Enjoyed this, Farhan. On populism, I cannot help but feel that much of the Canadian perspective, whether opined or empirically evidenced, is exaggerated. We saw the pendulum swing back to Liberal in 2015 after ten years of Conservative power, at a time when immigration and asylum were at the forefront of international and domestic politics. We saw a Canada that was not willing to compromise on its humanitarian roots at a time when the notion of sovereignty was placing domestic priorities first, almost everywhere else. Populism is not new; it generally takes hold when the conditions are ripe. But I do believe Canada’s soul is very much made up of the stuff that keeps populism and affective polarization at bay - diversity, cosmopolitanism, and a commitment to a minimum standard of living. We shall see! Al-Rahim
Enjoyed this, Farhan. On populism, I cannot help but feel that much of the Canadian perspective, whether opined or empirically evidenced, is exaggerated. We saw the pendulum swing back to Liberal in 2015 after ten years of Conservative power, at a time when immigration and asylum were at the forefront of international and domestic politics. We saw a Canada that was not willing to compromise on its humanitarian roots at a time when the notion of sovereignty was placing domestic priorities first, almost everywhere else. Populism is not new; it generally takes hold when the conditions are ripe. But I do believe Canada’s soul is very much made up of the stuff that keeps populism and affective polarization at bay - diversity, cosmopolitanism, and a commitment to a minimum standard of living. We shall see! Al-Rahim