I believe Canadians have hit the wall.

The other day I was reading the Globe and Mail when I saw the following quote, “Canada’s richest province Alberta, would rank 14th among U.S. states. The poorest five provinces now rank among the six poorest jurisdictions in North America. Ontario ranks just ahead of Alabama. British Columbia is poorer than Kentucky”. 

I know things are bad in this country, but when you see it so starkly pointed out it’s downright scary. 

We have a federal government that is ideologically based. They have an agenda and they appear blind to the wreckage they will leave in their wake. Because of this federal government, Canada is projected to have the slowest growth per capita in Gross Domestic Product among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development country by 2060. This means we are on course to being one of the world’s poorer advanced economic countries .

How has this happened under our noses? I believe it’s happened over a period with this government slowly taking away our rights and freedoms for the sake of their ideology. It was so slow and insidious that we didn’t see it coming. Only now that interest rates, grocery prices, housing, rent, and utilities are through the roof and hitting the average citizen in the pocketbook, are people are waking up. When you can’t heat your home and eat in the same week, someone’s ideology becomes another’s nightmare.

I believe the systematic loss of our rights took place on four fronts. 

First is overreach of powers. Governments may pass laws that grant them excessive powers, allowing for the infringement of individual rights. These laws could include broad surveillance measures, arbitrary detention, or restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. The expansion of these powers can lead to a gradual erosion of civil liberties, as the government’s authority becomes increasingly unchecked.

Second there is a normalization of restrictions. When governments enact legislation that curtails certain rights or freedoms, it can set a precedent for future restrictions. Over time, these restrictions can become normalized, making it easier for further encroachments on individual liberties. This gradual erosion can go unnoticed until a significant shift has occurred, resulting in a diminished scope of personal freedoms.

Third the interpretation of legislation and policies can evolve over time, allowing governments to broaden their reach and impact on individual liberties. Ambiguous language or loopholes in laws can be exploited to expand the government’s authority, eroding rights that were initially protected. This incremental erosion can occur without significant public scrutiny or awareness.

Forth, you see a changing political landscape. Shifts in political ideology or the rise of authoritarian regimes can lead to the erosion of individual liberties. Governments may exploit crises or public fear to justify the enactment of restrictive policies, presenting them as necessary for security or stability. Over time, these measures can become deeply ingrained in the political landscape, making it difficult to reverse the erosion of rights and freedoms.

It is crucial for Canadians to remain vigilant and hold our governments accountable for their actions to prevent the gradual erosion of individual liberties. Active engagement in the democratic process, advocacy for transparent and accountable governance, and a commitment to upholding constitutional rights can help mitigate the potential erosion of individual liberties over time.

I believe Canadians have hit the wall. I believe ideology works, until the reality of those policies makes it impossible to live. I believe people change when their eyes are open to the reality this country is in. 

If the polls are right, change is coming, but my worry is that we are so far down the poverty line, we won’t be able to fix it in this generation!