Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté: “A little lesson in democratic hygiene” [« Petite leçon d’hygiène démocratique»]

Thank you Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté for your wise article published yesterday in the Journal de Montréal:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/27/petite-lecon-dhygiene-democratique

Here is a quick English translation of this article, as Sunday’s food for thought ?:

“How to hold fruitful political debates? How do you ensure that contradictory points of view can be confronted by getting to the bottom of things while doing so in a courteous and civilized manner?

These questions haunt our democracies today, which fear they will not achieve them.

The argument often heard is this: one should not say such and such a thing not because it is false, but because it might appeal to certain radical sections of the population.

Democracy

This argument does not hold water if you think about it a bit.

Should we refrain from criticizing the excesses of capitalism because it might appeal to left-wing extremists and other gullibles who believe in the communist revolution?

Should we refrain from criticizing excessive sanitary measures because it may appeal to conspirators and other wackies [“farfelus” in French] who see the pandemic as a vast conspiracy?

Should we refrain from criticizing mass immigration policies because it might appeal to the xenophobic margins of our society?

Should we refrain from criticizing sovereignists when they become folklore because ultra-federalists will take the opportunity to put independence on trial?

Should we refrain from criticizing Canadian federalism which condemns francophones to extinction on the pretext that it would please those nostalgic for the FLQ [= Front de Libération du Québec]?

We understand the idea: our democracy should not refrain from debating important issues on the pretext that marginal movements seek to instrumentalize them.

Debates

The extremes should not be given the privilege of defining what can and cannot be addressed and hold the public conversation hostage.

Let’s summarize: when we talk about an idea, we should not ask ourselves whether it appeals to this or that movement, but whether it is true or false, and how it can contribute to the strengthening of the common good.

Call it a lesson in democratic hygiene.”