It's been a long time since I last posted here. For awhile I got tired of the constant grind of politics and stepped away from it all, at least for a little while - but like a moth to a light I just can't resist politics when they're front and centre.
As you've no doubt surmised from my username, I'm Canadian. As you also no doubt know, there was an election up here yesterday, ultimately ending with the Conservatives claiming a minority government. I am anything but a Conservative supporter, so when I looked at the bragging headline of the Star this morning I was pissed - enough so that there's a fist indent in the wall of one of my stairwells. However, after a little bit of internet surfing and cooldown time I started to accept it enough to smile even a little. This mostly came about because somewhere along the line I had a small epiphany that helped keep me from losing too much faith in my country. "Soviet," said I, "there's no reason to get down in the dumps!" After all, even in Canada, conservatives happen.
Conservatives happen when people want to punish someone. Up here people were rightfully pissed off at the Liberals, and as such Conservative support shot up a solid ten percent. Down there people were angry at the terrorists and angry at those dang Iraqi insurgents, but apparently not yet angry enough at Bush. Doesn't it seem like whenever the population is feeling pissy or muscular they vote for conservatives?
Conservatives happen when people are frightened. Maybe they're frightened of the horrible corrupt Liberals and their evil thieving agenda. Maybe they're afraid of the terrorists that allegedly lurk behind every corner. Regardless, when people feel the need for a security blanket they seem to rush to hide behind conservatives.
Conservatives happen when people don't feel like they have an alternative. Canada is largely center-left or outright left, but in this election cycle people didn't feel comfortable trusting the Liberals with the reins of government and felt even less comfortable giving the NDP a chance. To many, voting Conservative isn't a matter of ideology but a matter of not feeling like there's another choice.
Conservatives happen when people become selfish. Surely we've all had one of those heated moments where we'd LOVE our taxes to drop. Surely the Conservatives wouldn't really curtail our civil rights and pander to their corporate masters, right? Surely they won't be so bad, right? It can be hard to put the greater good ahead of flashy promises of tax cuts, and some people just can't do it.
Conservatives happen when people are disillusioned, lazy, or just plain don't care. I know of a lot of Liberal supporters who chose not to vote because they didn't want to vote for the Conservatives or "waste" their votes on the NDP. One advantage the Conservatives have is a zealous base of religious whackjobs who vote for them because God told them it was a good idea, and in Canada in particular the Conservatives tend to claw and scrape a lot in a desperate attempt to form a government. The Liberals didn't need to stay on edge - they'd been in power for over a decade. Left-wing Canada got complacent and got burned, and because the liberals of this country got complacent conservatives happened.
Even in a left-leaning country like Canada, conservatives happen. In any country, conservatives happen. They happen when we're pissed off and disillusioned and desperate for a change, but given that the NDP hasn't really proven itself trustworthy yet (recall Bob Rae) people don't feel like there's any other choice but to vote Conservative. Even in the States, when people feel like the Democrats aren't strong or sturdy enough they retreat to the Republicans even when it's against their own best interests.
Even when people know it hurts them, conservatives happen. We can't expect everyone to be bright enough to think past their own bills to things like social responsibility and civil rights, especially when the other side is so damn LOUD. At some level I think people know that they're hurting themselves when they vote for conservatives, but they do it anyway.
But don't worry. Conservatives happen in every country, but at the same time liberals happen too. Sooner or later people will realize their mistake. People are already realizing that they made a mistake to elect Bush, and I'm certain that the '06 midterms will spell huge gains for the Democrats. Up here most people realize the Conservatives are bad, but at least they've got a minority government to keep the wingnuts in check.
It seems like North America on the whole is drifting to the right, but that's a distortion. In Canada 64% of the population voted for left-wing candidates, putting conservatives in a minority along ideological lines. In the States at least half the population votes against the Republicans, and that number is growing every day thanks to people finally realizing that Bush is a disaster for America. Don't let the fact that the people running the country are right-wing whackjobs discourage you! Conservatives happen, but they happen only for awhile before the center calms down. Soon enough liberals will start to happen. Don't worry - it's inevitable.
In the meantime, heil Canada, and we really need a CanadaKos so I can post this stuff on-topic.