Surprise! We Are Still Woke and Diverse in Canada

In spite of the American election results

From: Jonathan Davis <davi1068@algonquinlive.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 10:45 PM
To: NDP/NPD <info@ndp.ca>, "CMMNDPAdmin@gmail.com" <CMMNDPAdmin@gmail.com>, "Singh, Jagmeet - M.P." <Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca>, "justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca" <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: ECO Team 4 <ECONMediaGroup@AlgonquinLivecom.onmicrosoft.com>
Subject: Surprise! We Are Still Woke and Diverse

Surprise! We Are Still Woke and Diverse

Many Canadians are disappointed with the American election results, but it is wrong to abandon socialist progress under pressure from Conservatives. Some interpret the Democratic loss in America as a rejection of progressive policies and diverse representation. This is a mistake. Harris and Walz’s defeat came from appealing to the centre and trying to reassure moderate Republicans, instead of taking action to combat wealth inequality and the climate crisis.

I found this video from Cheyenne Lin to be very good indeed:

and this video from F.D. Signifier was educational for me:

In his video, F.D. Signifier spoke about American political history and framed Roosevelt's New Deal and the rise of neoliberalism in a way that I think bears repeating:

When Roosevelt introduced the New Deal for America with government investments in infrastructure, social programs, and jobs, it was very popular with the workers and families who benefited from it. However, it did not offer the same levels of service or investment for non-whites. In subsequent decades, as the civil rights movement fought for equal rights and access to these programs for non-whites, some white Americans didn’t like it and began to vote against the previously popular programs that they themselves benefited from. They voted against social programs and economic reform to hurt non-whites, knowing even then, that they and their own families would also suffer.

I think there are parallels to be observed in Canada. We are plagued by a far-right Trumpist opposition party that explicitly promises to cut social programs and blame immigrants, deny rights for women, and refuse reconciliation with Indigenous people, and yet the Conservative base is still showing support for them in the polls. The bad people among us want the cuts, they want to do harm to their neighbours, at their own expense.

In response, I see the Liberals shifting further right, breaking promises to precarious foreign workers and fighting Indigenous compensation in court while the NDP moves to the centre, promising to protect landlords and offering tax breaks to developers while abandoning public housing and rent control. This strategy is futile. Conservatives will never support these parties and they should stop trying to appeal to them.

I remember during the convoy when my progressive comrades were posting online with empathy for the racist hooligans and their families, saying they must be ill-informed or disenfranchised in some way, that education and investment were necessary to bring these people back to sense. I was furious—where is this empathy and eagerness to help the non-whites, the newcomers and Indigenous people who are actually disenfranchised and excluded? The convoy participants were not ill-informed or misled. The objective of denying health protections to others was enough for them. They wanted to hurt people even at the price of their own health and liberty.

And I remember Ottawa’s last municipal election when a right-wing radio host won on a platform of opposing free transit (though no candidate was offering that). This victory was not about policy—it was about performatively denying aid to those who need it. The bad people consistently vote to deny benefits, even those that would help them, if it means harming others. I see progressives making pleas to the Conservative base, warning that Polivere’s policies will cut vital services. But they want this! They want cuts, even if it affects them, as long as others suffer more.

While it is important to hold Conservatives to account and criticize the mainstream media for normalizing their atrocious policies and statements, Canada already knows how bad they are, and that the bad people like them for that.

Progressive leaders must reject centrist strategies. The Liberals won’t succeed by alienating newcomers, and the NDP won’t gain ground by catering to landlords. Real change means real policies and urgently enacting a New Green Deal, regulating corporate profiteers, and focusing on economic justice for all. And representation still matters! We celebrated Kamala Harris; we want leaders like Lori Idlout or Sarah Jama. Without genuine representation, many will not vote at all. Canada must stay woke and diverse because to do otherwise would deny who we are.

In Solidarity,

Jonathan Gibson Davis

Kanata-Carleton

davi1068@algonquinlive.com