Letter: ‘Socialist’ has been misdefined and hijacked by the Poilievre-led Conservative Party
By Letter to the Editor on February 18, 2025.
Dear editor, The word “socialist” has become an undeserved electioneering slur used by the Conservative Party of Canada and Medicine Hat-Cardston Warner MP Glen Motz. I consider CPC Leader Pierre Poilievre’s political speech equating socialism with Naziism at the recent 80th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, to be unstatesmanlike and very poor form. In simple terms, socialists want to increase people’s quality of life by sharing basic life necessities like food, housing, and healthcare. I contend these are worthy goals. Motz says Poilievre is clear in his commitment to historical accuracy ensuring Canadians understand the dangers of totalitarianism in all its forms. They believe the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party) was, simply because the word appeared in its name, rooted in socialism while implementing a brutal authoritarian regime. I strongly agree with Motz that the Holocaust is something we Canadians should never forget. But, was the Nazi party “rooted in socialism,” or did Hitler abuse the word in his party’s title to soften his party’s image to the German workers and usurp absolute political power? In 2004, Tommy Douglas was voted the Greatest Canadian, especially for his hard-won and now cherished victory to get universal health care for all Canadians. Douglas was a socialist and proud of it. I think the CPC knows it can make political hay off making “socialist” a pejorative term and they will denigrate the social achievements of previous Canadians that make our country the world’s best place to live to get ballot box victory. Yoked to Poilievre’s simple three-word simplistic slogans, such semantic subterfuge will likely succeed. I don’t think Poilievre is an authoritarian despot-in-waiting but, tossing aspersions is fair play in love and war, and the CPC sure wants to win the next federal election war. Ray Marco Dunmore 13-12
Great comments Ray. The former conservative MLAs that I knew constantly warned us about these Reformers pointing out that they aren’t interested in looking after the well-being of all Canadians only themselves and the rich, and that’s exactly what we have seen. Deliberately destroying any good previous governments have created for the people.
Like Ralph Klein, Reformers only interested in forcing the people into a lot more privatization to replace the money they are helping the rich steal from the people like their oil and corporate tax wealth, and filling their friends pockets in the process. In an effort to force Albertans into a lot more privatization of healthcare Smith has created a disaster she can’t get out of. Comparing us seniors to Nazis for daring to get vaccinated against COVID was another stupid stunt. Nine of us got COVID after having 4 shots and know they saved our lives because the fools who listened to her and didn’t are all dead.
Poilievre as a member of the Stephen Harper Reform Party Government helped him put Canada in financial ruin by cutting taxes for the rich, just like he is promising to do again, helped Harper lie about the Income Trust Investments that cost Canadians $31 billion, many were our fellow Conservatives, including family members, they didn’t care. Then they tried to destroy our Public Health Care System by cutting $36 billion dollars off the transfer payments to the provinces, and it got Trudeau elected.
People who supported Smith are now wishing they hadn’t so why would you give Poilievre another chance at financially destroying us when we know he will try. In true Reform Party Fashion he is promising to destroy what Conservatives created for the good of the people in the Carbon Tax and the CBC.
While oil executives tell us the Carbon Tax is the cheapest, most effective way to fight Global Warming and 26 other countries agree and have adopted it. These Reformers feed us the lie that it will financially destroy us so why hasn’t it in Sweden where it’s been in place since 1991 and the people know it works, and why is it working well in British Columbia where it’s been in place since 2008. Mark Carney thinks he can come up with a better formula by we don’t think he can. We know we are receiving more money in rebates than what we are paying out and that’s helping some people who desperately need it so why let Poilievre destroy it?