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mjl08 said:
I could see a strange amalgam of Rob Ford and Donald Trump ideologies coming to power in either Ontario or Canada. However, unlike Trump's (and Leitch's) approach, I don't think xenophobia will be the centrepiece of that populist wave. Rather, it would be a brunt, anti-intellectual, anti-cosmopolitan smorgasbord of Prairie reformism, SW Ontario rust belt resentment, suburban 'keeping up with the Joneses' economic anxiety, and a rump of regional discontent, likely from Atlantic Canada.
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The Reform Party phenomenon is the closest thing we've seen to "Trumpism" in federal politics. Reform took a lot of working class vote from the NDP in BC and did respectably in much of rural Ontario and smaller industrial centers. Today something like that phemonenon wouldn't fly in the Lower Mainland suburbs, but I can see much of the industrial heartland and rural and small town Ontario going for it, and perhaps even Northern Ontario.
 
To what extent does the relative share of the rural, or even suburban versus urban electorate explain whether a Trump-like figure would have a harder or easier time taking hold in Canada? I think rural voters have more impact stateside. Then again, European countries like France also have high percentages of urbanites and still have managed to get right wing populism become popular (though I'm not sure if the idea that "populism" is more often a rural or small town phenomenon rather than big city one always holds generally, I guess especially if you count "suburbs" like Ford Nation).
 
Very true, it may well be that such populism finds support in cities among those who feel shut out of the opportunities the city has to offer. Plato's polis is no doubt where it's at, it's the forum of ideas. If cities represent the height of a nation's achievements, what happens to those who don't feel they have a voice in this high culture? It comes back to a distrust of the elites.
 
With Italian Canadians shut out of Trudeau's Cabinet - maybe Woodbridge will pull a "Staten Island." Fantino barely lost there even with his scandals (and right now I suspect he would win it easily if he decided to follow Joe Oliver's lead and enter provincial politics).
 
ksun said:
with 2% growth, the US "lead" the world??
Really?
And how does Moody's forecasts a growth rate of 2.2% or 2.1%, with the decimal change? Are we suppose to believe any of this?
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I guess in Moody's world, the US = the world.
 
Adjei said:
The election of Trump has allowed all the closet racists to come out..
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well, I am not white but it does seem odd to me in today's world, if a party in a western country proposes to limit/stop immigration, it is automatically branded as extreme right. Is that fair? Just like other issues, can't people just oppose immigration in general? Does it have to be a race issue?

Do white-majority countries have the obligation to accept immigrates? I don't think so and I think there is a bit of hypocrisy here. Is Japan being racist or alt-right for not letting in any immigrants? I was watching some French election debate, and just because the National Front proposes to reduced immigration by 95%, it is "extreme droite". One can say, that's because they don't like non-white people, but Ms Le Pen also has a point in saying the high employment makes it senseless for France to let in large number of immigrants. Even put side economic reason, is a person racist for not wanting his country to completely change the racial and cultural composition? I think such opinions should at least be respected before calling "racist".

I support immigration in Canada because I think it is good for Canada overall. But there might be a day in the future where circumstance determines continuing this policy may not be sensible, or it causes more problems than benefits, will that be considered "racist" if a party proposes so?

And I do think the political correctness is a bit too far. In my previous organization, we can't have a Christmas party. We have "holiday party". Why? I am not religious and Christmas Party sounds just fine to me. It is a celebration of a traditional holiday (not even that religious any more, more cultural), what's wrong with that? It is not like we forbid celebrating anything else.
 
King of Kensington said:
The rabbi who was the victim of this attack specifically said that this was Trump-inspired.
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I wonder how many of these vandalism cases are hoaxes? Very few are caught, so it's hard to tell. I would say there a good chance this was self inflicted.
 
BurlOak said:
I wonder how many of these vandalism cases are hoaxes? Very few are caught, so it's hard to tell. I would say there a good chance this was self inflicted.
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Nice, I think this is what's known as blaming the victim. I mean, like overturned headstones at Jewish cemeteries are often self-inflicted right? As a society, we have a responsibility to take these incidences seriously and give them the investigation they deserve - not default into conspiracy theories and dismiss them.

AoD
 
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