I read with empathy and fascination the two letters in response to Leslie Anthony’s article, “Absurdity 2.0?” way back in Pique’s Feb. 23 issue. Both letters took offense by or at least proposed that the article’s point of view was either intolerant of the “other side” or disrespectful to a significant percentage of the U.S. population, and therefore U.S. tourists to Whistler.
To both of the writers, I say it is not our obligation to normalize or give credence to a neo-fascist, misogynist, cult-ridden extremist movement based on denial of verifiable facts, disrespect for humanity and aggression towards any who might not bend a knee.
Yes, aggression, or implied aggression, is one of the keynotes of right-wing extremism. Whether it is religious Christian nationalism or disrespect for the rule of law and the legal transfer of power, aggression lies below the surface. The devotion to imagined realities is not policy-driven, other than harping on xenophobic or homophobic ideologies: attack the weakest as scapegoats (remember Germany 1930’s) and propose nothing of any value to society other than stoking anger. Resist all change and progress at ANY cost and harken back to days of yore when women were non-voting, child-bearing chattel and being as rich as a (b)millionaire was every middle-class earner’s dream.
These pillars of the MAGA or Conservative right deserve our cold shoulder and intolerance. If only there were logical, productive policy approaches worthy of debate and implementation, then discourse would be invited and engaged in wholeheartedly. But those days have passed, and now there is virtually nothing to engage, nothing of substance to debate. Down south, take the bipartisan Senate Border Legislation to rectify longstanding issues… MAGA can’t handle a solution they have been screaming for. They would rather deny its passage, because there is nothing else for their leader to attack if that issue is addressed with even a modicum of intelligence.
If the writers of the responses back in February are offended by the lack of respect paid to their extremism, and make no mistake, it is extremism, then don’t support a strong-man wannabe. Don’t endorse a “leader” who ridicules the disabled, craps on war veterans, incurs 91 indictments, loses civil lawsuits and gains penalties in the hundreds of millions of dollars, encourages Russian aggression, denies health rights to women, preaches religiosity while living like a degenerate and is devoid of a single thought-worthy statement. The list goes on and is almost endless. He and his political cult can do no better than disgrace a country that has the potential to lead the world.
Sorry, but I’m out of sympathy for your painful cry for tolerance and understanding. Find another battle to wage. Fight for compassion for others that your Christian religious base hypocritically declares. Seek out the positive and find legislation that improves rather than degenerates society. You will have a much better chance of success to catch our ears and empathy.
Last, take note, Pierre Poilievre. Your mimic-like behaviour garners no better response here in Canada. Attack away, lie outright, deny human rights, provide no compassionately human alternatives and stoke anger all you want. We are both smarter and more sympathetic than that here at home. Canadians are better than that. Your vacuous, smarmy, repugnant anger-baiting and weak, divisive challenges, too, are not worthy of tolerance. The most civilized, human and least we can do is ignore you and vote for someone else.
