In episode 1 of the Politics and Public Finance podcast, host Geoff Dubrow noted that one of the ‘alarm bells’ early in the protest movement was some members of the group were openly calling for the overthrow of the democratically-elected federal government of Canada. With such clear anti-democratic rhetoric shared by some elements of the protest, what does this say about the prospects for democracy in Canada?
Carole Chan responded to Geoff’s question by arguing that while feelings of distrust, hate, and anti-government sentiment may not have always been visible to the political establishment, they were already circulating before the protests took place. By making these feelings visible, the protest calls attention to the problem and clarifies the importance of finding a solution.
Part of Carole’s message is that all Canadians have a role to play in addressing the divisions within society. “It’s incumbent on all of us to actually respond to that,” she says, and “not just the politicians.” At the micro level, we need to adjust our daily practices to build community, moving from being not-misogynist to actively feminist, from not-anti-democratic to pro-democratic.
Listen to the first episode of the Politics and Public Finance podcast HERE and stay tuned for future blog posts and a follow-up episode. Make sure to subscribe so that you can stay up to date on all our episodes!