Monday, July 03, 2006

North American Politics: A Continental Shift

With the news that Mexicans may have narrowly elected another Conservative as their new president, a result that is now being challenged by the leftist candidate who supposedly lost by just 1%, liberals ought to be encouraged by the realization that the entire North American continent is surely within our grasp.

Late last year Canada's Conservative party took power, but the resulting votes amounted to a ruling party that only acquired minority status, placing it in a position where it is forced to compromise with left-leaning parties in order to fulfill its agenda. It's a party on a political tightrope that must be maneuvered carefully.

And, of course, we're all familiar with the political divide in the United States, where Bush either won or stole power in 2004.

What all of these trends show are not only the deep divides between the right and left, but hope that if left-wingers use wise strategies - in some cases as simple as maximizing get out the vote efforts - the continent can be retaken.

In Canada, the Liberal government fell because it had been rocked by a financial scandal. In 2000, Clinton's party lost because Americans had become distrustful of the president's party due to the Monica Lewinsky affair. Both countries also faced the reality that a restless public seems to have only enough tolerance for a national political party to actually hold power for approximately one decade. At that point many governments, despite their political leanings, tend to become lazy and arrogant. Such are the ebbs and tides of power.

However, the strong leftist showing in Mexico which (according to my limited knowledge of the political situation there) was a result of having lived under a Conservative president who was unable to fulfill his promises of better working and living conditions for his people. Conservatives tend to do the bare minimum, if anything at all, to address the welfare of their citizens who are most in need - relying instead on market conditions and trickle down tax cuts for the rich to solve all of the social ills. Thus, Mexico is ripe for another political revolution and if the new Conservative candidate has indeed won, he will face a very demanding public that will no longer tolerate extreme poverty and unemployment. Any country's leader faced with those circumstances sits in a very tenuous position.

What are we to make of all of this then? I think it's crucial to highlight the immense opportunities the left has been handed. First of all, we can't quite conclude that conservatism is dead. But it appears that the philosophy may, in fact, be on life support. Conservatives, by their very nature, tend to stick with outdated modes of governance which are painfully slow to change. The left, on the other hand, prefers innovation and new ideas. And when all three countries now exist in such a state of flux regarding issues like debt, social equality, judicial fairness, open democracy, freedom, less tolerance for wars, and a desire to actually trust those in power once again, now is a prime moment for the left to gain prominence again.

All three countries face individualized conditions, but the overall trend towards envisioning more liberal societies that practice tolerance and compassion seems to have reached a convergence point on the continent. That's a force that cannot be ignored or taken for granted, especially since we are all now more interconnected than ever.

The political situation therefore seems to be one of encouragement for people who espouse liberal values and who recognize that the old ways are no longer valid. In all three countries, the left-wing only requires a small number of extra votes in order for its leaders to regain power and that ought to be met with excitement when we realize that we are all so close to living in the type of society we feel would truly benefit all citizens. We have not been defeated if our spirits can continue to soar and if we make competent, realistic decisions along our paths.

There is hope.

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