Anti-conservatism is not pro-socialism
Re: NDP will cripple the province (Citizen online, Oct. 30)
It is interesting to see that B.W. Lowe equates my distaste of Conservative government officials with socialism and blind support of raising taxes. His straw man argument fallaciously equates my views with that of someone who “relies on government handouts”. I actually did not even state in my letter that I support the NDP, but this conclusion that Lowe has made is an interesting one. Anti-Conservatism equals pro-socialism, right? If you are not on the right, you must be on the far, far left and lack basic reason. It’s a compelling argument.
Actually, my anti-Conservatism is rooted in the lack of transparency displayed by so many Conservative politicians. It is rooted in many Conservatives’ flagrant disregard for minorities and their basic human rights. It is rooted in, yes, keeping taxes as low as possible — while letting the less fortunate suffer. I don’t want to think of what a Conservative government during the COVID-19 pandemic would look like. Perhaps reminiscent of the United States’ stimulus check, where residents received a whole $1,200. Once.
Further, many Conservatives love to take left-wingers’ points of view and completely misconstrue them in their counterargument, which is exactly what Lowe has done with my letter. This is another logical fallacy that Conservatives love, where one person’s (often radical) belief is said to be believed by everyone who is a member of that group. Because one Liberal said we should heavily tax everyone, then all of them must believe this!
I have never relied on a government “handout” in my life, but you had best believe that those who do are (for the most part) accepting this assistance for a reason. Looking after your citizens is not socialism, it is basic common decency.
Piper Cote
Cowichan Bay
