That's not why they'll never win. They'll never win because minor/fringe/startup parties can't win in the Canadian electoral system. It's not just unlikely, it's impossible for one simple reason.
That reason being, if those ideas ever become popular enough to win an election, a major party will run on them. That's how it works. The major parties adapt to the electorate (rather than taking a position, never changing, and just hoping the electorate eventually comes to them like the Greens and the PPC do). That's why they have leadership elections and policy conventions - to stay relevant with the voters.
Seriously. Haven't you ever wondered why for the entire 150 years of this country's existence it's only ever been ruled by one of the two major parties, even though a myriad of minor parties have come and gone? That's why. Because the major parties adopt the popular positions of the day in order to stay in power. That's not going to change. The major parties aren't just going to stop trying to win elections by adapting to current trends. And the PPC are not going to be the first party in Canadian history to come from behind and upset the whole system by winning an election. To even think this is possible reveals a deep lack of understanding of how electoral politics work.
I've seen you make this point often over the last few months, and I find it compelling. I'm probably on the younger side of this board, so I'm ashamed to say my mindset was entirely different in 2015, it was my first federal election where I could vote and I voted liberal then(I also live/grew up in a very liberal riding). I voted liberal over another candidate because I believed it was a strategic vote, even though I preferred another candidate.
I've learned and changed a lot since then. I now oppose the corrupt lying liberals. I have adopted the principle that I will not support a lesser evil, I will vote with my conscious. I believed the liberals were less evil than the conservatives and I wouldn't vote third party, look how that turned out. From now on I will vote for my preferred local candidate, "strategic voting" be damned.
So I see your argument about the nature of electoral politics in Canada, but the liberals have shown me that establishment parties will only exploit this. Further, I don't think real change will come at the ballot box but at the individual level of every Canadian. This is a reason for me to support the PPC, so I can at least have conversations with people about my values and point to a party that represents them. Cynicism and complacency in politics only dissuades individuals' civic engagement. I'd rather have to something to aim for than something to be let down by.
I have adopted the principle that I will not support a lesser evil
Then you're supporting the greater of two evils by default.
When you start thinking about politics with your head instead of your heart, and you accept the truth (and it is the truth) that there's no way your minor party can win, you will realize that your only viable choices are the greater of two evils or the lesser of two evils. And that by abstaining, you're choosing the greater of two evils by default.
Have you heard of the trolley problem? It's an ethical dilemma thought experiment.
If you do nothing, the train will continue straight ahead and kill five people. But if you throw the switch, one person will be killed, and it will be through your action.
What do you do?
They're both bad outcomes, but one is worse than the other and you have to choose. By saying "I won't choose the lesser of two evils" and instead doing nothing, you will get the worst possible outcome. The same goes for Canadian elections. Doing nothing and letting the train kill five people is analogous to not voting for either major party, and thus allowing the LPC to win again (worst possible outcome).
That's not why they'll never win. They'll never win because minor/fringe/startup parties can't win in the Canadian electoral system. It's not just unlikely, it's impossible for one simple reason.
That reason being, if those ideas ever become popular enough to win an election, a major party will run on them. That's how it works. The major parties adapt to the electorate (rather than taking a position, never changing, and just hoping the electorate eventually comes to them like the Greens and the PPC do). That's why they have leadership elections and policy conventions - to stay relevant with the voters.
Seriously. Haven't you ever wondered why for the entire 150 years of this country's existence it's only ever been ruled by one of the two major parties, even though a myriad of minor parties have come and gone? That's why. Because the major parties adopt the popular positions of the day in order to stay in power. That's not going to change. The major parties aren't just going to stop trying to win elections by adapting to current trends. And the PPC are not going to be the first party in Canadian history to come from behind and upset the whole system by winning an election. To even think this is possible reveals a deep lack of understanding of how electoral politics work.
I've seen you make this point often over the last few months, and I find it compelling. I'm probably on the younger side of this board, so I'm ashamed to say my mindset was entirely different in 2015, it was my first federal election where I could vote and I voted liberal then(I also live/grew up in a very liberal riding). I voted liberal over another candidate because I believed it was a strategic vote, even though I preferred another candidate.
I've learned and changed a lot since then. I now oppose the corrupt lying liberals. I have adopted the principle that I will not support a lesser evil, I will vote with my conscious. I believed the liberals were less evil than the conservatives and I wouldn't vote third party, look how that turned out. From now on I will vote for my preferred local candidate, "strategic voting" be damned.
So I see your argument about the nature of electoral politics in Canada, but the liberals have shown me that establishment parties will only exploit this. Further, I don't think real change will come at the ballot box but at the individual level of every Canadian. This is a reason for me to support the PPC, so I can at least have conversations with people about my values and point to a party that represents them. Cynicism and complacency in politics only dissuades individuals' civic engagement. I'd rather have to something to aim for than something to be let down by.
Then you're supporting the greater of two evils by default.
When you start thinking about politics with your head instead of your heart, and you accept the truth (and it is the truth) that there's no way your minor party can win, you will realize that your only viable choices are the greater of two evils or the lesser of two evils. And that by abstaining, you're choosing the greater of two evils by default.
Have you heard of the trolley problem? It's an ethical dilemma thought experiment.
Suppose you're standing next to a train track switch and there's a train barreling down the tracks. There's five people on the tracks straight ahead of the train, but only one person on the tracks that branch off.
If you do nothing, the train will continue straight ahead and kill five people. But if you throw the switch, one person will be killed, and it will be through your action.
What do you do?
They're both bad outcomes, but one is worse than the other and you have to choose. By saying "I won't choose the lesser of two evils" and instead doing nothing, you will get the worst possible outcome. The same goes for Canadian elections. Doing nothing and letting the train kill five people is analogous to not voting for either major party, and thus allowing the LPC to win again (worst possible outcome).
Then people will do something about all those victims who end up tied to railroad tracks.