I vote, each and every election. I don’t, however, vote for any of the major parties, the most ‘leftish’ of which is the New Democratic Party – a pretty standard social democratic outfit that gets the vote of the left simply because there’s no other viable option, and consistently steps further and further to the right in the vain hope that one day the bulk of Canadians will flock to them. This, contrary to all evidence here and around the world that such a strategy does nothing but shift the whole political debate to the right. So, no, I don’t vote NDP, instead casting my ballot each time for someone who may be marginal but at least speaks of an alternative, who at least takes positions, no matter how unpopular. Cause I don’t see my vote as a strategic tool in a limited system, but as a small but important opportunity to register, periodically, my values.
In my years of voting, though, I’ve made on exception to the above. When I’ve lived in her riding, and there’s been an election, I have always voted for Libby Davies. But not this time.
I wrote to her a couple of days ago to indicate that I couldn’t do it anymore, and though there is ample reason to boycott the NDP based on its total-failure to develop any domestic vision that seriously breaks with the neoconservative trend, for me the breaking point has been foreign policy. Last year, Libby made some pretty tame comments about Palestine and the Israeli occupation. She was raked over the coals for it, not just by the right but by her own party, and was made to issue general statements of apology and a targeted apology to the Israeli ambassador. Now, on the one hand that bolstered alot of support for Libby – she spoke out, vocally, despite her party’s crap position on Palestine. On the other hand, though, when called on it, Libby issued the apology rather than taking the opportunity to make an issue of the NDP’s moral cowardice on the matter. As one of the most popular NDP politicians in the country, and one whose constituents are intensely behind her like no one else, Libby of all people is well-placed to push this issue, and so I felt both a pride in her for making the statement in the first place and then a real disappointment that she took it all back when faced with the threat of party discipline. Mostly, though, what it demonstrated so clearly is that, regardless of the personal integrity or hard work of an individual candidate, the party system we have in place and the all-pervasive party discipline means that those good intentions mean pretty much fuck all when it comes to the policies a party will actually enact. So, Libby as awesome neighbourhood elected rep might mean good things for the access diverse local voices have to their member of parliament, but – policy wise, large-scale election-wise – a vote for Libby is and can only be a vote for the party as a party.
The final straw came this year. As the campaign to drum up support for military action against Libya began, as the conservatives jumped to the front of the line to start the bombing, all the major Canadian parties loudly proclaimed their unanimous support. And yes, by all the major parties we include the NDP. Really? The party that for many years had Canada’s withdrawal from NATO as one of its central principles is now wholeheartedly schilling for NATO bombings? I mean, even if we decide to buy wholesale the news coming out of Libya – which, really, all indications are has been profoundly biased and little more than PR for the always-anticipated military strikes – even if we buy this, are we really backing bombs for better oil access? After watching Iraq, after watching Afghanistan? This party still wants to make some claim to represent the left in Canada? Give me a fucking break.
Sorry, Libby. I like you. I like the way you represent this neighbourhood. I like that you speak out more vocally than your party apparatus is comfortable with. But it’s not possible to vote for you without voting for them. I tried for a long long time to make the distinction, but I just can’t justify it anymore. If you ever break from those folks, or make a push to reclaim the NDP as a party of the left – even the soft left, for god’s sake – I’ll give you my vote again. But not now. We are, in part, judged by the company we keep.
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