Reducing chances of U.S. violence in Canada

Vincent J. Curtis

14 Jan 21

 

RE:  What Canada can de to reduce chances of U.S.-mob style violence in Canada.  An Op-ed written by Robert Danisch, an associate professor and chair, department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo; and William Keith, professor, rhetoric and communication, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Appeared in today’s Hamilton Spectator.

If this article by Robert Danisch and William Keith teaches anything, it’s that whatever the Left accuses you of doing – that’s precisely what they themselves are doing.

The object of the piece was to make Canada safe for Trudeau-style progressivism.  It begins with an error in logic.  It claims that polarization is the product of specific forms of rhetoric.  This is wrong; it’s precisely backwards.  The polarization already exists and the rhetoric merely reflects it.  If the polarization didn’t already exist, the rhetoric would have no resonance.

Their appeals to reason are exposed when they name specific examples.  The appeals to strong civility and to consciously choose to avoid rhetoric that leads to violence are code for censorship and cancellation.

The authors single out as examples of those who indulge in dangerous, divisive rhetoric are Rebel News, Gavin McInnes, Erin O’Toole, and Doug Ford.  Conservatives all.  When Justin Trudeau says to Alberta, “I’m going to destroy your livelihood because oil is immoral” that’s okay because he said it calmly and politely; but if Alberta responds in anger, that’s bad according to the authors.  That Trudeau wasn’t interested in persuasion is missed.  Of course, Trump and his supporters are without question evil incarnate, never mind how divisive this position is.

When progressives engage in identity politics, that’s not divisive, even though division into separate groups is at its core.  When conservatives employ for their purposes the successful tactics of progressives, well, that’s extraordinarily wrong.

The authors understand neither Canada nor America.  With the exception of Black Lives Matter violence that Canada experienced at the same time as the U.S., Canada won’t experience political violence because we lack a messianic figure, like Trump.  The only ones capable of organizing violence are groups of the Left.

-30-