The dog whistle

This post is not about Donald Trump. Seriously, it’s not.

But we have to start there.

Today he posted this:

What’s happening in France is nothing less than out of control mass migration. This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country! President DJT

You may be aware France is roiled at the moment over its education system, leading to riots and the heavy involvement of unions with student protestors. Kids, parents and teachers have been blockading schools, demanding more funding and protesting overcrowded classrooms. It’s a French thing. They enjoy being outraged. And do it well.

There is no link to migration. None to Islam. Trump made that up. Even the racist far-right French political leaders have not made that claim.

As for ‘mass migration’ into France and a jihadist takeover, more fiction. Immigration is steady and legally-controlled, as here. At present about 7% of the population is Muslim and half of those people were born in France. Most of the Muslim population traces its past to French colonies in North Africa (like Algeria and Morocco) and the bulk of people came about six decades ago.

So, 14% of France’s population is made up of immigrants. That compares to 23% in Canada.

Trump (this post is not about him) is a racist, an Islamophobe and unfit to lead the world’s dominant country. His administration has embraced white Christian nationalism in a way none before dared.

Lately this is all seeping across the border. It matters because the Alberta referendum coming up in a matter of days is melding and mixing the issues of nationality with religion and immigration, suggesting we’re also being overrun – and need new tools to beat back the brown hordes. In fact, this dreamy nation of a ‘free’ Alberta is being seen by many as involving the creation of an independent white, Christian enclave of blue-eyed oil sheiks.

That, apparently, is what drew Doug Wilson across the border. He’s the evangelical pastor from Idaho who is now closely allied with MAGA, the White House and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who is one of Wilson’s congregation members. Wilson has been engaged with our cowboy separatist groups, like ‘Stay Free Alberta’ and the Christ Covenant Church in Grande Prairie, where pastor Nathan Zekveld has supported secession in order to leave Canada, which he says (because of migration) is in “a rebellion against God.”

Wilson, by the way, believes women should be subjugated to men, stripped of the right to vote or hold elected office, that homosexuality should be criminalized, other religions should be curtailed and restricted, that slavery in the US was ‘benign’ and the western world needs to become a Christian theocracy with white folk leading and dominant. He has also found support from ‘Take Back Alberta’ leader David Parker, who has openly argued for a fundamentalist evangelical Christian Alberta.

Concurrent with the leave/stay question in the insane AB vote next week is a series of questions the Danielle Smith government is asking about immigration. The suggestion is clear that it is currently out of control – as Donald Trump argues.

Question 1, for example, asks if people want the province to have more control over immigration. And the reason this is an issue?

Here is the context given:

“Irresponsible federal immigration policies have caused higher inflation, delayed access to health care, created larger class sizes for students and put unaffordable cost pressures across public services… When there is a mass influx of people arriving with limited skills in the sectors most relevant to Alberta’s economic needs, it puts undie pressure on youth unemployment, lower cost housing and government programs.’

So, if any or all of that were true, who would not vote ‘YES’?

But it isn’t. This is dog-whistle politics, classically blaming outsiders, or ‘them’ for wrongs being committed against heritage Albertans, or ‘us’. In this case, them are usually brown and Muslim. Us are white and Godly.

We are in a dangerous place. Open your eyes.

About the picture: “Another Ziggy pic for you to keep in reserve in case there’s a dearth….” writes Lloyd. “Liking the way you have been diversifying the blog to include a (IMO) balanced political commentary and other non-RE-related topics. In terms of the riffraff in the commentary bilge “illigitemi non carborundum”. 

To be in touch, or send a picture of your beast, email to ‘[email protected]’.