This flag day is certainly different. The threats of economic coercion from Trump and his gang of oligarchs are meant to intimidate and divide Canadians and subjugate Canada to the will of the US regime. Instead they have ignited a surge of patriotism rarely seen in Canada.
Inevitably some voices argue for appeasement or at least negotiation but as Churchill once said, “You cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth.” And as he said of appeasers, invoking yet another predator, “They hope if they feed the crocodile enough, it will eat them last.”
In any case most Canadians seem to understand that this is a time to stand up for Canada and fight for our sovereign right to shape our own destiny, to say no to bullying, to stare down the threats even as we understand the risks. To cite one more wise soul, Bob Marley, “We never know how strong we are until being strong is our only choice.”
We can also draw some lessons on how to build the Canada we want as we witness the unraveling of democracy in the US and the assault on democracies everywhere, indeed the assault on the idea of democracy. We are seeing the damaging consequences of plutocracy in which a few individuals and corporations accumulate so much wealth and power that they can shape and pollute public discourse, subvert public institutions for their own purposes, influence world affairs, including war, and accumulate yet more wealth and power. We are seeing how paralyzing it is when the tools for self-governing, taxes, regulations, the state itself are demeaned and undermined. We are seeing the damage to the planet, putting our civilization at risk, when private interests trump the need to preserve the commons. We are seeing the great human costs of using hate and division to advance a political agenda. We are seeing the importance of robust inclusive democracy and strong countervailing institutions – unions, civil society organizations, social movements, an independent judiciary, a free and independent press – to keep government in check, and the damage that results when the guardrails are removed. We are seeing up close the importance of international cooperation for climate action, for human rights, for peace and security, and the high costs when cooperation, always tenuous, is replaced by chaos and menace.
Equality, inclusion, sustainability, solidarity –that’s what’s needed not simply to defend democracy but to build the democracy we need, in our politics, in our workplaces, in our everyday lives. This is a time for building public power, for collective enterprise, for revitalizing industrial policy, for developing new forms of public ownership, for environmental stewardship and resolute action on the climate crisis, for strengthening the care economy, for building the social, cultural and economic infrastructure for a more resilient Canada, for advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, for taking the lead in forging a new internationalism and at least pulling our weight in international alliances.
Over 70,000 Canadians have so far signed the Canada pledge calling on our leaders – federal, provincial, Indigenous, municipal – to work together and engage Canadians to fight the threats and fight for the Canada we need. Add your voice. Happy Canada Flag Day.
Support rabble today!
We’re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year.
rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today.
Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you’ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet.
Become a rabble rouser — donate to rabble.ca today.
Nick Seebruch, editor
