FORSETH: There go the Great and the Good again, talking down to the rest of us

The Laurentian elites and our so-called ‘betters’ (as they suppose) are finally admitting something is deeply wrong in Canada. On April 2, an “Open letter to Canada’s political leaders — for the sake of the country’s future,” was published in the Globe and Mail. Signed by dozens of former politicians, academics, artists and human rights advocates and addressed to — well, Canada's political leaders — it called on Canada to improve civility in public discourse. Well, of course. That would be nice.However, while recognizing Canada has a problem, the writers fail to admit the obvious, which most Canadians already know — that Canada has the worst political leadership in Ottawa... that Canadian society is divided like never before... that there has been a downward path since the NDP-Liberals took over in 2015. The letter also fails to recognize the corrosive NDP-Liberal government agreement for its significant part in creating Canada's social malaise. Some of the prose is a little purple:We, the undersigned, are calling on you to address urgently the rise of incivility, public aggression, and overt hatred that are undermining the peace and security of Canadian life... issue is so important that it transcends partisanship... tensions are on the rise in our streets and on our campuses.... a broader, worrisome trend. Canadians appear increasingly unwilling, unable, or ill-equipped to talk to or live peaceably alongside those with divergent views of complex and divisive issues including, as in the current instance, those with significant geopolitical overtones and implications.The letter suggests “put political affiliation and partisanship aside and demonstrate your shared commitment to fostering a safer, more cohesive, and respectful Canada, where hatred has no home.”Then it concludes: "Speak out wherever and whenever you can about the values that bind us together as a country. Remember and remind all of us of the real danger that the fabric of Canadian life and society could be torn apart, perhaps irreparably, if we continue without intervention down the current path of public hate, violence, and vitriol."They really said all that. They urge Canadians to speak out against public hate and vitriol. However, in their opinion a strong social response should only be generated against what they themselves view as socially unacceptable. Alternately, Canadians know it should really be primarily about the Trudeau administration.The letter has 51 signatories, all of them Great and Good. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest... former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, film director Deepa Mehta, former federal finance minister Bill Morneau, and screenwriter Karen Walton. Put aside differences, the writers say. Research the cause, scale and impact of various tensions across Canada.And then what? Why, take action through law enforcement, education, and personal accountability to foster a safer country.Didn't we just try that all that a few years ago? The good people of Canada understand the toxic politics currently on display. Perhaps Canada was once a beacon of civility in the world, a place where people of different origins, faiths, and beliefs would come together and live in peace. Not any more, to my observation. When we see open support and protest for a terrorist organization as un-Canadian as Hamas, that's your first clue. It is somewhat like the "safe supply of drugs" solution that will never solve the national addiction trend, as it ignores the deep inherent nature of addiction. Most Canadians don’t like what we see in our streets as compared to a former time, because we have invited evil to dwell among us. Calls for civility such as the Open Letter to Canada will always fail, as they ignore the deep appeal of malevolence. The naïve yet prescriptive letter is also harmful in the larger context, as it gives room for more, as capacity creates its own demand. When social offence grows and is not adequately confronted, it breeds more of the same. We must understand the deeper nature of what civil society faces and not bury our heads.Conservatives can lead the way to an orderly, safe, democratic future. The record shows that the political left has no societal answer. What the left has brought to our society must be marginalized. Under their continued influence, we will not just limp along but continue the downward spiral. Canada is either rising or falling.Trudeau facilitated extremism onto the main stage of Canadian politics. Consequently, the “open letter” is a partial admission of our sad state, but also a diversion from what Westerners know about the establishment mindset. Canada does not need more “social research” to improve civility in public discourse. Change begins with the recognition that a problem exists, and exactly what that problem is. All of what is at war against traditional conservative values of goodness and personal responsibility must be pushed back. It is not wrong for Canadians to rouse themselves and politically engage against what the NDP-Liberals have brought down upon Canada.This letter about political civility wraps itself in all of the harrumphing it can muster from the gaggle of comfort in the Ottawa-Toronto-Montreal triangle. It talks about civility but cannot shake its own sense of central Canadian entitlement and the status quo. The political left has always been quick to hurl names such as 'racist' at their opponents. But, it's not working anymore. When they are on the receiving end of insults and no one listens to theirs, they want opponents to just play nice.Accountability starts from the top. The prime minister and the PMO have vilified and denigrated those of different opinions and magnified them with sneering condescension. The political talk generated in the last eight years from the government has been a wall of lies, and the population has then taken their cue. Could anyone, for example, believe the bromides in the finance minister’s budget speech?Incivility is the smoke, not the fire. The fire is a fractured information landscape of falsehood that has bred hostility. Free speech is messy and can appear offensive, but it’s the cornerstone of a healthy society. But, silencing unpopular opinions only strengthens the echo chambers. The call for civility does not require that people accept bad behaviour from malevolent people. We need a commitment to truth, with some empathy and humility, not classes in etiquette.

FORSETH: There go the Great and the Good again, talking down to the rest of us

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