I find myself constantly confused about Smith. Is she a libertarian, a moderate, or the neighbour next door? The one thing that I figure we can bet on is that Smith will do whatever it takes to stay premier. Thanks for the analysis as always!
My only comment is I may have read it, but I don't believe it. She is a declared libertarian which is one step worse than neoliberalism. Moderate is not a word to describe politics and economics to those who want to do away with government, privatize everything, ban unions, lower wages, cut social services and privatize education and health care.
So the grassroots and beating heart of the volatile UCP, currently distilled into its essence as "Take Back Alberta" is basically the same "lake of fire" religion that Presto Manning's original Reform Party introduced covertly so many years ago?! Which begs the question, why so covert? Don't we all secretly long for a theocracy instead of a democracy?
Who knew except MOST OF US, but due to our supposed tolerance/respect that now looks more and more like pure cowardice we refused to even SAY the word "religion" in the context of the ever more cultish conservative parties, both provincial and federal.
Since we could only steadfastly ignore this for so long, even when names like the "religious right, extreme right, alt-right" emerged, we have apparently settled on soft-pedalling it by transforming it into "social conservatism!" No wonder the zealots/ true believers have finally had it and are asserting themselves. The same dance is going on in the federal party actually.
So the dregs of what has always actually been the United Christian Party is now in charge of our government and is even worse than Kenney's version; instead we have an egomaniacal, home-schooled evangelical nutbar on a mission who will keep chipping away to remove Denial Smith who can also only pretend so much for so long and she just doesn't have religious piety in her repertoire, broad though it is.
So to all the people who voted for the cons again last election (blithely ignoring how they didn't used to be called that, so why are they now for example, not to even mention ALL the other damning evidence of utter incompetence on display) imagining that the old, more reasonable PC's were still hiding in there somewhere? Thanks a whole hell of a lot from the rest of us.
All that’s missing in this excellent perspective / comment is.. more emphasis on the embrace (stranglehold) of Evangelical Religion - the depraved appeal to dangerous Social Media zealotry - doxing, deep dark questions re ‘Policing’ (RCMP Partisanship) Zero mention re Coastal GasLink Pipeline, Status of the Former Teacher’s Pension Fund.. and what exactly is Stephen Harper & permanent cabin boy - Ray Novak’s relationship to Danielle Smith & David Parker going forward ? Anyone make the connection to The Alberta Firewall Letter ? No ? It’s just David Parker’s version of Danielle Smith’s version of Jason Kenney’s Design/Built for Secrecy & Un-Accountability UCP version of Stephen Harper - Tom Flanagan et al Inc SEPARATISM of which are ENDORSED by Pierre Poilievre & Jenni Byrne
Smith is hardly a moderate and she has a long track record to prove it. A relative comparison is meaningless: TBA are off the scale. A more likely reason for her not talking about the APP is that this white-haired crowd would probably be against it, not for it, and also that she realizes the idea is generally sinking like a lead balloon in Alberta.
Danielle Smith is the voice of reason? I very much doubt that, because of what I've seen her do over her turbulent political tenure. It's okay to give E-Coli contaminated beef to the destitute, and Danielle Smith believes that it is safe to injest after it is cooked. Horse paste can cure Covid-19. Stage 4 cancer is within a individual's own control. Danielle Smith isn't fit to be premier of Alberta.
Another astute article. You continue to be rather generous to Danielle Smith - which in itself is commendable behaviour on your part. Danielle Smith telegraphs as someone very power motivated. Evidence to date suggests she's capable of any activity/decision/statement to maintain power. Given the interests of her main backers, I do worry for the rest of Alberta and their future.
time to worry about the rest of Canada.. said this about Harper,Kenney, now Smith/Parker..
‘We won’t recognize Alberta or Canada when they’re through with us..’
Just add Pierre Poilievre & Canada will never be the same ..
Anyone noticing how essentially all Mainstream Media now perpetuates the bizarre notion that Canadians will Vote for Poilievre ..? The Reality is only 100,000 - 50% of whom are Women can legally VOTE in Carleton Federal Riding.. & yes yea.. we now clearly live in an era of Election by Proxy Popularity Polling as ‘the NEWS’ - Turn that Equation around & ask if a majority of Canadians would Elect - A ‘Joint Evangelical Ticket’ of Parker/Smith intent on claiming more than 1/2 the Canada Pension Fund & setting up Branch Offices to take over Canadian School Boards & Educational Curricula as well as Federal Riding - EDA Board of Directors ? (Electoral District Associations)
As ever, you nail it. What your Substack and the CBC piece make clear are at least 2 things:
1. The UCP membership is not interested in democracy, one of the reasons they're called 'Take Back Alberta' is because they know they'll never 'get it' through democratic processes. The turn out for the convention confirms the election results; 2/3 of the members represent 1/3 of the province, virtually none of that from CGY or YEG. They have no interest in what the other 2/ of the province might think or believe.
2. There are two irreconcilable forces at work in the UCP; a Premier who thinks because she holds political power and the party leadership she can ignore the voice of the membership, and a party membership who are willing to jettison the leader if he/she doesn't do as they say. They've already done it once, these are zealots so my guess is they'll be more than glad to toss Danielle Smith if she fails enough ideological purity tests (next up, abortion) so they can wear the mantle of the aggrieved AB political martyr. Smith will try to keep them happy with some incremental chew toys; politicians making public health decisions, the APP, and a Pronouns Policy that invokes notwithstanding to start, but sooner or later she'll hit something she won't support, and like Kenney, she'll be gone.
The good news is after the next leadership fiasco, after the next election, the UCP will be gone too.
And oh yeah, like the Trumpkins and MAGA, there's a solid foundation of bigotry and racism/white supremacy in the TBA/UCP movement.
I always appreciate your insights, Dr. Young! Another interesting article to ponder :) Thanks for sharing.
I find myself constantly confused about Smith. Is she a libertarian, a moderate, or the neighbour next door? The one thing that I figure we can bet on is that Smith will do whatever it takes to stay premier. Thanks for the analysis as always!
If we're down to hoping Dani may be the voice of reason here then..
We. Are. Doomed.
My only comment is I may have read it, but I don't believe it. She is a declared libertarian which is one step worse than neoliberalism. Moderate is not a word to describe politics and economics to those who want to do away with government, privatize everything, ban unions, lower wages, cut social services and privatize education and health care.
David Krieger: Danielle Smith is unhinged like a barn door in a violent wind.
So the grassroots and beating heart of the volatile UCP, currently distilled into its essence as "Take Back Alberta" is basically the same "lake of fire" religion that Presto Manning's original Reform Party introduced covertly so many years ago?! Which begs the question, why so covert? Don't we all secretly long for a theocracy instead of a democracy?
Who knew except MOST OF US, but due to our supposed tolerance/respect that now looks more and more like pure cowardice we refused to even SAY the word "religion" in the context of the ever more cultish conservative parties, both provincial and federal.
Since we could only steadfastly ignore this for so long, even when names like the "religious right, extreme right, alt-right" emerged, we have apparently settled on soft-pedalling it by transforming it into "social conservatism!" No wonder the zealots/ true believers have finally had it and are asserting themselves. The same dance is going on in the federal party actually.
So the dregs of what has always actually been the United Christian Party is now in charge of our government and is even worse than Kenney's version; instead we have an egomaniacal, home-schooled evangelical nutbar on a mission who will keep chipping away to remove Denial Smith who can also only pretend so much for so long and she just doesn't have religious piety in her repertoire, broad though it is.
So to all the people who voted for the cons again last election (blithely ignoring how they didn't used to be called that, so why are they now for example, not to even mention ALL the other damning evidence of utter incompetence on display) imagining that the old, more reasonable PC's were still hiding in there somewhere? Thanks a whole hell of a lot from the rest of us.
This unfolding train wreck is your fault.
All that’s missing in this excellent perspective / comment is.. more emphasis on the embrace (stranglehold) of Evangelical Religion - the depraved appeal to dangerous Social Media zealotry - doxing, deep dark questions re ‘Policing’ (RCMP Partisanship) Zero mention re Coastal GasLink Pipeline, Status of the Former Teacher’s Pension Fund.. and what exactly is Stephen Harper & permanent cabin boy - Ray Novak’s relationship to Danielle Smith & David Parker going forward ? Anyone make the connection to The Alberta Firewall Letter ? No ? It’s just David Parker’s version of Danielle Smith’s version of Jason Kenney’s Design/Built for Secrecy & Un-Accountability UCP version of Stephen Harper - Tom Flanagan et al Inc SEPARATISM of which are ENDORSED by Pierre Poilievre & Jenni Byrne
Smith is hardly a moderate and she has a long track record to prove it. A relative comparison is meaningless: TBA are off the scale. A more likely reason for her not talking about the APP is that this white-haired crowd would probably be against it, not for it, and also that she realizes the idea is generally sinking like a lead balloon in Alberta.
Danielle Smith is the voice of reason? I very much doubt that, because of what I've seen her do over her turbulent political tenure. It's okay to give E-Coli contaminated beef to the destitute, and Danielle Smith believes that it is safe to injest after it is cooked. Horse paste can cure Covid-19. Stage 4 cancer is within a individual's own control. Danielle Smith isn't fit to be premier of Alberta.
Another astute article. You continue to be rather generous to Danielle Smith - which in itself is commendable behaviour on your part. Danielle Smith telegraphs as someone very power motivated. Evidence to date suggests she's capable of any activity/decision/statement to maintain power. Given the interests of her main backers, I do worry for the rest of Alberta and their future.
time to worry about the rest of Canada.. said this about Harper,Kenney, now Smith/Parker..
‘We won’t recognize Alberta or Canada when they’re through with us..’
Just add Pierre Poilievre & Canada will never be the same ..
Anyone noticing how essentially all Mainstream Media now perpetuates the bizarre notion that Canadians will Vote for Poilievre ..? The Reality is only 100,000 - 50% of whom are Women can legally VOTE in Carleton Federal Riding.. & yes yea.. we now clearly live in an era of Election by Proxy Popularity Polling as ‘the NEWS’ - Turn that Equation around & ask if a majority of Canadians would Elect - A ‘Joint Evangelical Ticket’ of Parker/Smith intent on claiming more than 1/2 the Canada Pension Fund & setting up Branch Offices to take over Canadian School Boards & Educational Curricula as well as Federal Riding - EDA Board of Directors ? (Electoral District Associations)
As ever, you nail it. What your Substack and the CBC piece make clear are at least 2 things:
1. The UCP membership is not interested in democracy, one of the reasons they're called 'Take Back Alberta' is because they know they'll never 'get it' through democratic processes. The turn out for the convention confirms the election results; 2/3 of the members represent 1/3 of the province, virtually none of that from CGY or YEG. They have no interest in what the other 2/ of the province might think or believe.
2. There are two irreconcilable forces at work in the UCP; a Premier who thinks because she holds political power and the party leadership she can ignore the voice of the membership, and a party membership who are willing to jettison the leader if he/she doesn't do as they say. They've already done it once, these are zealots so my guess is they'll be more than glad to toss Danielle Smith if she fails enough ideological purity tests (next up, abortion) so they can wear the mantle of the aggrieved AB political martyr. Smith will try to keep them happy with some incremental chew toys; politicians making public health decisions, the APP, and a Pronouns Policy that invokes notwithstanding to start, but sooner or later she'll hit something she won't support, and like Kenney, she'll be gone.
The good news is after the next leadership fiasco, after the next election, the UCP will be gone too.
And oh yeah, like the Trumpkins and MAGA, there's a solid foundation of bigotry and racism/white supremacy in the TBA/UCP movement.
What she says and what she means are two different things
elsie.lammers@gmail.com Imprecisely!