NDP = need differentiating properties?
Dec. 19th, 2003 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
c9I realized that some of my readers (are there any left?) may not be familiar with the NDP or what that was all about. Living in the US can insulate one against learning about the rest of the world, sadly. And as much fun as it is to watch Kevin and Adam talk about socialist policy in the 2000's, it might be fun to broaden the game a bit.
In Canada, there are five major political parties in the federal realm. Only two have ever held power, the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives. Recently, the Progressive Conservatives (who were decimated in the 1993 election and have never recovered) agreed to merge with the Canadian Alliance, a protest party from the west seeking to move Canadian political discourse to the right. Many see this as a right-wing takeover, and so far there is little evidence to counter this opinion. The Liberals are considered to be centre-spectrum in Canada, while the NDP (New Democratic Party) is considered left-wing.
Spectrum (not evenly spaced, but that's a whole other argument):
Alliance --- Conservatives --- Liberals --- NDP
American Spectrum added in for comparison and flavour:
Michigan Militia -- Republican -- Democrat -------------------------- Communist Party
-------------------------------- Alliance-Conservatives-Liberals-NDP-----------------
So that's what the NDP is, and the environment it's in. The question is, what happens next? Some people (primarily people employed by right-wing newspapers and right-wing voters themselves) think that the conservative merger will finally allow for a non-Liberal government (the Liberals call themselves Canada's Natural Governing Party because they hold power almost twice as much as the conservatives), and I would certainly agree that a united right will provide a bit more accountability-through-fear. But if Liberals are shifting right to counter this and to feed Paul Martin's corporate background / donors, this actually leaves a lot of room on the left for the NDP. Could we be looking at an NDP official opposition in six months? That might be neat.
(a word about right- and left-wing: in Canada, we use those words just like they do in the States, but our most extremely right-wing party would still be a "tax-and-spend liberal" in the US. Canadians, almost unanimously, start from "health care for all, not everybody needs handguns or assault rifles, and the gays should get mostly equal rights." It's only *after* that that we start to argue, for the most part.)
(apparently, I have a lot of time on my hands today!)
In Canada, there are five major political parties in the federal realm. Only two have ever held power, the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives. Recently, the Progressive Conservatives (who were decimated in the 1993 election and have never recovered) agreed to merge with the Canadian Alliance, a protest party from the west seeking to move Canadian political discourse to the right. Many see this as a right-wing takeover, and so far there is little evidence to counter this opinion. The Liberals are considered to be centre-spectrum in Canada, while the NDP (New Democratic Party) is considered left-wing.
Spectrum (not evenly spaced, but that's a whole other argument):
Alliance --- Conservatives --- Liberals --- NDP
American Spectrum added in for comparison and flavour:
Michigan Militia -- Republican -- Democrat -------------------------- Communist Party
-------------------------------- Alliance-Conservatives-Liberals-NDP-----------------
So that's what the NDP is, and the environment it's in. The question is, what happens next? Some people (primarily people employed by right-wing newspapers and right-wing voters themselves) think that the conservative merger will finally allow for a non-Liberal government (the Liberals call themselves Canada's Natural Governing Party because they hold power almost twice as much as the conservatives), and I would certainly agree that a united right will provide a bit more accountability-through-fear. But if Liberals are shifting right to counter this and to feed Paul Martin's corporate background / donors, this actually leaves a lot of room on the left for the NDP. Could we be looking at an NDP official opposition in six months? That might be neat.
(a word about right- and left-wing: in Canada, we use those words just like they do in the States, but our most extremely right-wing party would still be a "tax-and-spend liberal" in the US. Canadians, almost unanimously, start from "health care for all, not everybody needs handguns or assault rifles, and the gays should get mostly equal rights." It's only *after* that that we start to argue, for the most part.)
(apparently, I have a lot of time on my hands today!)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-12-19 05:59 pm (UTC)Hardline fascists ---------- Putin ------------ Hardline Communists
The reason I say it's like a circle is that some people at both ends support shooting those who disagree. :) Ahh, the joys of tyrannical rule.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-19 06:24 pm (UTC)The same could be said for the Progressive Conservatives, on a smaller scale. Both of these parties have formulated themselves of late around a battle for the centre rather than any consistent ideology, so they are each "big tents" in their own way.
And, for the record, I do support shooting those who disagree. Politically, or otherwise.
no subject
Date: 2003-12-19 07:24 pm (UTC)I have decided that the only way I will likely vote Liberal in the next election, is if there is potential for a "left" split between the Liberals and NDP (and Bloc in PQ), resulting in a Conservative victory (not bloody likely).
I agree that there is a good chance that the NDP will pick up speed, but I think folks are a bit over-optimistic about Ed Broadbents return.
That's it! I'm forming my own party. God knows... things will be a lot different around here, when I run the country.