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America’s far right is operating in Canada. Why don’t we consider that foreign interference?

Opinion | America’s far right is operating in Canada. Why don’t we consider that foreign interference?

https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2023/07/02/americas-far-right-is-operating-in-canada-why-dont-we-consider-that-foreign-interference.html

By focusing solely on China or Russia and other state actors, Canada is missing the potentially far more troubling forces that proved so disruptive during last year’s convoy protest, Susan Delacourt writes.

Opinion | America’s far right is operating in Canada. Why don’t we consider that foreign interference?

41 comments

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pieplot

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Let’s not pretend that racist or xenophobic people don’t exist in Canada. Ignoring them would be a very dangerous thing to do, Canadians don’t need external influence to be racist.

vonnegutflora

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The external influence sure helps galvanize people though.

pieplot

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Of course, but this is true for any political movement, even if it’s the one you’re rooting for. It’s a bit far fetched, but would you say that leftist people in Canada are strongly getting influenced by people like Bernie Sanders and AOC and that it should be considered foreign interference?

vonnegutflora

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I mean, I would make the argument that Canadian media isn't being bought by leftist ownership groups from the US in the same way as, for example, Postmedia has almost monopolized Canadian newspapers through American right wing ownership. Major media seems like a more direct and present form of political influence than a more natural spread through observation like what I believe you're describing.

pieplot

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Yep I can agree on this point, you’re right.

psvrh

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...would you say that leftist people in Canada are strongly getting influenced by people like Bernie Sanders and AOC and that it should be considered foreign interference?

No, because Sanders and Cortez would be centrists to mildly leftist in Canada. Half the Liberal party, most of the Bloc and all of the NDP are well to the left of Sanders.

Only in the US, where the Overton window is from "mildly corporatist neoliberalism" to "full-throated fascism" do people like Sanders seem at all radical.

kent_eh

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True, but having that fringe minority amplified by louder and better funded outside influences isn't improving the situation.

zephyreks

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Sure, but at least then it can be internal.