Just over a year out from Canada’s next federal election, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, well ahead in the polls, is leaning into the ridiculous tradition of labeling political opponents “communists.” This tactic has a long history — starting with the Duke of Wellington painting his opponents as “radicals” in the early nineteenth century, continuing through the Red Scare hysteria, and reaching its peak with McCarthy-era fears of communism lurking everywhere. Following in this tradition, Poilievre has taken to calling his political opponents “wackos” and decrying the dangers of communism and socialism, neither of which he seems to understand. But understanding, of course, isn’t the point.
Last week, Poilievre took a shot at Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter/X. Linking to the Conservative Party website, Poilievre wrote, “Sign here to have a Prime Minister who doesn’t admire basic communist dictatorships” above an image featuring a picture of Karl Marx along with the words “how to do communism.”
The origin of the jab is a 2013 quotation from Trudeau, in which he expressed admiration for China’s “basic dictatorship,” saying it “is actually allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.”
In June, Poilievre took a shot at Trudeau after the government sent a patrol ship to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban government to celebrate the long-standing bilateral relationship between Canada and Cuba. Poilievre called the move “reckless, radical & dangerous,” noting with horror that the Canadian vessel was sharing anchorage with a Russian ship. For anyone who was disinclined to think about the matter for more than two seconds, Poilievre likely persuaded them that it was proof the prime minister “wasn’t kidding when he said he admires communist dictatorships.”
The latest image shared by Poilievre depicts a cycle with a series of arrows in a circle, starting with “rob…
La suite est à lire sur: jacobin.com
Auteur: David Moscrop
