Growing up in Canada I think maybe conservative meant something slightly different from Republican, or maybe not. Back not that long ago, couple decades maybe, conservative went by the name Progressive Conservative in Canada, as that was more akin to their flavour, fiscally conservative with some socialist features. Liberal in Canada, again not quite the same as Democrat, but means more fiscally liberal with the purse strings with regard to more socialist ideas. Then of course, Canada has a third party, the NDP – New Democratic Party – which are socialist full stop.

We use them kind of like a, em, threat, kind of fall back, the NDP get dragged into leadership when the other two boondoggles the country, they step in and spread out their socialist blankeys and some of us sing kumbaya, the conservatives go apeshite yelling how the sky is falling, whilst the liberals struggle back up on their high horse.

I suppose that sums up politics in Canada, somewhat, a rough sketch.

Though, here too, that new type of conservative has creeped onto the scene, with that mythology of the evil socialist bent on destroying the universe, freeing the cows, with their elitist climatic fantasies, riding off into the sunset in their crappy electric cars. That new conservative desire to maintain the aristocracy of filthy rich cohorts, their corporate friends who fuel their burgeoning bank accounts. This bunch so fearful to have the average Jo with the reins of power that they would lie, cheat and squander millions to prevent, in the hopes of perhaps even gaining their fondest wish, the power of supreme governance once given to a monarch.

This type of conservative bares little resemblance to the ones I knew back in the day, the ones my fore bearers voted for. I come from Progressive Conservative country, generations of farmers, stretching out along those fading rural routes back a couple hundred years, simple, salt of the earth, fair and honest and kind – though not willing to sell the farm for a farce, not willing to buy into a fancy or unnecessary notion.

Now that sort are fading, in some areas completely gone, and so the populace that once looked to them for leadership searched around and came up blank. Over time, with that new conservative tea party crew and their white nationalist ideologies seeping up from across the 49th, that fear-mongering the republican machine punted out to the masses began to sound right, and our politics was changed forever.

So, they have begun to come for our healthcare, they come for our social programs, they come for our welfare, they distrust the needy, and believe we must take from the poor to feed to the rich, take power away from those average Jo’s, cause what do they know? Peasant, servant, worker alike must pay their own way, silly, handouts are only for the rich. And, of course, all those unworthy foreigners with different coloured faces are taking all their jobs.

You know, for the longest time now I was really very confused as to how all these people could be so heartless, how they could so selfishly strip away services built in to our communities, to protect and assist the most vulnerable, to give those in need a leg up, to ensure those who had fallen on hard times didn’t fall too far. Programs that were put in place to provide everyone with healthcare, and a good education to ensure the children have the tools they will need to succeed, regardless of how much wealth you have or what colour your skin is.

Today, I watch as so much of that is being stripped away by conservative movements across North America, ensuring the future wealth of the aristocratic few who run the show.

So, I found this video on YouTube that got me up to speed on what this new conservative movement was really about.

The video speaks about “the maintaining of social hierarchies”, and the thinking that people are “fundamentally unequal”, and how this movement “likes the free market because it sorts people according to their worth” – all things I had seen but really didn’t understand and could not adequately articulate so succinctly; it gave me that AHA moment.

Which is fundamentally why so many approve of Trump, corrupt narcissist or not, he is worthy solely due to his wealth and strongman personality, willing to put those upstarts back in their place and return to the status quo of white privilege, blocking those unworthy, due to their race, religion or creed.

Seeing this movement from this new vantage point, I see the twisted reasoning of how so many can be in favour of taking away affordable healthcare to 20 million, or tax breaks for the rich that generally doesn’t benefit them, or locking children in cages – they don’t care – they believe maintenance of the aristocracy, the wealthy, they believe it is ALL in their best interest.

And oh how I would like to shake them, scream in their face how these elitist pigs care not one smidgen for them, that they are being had, and all their racist rhetoric and dog whistle social policies from a time best left in the past, for everyone’s sake. My mouth is bleeding from biting my tongue.

All these ideologies born of hate that fueled 2 world wars, that we still struggle with today, blow up into full-blown terrorism within synagogues and mosques alike, and didn’t we already learn these lessons? Hate born of fear and ignorance weaken us all, divide us, and conquer us, taking away the very things that fueled all the many achievements over the last century.

So I guess you’re less worthy to their mind if you are not wealthy, unworthy if you are sick, unworthy if you are in a multi-generational poverty cycle, unworthy if you are disabled, a foreign family seeking security from a hostile homeland, unworthy, and get back to where you belong – THAT is the world they want?

Sadly, I’m afraid so.