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JerryBaumchen

Heads up, Canada

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Hi folks,

Looks like some are trying to export our home-grown craziness.

“What People's Rights does is spread really radical ideas about overturning civil rights in the United States . . .  This is a broad-based, anti-Democratic and bigoted social movement.”

Report: Far-right anti-government group based in Northwest grows significantly - OPB

As to what 'significantly' means is debatable.  They'll get their 15 minutes of fame & the world will move on.

Jerry Baumchen

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The political position has gained some traction in southwestern Ontario, and in Alberta and adjacent parts of BC & Saskatchewan, and possibly elsewhere.  Adherents are still small enough in number that they were not able to get any seats in Parliament (via the People's Party) in the last election, but they polled at about 7% which is worrisomely high.  They are anti-vaccine, anti-mask, Covid deniers in general, but (like in the US) this is coupled with religious extremism (mostly they are Christian fundamentalists) and general anti-government sentiment. 

In Canada the movement also has a very strong anti-immigrant aspect that is barely disguised white supremacist in nature.  Canada has a large and growing immigrant population; when I was in Ontario a couple of weeks ago I was surprised at the number of people wearing turbans for example.  In London it seemed like 20% or more of the men were wearing turbans.  Some were native-born Canadians no doubt but the number has increased very visibly in the last 10 years or so.  It seems, at least in Ontario, that these anti-government/anti-public health wackos are most visible (anti-vaccine protests for example) in areas that also have a large immigrant population.  I mention this mainly because I am not sure that the "movement" will run out of gas once the pandemic recedes.  I fear it will continue to draw energy from the anti-immigrant, keep Canada white, side of things.

Don

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8 minutes ago, GeorgiaDon said:

In Canada the movement also has a very strong anti-immigrant aspect that is barely disguised white supremacist in nature.  Canada has a large and growing immigrant population; when I was in Ontario a couple of weeks ago I was surprised at the number of people wearing turbans for example.

Canada is vastly under populated and actively pursuing immigrants. Like everywhere else in the western world this causes fear and loathing among some of the population.

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14 hours ago, gowlerk said:

Canada is vastly under populated and actively pursuing immigrants. Like everywhere else in the western world this causes fear and loathing among some of the population.

A low population density may be more accurate. The current liberal government has a higher immigration policy. The conservative party less so. My only concern with high immigration is the almost impossibility to meet climate goals with a rising population.

 

14 hours ago, GeorgiaDon said:

The political position has gained some traction in southwestern Ontario, and in Alberta and adjacent parts of BC & Saskatchewan, ...  I fear it will continue to draw energy from the anti-immigrant, keep Canada white, side of things.

Don

An accurate summary IMO. The PPC(People's Party of Canada) garnered little support with little concentration of support. They ran 315 candidates in the last election for 338 positions and won none. They are Canada's version of the GOP.

Recently they had a rally in front of a hospital to protest mask mandates. Only about two dozen showed up. I was solely temped to take a baseball bat to the gathering to discuss politics.

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10 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

My only concern with high immigration is the almost impossibility to meet climate goals with a rising population.

The climate is an issue facing the world. Total population world matters a lot I suppose, where the people live less so. Especially since the newest Canadians tend to settle in the more densely populated areas of the country. 

 

13 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

They are Canada's version of the GOP.

I would say they are more like Canada's version of the KKK. Mostly because the GOP is a much broader coalition with only a portion being the deplorables.

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35 minutes ago, Phil1111 said:

My only concern with high immigration is the almost impossibility to meet climate goals with a rising population.

That same population in a country that's addressing climate change might have less of an effect than they would have in whichever old country. Given the prevalence of transport like tuktuks, heat generated via fires, and coal-generated electricity in much of the rest of the world. 

Yes, it might make it harder for Canada to shine, but it might well be a net gain for the world

Wendy P. 

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(edited)
39 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

That same population in a country that's addressing climate change might have less of an effect than they would have in whichever old country. Given the prevalence of transport like tuktuks, heat generated via fires, and coal-generated electricity in much of the rest of the world. 

Yes, it might make it harder for Canada to shine, but it might well be a net gain for the world

Wendy P. 

IMO new immigrants want what every other Canadian has. A car or two per family, condo or detached home, etc. Given Canada's immigration points policy  my experience is that it takes no longer than 4-6 years for about 1/2 of new immigrants to acquire property.

There is a immigrant family from the Ukraine about three miles from my place. The primary breadwinner is a plumber and speaks very good English. His parents speak none and his wife a little. They have a new home on a acreage worth about $450k. I have no idea how big their mortgage is. They arrived two years ago. Their six member extended family has three vehicles, two boats and two tractors(10 acres).

Here is a good example of Canada's courts v. US courts on vaccinations, covid, parents rights, etc. Judge bans Ottawa mother from advising son against COVID-19 vaccine "An Ottawa mom has been legally banned from telling her 14-year-old son not to get the COVID-19 vaccines and prohibited by court order from showing him online information that calls into question the safety or efficacy of the vaccines."

Edited by Phil1111

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A scary thing is that 2 of my colleagues (bus drivers) are loud anti-vaxxers. One said good things about Trump during last year's election. The other anti-vaxxer has been told (by a union rep.) that if he persists, he will get fired. Other anti-vax employees have been warned that if they are not vaccinated by the end of November, they will be laid off without pay.

Meanwhile, 90 plus percent of my co-workers (Amharic, Arab, Australian, British, Chinese, Columbian, Croat, Dutch, El Salvadorian, French, German, Hindu, Iraqi, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Nigerian, Phillipino, Polish, Scottish, Serb, Sikh, Venezualan, Xhosa, etc.) have already been double-vaccinated.

As for anti-vaxxers also being anti-immigrant ... I fear those extreme right-wing groups: les berets blanc, KKK, Proud Boys, Sons of Odin, etc. An amusing observation about les berets blanc is that they chased large numbers of anglophones out of Quebec, but the last time I visited my home town, I saw large numbers of Afghans, Serbs, Somalis, Syrians, Vietnamese, etc. Many of those dark-haired women wore head scarves.

Yup! Les berets blancs did a great job of chasing out all those hated Protestant Christians. Hah! Hah!

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