This week was overflowing with heartbreak from the tragic US election results, but some little bits of light on the fediverse were heartening.
Looking on at the US from Nova Scotia leaves me full of grief and worry for those who will suffer from things getting worse there and for those in other places where the election results will lead to more harm directly and from emboldening other fascists and conservatives.
Here we’re between two elections, with municipal elections just past and a snap provincial election campaign underway. A federal election will happen soon after this.
In municipal elections, my district was able to elect a progressive, community-focused, labour-endorsed candidate. She will be an improvement for us. A gross, conservative mayor was elected, however, and his push for austerity and classist rhetoric are worrying.
Provincially, the conservatives broke their own fixed election date law to force an election. I’m hopeful we will re-elect progressive, left-leaning candidates to represent us here in Halifax, but the conservatives are projected to hold on to power with the NDP becoming the official opposition as the Liberals collapse further.
Federally, the Liberals continue to move to the right while hemorrhaging support, and conservatives are leading in the polls. Halifax will hopefully return to electing good, leftist candidates to parliament, but I worry we will soon have the most extremely conservative Canadian government in generations.
Being invested in elections as a way to reduce harm and improve our lives is exhausting, especially when they come in quick succession with disappointing or frightening results like this.
I can completely understand the impulse to focus exclusively on mutual aid, especially in the absence of participatory government. I’ve witnessed the better electoral outcomes make tangible improvements in people’s lives. It’s never enough, but it does matter and I believe it is important to stay engaged as one part of the work we do to make things better.
Posted at https://cozymech.com/objects/6da48794-2210-4500-bf2f-4df717ac9d46
