The Roots of Canada’s Ideological Tradition

What is the Ideological Tradition of Canadians?

W WE HAVE A CENTRIST TRADITION

     THE CENTRE SHIFTS OVER TIME - EX. HELPING THE POOR IS NOW MUCH MORE IN THE CENTER TODAY THAT IT WAS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY- THE SAME WITH THE TREATMENT & CONDITIONS OF JAILS- IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE CHANGE OR, INDEED, PROGRESS.

• THERE IS LEFT AND RIGHT IN OUR TRADITION- ACCEPTED AND THEY CAN INFLUENCE THE PATTERN OF POLITICAL EVENTS IN CANADA

• OUR TRADITION IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR AMERICAN NEIGHBOURS, THERE IS NOT INTOLERANCE FOR DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW LIKE IN THE UNITED STATESW

How does this Ideological Tradition affect Canada’s Political System?

        A CENTRAL MISSION STATEMENT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR CANADA- LITTLE IS CONSIDERED “UNCANADIAN”

       POLITICAL PARTIES ARE NOT COHERENT GROUPS BUT A CONFUSING MIXTURE OF BELIEFS & IDEAS AROUND GENERAL IDEAS

        ACHIEVING A NATIONAL CONSENSUS I.E. TO GAIN POWER REQUIRES AN IMAGE THAT ACCOMMODATES AS MUCH OF THE MIDDLE GROUND AS POSSIBLE.

        HENCE THERE IT IS HARD TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PARTIES AT TIMES IN OUR HISTORY

        REGIONAL PARTIES WITH SPECIFIC POLICIES WILL SUFFER A REGIONAL FATE- THEY WILL NOT GAIN NATIONAL SUCCESS- THE ALLIANCE PARTY MUST UNDERGO THIS CHANGE IN ORDER TO WIN ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL-CANNOT BE PERCIEVED AS TOO NARROW

        POLITICAL LEADERS CANNOT MOVE INTO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION UNTIL THE ELECTORATE IS READY- DO NOT MOVE WITHOUT THE CONSENSUS- EX. GOVERNMENT CUT BACKS WERE NOT ALLOWED FOR MULRONEY BUT GIVEN TO THE LIBERALS

        GENERIC ISSUES ARE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE- LAW AND ORDER, UNITY, NATION BUILDING        PERSONALITY OF THE LEADER CAN BE AN ASSET IN ELECTORAL VICTORY

Why do we have this ideological Tradition?

1.      HARTZIAN TRADTION

        ORIGINS OF IDEOLOGY IN EUROPE (EVOLUTIONARY)

        POINT OF DEPARTURE EXISTS FOR NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, ETC.

        BECOMES A IDEOLOGICAL FRAGMENT OF THE TIME OF THE DEPARTURE

        ONE IDEOLOGY GROWS FROM THE INTERACTION WITH THE PREVIOUS ONE

        EUROPE IS THE HOT BED OF IDEOLOGY BUT ONCE A SETTLEMENT LEAVES THE EUORPEAN INFLUENCE IT CUTS ITSELF OFF FROM THE REMAINING IDEOLOGIES

        CANADA WAS A TWO FRAGMENT SOCIETY –ENGLISH CANADA BEING REALLY AMERICAN LIBERAL WITH VERY MINOR DIFFERENCES FROM AMERICANS - FRENCH CANADA IS INDEED DIFFERENT

Why do we have this Ideological Tradition?

1.      HORIWITZ-         LIKES THE THESIS OF FRAGMENTS BUT NOT THE DOMINANCE OF AMERICAN LIBERALISM- IT DOES NOT MATCH

        POINT OF DEPARTURE WAS LATER AND THE POINT OF CONGEALMENT WAS LATER- THEREFORE IMMIGRANTS FROM EUROPE CAN BRING OVER LATER VERSIONS OF LIBERALISM, AND SOCIALISM AND NOT BE TREATED WITH SUCH HOSTILE INTOLERANCE- AS UN-AMERICAN

Why do we have this ideological Tradition?

1.      CHRISTIAN AND CAMPBELL

        POINT OF CONGEALMENT IS DIFFERENT AS WELL

      IMMIGRANTS COULD BRING OVER THEIR VIEWS FROM EUROPE AND HENCE BEFORE SOCIETY BECAME CEMENTED IN A CERTAIN TRADITION WE ACCEPTED MANY MORE IDEOLOGIES THAN AMERICA DID! 

Why do we have this ideological Tradition?

1.      LIPSET

        CANADA LACKS A REVOLUTIONARY TRADITION- WE HAVE NO AMERICAN REVOLUTION- WE HAVE TRIED TO SURVIVE BY PROTECTING OURSELVES FROM AMERICANS (AND HENCE WE HAD TO PROTECT THE FRENCH FROM THE ANGLOPHONES- WE UNDERSTOOOD THE NEED- WE CREATED A CONSERVATIVE, MONARCHIAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL SOCIETY IN NORTH AMERICA- THEY NEEDED GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE WHEREAS AMERICA, BE CAUSE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN PROTECTING ITSELF FROM THE BRITISH THREAT DID NOT- INDIVIDUALISM VERSUS COLLECTIVISM 

Canadian Political Party IdeologyLiberal

        TWO KEY IDEAS ARE A CONCERN FOR THE CONDITION OF THE INDIVIDUAL VERSUS AN ORGANIZED SOCIETY AND ENHANCING FREEDOM        HOW TO DO THIS FOLLOWED TWO PATTERNS- WELFARE LIBERALISM AND BUSINESS LIBERALISM

        WELFARE LIBERALISM SOUGHT TO PROMOTE THE STATE INTO AN ACTIVE ROLE TO PROTECT FREEDOM OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND ALLOWING THE INDIVIDUAL A CHANCE IN A BIG COMPLEX WORLD

        BUSINESS LIBERALISM- GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF BUSINESS WORLD- FREE TRADE- AND TO PROTECT BUSINESS INTERESTS OTHERWISE YOUR ECONOMY GOES DOWN AND THE BUSINESS OF CANADA’S GOVERNENT IS BUSINESS PROMOTION

Canadian Political Party IdeologyConservatives

        FOUR KEY IDEAS ARE TORYISM, NOSTALIGIA, HOSTILITY TO RAPID CHANGE AND BUSINESS LIBERALISM

        TORYISM- ORDERLY, STABLE. DEMOCRATIC- PEACE, ORDER AND GOOD GOVERNMENT

        NOSTALGIA AND CHANGE- SIMPLY MORE KEENLY FELT BY CONSERVATIVES

        BUSINESS LIBERALISM- JUST LIKE THE LIBERALS BUT THE CONSERVATIVE ALSO BELIEVED THERE WAS A ROLE FOR PUBLIC GOOD VERSUS PRIVATE FREEDOM- HENCE GEORGE GRANT’S LAMENT FOR A NATION- SEES THE TRIUMPH OF AMERICAN LIBERALISM AS THE END OF THE CANADIAN DREAM 

Canadian Political Party IdeologySocialism

        CHALLENGE CORPORATE POWER AND PRIVATE DECISION MAKING

        SENSE OF COMPASSION, SENSE OF COMMUNITY, SENSE OF EQUALITY-GUARANTEED EQUALITY

        IF WE LOSE THIS TRAIT THAT CONSERVATIVES SHARE WITH THEM IN A BASIC SENSE- THERE IS LOTS THAT THEY DIFFER ON- THEY AND CONSERVATIVES HAVE A SENSE OF COMPASSION- IF WE BECOME AMERICAN FULLY- AND ECONOMICS, OUR MEDIA, AND THE ROOTS THAT ALREADY EXIST, THEN WE WILL BEOME AMERICAN