‘Socialism’ term being used unfairly
By Letter to the Editor on April 22, 2021.
Editor: In Alberta, the term “socialism” is used to demonize or insult political opponents. I find the ways people use the word in Canada is often ridiculous. “NAZIS” stood for “National Socialism” in German. Labels like “socialism,” “terrorism” and “democracy”are so elusive that they can be meaningless. Recently, Mr. Maxim Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, a former cabinet minister of the Harper Conservative government said on March 30th, 2021 at the zoom session of the Southern Alberta Council of Public Affairs, that the current Conservative Party of Canada had some “socialist” elements in the ranks. In the U.S., Republicans are trying to scare people suggesting that the Joe Biden administration is steering the USA towards radical socialism.
People who are blinded by ignorance and prejudice put Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians into one category and label them “terrorists.” I wonder if they know that the popular elected mayors of Calgary and mayor of London, England are Muslims? Do they know that the biggest numbers of Muslims are not Arabs but are Asians in India, Indonesia, and Pakistan? A CBC reporter, Neal MacDonald who used to report from conflicted regions of the world, said that he would no longer mention the word “terrorism or terrorist.”
Two former Prime Ministers of Israel, Manahem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, were terrorists as far as the British government was concerned before 1947. Nelson Mandela had been called “terrorist” by most of the Western countries including Canada. He is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On the other hand, the mass shooters in America who kill dozens every year are almost all white male Americans, and are never called terrorists.
“Democratic” is another elusive adjective. The official name of the Communist Germany was “German Democratic Republic.” North Korea officially is “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.” If you survey those countries which carry the label, many are nothing but democratic.
If you don’t know what it means, don’t mention it.
Tadashi (Tad) Mitsui
Lethbridge
-1
Great comments as usually Tad. People have constantly said that Racial Notley is a lot like our Conservative Hero Peter Lougheed, including former Conservative MLAs, while these Kenney supporters have called her a socialist and she can’t be trusted.
Yet Kenney has proven that he’s the one who can’t be trusted.
Agreed. There still, seems, for some, to be the notion that ‘socialism’ is equated with ‘communism.’ Extremes either way, i.e.communism and capitalism, are toxic. For many of us now, the AB NDP is more centrist, and we do see the Kenney UCP as being toxic, ultra right wing populist authoritarianism. Perhaps the Kenney UCP’s open-pit coal mining fiasco could be seen as ‘capitalism’ gone wrong. And yes, former fiscal conservative Premier Peter Lougheed’s protection of our Eastern slopes indicated that the better interests of Albertans were in mind. Not so now, with the bumbling Kenney UCP.
You and I certainly think alike. My friends are all former conservative supporters, and five lost their jobs because of Klein. They are constantly questioning the intelligence of these Kenney supporters knowing there is nothing conservative about him.
They know a true conservative would never allow these Reformers to destroy what our Conservative hero Peter Lougheed created for us, but they are willing to let Kenney do it.
and another fine entry from tad – thank you for not only sharing your knowledge, but even more importantly, your wisdom.
it is curious how so many have bought into the vilification of the tenets of equality and sharing…compassion…that are inherent in a social society. they find that self service and greed are preferable. to that end, they must erroneously accept the portrayal of totalitarian, tyrannical, oligarchical, plutocracies – such as the ussr, now russia but little improved, china, north korea etc – as being communist or socialist states. it is as though those despotic states are purposefully equated with socialism in order to undermine the fact that there are higher order approaches to society that can effectively prioritise decency, cooperation, sharing, compassion, and liberty. i suspect that framing “socialist/ism” as being something it utterly is not – and an easy go-to negative slur soundbite – compromises our ability to see that there is a better way than what we have been clinging to. however, the misinformation machine serves most unevolved, greedy control freaks, in particular, the uppermost of the top 1% that have created a plutocracy of the so-called free world.
people so misinformed, and made entirely ignorant of the truth, miss the fact that socialism is an economic approach; democracy is a political approach. it is, therefore, not only entirely possible to have a social economy in harmony with a free and democratic society that champions each of liberty and equality, it is essential to our future salvation on planet earth.
here is a shocker: it is entirely possible to have a capitalist economy, that is unsustainable, alongside a political construct that is undemocratic, elitist, and authoritarian that actually undermines liberty. in fact, not only is it possible, it is inevitable.
Thank you for your wisdom again Tad. I also get frustrated with people spouting off about socialism parties being “commies” etc. These people, for the most part, are just repeating what they have heard from others including political leaders that are trying to promote their own agendas. We all have a duty to read and study what each political party stands for and not just repeat what others say. On a side note, I read the Rachael Harder phamplet this morning about what a Conservative party would due if elected and I laughed and I laughed as I read it too my wife. (I’m serious. Big belly laughs.) Total garbage promises that, unless you can see into the future, is just a sales job for those that don’t understand how political parties work. I’m not just picking on conservatives. They all do it to some extent. Being a 70+ guy, I have watched this whole political scene turn from a “Let’s help the majority of the population live better lives” too “What can we promise to get into or stay in power.” Sigh!
thanks for a thoughtful entry, doug. while there are plenty that are stuck, or otherwise fooled and wholly bought into the disease rather than the cure, i feel there is a shift for the better afoot. not to worry that things can get worse on the way to getting better.
here is something you might appreciate – and perhaps, some others. from an obscure but mesmerising book i recently came across.
“The simple communal life, with members holding all things in common,
was the basic lifestyle that Jesus recommended. Those who had, gave all;
those who needed, got. It sounds more like communism than any other
governmental arrangement considered in societies thus far, although it does
not carry the load of anger at wealth itself that Marxism does. Its problem is
that it does not pander to human traits like territoriality and greed. Look
around the western world today and we see nuclear families defending their
territory and making sure their lives are secure. The closest lifestyle these
days to communal living that we see in normal society is enjoyed by the
homeless, as they share what little they have. This is a culturally Christian
society, not a Christ-like one.” Carla Lisbeth Rueckert
stay well, doug, and keep sharing your heart.