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Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden
I'm happy to talk specifics.
Point 1. With respect to Bill 6. The bill was not poorly received because of it's intent but in the way that it was constructed and delivered. For one the Bill at first delivery did not have a nuanced understanding of how farms operate. Which leads to the most important criticism, which is that it was crafted without any formal, or informal consultation. The sensitivity around this is largely due to the fact that farms are not just livelihoods, but peoples homes. Farm safety of course is no small concern, you'd be hard pressed to find a family who have not felt the impact. rural schools, special interest groups and the like work hard to promote farm safety through education and support. The dissatisfaction with the bill again, was because the bill lacked clarity and nuance. Farmers are no strangers to having their work legislated. Indeed, there is a great deal more regulation and administration around paying employees. It was the confusion, and again lack of consultation surrounding unpaid workers that caused frustration. The political environment continues to lack nuance with efforts to reduce carbon by taxing beef production, this ignores a more nuanced understanding of the environment which works to balance carbon pollution, with biodiversity. Soy of course is less water and carbon intensive, but kills all the wild flowers. again these legislations create a great deal of anxiety because it is not just your lively hood but your home, and in the case of most farmers the home of your ancestors.
Point 2. Search the word rural in the Alberta politics forum and try quote one nice thing said. Maybe you've got a point that this is all about "feelies" but it ain't nice. Of course the NDP have not formally insulted my intelligence, but many of their volunteers ( according to the thread) have.
Point 3. I would prefer not to speak in specifics, as to give up my location and occupation. No less, our representative shows up to fundraisers and gives support. When I have needed help, they have shown up. It is in rural communities as much about the individual as the party, again this maybe different in cities.
Which leads to the point about epistemologies. These are frameworks of knowledge of which we apply information to. In short a world view. I have a different world view than you, and that it okay. It is because we live in different world. All the same there is common ground, as a socialist I work to find it with my neighbors everyday. Maybe we could do the same.
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Thanks for the response. This is all my initial post meant, bring the receipts.
I can see their point, even if I disagree with it. With regards to the farmers, it seems to me that they protested the initial bill, and mostly from a lack of clarity and a propaganda push from the Wildrose, but the NDP took action accordingly, rectified the issue and promised to do better in the future.. I am still not understanding how this was all done in bad faith?
The problem with the intelligence insulting is there are so much variation in groups. I spent 4 years in the Alberta Government thread getting called the same stupid for agreeing with the NDP policies, hell I still get it today "only a moron would agree with that". So it's not really something the NDP or the supporters are doing in isolation.
I get number 3, but are the NDP candidates not part of the community? Do people not think they will also show up to events and fundraisers? And I think it is similar in the city, just the fact that it was Rachel herself that dropped off my lawn sign just was a good feeling of being represented. And I know in smaller communities that feeling is even more intense
Pylon made some good points earlier too. I don't agree with them, but I see them as active policy points where the UCP meets his needs. I don't doubt there are a lot of people voting UCP because they match their priorities. But the vast majority of responses I have seen or heard is "communism", "venezuala", "death to O&G", "free conversion therapy!", "Trudeau-Singh alliance" and regardless of the facts these things are just parroted and at the very least makes it seem like people don't care about facts and only want to give themselves the good feels for pwning the libs.