Canada’s Media Establishment Is Afraid the NDP Will Shift Left
The recent NDP convention passed several important left-wing motions, and Canada’s conservative pundits lined up to ridicule the prospect of a left turn by Jagmeet Singh’s party. Beneath the bluster, they’re clearly worried that left ideas have the potential to gain wide support.
Last week’s New Democratic Party convention has alarmed liberal and conservative pundits. (Jagmeet Singh / Twitter)
Last week’s New Democratic Party (NDP) convention seems to have alarmed liberal and conservative pundits. The number of left-wing members at the convention was higher than before, and they managed to win support for several important resolutions.
The ensuing reportage told us more about Canada’s media landscape than about the NDP itself. The Canadian punditocracy has scoffed at the influx of left-wing energy, offering patronizing advice or grade-school red-baiting.
For all their bluster and dismissive comments, these establishment voices clearly don’t believe that what happened at the convention was inconsequential. Reading between the lines, we can see they’re worried that left-wing ideas have the potential to catch on, with the pandemic and the economic crisis exposing the failings of the status quo.
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