it’s crucial to assess things VERY carefully right now.
18/

The evidence based game plan for psychological independence from this:

The rational reset.
Pause, breathe.
Is that really true?
Find at least one source (that is opposite your usual media source or direct data based not opinion) to review
19/

The level of intolerance (comparing kids to poop in cookies, anti immigrant biases, Holocaust references , bizarre focus on transgender people….) is sickening and is not the decent, “live and let live” values of most of us.
Don't support US vs THEM. It makes things worse.
20/

The education plan:
A plagiarized (this was verified) and ideological biased US sourced curriculum that has been evaluated and found to NOT REFLECT PRINCIPLES OF GOOD EDUCATION.
Underfunding, crowded classes, standardized tests, and ….
private schools will be the option
21/

The NDP has a credible, steady leader and a centre (to centre R platform) and won’t do anything rash.
What is said about their plans is absolutely bizarre - fact checkable. Danielle Smith herself wrote an article that said that Notley was most like Peter Lougheed.
22/

Like the Smith UCP, content may not match the packaging: the NDP is more progressice right than left. The NDP content is solid.
I keep seeing people mix provincial and federal issues: but Rachel Notley fought with Justin Trudeau for us for heck’s sake.
23/

For consideration;
If you can’t vote for the NDP, don’t vote for the Smith UCP either.
The wrapping doesn’t match the content.
Vote values and content.

This is a tipping point for the province
24/

This election will say whether we believe in truth and integrity and responsible governance
or
if we accept verified untruths, corruption, and politicians fixing the game for friends.
Albertans are good, decent people and I’m hoping we won’t be fooled.

It’s a big deal.
25...

Adding:
This is my personal opinion based on my honest sifting through available information.
I’ll point out that I would prefer people to be civil in disagreement but warn we might see some emotional responses, bots and trolls.

26/

Just consider if you want to live in a political system where politics are engineered by outrage and “us versus them” thinking.

It seems more stressful than figuring out evidence based ways to improve everyone’s quality of life.

(links and references to come - between things.)