Commentary
Much of the current commentary on North American politics is still couchedtoo much sowithin the old left-right-centre conceptualization of political ideology and parties.
The Biden Democrats in the United States and the Trudeau Liberals in Canada both denounce their principal opponents as right-wing extremists. Conservatives in both countries accuse their federal governments of catering to the left far too often. Political moderates in both counties claim to be representing an ever-shifting, ill-defined centre whose distinguishing feature is that it is neither left nor right. And political pundits of all stripes continue to overuse the terms of left, right, and centre despite their declining relevance.
Canadians, especially younger Canadians, can rightfully question why we insist on discussing 21st-century politics within an 18th-century conceptual framework. Why should we be conceptualizing contemporary politics within a framework derived from the seating arrangement in Frances 18th-century post-revolution assembly, where members of the land-owning aristocracy sat on the right and representatives of the working class and pro-revolutionary forces sat on the left?
Is there a more reasonable and relevant framework for conceptualizing and discussing contemporary North American politics? Yes, there is! And ironically it is a framework suggested by a Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, in his famous book Democracy in America.
Although these words of De Tocqueville were written in 1840, they remain amazingly descriptive of the North American political landscape today:
[T]he secret propensities that govern the factions of America, (are) those two great divisions which have always existed in free communities the object of the one is to limit and that of the other to extend the authority of the people. I affirm thataristocratic or democratic passions may easily be detected at the bottom of all parties, and that, although they escape a superficial observation, they are the main point and soul of every faction in the United States.
And we might add, of every political faction in Canada also.
It is far more relevant today to categorize North American voters as pro-establishment or anti-establishment than it is to categorize them as left, right, or centristto separate the sheep from the goats by asking: Are you in favour of limiting or extending the influence of ordinary people in the political arena?
Today, the aristocratic passion resides politically, not so much in the old aristocracy of the wealthy but in an intellectual aristocracy that considers itself superior to the average voter, denounces bottom-up expression of political opinion at every opportunity, and seeks to limit rather than extend the authority of the people.
At the same time, the democratic passion is finding expression through a new breed of political leadership which draws its support from a growing segment of the electorate who feel increasingly disenfranchised by the political system and the elites who control its commanding heights. These voters resent having their opinions labelled as politically incorrect, their interests ignored or dismissed as illegitimate, and their political actions demeaned as misguided populism.
In Canada, we currently have a prime minister who typifies the modern political aristocrat: inclined to display his imagined intellectual superiority by lecturing the rabble at every opportunity and quite prepared to constrain the authority of the people whenever possible. But now, in the elevation of Pierre Poilievre to the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, we have an alternative leader arising from humble circumstances and inclined to trust rather than mistrust the rank and file of Canadians. In other words, a leader animated by the democratic rather than the aristocratic passion.
As a Canadian voter considering whom to vote for in the next federal election, which framework best describes your optionsthe old left-right-centre framework or the aristocratic/democratic framework? The champions of the aristocratic framework will of course tell you that expanding the authority of the people is dangerous and leads to extremism. But that charge is best answered in the words of Thomas Jefferson, one of the original framers of the U.S. Constitution, when he was asked near the end of his life where the ultimate political authority of a free society should be vested.
Jefferson replied: I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves. And anticipating the objections of the aristocratic elites, he added: And if we think them (the people) not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Follow
Preston Manning served as a member of the Canadian Parliament from 1993 to 2001, and as leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2000. He founded two political parties: the Reform Party of Canada and the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance. Both of these became the Official Opposition in Parliament and led to the creation of the Conservative Party of Canada, which formed the federal government from 2004-2015.
Read more here:
Preston Manning: Beyond Left and Right - The Epoch Times
- Manzi: Ducati teams wanted me to be disqualified, mistakes ... - Crash - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Today in History: July 24, Apollo 11 returns home from the moon - Plainview Daily Herald - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- McClellan: A trip to Scotland reveals a family motto that is just right - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- AMD CEO will consider other foundries besides Taiwan ... - Seeking Alpha - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Bill Maher Drools All Over Elon Musk in Softball Sitdown - The Daily Beast - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- QAnon's popularity has been fueled by the playful and participatory ... - LSE - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Its been rough, but we have to hang on - Santa Barbara News-Press - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Flamenco and a Venerated Teacher Return to Steps on Broadway - westsiderag.com - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- R.M.N. Director Cristian Mungiu on Xenophobia and the Dangers of Politically Correct Filmmaking - Hollywood Reporter - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- My baptism of fire into trucking - Big Rigs - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Sinicization of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang: An Indian View - Bitter Winter - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Diljit da jawab nahin: Why the munda made us go balle, balle - Times of India - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Why was Don Lemon fired by CNN? Veteran news anchor let go after 17 years - AS USA - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Agent Movie Review: A spy film that puts the fire in misfire - cinemaexpress - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Voice and Hammer - Longreads - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- This coronation is being styled in an apologetic tone - Reaction - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 21 Comedy Movies That Were Ahead of Their Time - MovieWeb - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Remembering Barry Humphries, art lover, artist and creator of Dame ... - Art Newspaper - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Everything you need to know about the 2023 Met Gala... - Jordan News - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 10 Sitcoms With Content That Hasn't Aged Well - Collider - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Things to do in Wilmington NC this weekend April 27-30 - StarNewsOnline.com - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Bill Maher Is Clueless About Chicago, Guns, and Poverty - The Daily Beast - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 10 Best R-Rated Comedies of the 21st Century, Ranked - Collider - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Let's talk tachles: What do Olim truly think of Israel? - Ynetnews - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Parker: Tim Scott and American exceptionalism | News, Sports, Jobs - Daily Herald - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Letters: 'When I say my name is Karen, will others think I'm a b---h?' - National Post - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Chef Shannons Byron Bay boys-only bash - The Age - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: Why Salman Khans lone superhero formula doesnt work for the masses anymore - The Indian Express - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- THE OTHER SIDE: They left the dogsThe Tucker Trump Show - theberkshireedge.com - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Kenny vs. Spenny: Iconic Canadian frenemies prove some things never change - Global News - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Politician who called herself 'mother of the politically incorrect ... - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- CT man charged with threatening to kill Florida sheriff on 'hit list' for ... - Torrington Register Citizen - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- BROADWAY REVIEW: 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong' is a total blast; plus it ... - New York Daily News - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Harvard donor Ken Griffin's backing of DeSantis stirs predictable ... - The Boston Globe - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- TV shows to watch this week: 'West Wing' fans should rally around ... - Star Tribune - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Why Is It So Hard to Watch 'Friends' Now? - Collider - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Belinda Carlisle: Touring with Green Day was one big hot mess - NME - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Chinese scholars believe in gender equality - Times Higher Education - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Five Year Social Media Ban For Online Preacher - Vision Christian Media - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- A Toast to Tom Eating His Feelings on Succession - Vulture - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Turtle love and the messages of Roald Dahl - The Saturday Paper - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- New Book Offers the CATHOLIC Case for ID - Discovery Institute - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Roy Chubby Brown to play Hanley gig tonight despite calls for show to be cancelled - Stoke-on-Trent Live - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- 4 dead, 28 wounded at U.S. birthday party shooting - inform.kz/en - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- People protest for ban on assault weapons in Washington - Independent - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- The shadow of Xi Jinping, misinformation and hurt religious sentiments - Business Standard - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Night Jitters: TVs Late Crowd Grapples With Weakness in the Wee Hours - Variety - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a 'brilliant man' and said there is no one in Hollywood with the - Business Insider India - April 17th, 2023 [April 17th, 2023]
- /pol/ - Wikipedia - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- The Top 20+ Questions on Politically Correct Terms [with Answers!] - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- 15 Very Politically Incorrect Things That Are Also Absolutely True ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- From Politically Correct To Cancel Culture, How Accountability ... - NPR - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Is ChatGPT Partisan? Poems About Trump And Biden Raise Questions About The AI Bots BiasHeres What Experts Think - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- NM Gov. Grisham calls for new gun control laws, citing recent ... - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- What Does Woke Mean in Politics? - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- Richard Barnett expected to testify in his trial - KATV - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- Twitter suspends Babylon Bee over Rachel Levine 'Man of the Year' title - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- The Taste With Vir: To blame or not to blame the Civil Aviation Ministry - Hindustan Times - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- 'Yellowstone' Season 5, Episode 6 Recap: Jamie and Sarah Join Forces, Plan to Oust John as Governor - Entertainment Tonight - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Nick Kroll and More Take The Hollywood Reporters Annual Comedy Survey - Hollywood Reporter - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Measuring Stakeholder Capitalism - The World Economic Forum - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Netanyahu memoir: Dems feeling more leftist pressure on Israel than they publicly admit - Forward - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Living Among Trolls: It's Orwellian, But It's Real - odishabytes - OdishaBytes - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- SMOKERS' CORNER: THE POLITICS OF TRANSGRESSION - Newspaper - DAWN.COM - DAWN.com - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- This Week in Lincolnville: Do the People Belong to the Land - PenBayPilot.com - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Meghan Markle and Harry blow as Americans back Kate and Prince William over Sussexes - Express - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Which side are you on, anyway? Rethinking academic freedom - University World News - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Politically Incorrect Canadian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Our Unmad lives - The Business Standard - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Biden threatens 'consequences' against Saudi Arabia over OPEC oil production cuts, links with Russia - Must Read Alaska - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- 'Backsides' voted but fireworks are likely with one Hamilton councillor - Richard Swainson - Stuff - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Does it actually have an influence?: Expert weighs in PM Trudeaus viral bungee jump video - Yahoo News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Jordan Hogg: In 15 years, Ive never come across another disabled director - The Guardian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The phenomenon of 'Hawa' vs 'Poran' - Dhaka Tribune - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- SMOKERS' CORNER: THE RESURGENCE OF THE FAR-RIGHT - Newspaper - DAWN.COM - DAWN.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Paddy Considine's filmography: What were the House of the Dragon actor's best works? - Bolavip - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Word on the street: 'Never heard of him' - Aucklanders react to Brown mayoral win - Stuff - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- QC The Producers revels in being politically incorrect - WHBF - OurQuadCities.com - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Interdependence as a weapon in the era of non-peace: Failure in Ukraine and danger in Taiwan - Atalayar - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 'Ramy' Season 3 Review: Ramy Youssef's Comical, Rich Look At Muslim Family Life Is The Best One Yet - The Playlist - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]