My father is …. That statement could be answered in numerous contradictory ways and all be correct. I think that we share a genetic flaw that allows us to remember history that we experience. Most people experience time in periods of a few months, after the months are over they are mostly forgotten. These forgotten months are then recalled with growing fondness unless there is trauma associated with them. Bad things become less bad good things become less good until the past has become neutral and somewhat positive. And politics and politicians are viewed as a constant, never changing rock. All bad of course, most people think politicians are crooked and that the good ones are yet to show their true colours. This is not how I see it, and I do not think my father sees it this way.
People who can remember the true way things have been in the past and compare it to the present have a cold feeling about this day and age. Political junkies tend to be partisan, meaning they pick a party and vote that way all their life. Some people choose who they are going to vote for dependent on who is running and what the party represents. Very few people pick a place on the political spectrum and select the person or party that is closest to that ideal.
There is a reason why people do not pick a spot on the spectrum and sit there and that reason is that people change. Young people often pick a political party and run with it, but then they get a good job and their ideals change and they change who they vote for, sometimes they have children and look at the politicians based on who supports the best for their changing situation and as people get older their views tend to slide. Older people tend to slide their views to the conservative side. Old radicals become more moderate and moderates become more jaded. And jaded solidify completely. So it is rare for anyone to vote the same from cradle to cemetery, unless you become invested in a position like voting some way because you have always voted some way.
The problem is that politics has been sliding to the right for decades. The Political spectrum is a range of ideals. The left believes in protecting society by safeguarding the people and balancing out the inequities. The right believes that people that are better able to compete, who are more powerful should affect society more and have more influence in directing the way society goes. The political spectrum is often depicted as an arc the left and e right lower than the center where the center is the height of the arc. The reality is somewhat different.
The arc model and reality are different. The arc is actually a circle, the more radical of each has been compared to the other radical side so much similar that it is the same. Extreme Communism resembles extreme Fascism. This is not true and it is true too. The only successful communist governments in history were almost identical to the fascist governments. Different in a few respects but mostly that the idea that the leaders of the communist governments were on the people's side, at least that is the mythology. The truth of the matter is, that there have been no true Communist governments in the world since the Paris Commune and a an isolated American communities, both back in the 19th century.
I would propose that political ideology be a square plot. On the X-axis left wing ideals on the left, and right wing ideals on the right. On the Y-axis single leader rulers, one party systems near the top and democratically elected legislators near the bottom but closer to the middle and direct democracies with everyone voting on everything at the bottom. The idealism of our Canadian government would be close to the center of both spectrums, while the American system would be more democratic and more right wing at the same time.
But, I come full circle now, I have noticed that in my close to thirty years of political awareness in Canada, that our system has slipped gradually at first and more quickly now upwards and to the right. Canada has become more right wing and more undemocratic. Increasingly Canada is slipping towards one party democracy. The other parties exist, but are being undermined through suppression tactics and illegal vote swaying measures. And people are excepting it. Excuses like economic problems and fear are being given for quick passage of laws in lieu of the political ideals that got them elected.
Historically minded people, unfortunately there are few of those around, would tell you that in Germany in the 1930s, the National Socialist party gained power by focusing the people on fear and the failing economy. Their bright leader rammed through legislation to solve the problems of the economy and the fear that he and his party whipped into hysteria.
My father led a one man protest outside the public debate proclaiming that a majority government for the Conservative Party would be the first step of a new Third Reich. The National Socialist party of Germany or Nazis, came to power promising to save the economy and rid Germany of the Jewish problem, the Conservatives on Canada came to power promising to save the Canadian economy and to rid Canada of the Crime problem, something that has been steadily declining in Canada over the past twenty years.
My father has had thirty more years to watch politics than I have had. But look out at what is happening in the world today and look back to history, or shall we fail to learn our lessons?
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