Does Feminism Prevent War?
An Honest Question...
Looking forward to Team Jagmeet leadership training tonight on ZOOM -- our nation has never needed a federal breakthrough for the NDP more than now, and this time we will make it happen: Jagmeet Singh will be the first NDP Prime Minister of Canada, an honor that was previously likely for Jack Layton, before cancer took him from us too early, like it took my own father.
I could sense that something was different when I first joined NDP campaigns for Singh during COVID, finally touching electoral politics with a ten foot pole, just as my mother could sense something was different when she finally voted for the first time in her life, and Bob Rae became the first NDP Premier of Ontario -- normally I was not allowed military toys or to watch city hall -- she was a Hippie who wanted me to grow up into a pacifist and not a liar.
Meanwhile, Chrystia Freeland, as with Hilary Clinton before her in another country, must be denied the dubiously presumptive honor of becoming the first female national leader elected in this country. (Kim Campbell was appointed, not elected.)
And it's not for any lack of enthusiasm for the narrative of installing finally-female leaders that I say this: I spent years in student politics struggling to try to convince all the smartest women to run for office and become the first elected female leader of my student group to serve a full term -- it took years to convince anyone female to even run, and years later in 'real' politics, I was relieved when, in a team effort, we ended up appointing Marit Stiles over Joel Harden. (Long story.)
But this time it is different--it is more like it was with Hilary Clinton, for both Hilary and Chrystia are authoritarian lady warhawks who give little credit to the idea that men and religion cause war, meaning supposedly that atheist feminism, therefore, will cause world peace. Well I'm still waiting, and Freeland is neither my idea of a feminist, NOR a pacifist, and she certainly isn't honest in the slightest. So line up and fight for the NDP this election season: it's our only hope to avoid a collapse into a two-party system, or worse, a one-party duopoly.
John Mearshimer tells us that we are becoming a tripolar world, and so much the better. I also observe that in the US we have a real chance of a thee party-system emerging, which is the best we can hope for at this stage of that game. And as I remarked the other day:
"More parties is more choice, and hence more consent of the governed. Ranked ballots is more choice, and hence more consent of the governed."
The same could be said for other recent spates of authoritarian governance -- tune in next time for more on THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED -- Peacefully Yours, Adam Golding
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