TORONTO – Two weeks into the installation of a new “Far-left” government, England is steeped in street violence, hate speech, physical aggression, vandalism and calls for reversing immigration policies. 

There are probably genuine, sensitive souls who are offended by language or positions below that may appear unduly harsh in the description of matters and ideas that require unvarnished critique and blunt criticism. To them, we apologize in advance. To others who engage in manufactured or career choice, please forgive our lack of “political correctness” in this commentary – it is neither “right nor left”.

It may be a sign of changing vocabulary, or the function of parts of speech in grammar or the intention of speakers to “wrap themselves in the flag of the moment”, but the political discourse is trending towards infantile and abusive name-calling. In the USA, seized, as it is, with the task of choosing a leader-president, candidates and acolytes are openly and repeatedly calling their opponents “weirdo”, and “[looney] lefties” as a prelude to facile discussions about policies on immigration, integration, social constructs, education, economic policies or just simple political preferences: one is either virtuous or a “hater”. No balanced positions allowed.

The country where Constitutional rights to abortion was overturned in the Roe v. Wade case now has as one of its crucial issues the return of “reproductive rights” – i.e., “undo” the decision. The fertility rate among women of childbearing age is a mere 1.781; demographers have long maintained that a population replacement rate (without immigration) requires a 2.1 fertility rate. Critics from the pro-life movement argue that “abortion rights” have only been shifted to States’ authority and that the federal government should not fund what is in the States’ jurisdiction.

The Guttmacher Institute reported 1,026,696 abortions in 2023.  As with all medical services in the USA, it would not be too far off the mark to suggest that the business component of this procedure is significant for whoever picks up the cost or delivers the service.

Canada is even further behind with a fertility rate of 1.3, according to the 2021 census. In 2022 the numbers suggest that only 40.6% of couples were “married with children” (a further 11.7% of couples had a stepparent partner). The number of abortions in Canada (factoring in that not all provinces and provider feel the need to provide their data) reflect the American experience. Somehow, the “inaccessibility” to publicly funded surgical abortions, “reproductive rights”, is the biggest Public Health Crisis in North America. An ill-informed, or over-zealous, MP on a House of Commons Committee caused a “stir” this week trying to drive that point home… and earning widespread, well-deserved, condemnation.

In England, where everyone seems to be against everyone else – regardless of social station, sex, gender inclination, pigmentation politics – the tragic, deplorable knifing of three children by some deranged person set off riots, violence lawless mayhem the like of which the country has not seen since soccer hooligans took to the streets of the United Kingdom and the Continent.

Such is the sad state of leadership in those three democracies. At least our Prime Minister had the decency to remain unperturbed and on vacation.