It’s not all bigotry. George F. Will, in his Oct. 22 op-ed, “Our politics today echo 1968′s George Wallace,” noted that the mass basis of the Republican Party, since Richard M. Nixon’s “Southern strategy”, is tapping into voters disaffected by the Democratic Party’s support for civil rights.
Politics
Opinion | The economic basis of racial politics – The Washington Post
Generally overlooked, going back to the pre-Civil War period, is that there are two types of racism: racism of exploitation and racism of competition. Racism of exploitation is all too clear in the case of slavery, but it continued during Jim Crow, in sharecropping and, most important, in the political power of excluding African American voters and appealing to the fears and prejudices of poorer White voters — as exemplified by Bob Dylan’s “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” about the assassination of Medgar Evers.
Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s appeal to White voters, including in the nonsegregated North, which Mr. Will described, was the racism of competition. Apologists for slavery to this day claim that the Free Soil movement was racist, seeking to exclude African Americans, whether enslaved or free, from the Northern states because of fear of competition from African Americans bringing down wages and employment opportunities. More recently, Republicans have added opposition to competition from immigrants. The Republican Party, borrowing from Nixon and Ronald Reagan, overlaid this with resentment by working-class and lower-middle-class Whites to paying taxes to support welfare-type aid for minorities and immigrants — even though Whites are the largest single group using these benefits.
Only by understanding the economic basis of racial politics can we see beyond divisive charges of bigotry.
James Kelly, Ellicott City
Politics
NDP caving to Poilievre on carbon price, has no idea how to fight climate change: PM
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Politics
Quebec consumer rights bill to regulate how merchants can ask for tips
Quebec wants to curb excessive tipping.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Politics
Youri Chassin quits CAQ to sit as Independent, second member to leave this month
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
-
Sports22 hours ago
Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3
-
Sports22 hours ago
Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals
-
Sports22 hours ago
Stampeders return to Maier at QB eyeing chance to get on track against Alouettes
-
News22 hours ago
Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal
-
News22 hours ago
26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast
-
News4 hours ago
k.d. lang gets the band back together for Canadian country music awards show
-
News22 hours ago
Longtime PC MPP Lisa MacLeod announces she will not seek re-election
-
News20 hours ago
RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary