Is Canada More Progressive Than The USA?
I'm thoroughly disgusted with the American electorate. I thought there were signs of hope that Americans could get past the right-wing appeals to racism, xenophobia and scapegoating minorities, but the electorate fell for it, big time.
I've lived through the miserable reign of the Rethugs during the eras of Nixon, Reagan and Bush. I know there's a good chance that progressive ideals will come around again but, at my age, I don't have the patience to wait for it.
So now I'm seriously considering emigrating to Canada. I've been to Quebec and Toronto and liked them very much, but as a visitor. I know Canada's prime minister is a conservative but I don't think the Canadian conservatives are as crazy right-wing as their American counterparts. I could be wrong, though - I just don't know enough about the Canadian political situation.
Anyone know if Canada is significantly more progressive than the US?
= new reply since forum marked as read
You talk to anyone in Alberta (which is where I live) and the VAST majority of people are cautious about the tar sands...even people whose livelihoods rely on it. Very few people are climate change deniers - they are marginalized and laughed at. And Alberta invests quite a lot in renewable energy, seeing as we have tons of wind and sun (there are quite a few wind farms just out of the foothills near the Rockies) And in every other way most conservatives here are to the left of most dems...except for the religious nuts who are pretty much laughed at. Religious conservatives are a very tiny minority among conservatives here...even in Alberta's 'bible belt'. Most Albertans believe in universal health care and would fight to protect it. We don't have any health care premiums here, and all necessary health care services are free at the point of service. Most Albertans are pro-gay rights and pro-multiculturalism. Even our most conservative premier on record said about abortion when anti-choice activists tried to push him to change legislations, "Abortion should be between a woman, her doctor and her god". Many people are also very pro-universal child care and even though we don't have it when my youngest was in childcare more than 50% of the costs were subsidized for me for being low income.
At any rate, Alberta is moving further to the left as we welcome many immigrants who tend to lean left.
And other provinces are significantly to the left of Alberta. I lived in BC for quite some time. Certain things that are privatized in Alberta are government run in BC - motor vehicle insurance, liquor stores and utilities. BC regularly elects NDP governments (although the Liberals were in most of the time I lived there and they are pretty conservative for being called Liberal) which is a far left party. Many other provinces do as well.
Canada might have Stephen Harper in power right now, but official opposition is a party that, until recently, had "socialism" in their party constitution (now they say something about "social democratic and democratic socialist traditions"
.
There is no way, in a million years, you could tell me that Canada is as conservative as the US. Even with Harper in charge. It's not even a contest.
