Fear of repercussions is driving moderates away from participating in public debate in Alberta Democracy in Alberta is eroding not because extremists are loud, but because too many people who consider themselves reasonable, moderate and pragmatic have gone silent. Too many Albertans in the political middle ground assume that staying quiet, staying neutral or staying out of politics preserves civility. It does not. Silence is accelerating the decay of democratic culture in this province. Politics and democracy are inseparable. To disengage from politics is to weaken democracy itself. Voting every four years is not enough. Democracy requires ongoing participation, public expression and civic courage between elections. The political middle ground in Alberta once anchored civil discourse. It was a space where disagreement was tempered by respect, humility and reason. That middle ground is now eroding beneath our feet. It is fracturing, fragmenting and being paved over by polariza...
A discussion on political, economic and social issues in British Columbia, and Canada