r/canadaguns • u/AutoModerator • May 23 '22

Weekly Politics Thread

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u/drain-angel BC May 29 '22

Why is the discussion around electoralism in firearm politics always revolves on the idea that the CPC should alienate a chunk of their base to satiate non-committal voters on topics that they already objectively are identical to the other parties (but apparently not enough somehow), especially regarding social issues?

Why isn't it the other way around? Why can't the discussion be on getting the Libs/NDP to stop being at our throats? For all these "liberal" gun owners who think they're such a massive influential voting bloc here, why hasn't any progress been made on that front? Especially given that it wasn't too long ago that the NDP had an empowered rural caucus and allowed dissent, such as the LGR vote.

Also credit where credits due, the GPC is about to enact pro-firearm policies but we don't see people running around every other week saying that the GPC needs to alienate their environmentalist base to woo voters for firearm policy.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '22

Can't wait for the replies on this one

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u/drain-angel BC May 29 '22

I mean I was thinking about it after I saw your comment last night, but it's also a thing that just crops up here enough to be annoying because clearly people want to repeat the same take ad nauseum despite it being explained very well why it's a poor take and it's clear it just stems from more personal belief than hard data.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '22 edited May 29 '22

The way I see it, being a liberal voter and a gun owner are mutually incompatible** You see liberal gun owners parading around the fact that they're liberal on here to prove that they exist and that they're not like the others, for whatever that's worth (i.e. worthless). Like, what's the point? For lack of a better term it's self-sabotaging thinking and behavior. We're not fortunate enough to exist in a country where gun rights are relatively untouched by either side of the aisle. One side is actively trying to take away, the other side is neutral at worst or proactive at best. Idk what's so hard to understand about that.

I'm betting that the majority of them don't have any serious kit or firearms; they're missing the intent. I've said it before but guns and gun ownership shouldn't be treated like a casual hobby. Unfortunately, I think that liberal gun owners treat it as just a hobby - they couldn't care if their stuff gets forcefully confiscated. They have no skin in the game lol.

E: and as for the conversation rarely shifting to the Libs or NDP easing the anti-gun rhetoric, I think it's because those parties know their main voting demographics don't like guns. Those parties won't change. "Liberal" gun owners know that too. They can jump ship whenever

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u/drain-angel BC May 29 '22

I think you meant mutually incompatible :P but I feel it's more bad-faith than that. If they don't want to vote one way, that's completely fine. But don't try to play it off as that people should bend the knee and kick out half the party to be conditionally acceptable to your own political tastes just so you can feel comfortable voting for the only major party that has at least bothered to somewhat represent gun owners insofar.

Point is they should work on their own parties and getting them to get off our ass, not trying to burn down others for their own gain.

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u/[deleted] May 29 '22 edited May 29 '22

Getting them to do any type of party reform is too much hard work. The liberals have wanted disarmament since at least the 90s, and the NDP is forever changed now that Jagmeet is leader. It won't happen, it'll be easier to get the conservative base to fight amongst themselves

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u/drain-angel BC May 29 '22

In my opinion the Singh is leading the NDP into inevitable implosion because they've shit the bed so many elections in a row (and destroying the party just to win Toronto-Danforth), and the rural caucus/"oldhead" members are either gone or disaffected I can see a revival of something that goes back into its rural/western roots once SHTF for the NDP, and therefore an opportunity I'd gladly welcome.

As for the Liberals, well, yeah that's not happening.

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u/outline8668 May 30 '22

90s? Try 1960s. Trudeau Sr in 1968 started with this horseshit by bringing in the concept of a range-only restricted firearm and things snowballed from there. We have 50 years of the liberal party having a hate boner for guns.