First and foremost, Congratulations/Félicitations (+ “Mazal Tov”) to Ms. Annamie Paul for becoming the new Leader of the Green Party of Canada!
Not easy to fill the shoes a Ms. Elizabeth May. With all due respect to all the politicians of the world, the latter may be CUTEST/NICEST in terms of personality, according to Bambi’s non-expert citizen opinion… Not because she is a woman or of certain ethnolinguistic background or because of the large cross on her chest or her lifetime devotion to ecology (which is honourable) but simply because of one thing: Her personality. Period.
Ms. Paul may be as, or even more, competent than Ms. May. She may be as nice as well… or even nicer. Who knows? Of course, ideas/competence matter more than cuteness in politics! Ideas can contribute to improve our country or to destroy it.
Bambi’s comment is not about the potential of Ms. Paul as a leader of her party. It is about her as a symptom of our society than is rapidly moving in a dangerous direction. Bambi is saying this because of her civil war experiences and seeing her birth country currently suffering much from identity politics (it is sadly trapped in it!).
The difference with Canada is that the people of Lebanon want to free themselves from the chains of identity (or tribal) politics whereas Canadians seem to want to dive into this rhetoric, at least their political elites. Some use their own identity (or parts of their multiple identities) to advance careers, to score political points, or for virtue signalling.
By no means, Bambi is saying that these are the personal intentions of Ms. Paul. She may be the most genuine politician on earth. However, her words at her victory speech yesterday night spoke volumes about the symptomatology of the political syndrome of identity or racial politics (as per the video further below).
The first words that came out her mouth were that Canada made history since she is the direct descendant of slaves. Does that make her “holier” than someone also black but not descendant of ancestors who have been slaves? Does that make her more politically sound than the ideas of someone with another background or look?
La Presse highlighted yesterday that Ms. Paul is the first Jewish and black Canadian politician in Ottawa. GREAT and bravo but… what about her ideas as a politicians (who happens to be Jewish and black)? What about her vision for our country? This is what matters the MOST.
Ms. Paul called her riding by the name of an Indigenous tribe. Same as the rest of our politicians, most academics, and regular citizens. We hear them repeating sentences and reading names they do not know how to pronounce. Some seem highly genuine. Others do it because it needs to be done. Other go out of their way to write down land acknowledgement as agenda items of their meetings. They all want justice for Indigenous people. We all do! Bravo for that! But… is this going to bring any justice or are these yet other empty words that sound like a mantra more than anything else? Plus, how do indigenous people perceive this ritual? Do they tenderly smile or laugh? Do they care? I do not know how Mr. Carol Dubé feel except the pain of having lost his beloved Joyce? He wants justice for her… perhaps not just folklore to all of us.
Why not do something more meaningful like changing the laws or concretely helping solve problems in Indigenous people’s lives? What about political transparency? Are some of their reserves or nations suffering from problems of corruption like mini-Lebanon here and there within Canada? If so, what is the solution?
Since we are at it, can’t we demand justice and get justice without denying ourselves and our current geography and history?
Plus, why do people feel the need to always repeat the latest fashionable thing or to show how illuminated, more than others who have the same good intentions but do not repeat the blahblahblah?
Make no mistake, Bambi is saying all this, and she is aware that other Green Party candidates may have also played on other parts of their own identities to seduce voters and get to the top.
Remember, Bambi said Ms. Paul is likely a Canadian symptom. She is surely not the problem.
This being said, she may be well equipped to truly be part of the solution. For that, Bambi thanks her for her devotion to politics and for her hard work. Same for her team and party. Again, Bambi congratulates her and wishes her all the best!
As a potential voter, Bambi is interested in ideas ONLY. Ms. Paul may be black or Jewish. Bambi does not care, even if she may rely to both since she is supposedly BIPOC too (the funny acronym again :)) AND Semite herself.
Indeed, before the next elections, Bambi will look at the whole picture of the economy/environment, and internal/external Canadian affairs. Even socialism or capitalism does not matter for Bambi as much as political wisdom potentially underlying both (same for silliness that can also underlie both). Same for potential for corruption (instrumental or intellectual/moral that does definitely underlie both).
After listening to Ms. Paul, Bambi started part of her citizen homework yesterday night by reading the updated platform of the Green party. There are some GREAT ideas (thank you) whilst other ideas seemed unrealistic, despite the good intentions. Of course, Bambi will keep touring all the platforms of all parties to keep herself educated before any elections, whether much later or sooner.
Until then, best wishes to Canada, regardless of the political parties holding the power or being in power!
