Andrea Horwath and her fellow New Democrats march as champions of compassion.
As Ontario’s far-left party, the NDP try to own social justice.
Horwath and company separate the needy from those of us who caused the need. They use a simple strategy:
I. Make a clear call for more compassion.
II. Self identify as champions of compassion.
III. Define compassion as they see it and according to their own vision.
IV. Label anyone who disagrees as compassionless.
The NDP starts with a statement we all support then claims this moral high ground as their very own. All their ideas are compassionate, because they themselves are compassionate. Those who disagree are compassionless.
Horwath uses a narrow slice of morality to trump everything else. She redefines fairness/cheating and holds a peculiar sense of liberty/oppression. Then she ignores loyalty, authority or any other social principle.
Divisive
Horwath presents well but only means well for certain people. She divides us into sheep and goats, victims and oppressors.
Ms. Horwath does not just see a cashier at MacDonald’s. She sees an oppressed labourer.
She cannot envision that cashiers often become managers, learn business and then open businesses of their own.
People like Horwath are not corrupt, per se. They are ideologues. Corrupt people take breaks; they need rest.
Ideologues do not stop. Enflamed with self-righteousness, their passion never sleeps. They dream of revolutionary ways to fix society.
They believe that incremental change cannot create a great society. We need a great leap, and the Leap Manifesto shows how.
Classical liberals believe that individuals shape society. The NDP believe that society should be reshaped, and they should force individuals to conform.
Horwath vs. Voters
The left believes that individuals only have rights if government grants them.
Government exists to do good things. It offers the shortest path to the greatest good for all.
Individual people are greedy and selfish. But people in government are altruistic, compassionate.
Canadians are part of the Western, small-L liberal universe.
We believe that individuals know best what to do with their bodies. People can try to become whatever they choose.
Birth does not define you. Your skin colour, religion or gender should not hold you back.
While only the best get to play professional hockey, everyone can try.
All Canadians believe this, except people like Horwath. She sees history as a nothing but a battle between victims and oppressors. She has a list of who needs help. If you own a home, run a business or earn more the $50-$70k outside of a union, you are not on the list.
Do not talk about the sacrifices to pay off a house. Never mind that businesses go broke. Horwath and her kind only see success. Successful people find success by taking things from weaker people.
We miss the mark if we only worry about NDP missteps:
The “coon award”, “F— the Police”,
Posts about Hitler, arrests for illegal protesting and
The $1.4 billion miscalculation.
None of this should make us panic. We should worry about Horwath because of what she believes. Horwath believes that some voters need to be brought down and others lifted up. And she will use government to do it.
Everyone Should Get Ahead
We need politicians who mean well for all citizens of Ontario, not just a favoured few. Politicians should improve life for every citizen, not incite conflict between arbitrary groups.
Of course, we will always have citizens who need extra help when they run into trouble, through no fault of their own. But we should not punish others to help those in need.
Ontario succeeds when we all have a chance to improve.
It’s not a zero sum game. Horwath doesn’t get that. She only believes in winners and losers. That is not compassionate.
Photo credit: www.CBC.ca
As I have stated previously, I expect that many Ontario physicians will withdraw services in 2019 when an NDP Government refuses to implement the substantial arbitration award that I expect Ontario physicians will be awarded. An NDP Government will be advised by civil servant lawyers in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and by Legislative Counsel that a Bill does NOT have to be introduced into the Legislature in order for the Government to refuse to implement the arbitration award.
Thanks again for this, Perry!
I agree that a government could or might overturn an arbitration ruling. I do not agree that doctors will withdraw services. Some might, but most docs have never been able to get together to withdraw all, or most services.
But you never know!
Thanks again for posting a comment. Really appreciate it!
Cheers
“She only believes in winners and losers. That is not compassionate.”
Being a communist never is.
And I don’t know what she does or does not get.
Saying that she doesn’t get it implies that she is stupid.
If she gets it, she is cynical, leading us to the eternal question:
are leftists stupid or evil? I always tend to lean toward the second.
Hey Zork,
Thanks so much for a very thoughtful, pointed comment. I think there is another option: She is simply unwise. I’ve met dozens and dozens of politicians. Very few of them spend their spare time reading political philosophy or history. Most of them get involved because they want to make a difference, even though they might not have a coherent sense of their own political philosophy. That’s how we get people like Wynne and Trudeau calling themselves liberal, or people like Trump calling himself conservative.
So although you make a great point of forcing the issue, I don’t think we need to call her stupid or evil. I think we can call her unwise or something else.
Regardless, thanks so much for posting a comment! I hope readers take time to check out your blog too.
Cheers
Agreed …. again,Shawn.
Likely a view you could not post as OMA president.
My parents escaped idealogues like Horvath seeking a meritocracy so that I could achieve whatever I wanted in life as long as I was willing to WORK HARD.
Now,somehow,I am an oppressor /undeserving and should’pay a little more’ after suffering clawbacks/thresholds in the 90’s and now further clawbacks. I guess doctors should not make ANY money from the sick …. like Cuba /DARK.
Thanks Ramunas,
You are correct: I always worked hard to avoid any partisan comment as president. I think that was obvious to readers.
I really worry about this election. If voters take a turn to the hard left, like they did in Alberta, we will be in very bad shape. It would certainly shake things up. I like your comment about being willing to work hard. That doesn’t seem to factor into many people’s vision of how to get ahead anymore. Maybe they see too much corruption?
Thanks again for posting a comment!
Cheers
NDP GIVE ME THE CREEPS
🙂
Hello Shawn. Some of your readers may be interested to know about options in the USA. I just received an e-advertisement for a primary care position outside of Boston. The position involves a 4 day week, $250,000.00 salary and bonuses. Just an FYI.
Jessica Mingledorff
Search Consultant
Merritt Hawkins
AMN Healthcare Company
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Holy Smokes!
Thanks for sharing this, Alicia. While most Canadian docs have deep roots here and cannot leave, I know that some will be making a call.
Cheers
Excellent summary Shawn,
thou the majority of Ontarians seem to be far away from facts, figures & thinking, plus there’s a significant part of the society who take advantage of the system (unions, educators, crony capitalists..)
Some of them are honestly confused, but most just keep working on creating their own fortune (just to look at the billionaire – politicians like Morneau, Truedeau & similar “pro-people” liberals of different colors), while destroying the true middle-class.
I don’t think it’s possible to logically convince even some of our own liberal-minded colleagues, especially when they consider some personal benefits from siding with liberal politics.
The only way to resist (and ultimately preserve the profession from deterioration & system from collapse) seems to take some reasonable actions: the one Dr Schreader offered above should be promoted & circulated with OMA, as one way to promote the peaceful resistance (& OMA should definitely be open & leading the provincial physicians in similar activities, which do not contradict the on-going negotiations/BA.
Thanks for this, Alexey.
You raise an important point. Most people don’t know the facts and figures. That opens space for people to have debates about the performance, even though most of us working inside the system agree that it could be much better. It will take a broad coalition — probably with lots of baby boomers — to turn the ship around.
Thanks again for posting a comment! Sorry it took 2 days to respond. 🙁
Cheers
Thank you Shawn,
not sure what you mean by “broad coalition with baby boomers”:
it seems like there’s only one way to make a profession heard/respected in Canada:
Union & Strike.
For physicians there also might be a tool of Shortage, which could be effectively used by our central leadership (OMA), provided that it has the will & vision.
The way physicians’ payment structure arranged now (everything lumped up as the end-point “billing”) will always be presented/perceived as our “salary”, which will never draw any sympathy from general public/boomers or politicians.