Will Politicians Learn to Stop Dividing? I Doubt it...

[Furniture]

I've seen a bit of discussion on this in the news, but nothing on here yet. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was verbally accosted by a loudmouth idiot in Grande Prairie recently, and now the Public Safety Minister is pondering security details for ministers.

To be clear, the guy was an idiot. What he did was stupid, and wrong. More Details at link: Government exploring options to increase security for ministers after Freeland confronted in Alberta

What inspired my post is the increasingly hostile tone that politicians on all sides have been taking toward people who disagree with them. The current PM is a bit of an expert at this:

Trudeau: Canadians who protested him are 'racist,' 'misogynistic,' 'anti-vaxxer mobs'

If we Google we can all find other examples, these were just the low hanging fruit.

So with the background covered, do people think politicians will start to learn to be less divisive in Canada, or will we continue down this path of escalating rhetoric until things get truly ugly and violent?

 

[RangerRay]

I don’t see anyone “toning things down”. There is no incentive, but all the incentive in the world to convince your supporters (or those who hate the other guys) that if the other guys win, the country is finished. Once one side does it, the other side will go full retard.

 

[Furniture]

I don’t see anyone “toning things down”. There is no incentive, but all the incentive in the world to convince your supporters (or those who hate the other guys) that if the other guys win, the country is finished. Once one side does it, the other side will go full retard.

This is my worry, as people become more entrenched they will view things as more and more of an "all or nothing".

 

[mariomike]

More Details at link: Government exploring options to increase security for ministers after Freeland confronted in Alberta

Robin Percival, a spokesperson for the RCMP, said they were investigating the incident.

Good.

Screw the party politics. If the RCMP decides she needs protection, they should give it to her.

Former environment minister Catherine McKenna received RCMP protection after being repeatedly threatened during her time in office.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mckenna-leaving-federal-politics-1.6082882

After enduring a barrage of online hate and physical attacks on her constituency office during her six years as an MP, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna announced Monday she will not run again in the next election.

There was a photo of the c-word spray painted on her office.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I've seen a bit of discussion on this in the news, but nothing on here yet. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was verbally accosted by a loudmouth idiot in Grande Prairie recently, and now the Public Safety Minister is pondering security details for ministers.

To be clear, the guy was an idiot. What he did was stupid, and wrong. More Details at link: Government exploring options to increase security for ministers after Freeland confronted in Alberta

What inspired my post is the increasingly hostile tone that politicians on all sides have been taking toward people who disagree with them. The current PM is a bit of an expert at this:

Trudeau: Canadians who protested him are 'racist,' 'misogynistic,' 'anti-vaxxer mobs'

If we Google we can all find other examples, these were just the low hanging fruit.

So with the background covered, do people think politicians will start to learn to be less divisive in Canada, or will we continue down this path of escalating rhetoric until things get truly ugly and violent?

Security details? With GUNS?? IN OUR CTIES??? Are you making this up?

 

[Furniture]

Good.

Screw the party politics. If the RCMP decides she needs protection, they should give it to her.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mckenna-leaving-federal-politics-1.6082882

100%, but that wasn't the point of the discussion.

Politicians are turning the dial up to 11 on rhetoric, that has real world consequences. Do you think the real world consequences will cause politicians to tone down the venom, or do you expect they will play it to political advantage until someone gets seriously hurt?

 

[mariomike]

I am not going there.

I read the link posted. If she needs protection, I hope the RCMP gives it to her.

 

[Kirkhill]

100%, but that wasn't the point of the discussion.

Politicians are turning the dial up to 11 on rhetoric, that has real world consequences. Do you think the real world consequences will cause politicians to tone down the venom, or do you expect they will play it to political advantage until someone gets seriously hurt?

Agree. Unfortunately I think RangerRay has the rights of it.

I wonder if, in a more multi-party system the parties are more likely to appeal to their bases to energize their fanatics. Trying to get more impact out of fewer numbers.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Meanwhile, the 'Great Scolder-in-Chief' pontificates as per SOP. Stop the sermonizing, arrest the guy (or whatever is appropriate) and get on with things...

Trudeau calls for leaders to take united stance after Freeland confronted in Alberta​

A man yelled profanities as he accosted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland during her visit to Grande Prairie, Alta. on Friday. Calgary mayor recounts incident that caused her to be fearful.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for political leaders to take a united stance against threats of violence and intimidation , days after his deputy was confronted in Alberta by a man who repeatedly yelled profanity at her and called her a traitor.

A video circulating online over the weekend shows Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland arriving inside City Hall in Grande Prairie, Alta., on Friday, and then being confronted by the man while she approached and entered an elevator.

Trudeau addressed the incident during an announcement in Ottawa on funding for an action plan to support LGBTQ communities. He said what Freeland faced isn’t isolated and is being seen with increasing frequency by people in public life, particularly women and minorities.

“Threats, violence, intimidation of any kind, are always unacceptable and this kind of cowardly behaviour threatens and undermines our democracy and our values and openness and respect upon which Canada was built,” Trudeau said.

The incident has prompted current and former politicians from across the spectrum to denounce the incident and speak out against harassment faced by public figures.

The identity of the man in the video has been circulating widely online, but efforts by The Canadian Press to reach him have been unsuccessful so far.

Trudeau calls for leaders to take united stance after Freeland confronted in Alberta

A man yelled profanities as he accosted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland during her visit to Grande Prairie, Alta. on Friday. Calgary mayor recounts incident that caused her to be fearful.

www.timescolonist.com

 

[RedFive]

Protect them from physical harm, sure.

But given the rhetoric they and their kind have directed toward the people who pay their salaries and expect them to act in the best interest of the ENTIRE country I say let the public have their opinions known. As long as the language isn't criminal in nature, I don't particularly care how "intimidating" it is. Stop screwing the little man, pontificating and acting like a bunch of white collar trust fund elitists from the Laurentian here to save the rest of us and maybe people won't be so angry.

And stop being so scared of the bed you've made for yourself.

 

[Kirkhill]

Sticks and stones may break my bones,
But names will never hurt me.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I blame the constant, short cycle news programs, and the viral spread of things on social media. Making a rational arguement doesn't make snappy 30 second out-takes, or viral social media videos.

It's not really new, but definitely has gotten a lot worse since they started with American attack style ads (30 years ago?). A lot of 'us vs them' ism, but really most people can find common ground on the majority of items, so pandering to the loudest really seems to be ignoring the majority.

That seems to lend to leaders who can deliver a pithy outtake, but generally aren't really serious people who would be actually effective without a massive team of handlers. At least Prime Minister Comancho would be entertaining, and Brawndo would have what plants crave.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Couple of CoAs:

1. Politicians moderate their tone, and in particular stop insulting anyone.
2. Blowback from insulting tone becomes excuse to crack down harder, marginalize critics, and escalate insulting tone.

Which one? Before guessing, mix in additional factor: people who believe they are on the "right side of history" also believe "ends justify means".

 

[childs56]

Did he threaten violence? Did he impede her physically in anyway? He refers to her on turning her back on Albertans in particular in her home town. I do not agree with this guy doing what he did, but I doubt very much she was that offended as she was laughing in the elevator. I often wonder why trudeau and his party can call all white male construction workers rapists and criminals, or call law-abiding firearm owners criminals waiting for opportunity's to sell firearms illegally or even harass his female co-workers and intimidate them into quitting their jobs with no repercussions. Yet some hick up north calls a few names and he uses it as a chance to call to arms for protection of his close inner circle.

 

[Good2Golf]

Couple of CoAs:

1. Politicians moderate their tone, and in particular stop insulting anyone.
2. Blowback from insulting tone becomes excuse to crack down harder, marginalize critics, and escalate insulting tone.

Which one? Before guessing, mix in additional factor: people who believe they are on the "right side of history" also believe "ends justify means".

Canada’s Gaslighter-in-Chief will no doubt go with COA 2…genetically unable not to pontificate, mansplain and virtue signal after gaslighting not insignificant swaths of Canadian society.

 

[Brad Sallows]

This (Jim Geraghty's "Morning Jolt" column at National Review) is about US politics, but talks about politicians attacking voters. Recognizing the signs would be the first step to pushing back if it surfaces (or has surfaced) in Canada.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Did he threaten violence? Did he impede her physically in anyway? He refers to her on turning her back on Albertans in particular in her home town. I do not agree with this guy doing what he did, but I doubt very much she was that offended as she was laughing in the elevator. I often wonder why trudeau and his party can call all white male construction workers rapists and criminals, or call law-abiding firearm owners criminals waiting for opportunity's to sell firearms illegally or even harass his female co-workers and intimidate them into quitting their jobs with no repercussions. Yet some hick up north calls a few names and he uses it as a chance to call to arms for protection of his close inner circle.

I just saw the video on TV.

I'm no up to date use of force expert, like a cop would be, but he looked and acted pretty aggressively with the potential to go violent.

In another time, and another place, I'd have been quite happy to open his noggin with a club and have him dragged into custody.

But hey, that's just cheerful little me

 

[Booter]

I just saw the video on TV.

I'm no up to date use of force expert, like a cop would be, but he looked and acted pretty aggressively with the potential to go violent.

In another time, and another place, I'd have been quite happy to open his noggin with a club and have him dragged into custody.

But hey, that's just cheerful little me

View attachment 72836

He’s well known and always tries to physically intimidate. Multiple incidents.

Always riding the line. Like right to the red

 

[Furniture]

I just saw the video on TV.

I'm no up to date use of force expert, like a cop would be, but he looked and acted pretty aggressively with the potential to go violent.

In another time, and another place, I'd have been quite happy to open his noggin with a club and have him dragged into custody.

But hey, that's just cheerful little me

View attachment 72836

While I clearly have no experience in the role, even to me it was clear that he was acting intentionally threatening.

He was an idiot. There is zero excuse for that sort of behaviour, he could have made his point without the physical threat signals, and this wouldn't have turned into pulling more RCMP from frontline jobs into defending politicians.

 

[childs56]

Yet he threw some verbal profanities with name calling, at no time did he breach her space. He stopped at the elevator. Had he of entered the elevator things would have been different, but he did not. Honestly his feelings are she turned her back on her own back yard where she grew up. The liberals are getting their feelings hurt over people calling them names and using profanities is laughable. As their entire head of party has used extremely derogatory words to describe law abiding citizens, even calling them criminals.

I do not agree with the guys approach, but I don't feel she was in danger other then getting feelings hurt, the video shows her smiling/ laughing on the elevator.

I just saw the video on TV.

I'm no up to date use of force expert, like a cop would be, but he looked and acted pretty aggressively with the potential to go violent.

In another time, and another place, I'd have been quite happy to open his noggin with a club and have him dragged into custody.