h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's the morning after Municipal election day in the Province and I'm feeling very very excited about some results in Edmonton and Calgary.

As many will know, Alberta has a reputation as right-wing red-neck land.

Well, despite Churchill's alleged statement that a young man who isn't a socialist has no heart and an old man who is a socialist has no head, I've found that as I've aged I've become more emphatic and nuanced about what might be termed my socialism and my social-conscience.

When I first started voting some thirty years ago, my vote was always thrown away because the candidates with a social conscience never won, and those with big business backing did. Imagine my pleasure this morning in knowing that my MP is an environmental lawyer with the socialist NDP, my MLA is an employment lawyer with a special-needs son, also with the NDP, and last night, every one of my three votes -- for Mayor, Councillor and School Board Trustee -- were for the winners.

And this in the capital of right-wing red-neck Alberta.

Meanwhile, in Calgary, often seen as the rightest and reddest of the wings and necks of Alberta, a new Mayor was elected . . .


38 year old university professor Naheed Nenshi, Canada's (perhaps North America's) first Muslim big-city mayor.


Now, in the province which spawned the Reform Party, known for the racist gaffs of many of its members, the largest city has chosen a Muslim Mayor and the capital city has again chosen a Jewish Mayor, and, most importantly, when these facts are mentioned they are mentioned as an interesting and positive bit of trivia rather than anything like an issue of concern.


Perhaps Chancellor Merkle should take note.

I've defended my social democratic leanings for most of my life, either from MOR Liberals or out and out *the w@gs start at Dover* Conservatives. I've had love/hate affairs with unions, wondered at giants like Tommy Douglas and despaired over bureaucrats like Carole James. I've put up with disparing comments about the Cultural Mosaic and supposed job-stealing immigrants.

I finally think that now, at last the swing back to politics pre-Maggie Thatcher and Reagan is underway. Just barely, but under way. The Nanny State was a myth, regulation is necessary to protect the common good and we are part of the world.

Sweden is a beacon, and perhaps Alberta will be soon.

I think that the neighbourhood I live in has somehow clung to its social conscience through it all and it's gradually spreading. We did have the Jaffer scare, of course.

Maybe in the next provincial election there will be a surprise (although I doubt it.)

That's good to see, anhaga.

TRiG.

Anna-Maria interviewed the new mayor of Calgary on the Current today. It's well worth a listen: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/10/oct-2010---pt-3-naheed-nenshi.html

I heard it driving in to work. Very impressive, he seemed both charming and highly intelligent.

Did anyone else think he sounds a bit like Cleveland Brown?