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the_essayist 4 points ago +4 / -0

The Maritime Provinces are really not in a great shape, economically speaking. From my experience, people from the East Coast are pretty reliant on government aid and big federal investments (like the shipyards, or coal power plants for jobs). It's brilliant, really - the easiest way to secure votes is to impoverish the people and then offer them government support.

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Magacraft 2 points ago +2 / -0

Yea I'm no a Canada expert, just spent a lot of time there and agree with that. Those areas do seem to be in a strong recession for a while now. A notable thing about the Canadian far left is that they seem very Canadian patriotic and love their government where as USA far left hates their country.

I don't know why USA leftists don't just move to Canada to be honest, and let the USA be an experiment in freedom and capitalism. The immigration seems reasonable/possible and it's pushing the policies and ideologies that the left loves.

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the_essayist 5 points ago +5 / -0

Maybe I can explain. For context, Canada in general is far more economically and industrially underdeveloped relative to the USA. For reference, there are more Californians than there are Canadians - that one State has a population larger than this entire country.

There are 4 major political parties here in Canada: the Conservatives, the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc.

For some more context: the Liberal Party has basically been the de-facto incumbent party. Traditionally, the Conservatives have been associated with 'royalists', leading to an underappreciated Anglo-French tension. This tension is espoused in the Bloc Quebecois. I can't even begin to describe Bloc leanings, but they're like left-wing nationalists who want a sovereign Quebec. The Libs have (traditionally) been associated with 'federalists', and 'helped' bridge the Anglo-French gap.

The NDP (far-left party) emerged from the Prairies around the 50s, and were basically trade unionists and farmers who were tired of the 'Establishment'. They've never won federally, but every time they 'win' a provincial election, they turn the province into an absolute shitshow and get run out of office. Also, NDP supporters tend to vote Liberal in federal elections to block out Conservatives.

So with those pieces of information, I think we can start to make sense of your observations. Atlantic Canada (think fishermen) and Prairie Canada (think farmers) - good, hardworking people - tend to vote Liberal/NDP because those parties have historically supported them.

Unfortunately, since Trudeau, the country's gone to hell, and I’m doing my utmost to get out. It's literally the Democratic Nightmare up here: open up the floodgates to refugees and immigrants, and their extended families (thank God we have ""free"" healthcare! when everyone gets healthcare, no one gets healthcare!), sell off real estate and all of our natural resources to Chinese corporations, take away any opportunity to buy a gun, crank up taxes to ~60% (not that it matters, our currency isn’t worth much to begin with– $1 CAD = 80 cents USD, so you’re taking a 20% haircut right off the bat)…but, as I’m in higher education, by far the worst part is the indoctrination in the schools. They’re teaching kids to hate this country from elementary school – that our entire history is reduced to ‘Canadians committing genocide against indigenous peoples’. We have to start every lecture on campus with a ‘land acknowledgement’ – that the land we’re on was unjustly taken from the tribe du jour. This is what gets me the most – my ancestors have been in Quebec (plot twist) since the 16th fucking century. I have equal parts ‘native’ and Quebecois blood running through my veins - and you’re telling me that I have no right to live in these lands? Because this land was ‘stolen’ from a tribe, who (ironically enough) stole it from the previous tribe after slaughtering them all. Get the fuck out of my country. That’s justice, not an atrocity.

Sorry for the essay – I’m sure you can relate, it’s something that strikes a nerve with me. As to your second point, I created my account immediately after watching President Trump’s Georgia rally; my first post was something along the lines of HOW CAN I BECOME AMERICAN. I can’t tell you what I’d give to trade places with some enlightened Democrat from Houston. Maybe one day…

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Magacraft 3 points ago +3 / -0

Inspiring story, we're definitely taught here that the whole world hates us and fancy elites have no problem throwing the USA under the bus to win social points in their circles. I felt completely alienated here by just a tsunami of self loathing and unpatriotism until the maga movement in 2016.

My world view tends to break all politics down into an American idea of left vs right, I suppose Freedom vs authoritarian in terms 1A 2A and censorship or America vs China in terms of globalism. I often miss the nuance and this was very interesting to read. I suppose Trudeau is the catalyst but is brought to power by communities historic voting patterns. Perhaps similar to union democrats in New England although those are flipping to Trump I think now where as Canada's left equivalent seems to be digging in deeper. Maybe also it's similar to baby boomers voting dem by connecting it to their glory days in the late 60s.

I know exactly what you mean from my time in Canada how indigenous people are used as the crux of all arguments the same as how African American's are used here. I know how frustrating that can be. With hope America can pull out of this nose dive and lift up Canada with it. You're more of a patriot than a large chunk of American's so I'd approve that move if I could. Very interesting information, thanks for sharing!