Tag Archives: elections

Wakeup Call

Posted on by
1

            To top off the November blues, the short dark days and frequent rains, there is now the stunning re-election of Trump, defying all polls which are notoriously wrong.

‘Well Camp, what was your reaction?’

‘Stunned, dismayed but not surprised. Fact is: Americans want Trump with all his faults, lack of integrity, character and respect. They got what they deserve.’

 ‘But what about the rest of the world? Is that it, Camp. Simple as all that?’

Camp shrugged his shoulders. ‘I looked at the demographics of the electorate where we see that Trump gained especially amongst Hispanic men, up 18% from 2020 while the Democrats lost 15%, even amongst Latino women Trump gained 7%. Young voters, the GenZ, shifted away from Harris towards Trump by 7% and from those who never attended college Trump gained 8% of the votes. And the glass ceiling is stronger and made of sterner stuff then everybody thought.’

‘It wasn’t just a squeaker but a decisive victory. Trump even won the popular vote. It’s what you call a slam dunk.’

‘Yeah, I think he even surprised himself.  The good news is: There is now no need for any street violence, and no need for insurrection or lawsuits to challenge the election. He’s won this time around in a secure and legal election and we’re all suffering from a mental shock. And the stock markets are going up.’

‘But people will die because of Trump,’ I said. ‘Ukrainians, Palestinians, pregnant teens. Families with undocumented members will be torn apart. Project 25, Bannon’s baby, will tear down the guard rails of institutions. Obama care will be eliminated leaving millions of people without healthcare. But hey, there are already a lot of people who think that Trump is not as bad as we made him out to be, that it’s the democrats that have to look in the mirror, change their ways.’

‘You may be right. I also think he’s trouble for the world. It’s good vs. evil. It’s not just the Donald but the people gathering around him like at a royal court, curtsying and licking his boots.’ 

‘Not just his boots, I think. Bring on the jesters and troubadours.’

They can now do whatever they want since they flipped the senate, will most likely regain the house of representatives and have the presidency, as well as the Supreme Court.’

‘We’ll see if he does what he said. Like impose massive tariffs on everything that enters the US; demolish and dismantle the country’s intelligence agencies, part of what he calls the deep state; mass deportations of the undocumented which will send a wave of asylum seekers north to Canada. And of course, he said he would end the war in Ukraine and the Middle East with a few phone calls within 24 hours.’

‘There will be internment and deportation camps, trans national agreements will be ripped up and business will not be as usual between Canada and the US.’

‘Let the speculations begin. We’ve already entered a new aera of polls and surveys, predictions and possible outcomes.’

‘Makes me want to get off this never ending merry-go-around.’

‘Or get involved with our local politics. Don’t forget, we have a conservative tsunami building right here in Canada with a leader, Poilievre, who is more like an Avatar than a flesh and blood human being. As Obama says: Do something!’

‘Here in Canada the colours are reversed from the US. The conservatives are blue while the liberals are red. One thing is for sure. Trudeau has overstayed his welcome and is past his expiry date. He needs to step off the stage before he gets swepted off by a blue wave.’

‘I don’t think he knows how to step out of the limelight. Growing up in the prime minister’s household, surrounded by the trappings of power, he’s never known anything different then being the center of attention.’

‘Maybe the Trump doctrine will shock Canadians enough to reconsider a lurch to the right.  Mind you we already have our homegrown reactionary conservatives in Alberta and just narrowly avoided a right-wing takeover here in British Columbia.’

‘It’s a crazy world and we’ll head into some interesting times.’

Our beers were empty and Vicky was spot on with our refills.

‘What do you think of Trump’s win?’ I wanted to know.

‘I think it’s sad. I was rooting for Harris but the bully has won.’

On the brink of War

Posted on by
1

Summer is over and fall is in. ‘How quick the seasons chase each other,’ I said to Camp when we both got comfortable in our corner, looking out at the grey water of the harbour.

‘Yes, it’s a cliché that time flies faster, the older you get.’

‘If it wasn’t for the rest of the world going to the dogs, I would be quite happy with the summer. Business was almost back to before Covid and Muriel and I are planning a holiday in the sun in January.’

‘We’re still debating if we should go back to our Caribbean paradise after it was devastated and destroyed by hurricane Beryl in July. The rest of the world didn’t really notice but the 8000 inhabitants of the island were severely impacted and traumatized by the vengeance of the storm. Hundreds of buildings impacted and flattened; palms and trees stripped of their foliage; mangroves uprooted and dozens of boats beached and destroyed.’

‘If it’s not an impending war, it’s bad weather and if it’s not the weather it’s bad news from the political front. What is one to do?’

‘Clare says to ignore the noise and concentrate on winterizing the garden,’ I said.

‘She has a point and yet I cannot close my eyes and ears and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East keep me awake at night,’ Camp said. ‘Or the spectre of another Trump presidency.’

‘The war in Ukraine is pretty well black and white. One aggressor, one dictator and invader who could halt the whole misadventure with one word: Stop! The escalating war between Israel and its neighbours is more complicated. Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran and radical Islamists want Israel annihilated and wiped from the face of the earth. Israel on the other hand does not recognize its neighbours – the Palestinians – as a legitimate people with equal rights to homeland and security. An unresolvable situation unless someone on both side offers a hand instead of a fist. And have you noticed that all the islamist fighters are men; angry young men driven on by old bitter men.’

‘That’s why a woman US president would be such a welcome outcome in November but I fear that common sense and decency are being pushed to the wall by hate and misogyny, by lies and deceit. To what end I ask? What is the endgame? Where is the love?’

‘Indeed, where is the love? Where is the joy and where are the laughs? We should all celebrate the achievements of humanity, the fact that most of us are living better and more comfortable lives than our forefathers, the fact that we are making progress in many facets of life like education, mobility, connectivity and information. Of course, all of these can be abused and misappropriated but the fact remains: We are an advanced civilization and we can make this world a better place for all.’

‘Worthy sentiments Camp but why do I have the feeling that we’re on the brink of a world war? That all the good we have achieved is taking a dive towards fascism, segregation and vengeance.’

‘You must stop reading the headlines and listening to the sound bites. Go home and help your lovely wife in the garden is my advice.’

 ‘You’re probably right but I fear the worst and hope for the best.’

 ‘As you know, hope dies last and is not a pro-active and pragmatic strategy.’

 I was staring into my empty beer when Vicky, like a ray of sunshine, dropped two fresh ones in front of us. 

            ‘Are you going to vote in the upcoming BC election?’ Camp asked.

            ‘I actually will and not be for the reality deniers.’

            ‘You mean the neocon conservatives?’ Camp said.

            ‘Cheers,’ is all she said with a wink in my direction.

A 2 Beer Conversation

Posted on by
Reply

‘You know what seems obvious to me about the ongoing war in Ukraine is that Russia is in this fight not for territorial gains but in order to make Ukraine into a failed, corrupt and dysfunctional state. Putin uses this war as a black hole where thousands of lives and billions worth of western technology and weapons disappear into,’ Camp said.

            ‘The ground war we can actually document and see, analyze and to some extent predict. What we don’t see are the Kremlin’s efforts to destabilize the whole western world and its concepts of freedoms, like freedom of speech, free elections, free media and free citizens who enjoy free movement and choices.’

            ‘What do you think these peace and re-construction conferences in Berlin and Switzerland accomplished?’

            ‘Millions in expenses, a mountain of paper and not one bullet saved. An exercise in futility really. How can they talk rebuilding Ukraine when bullets and missiles are flying uninterrupted. They were basically fancy cocktail parties with lots of words and no consequences.’

            ‘Yes, and through it all Putin and his fellow dictators in North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua and even in Cuba despise the disbursement of wealth and the fact that ordinary people in the west enjoy a measure of wealth and independence unheard of in any of those dictatorships.’

 ‘And they ignore their people and election outcomes.’

            ‘These despots and their cronies want an all-powerful oligarchy and kleptocracy that controls all the money and state institutions, the media and even the schools and certainly any elections. They want to keep the people supressed and only as a workforce for their war machines and factories while they themselves live in their castles, yachts and luxury compounds. Keep the masses uninformed and misinformed.’

            ‘There was a rise in the middle class in Russia after the fall of the wall and the nouveau-rich Russians were prominent and loud in the playgrounds of Europe, from Prague to Paris, London and Berlin. Not so much anymore. Let them go on holiday to North Korea or Iran,’ I said.

            ‘The scary part is that they are succeeding in destabilising the west and its democracies with state sponsored cyber-attacks, social media propaganda and shoring hate and discord by pitching neighbours against each other. The rise of the extreme right in Europe and North America is exactly what Putin and his cabal of dictators want.’

            ‘And then there is Trump and half of the American people who want this gangster as president despite his felonies, lies and hateful personal vindictiveness. Trump’s latest public meltdowns and fits of petulance and insults against his new opponent, Kamala Harris, are not just indicative of his obsessive narcissism but also of senility, not to mention utter ignorance.’

            ‘Her optimism and intelligence has him ranting and raving like a lunatic.’

            ‘And yet, the deaf, dumb and blind will follow him over the cliff.’

            ‘What about the young people, the women and immigrants? Why would anyone vote for a clearly unhinged and incohesive old white man with such a self-serving agenda?’

            Camp just shook his head and we both concentrated on our drinks.

            ‘Do the gen-Z’ers and millennials really believe in a simple world where algorithms solve all the problems while populist leaders promising bumper-sticker solutions for immigration, crime, drug dependencies and homelessness. Who is upholding and fighting for hard fought progresses like equality of sexes and races, better income distribution and fundamental freedoms to vote, associate and travel? Instead, they rather follow their sports teams and tabloid celebrities.’

            ‘Once again, you’re painting a cynical future my friend but I do agree with you. The climate deniers, immigrant haters, conspiracists and religious fundamentalists are gaining ground. At least that’s what the media and social platforms have us believe. This is the year of elections all over the world and by the end of the year we’ll be lucky to still live in a free, educated and tolerant society.’ 

            ‘This is a two-beer conversation,’ Camp said and just like magic Vicky appeared with two suds. ‘Aren’t you two interested in sports? We have soccer tournaments, the Stanley Cup, the Tour de France, the Olympics and every kind of ball game on the telly.’

            ‘We like the sport of politics. Just as many dramas, cheaters, winners and losers except with consequences for the rest of us,’ Camp said.

            ‘Politics don’t fill the pub, sports do.’

Simple is Complicated

Posted on by
Reply

It’s dark at 4:30. It’s November but our corner in the pub is warm and cozy. Camp was already in his chair. ‘I closed up early. No Christmas shoppers yet.’

‘According to recent polls, both Trudeau and Biden are dipping ever lower in public opinion and are blamed for everything that’s wrong: Inflation, the culture wars, the homeless and addiction problems, the high mortgage rates, the housing unaffordability which all fall under the economy umbrella. Name any problem and the incumbents are to blame,’ I said.

 ‘Yes, I’ve read the same column. Some of the criticism of Trudeau’s economic record is based on perceptions that don’t match reality. David Coletto, chairman of Abacus Data, points out that Canada’s 3.6 percent inflation rate is well below Germany or France and even the US. Similarly, Biden gets no credit for the significant jobs created under his watch. He is also perceived as too old to be president, even though the other contender is only 3 years younger.’

‘Which goes to show that perception is everything. If you’re framed as an old dottery grampa then it’s hard to change that frame.’

            ‘Inflation and high interest rates are bad for incumbents but the alternative is worse than Trudeau and Biden. We all know about the rabid megalomaniac in the US but Poilievre in Canada is not much better. The first is a nasty liar, cheat and racist, the latter is at best a windsock and at worst a disaster for Canada. He’s an opportunist who has never worked an honest day in his life but he is a savvy social media punter and knows how to attract followers. Not that he has any fresh ideas or visions, far from it. He mostly complains and points out the negatives.’ 

Continue reading →