One common topic of conversation around the region lately is the LCBO workers’ job action. For me, as I write this, the strike is still ongoing. For you, as you read this, it may still be happening, or it may have just recently ended. Letters to the editor on this topic have been plentiful between our local North Dundas Times, and our sister paper, the North Grenville Times. The arguments seem to break down into two groups. 1) “Doug Ford is horrible” and 2) “A strike is a terrible way for these workers to get their point across”. Well… yes, and yes.
It’s hard to get behind any politician anymore. Then again, maybe that is partially a good thing. We need to leave the “fangirl” behaviour for celebrities, and use our brains when it comes to electing leaders. Too many people don’t make this distinction, and politicians capitalize on this. Hitler gained power largely through manipulating the masses. We may think those days are behind us, but you know what they say about those who fail to learn history – they are doomed to repeat it. Take Trump for example. No, he is not Hitler, and anyone who makes that reference should stop and realize what an insult it is to Holocaust survivors, and the recent attempt on Trump’s life was also totally unacceptable, and I condemn anyone who makes jokes such as “better luck next time”. But how Trump can have the absolute brainless following that he does from millions upon millions of Americans – and sadly, many Canadians too – is beyond me. It either shows that so many of these supporters are bullies at heart, just like Trump, or they are too ignorant to notice what their cherished leader is really like (I don’t know that any movie writer has ever accomplished writing a more self-absorbed fictional character than the very much real-life Donald Trump). Either way, it points to a doomed country.
The comedy movie “The Campaign” with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis does an excellent job at using satire to point out the flaws in US politics. Fair warning though – it is quite a vulgar movie. It highlights the reality that actual policies and leadership principles matter far less in politics than token concepts such as “supporting our troops” and “creating jobs” to gain popularity.
This latter point – “creating jobs” – reminds me of former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader, Tim Hudak. He relentlessly pushed his “million jobs promise”, so much so that I can still hear him in my head on the TV talking about “1 million jobs – good, middle class jobs!” One would have to be completely thick to think that in a province of 12 million people, a single party could “create” not only enough jobs for approximately 12.5% of the province’s adult population, but “middle class jobs” nonetheless. You’d have to be even more thick not to notice that in the same campaign, Hudak’s government announced plans to cut government jobs through attrition.
It’s interesting how much psychology actually plays into politics. Studies show that lower class people tend to believe that they are “middle class”, and upper class people tend to believe that they are… well… middle class! This bit of psychology is used in campaigns a lot. One would think that a campaigning party would want to appeal to the lower class – the people in poverty who really need help – but that doesn’t properly play the odds. The reason we hear from parties on both sides of the House of Commons about “helping the middle class” is because an overwhelming majority of the population thinks they will be the ones getting the help!
If I had the time and space, I would write pages and pages on how politics is nothing more than a game played between parties. Politicians play, and regular people like us… we are the spectators. Oh, and every now and then, we get to participate in the “audience choice awards”, otherwise known as an election.
Being short on both space and time, I will return my focus to Doug Ford. I share the concerns of many. I do believe that Ford’s heart was in the right place when he first ran for office, but that he has since gone off the rails in terms of his duty to Ontarians. His plans to pay a penalty of $225 million to cancel a contract with The Beer Store so that alcohol can be sold in more locations has been described in the Globe and Mail as “a scandal”. Perhaps – but so was Kathleen Wynne’s choice to enter into a 10 year agreement with The Beer Store in the first place. Politicians make decisions with votes in mind. Doug Ford wants to be remembered as the reason why you can by beer at Circle K when you are standing in front of the ballot box. That said, the “conservative” in “progressive conservative” stands for “fiscal responsibility”, and when it comes to $225 million, the responsible decision would have been to wait until next year when the contract expires.
This all perhaps makes LCBO workers “right” in their principles, but it doesn’t mean their job action makes sense. I recently picked up some alcohol for a party at my usual place – the amazing Rick’s Gas Bar in South Mountain. There was no change for me, but I’m sure many people discovered how many convenient places there already are to buy alcohol in this province after being turned away from their local LCBO by “closed” signs. This strike action sounds a lot like a case of “let us prove that you don’t need us”. It sounds like the LCBO union followed a two-step instruction manual: 1) Aim at foot. 2) Fire when ready.
No politician will ever please everyone, but that’s a fundamental part of democracy. A leader who pleases everyone is likely to be more skilled in the art of brainwashing than policy making. A lone person can’t change the face of Canadian politics, so instead I’ll just grab my popcorn and continue spectating. We’re almost at the season finale, and it’s sure to be a good one.
