Just so everybody knows, I joined the New Democratic Party today. This may make a difference to some people, it may not.
Some of you might ask: “Why the NDP? Come to think, why join a political party period?” Consider it the best way I can think of to express the belief that politics in Canada have drifted too far rightward, particularly considering the political proclivities of the nation as a whole – which drifts majority centre-left and has done so pretty much since World War II. This is not to say that I agree with all of the NDP’s party positions – I’m probably a bit more centrist than the party would prefer in a few areas, to say the least. But I am an avowed small-L liberal, and proud of the fact, and there’s only one party in Canada that seems particularly willing to be proud of liberalism along with me. Besides, if there are things about the party that I disagree with, what better place to try and affect those elements than from within, right?
Rest assured I plan to grow a Jack Layton moustache as soon as humanly possible in solidarity with The Beloved Leader.
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Ugh. I prefer to throw my support to political parties who aren’t actively, deliberately, knowingly destructive to everything they touch *every* time they’re in power.
Unfortunately, this leaves me with very few choices. I’ve got the separatists, the socialists, the national socialists, and the Liberals.
It’s unfortunate.
See, the NDP track record at the provincial level is middling enough that I don’t have that much of a problem in that area. Yes, the recent BC government was a bit of a disaster, and the Rae years in Ontario were bad (but likely would have been bad regardelss of who were in power), but then again, the NDP in Saskatchewan delivered sixteen years of prosperity.
I tend to vote Liberal nationally ( though that might change now than I’m in a new electoral district ), but my voting pattern tends to work along anyone-but-the-Conservatives lines rather than particularly for the Liberals or NDP. There’s no party that accurately represents my political views, anyway.
“See, the NDP track record at the provincial level is middling enough that I don’t have that much of a problem in that area. Yes, the recent BC government was a bit of a disaster, and the Rae years in Ontario were bad (but likely would have been bad regardelss of who were in power), but then again, the NDP in Saskatchewan delivered sixteen years of prosperity.”
I’ve always been sorry Ujjal Dosanjh didn’t have more time as premier after Glen Clark’s car crash; he seemed to be attempting to get things back together, though by that point, it was pretty much inevitable that the Liberals were going to get in.
PS: Your fast ferry is in the mail.
Rest assured I plan to grow a Jack Layton moustache as soon as humanly possible in solidarity with The Beloved Leader.
You realize, of course, that it will be necessary to shave your head partially as well…
Last time the PM-ship was up for grabs I have to admit that I was not as well-informed as I should’ve been given that I kind of live here and stuff. I was too busy paying attention to what was going on in the U.S.
I was aware, however, that Harper was all for going into Iraq and agreed with that U.S. administration about a lot of things. I didn’t want to vote Conservative.
On the other hand, I had an aunt from the U.S. who had told me not long before that she had reluctantly voted Bush/Cheney in 2004 because she thought that Kerry would have been even worse (don’t ask me why she thought so). My opinion at the time, which I shared with her, was that this was the wrong decision; if your country’s leader abuses theri power, then you should vote him out of office and bring in somebody new, anybody.
After taking that position, I was hearing all about the sponsorship scandal, and what I heard had me believing that Martin was too corrupt for me to vote for without being a complete hypocrite.
So I didn’t vote for anybody that year, and the Conservatives wound up with a minority government. Looking back, I wonder if I didn’t make a mistake and maybe should’ve voted NDP as a “fuck you” to both parties (kind of like a Nader vote in the States). Or, better yet, done more research at the time.
I would like to see what Layton would do as PM (I’m allowed to dream). The thing that always kind of bugged me about Martin even before AdScam was how he always appeared too cowed by Bush to really stand up to him. It seemed, based on what I read and heard and saw here and there, that the most we could expect from Martin was very politely refusing to follow America’s lead on things like Iraq and missile defence, while occasionally caving to U.S. pressure on other matters. I’d much prefer to have somebody in office who would tell Bush off to his face and really speak out against his administration at every opportunity without worrying about what might happen if such behaviour pissed off one of Canada’s biggest trading partners, and I think Layton might be that guy.
I didn’t know Canada had political parties. You learn something new every day!
I’m starting an Egalitarian Socialist party here in the states. I’ll let you know how that works out. 🙂
I salute you. My own political affiliations are up in the air. I used to carry for the NDP but got sick of negative, unrealistic vote-stumping so I joined the Liberals, only to find that with them, getting elected trumps leadership and policy at every turn. I just want goddamn Trudeau back, you know? I want realistic policies and the balls to stand up to convention and get them implimented. IS THIS SO HARD?
The choice of the NDPas an affiliation represents a selection of deliberate non participation in the national political system. The general population consistently rejects the notion that the NDP is fit to govern Canada primarily because there is a perception that the NDP represent the enforcers of the “tall poppy syndrome”. There are enough voters remaining with ambition to ensure that the NDP will never get in to power.
Hopefully when you start making a couple of bucks upon graduation as a lawyer your views will change.
So, what are you saying? “Be sure to vote, but vote only for a party who has a chance of winning it all, even if you don’t agree with either party?”
You also don’t know what will happen in the next 40 or 50 years either. The NDP (or the Bloc, for that matter) may become more accepted by the general population as time passes. You never know. If that happens, then MGK joining the party will not have been an exercise in futility.
I cannot agree with your statement about non-participation. Voting NDP and helping to ensure that they get even one more seat is certainly participating in the process. Having even a couple dozen seats allows them to influence policy.
Having only two parties sucks. Look south for proof of this.
Rob, that was my dad posting there. He was (mostly) yanking your chain.
To Rob
I guess that you define yourself by your affiliations. My wish is that MGK will make a couple of bucks. He then would have the responsibilities that come with ownership of assets and would not be seduced by the siren song of the confiscators.
The NDP are unlikely to ever get out of third (or fourth) party status because they dont represent the mainstream in Canada. Anyone who watches the antics of their leadership and the labor leaders that are the mainstay of their funding will only conclude that they are giving a bad name to the crunchy granola set.
As to MGK waiting forty or fifty years to see that the NDP gets into power, he will be in his old age and unlikely to give a damn. His condition of his prostate will be of more interest.
Do you understand the term “tall poppy”? Says it all!!