Opinion
“US vs THEM” is an increasingly common philosophy today.
Councillor Handley mentioned that there was an atmosphere of “Us vs. Them” at the Westerner in regards to city hall. Partially deemed the reason for the Westerner’s financial plight.
Hospitals and schools seem to have the “Us vs. Them” in regards to the province. Covid-19 brought it to the forefront.
Alberta Premier seems to fan the flames of “Us vs, Them” in regards to Ottawa. Yet Ottawa has been doling money to Alberta in far greater amounts than the province. Pipelines and Covid-19 are 2 examples.
I can continue with all kinds of issues, like Molly Banister recently, the Aquatic Centre to name but 2 more.
With all these protectionist sectors battling each other, the fact that there is only one group of taxpayers paying for all of it, is forgotten.
Susan Delacourt wrote a column on Trumpism which thrived under the “Us vs. Them” political culture.
She included in her column;
“Frank Graves, the EKOS pollster who has been doing an intense study of populism and its potential to surface in Canada, was not feeling complacent at all as the results rolled in from the Nov. 3 vote.
Graves and Michael Valpy wrote a piece on the eve of the vote last week, and the conclusion of that article was a warning and a prediction wrapped up in four words: “Trump is still competitive.”
Quietly, methodically, Graves has been analyzing the component pieces of Trump’s appeal and what feeds the political culture of grievance that the president championed.
Much of Graves’ findings were published earlier this year in a paper for the University of Calgary’s public-policy school — a paper that should be required reading for any Canadians of the “it can’t happen here” way of thinking.
Graves has coined the phrase “ordered populism” to describe the Trump phenomenon and the paper’s summary describes it this way:
“Ordered populism rests on the belief in a corrupt elite, and the idea that power needs to be wrested from this elite and returned to the people. Oriented toward authoritarianism, ordered populism emphasizes obedience, hostility toward outgroups, a desire to turn back the clock to a time of greater order in society, and a search for a strongman type to lead the return to a better time.”
Does that type of politics exist in Canada? It sure does, Graves says, and it’s been on the rise for the past few years. His research says that view is shared by as much as a third of the population and its ascent is accompanied by increases in polarization, inequality and a decline in the middle class.”
The fact that we don’t have a true “Trump” populist strongman here does not mean the voters do not seek one.
Our Premier tried using Trump style tactics to benefit the rich oil companies and executives. Unfortunately he appears to operate solely for the few, his inner circle, the elite, and ignores the needs of the populace.
The taxpayers are constantly being told “NO”, yet it appears that there are the favored few who get everything. Public servants are being told they will be seeing a 4% cutback to their paycheque, but remember politicians, who voted themselves top up pay when their 1/3 tax subsidy ended. Home owners were deemed less important than the developer. Skaters seem more important than swimmers. Rich people need tax relief while poor people get benefits reduced.
Taxpayers in one area hear how in another area they are turning lemons into lemonade, but not here. I am talking about the county or Blackfalds , using low interest rates, low land prices, low bids to build now, at great savings, but the city says it can’t happen here. Why not? They found millions to suddenly renovate city hall. Why not look beyond their limited circle and ask? City vs. County? Red Deer vs. Blackfalds?
If the county can save $800,000 on a $2.9 million bid, could we not look to see if we could save at that ratio, $24 million on a $90 million Aquatic centre. The city keeps talking about ice rinks, life spans of current ice rinks, well the last pool we opened was 20 years ago. Do we have any plans to replace our aging swimming pools? Skaters vs, swimmers?
Again the list goes on and on.
Every where you go there seems to be the “Us vs. Them” mentality.
Perhaps we should support those who are contrarian to the wishes of the elite. Is there an updated Trump out there to lead?
Just asking.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
A shocking new poll reveals that a staggering 71% of likely Democratic voters support imprisoning Elon Musk for his brief service in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The survey, conducted by The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports, underscores an alarming shift in progressive politics: jailing political opponents for attempting to rein in bureaucratic waste. As Justin Haskins writes in his May 9 Townhall op-ed, this poll is not just about Musk—it’s about the dangerous normalization of authoritarianism among America’s political left.
Key Details:
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71% of likely Democratic voters support jailing Musk for his role in eliminating government waste via DOGE.
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80% of ideological liberals, across parties, say they would imprison Musk for his public service.
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Nearly 70% of Democrats support banning Musk from ever serving in government again—an unconstitutional measure.
Diving Deeper:
In his recent Townhall column, Justin Haskins warns that Elon Musk’s fall from liberal darling to “Public Enemy No. 1 for the modern left” stems from a single transgression: daring to challenge the D.C. establishment. Haskins opens by recognizing Musk’s past achievements—electric vehicles, space exploration, and defending free speech. But after briefly working in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—an initiative aimed at cutting federal waste—Musk became a target of left-wing ire.
According to the Heartland Institute/Rasmussen poll, “Seven in ten likely Democratic voters want to imprison Musk for trying to make government more efficient.” Haskins adds, “This isn’t satire. This is the modern Democratic Party, where liberalism has evolved into authoritarianism dressed in the clothes of compassion and equity.”
The numbers become even more disturbing among self-identified liberals. A staggering 80% of ideological liberals said they’d support jailing Musk for participating in DOGE. Additionally, nearly 70% of Democrats back a proposal to ban him from ever working in government again—a position that clearly violates constitutional protections.
Musk’s unpopularity among Democrats has grown since his acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) and his commitment to restoring banned voices. Once celebrated as a climate champion, Musk is now demonized by the very groups that once hailed his green energy innovations. “He was supposed to walk in lockstep against conservatives at all times,” Haskins notes. “When he chose a different path… he committed a sin that some on the radical left simply cannot forgive.”
More importantly, the poll reflects a dangerous national trend: criminalizing political dissent. Haskins writes, “When nearly three-fourths of Democratic voters support jailing someone for participating in an effort to streamline federal agencies, we’ve crossed a dangerous line.” He continues, “This is the stuff of banana republics, not constitutional republics.”
The column concludes with a chilling reminder that the targeting of Elon Musk is not an isolated incident. “If they’re willing to jail Elon Musk for doing his job, what do you think they’ll do to the rest of us?” Haskins asks. The poll results reveal a left-wing movement increasingly comfortable using state power to punish those who refuse to conform.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
President Trump said “great progress” was made in Saturday’s trade talks with China, calling the outcome a “total reset” negotiated in a “friendly, but constructive” way.
Key Details:
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The talks took place Saturday in Geneva between U.S. officials—led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—and Chinese negotiators, amid a high-stakes standoff over tariffs.
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President Trump said on Truth Social that “many things [were] discussed, much agreed to,” describing the tone of the talks as “friendly, but constructive.”
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While no final agreement was reached, Trump said the goal is mutual: “an opening up of China to American business.” Further talks are scheduled for Sunday.
Diving Deeper:
President Donald Trump on Saturday night announced what he described as a significant breakthrough in trade negotiations with China, saying U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to a “total reset” during marathon discussions in Geneva, Switzerland.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland. Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner. We want to see, for the good of both China and the U.S., an opening up of China to American business. GREAT PROGRESS MADE!!!”
The session reportedly lasted over 10 hours, and was led on the U.S. side by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. While no specific deal was announced, officials described the negotiations as productive, with additional talks set to continue Sunday.
The Geneva meetings come amid escalating tariff measures. On April 2nd, the Trump administration rolled out “Liberation Day” tariffs on Chinese goods, followed by the imposition of a 145% tariff across a broader range of imports. In response, China raised duties on U.S. goods to 125%, even after briefly reducing tariffs for other trade partners to 10%.
With talks continuing into Sunday, the White House is framing the Geneva reset as a pivotal moment in its effort to realign trade policy.
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