Bombast Politics

 

Did you ever wonder why Donald Trump says something outrageous almost every day? Whether it’s at one of his rallies or at a news conference or interview, he will have something to say that stretches credulity or decorum. As long as there is a reporter, or better still, a news camera around, there he’ll be spouting his lies or exaggerations.

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
  - George Orwell

He does it because it ensures that he will be in the news the next day, preferably as the lead story. “At his rally last night, Donald Trump said . . .” He does it to drown out his opponent. He does it on purpose.

I call it bombast politics.  Being as bombastic, outrageous or loud as you can so you, and nobody else, gets heard. It is a style that Mr. Trump has mastered.  As someone once said, “Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all.”

“No man is exempt from saying silly things; the mischief is to say them deliberately.”
  - Michel de Montaigne

Unfortunately, we are seeing this same phenomenon of bombast politics being played out in Canada. In this case by Pierre Poilievre. The venues may be different, but the effect is the same.  In his case, it’s in the House of Commons, where he dominates Question Period, or in the inevitable news conference.  Remember when he would not attend any news conferences? Slam you opponent, call the government side any number of names, exaggerate the condition of the country. You know that there are reporters around and that CSPAN is always videoing your encounters. Better yet, get yourself silenced for a day, or even ejected from the chamber.  You know right away that you will the headline in the news cycle. Bombast politics.

Bombast politics does nothing to advance the business of the government. It presents no substantive ideas. It does not include any ideas on how to make things better. Does it not bother you that neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Poilievre have given us anything but vague promises about how they would do something different to address their perceived problems?  Bombast works; plans can come back to haunt you.

“It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem.”

  - Malcolm Forbes

Let’s silence bombast politics by not supporting it nor giving it anything but disdain.

Network

 

Recently, I watched the 1976 movie, Network.  It is quite a classic.  It stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duval. What got me thinking was the on-air exhortation by Peter Finch’s character, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” This was said during a news broadcast on a fictional television network.  He demands that people open their windows and shout that statement for the world to hear.  And apparently millions did.

Maybe it is time for us all to open our windows and yell, “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!”

Most of us, I believe, are what would be called middle of the road and pragmatic. It is not a bad place to be. We are reasonable people who do not adhere to any of the fringes in life.  But we are not being heard.  The extremists have silenced us.  But I say, it is time for us to “not take it anymore”.

So, let’s speak out:

-          To silence the extremists at both ends of the political, economic, and social spectrum.  Their voices are not our voices.

-          Against those who try to tell us what a horrible country Canada is. Canada is a wonderful place, one of the best democracies in the world and a country that is not afraid to acknowledge mistakes it has made.  How many other countries do you know that have undergone a truth and reconciliation process?

-          Against those who would, or threaten to, break the country apart.  Are you listening provincial governments?

-          Against those political leaders who would, and have, infringed on our rights.  The notwithstanding clause is being used for just that purpose. It can be used to take away all of our Charter rights.  It has to go.

-          Against those who spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. Be skeptical about these sorts of things and correct them when you can.

-          Against negativity of any sort. Negativity brings inaction which leads nowhere.

-          Against bias and discrimination of all types. Remember:

o   Most Muslims are not terrorists;

o   Jews do not control the world’s banks, nor do they carry out strange rituals;

o   Most African-Canadians are not criminals;

o   Asians did not cause SARS or COVID 19, it just happened to originate from there;

o   Most Indigenous people are not slovenly lay-abouts, but residential schools did do great damage to their society;

o   People of other political stripes are not the enemy;

o   Immigrants are not the problem.  The state of our country has caused most of the issues they are accused of;

o   Poor people did not choose to be that way; but

o   Most murders in Canada are perpetrated by white Christians so don’t be smug about your whiteness.

Respect of others goes a long way to heal rifts.

Each of us can reach out to others and in our own, hopefully respectful way, get the message across that we are in fact mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.