The warmer weather has ushered in a very political news week on Open Sources Guelph. We’ll catch-up with the latest in local political news, and the latest from the Federal Liberals who are acting like an election’s coming. Circumstances also demand that we revisit Trump World on today’s show, while another set of circumstances demand we revisit the growing influence of the alt-right.
This Thursday, April 26, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) The Final Countdown. It was a very busy Saturday in local politics. While Mike Schreiner rallied for the Green Party with special guests Elizabeth May, David Suzuki, and Sarah Harmer, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath came to town to get the Guelph wing of the party hyped before choosing their nominee. Meanwhile, Doug Ford made the unusual move of appointing 11 candidates in ridings where there were still none, including Guelph. That probably wasn’t the best move for a party overcoming accusations of being anti-democratic in local races, but hey, we have a full slate now of main party candidates! All that’s left is for the writ to drop…
2) And Having Grit. The Liberals had their National Convention in Halifax last weekend, and the goal was obvious aside from the handling of party business: the Liberals are getting ready for next year’s federal election. Trudeau played an oldie but a goldie in “Sunny Ways”, but the attention was on the sexual harassment workshop on Saturday, which brings to mind another two words: “Me Too.” It seemed that everything went according to plan until allegations emerged Sunday night that Liberal MP Francis Drouin was accused in an “incident” at the convention. So have the Liberals learned any lessons from the last two-and-a-half years?
3) The French Connection. This week, U.S. President Donald Trump received two European visitors, including French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured above posing with Trump for a Pink Floyd album cover. Macron was hoping, among other things, to talk Trump out of not renewing the Iran Nuclear deal, the next renewal deadline for which is May 12. Of course, there are also implications here for the pending meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, which Trump is already hailing as a success despite the fact that Kim’s done nothing to denuclearize, and Trump’s own foreign policy team is in upheaval. Just another week in Trump World!
4) White Men Can’t Job. A column in the Globe and Mail aimed to answer an age old question: why can’t a white guy catch a break? The r/Canada subreddit responded to the post with a flurry of racists responses about how affirmative action has ruined a generation of young while guys who just can’t get head of women and minorities. Was the Globe stoking alt-right sentiments here? Also, we’re learning that Alek Minassian, the suspect behind the Toronto van attack, saw himself as “incel”, meaning someone who’s involuntarily celibate, another alt-right cat call. What the heck is going on out there? Is Canada going alt-right crazy without us even knowing it?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.
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