This May was like summer with temps in the mid-twenties and sunshine every day. I love this kind of weather; it’s what we seek out in the winter months. Paradoxically, here on the rain coast, we’re already worried about water. In 4 out of the last 5 years we had stage 4 water restrictions, meaning water only for essential household use. Of course, we all know that this is an engineering and political quagmire issue, not a lack of water but yet, we will once again be restricted for our domestic water use unless it rains in the summer.

            I sat down across from Camp who was focused intensely on his smart phone.  He looked up, kind of guilty when I sat down. 

            ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just reading about the latest lurch to right, this time in Alberta where the vaccine denier and former leader and betrayer of the Wild Rose Party won a majority for the Conservatives. She is the same one who wants to secede from Canada and interferes with her judiciary to mitigate charges against covid and vaccine deniers. It’s a sad day for Alberta and Canada.’

            ‘I’m not disagreeing with you,’ I said, but the writing was on the wall. We live in a world where simple answers to complex problems as well as promises of stopping or even reversing time to a revisionist construct of an imaginary past win over the majority of people. They don’t want change; they don’t want to make adjustments or have restrictions on their life styles and they rather deny reality than change their thinking and behavior.’

            ‘A bit simplistic but it all comes down to trust. Trust in science, trust in statistics, trust in politicians and preachers except the latter two make simple promises they can never keep and motivate their voters with fear of the unknown.’

            ‘I know, the results are disappointing for those of us who hope for a more inclusive, a more open and a more educated society.’

‘I followed a few elections lately and in all of them the populist right won out. Erdogan wins in Turkey, which means that he will now move towards autocratic rule and will likely dance the two-step with Putin. Melonie wins in Italy and promises less migrants and more control over people’s lives and now Danielle Smith wins a majority in Alberta. A definite move to the populist right is evident in Europe, from Poland to Hungary and the Balkans and certainly it’s the case in the USA. It is not unthinkable that Trump will win the Republican nomination against DeSantis who is also firmly entrenched in the ultra-right spectrum of politics. What that means is: less freedom for all: from prohibition on Abortion, denial of gender diversity and equality to the banning of books deemed not suitable for children and the reintroduction of religious doctrine into schools. Also, more military spending, more restrictions on movement and expression and fewer social safety nets and less compassion and altruism for the ‘others’ amongst us.’

‘Democracy is  when the majority agrees on compromise while autocracy means a minority makes the rules and enforces it onto the majority. It is the opposite of freedom and yet it is what people vote for. They choose to wear shackles and mouth guards.’ 

‘All of these elections were tight, within a few percentage points, meaning a divided electorate and a divided people. Half of the people want change and a more open, secular and socially diverse society while the other half holds on to stricter doctrines and laws and hands over more power – not to the people’s representatives – but to an exclusive elite of wealthy and therefore powerful groups and individuals who decided that what’s best for themselves should be good enough for everybody.’ 

‘More money for the wealthy, more guns for the righteous and more power to the politicians. Once again, you’re preaching to the choir Camp but I’m afraid that the choir isn’t singing in tune either. We’re all scared and dramatized by a certainty of a scary future which is not a better and more just world but a world on fire with too many people looking for a place to hide and be safe.’

‘Sounds like you think that the Apocalypse is just a around the corner.’

‘Some claim that we’re already in it while others hold on to a hope that’s based on theory but not reality while the majority of the people rather not think about it at all and go on about their lives as best they can, since they feel powerless to change the world.’

‘Whatever happened to: no news is good news, Camp? I thought we’d abstain from indulging in the toxic and depressing cocktail of bad news. I’d rather think about the Blues Fest next weekend in Pender Harbour and the fact that warm sunny days are on the way in the near future. To hell with the Apocalypse.’

‘Hear, hear, that calls for another round.’

And just like magic, Vicky appeared with our refills.’

‘Cheer up guys,’ is all she said. ‘You can choose to laugh or cry but laughing feels a lot better than crying.’