Ideas have consequences and words are approximations for ideas. Canada's 'social democrats'/'democratic socialists'/ NDP/ New Democrats/official opposition/Jack Layton's New Democrats know this well as they consider the tantalizing prospect of political power in this age of celebrity and media ubiquitousness.
I remember once hearing this epithet tossed at a political fence sitter: "He who stands for nothing will fall for anything!" Truer words were never said. And yet political parties are prodded to move to the centre, to straddle the centre in order to achieve political power. What is this centre?
For the most part it is a mushy, barren wasteland where ideas and their application flit from trend to trend, following fickle public opinion. Don't raise taxes opines the public. But don't cut programs. Oh, and spend more on health care! This is the fuzzy middle. Sometimes there are shades of grey, but there is a danger in emphasizing this. Many of the rioters in Vancouver last week probably fell prey to this 'fuzzy middle of shades of grey' as they looted and vandalized the city.
The NDP should hold true to their values. People before profits. Democracy yes, but with a social bent, not a market capitalist bent.
The Conservatives should hold true to their values. Freedom benefits people and markets. Relatively free markets benefit people more than government intervention. There are stark contrasts between the parties.
This is good. What I always despised about the Liberal Party was their fuzziness. 'We believe what you believe. We believe in Canadian values.
We believe in Liberal values." What does this mean?! I hope the NDP doesn't succumb to this Liberal temptation to appease the fuzzy middle.
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