To be clear, even though I did NOT vote Liberal in either the more recent Federal election nor our recent Provincial election, I have actually been quite impressed with the job Trudeau has been able to do under excruciatingly difficult conditions, in rather difficult times.
I have been around awhile. A long, long while. Too old to still have a day job but, given a complicated history, stuck with a work-until-I-die (or until I can no longer sell what I do) retirement plan, so still bearing the baggage of a full-time day job (of sorts, being a self-employed free-lancer). Which I mention for context: I have seen more than a few political cycles come and go.
Maybe it is old man syndrome but I truly apprehend danger in the current political climate. I am not old enough to personally remember what it was like during WW II but I do have first-hand recall of what it was like not long after, the proxy wars in the 50s and 60s, the Berlin airlift and then the WALL, and the rampant fear so many of us suffered when Kennedy initiated a blockade of Cuba and Khrushchev was threatening to bury the Americans. Among other ideological, political, and cultural tides.
I am not nearly sophisticated, scholarly, or perspicacious enough to diagnose the current malaise, or to forecast where things are headed. The danger signs, however, are readily apparent, and looming all-too-large. It is clearly time to pay attention and to make an effort to push for reason, recognizing reason demands knowledge, at the least knowing the facts. And knowing some history, being able to put things in context. It also demands a perspective well outside one's own self-interest.
Prolific narcissism is at least part of the danger signs these days. It is really, really dangerous to make political decisions based on what favours ourselves. Emphasis on what the danger of making decisions based on what APPARENTLY favours ourselves. (Person with no children might think lower school taxes is good . . . reality, however, is that without a robust, well-funded education system, society will suffer very severe consequences, sooner or later, leading to the childless person to suffer as well.)
As for the timeline between coming to Canada as an immigrant or with hope of staying as an immigrant, and becoming a citizen, while the difference between a year or three may loom large in one's perspective at the time, ultimately the difference will be insignificant for the vast majority of immigrants. Sure, some individuals have circumstances in which the difference imposes real hardship, BUT for MOST not so much. In contrast, there are many, many other elements in political decisions which have great importance or potentially great importance. Harper was BAD NEWS for many, many reasons. The 4/6 rule was harsh but of far, far less significance than other more draconian and unjust policies implemented by Harper's governments. The Trudeau implemented 3/5 rule is much more reasonable and just and was implemented about as fast as such legislation could be done (without authoritarian means like those employed by Harper). But the bigger and more important aspect of this is not the 3/5 rule itself but that it is part of broader more reasonable policies generally.
I am candid about my preference for NDP approaches generally. BUT I am more concerned about a Trump or Ford, or revival of a Harper-like government, in Canada.
I do not purport to understand what is motivating or driving so many who are leaning in favour of con-job authoritarians these days. But I fear them.
