It’s worth remembering that dividing the country and making us hate each other inherently leads to polarization, which inherently leads to completely unaligned parties succeeding each other which leads to wild amounts of waste and inefficiency from government as it swings back and forth between extremely different agendas.

There is a reason that our geopolitical enemies spend billions on campaigns to try and create division and hate. It truly does weaken us as a country.

"Why do people keep categorizing these French people as french? I feel like it’s disrespectful. "

If you think it’s disrespectful to acknowledge the political values of a community then that’s a you problem.

If Alberta becomes a progressive place policy wise for long enough people won’t make those associations, people make those associations because those provinces are controlled by the right.

I want to say this loud and clear in a post here for everyone to see, but there is an issue here with people having this giant hate boner for Albertans. Not the government, not UCP voters, but Albertans.

It doesn’t matter if you’re politically on the same side as people elsewhere in the country, it doesn’t matter if you present facts to people who are provably wrong on the most basic of things they say, it doesn’t matter if you treat them with dignity and respect by mentioning things with good intentions and not insulting people. You will still get labelled as the bad guy for the very fact you’re Albertan.

I made a response to a comment on this post in the community. My comment was responding to someone who called Albertans “HUGE pussies” for “giving up our rights”.

In my response to said comment, I basically said that the notion that we’re “simply giving up” is completely false, using the following facts:

1. Students have been staging walkouts:

• CBC: Calgary students among thousands across Alberta taking part in provincewide walkout
• Global News: Alberta students walk out of class in support of teachers forced back to work
• OkotoksOnline: High River students walkout in support of teachers

2. The AFL (Alberta Federation of Labour) has stated that they will retaliate against the back to work order with a “general strike if necessary”

• Global News: ‘General strike if necessary’: Alberta unions declare intent to bring down UCP government
• CPAC: Alberta Union Leaders Respond to Smith Government’s Back-to-Work Legislation
• CityNews Calgary: No general strike yet as Alberta labour unions mobilize against Smith government

3. The UCP has faced a dip in the polls resulting from the back-to-work order

• CTV News: Majority of Alberta Gov’t Report Card respondents feel province headed in wrong direction
• Angus Reid: Teachers’ Strike: Most Albertans side with teachers as they criticize UCP’s handling of education
• Calgary Herald: ‘Reputational challenges’: New poll shows public support for Smith, UCP has dipped amid teachers’ strike (Yes I know it’s PostMedia, it’s still relevant and correct in this case)

I went ahead and said that statements like this that blanket Albertans as lazy, dumb, and inept do not help relations between the province and the rest of the country, especially when the actions being taken showcase the exact opposite.

For this, I was labelled as a conservative myself when I’m registered with the NDP provincially and federally, had myself and those around me insulted, and was told I was uneducated by someone who spewed blatantly incorrect information as they did so, and I was the one looked down upon in the entire interaction simply for where I’m from.

I suggested that in order for the NDP or Liberals, or anybody to win over Albertans, they need to address issues here. I gave the example of canola farmers suffering, and how the feds can tariff imported cooking oils to encourage consumers to choose a domestic alternative and/or have marketing campaigns to support canola farmers by increasing their domestic sales.

For this, someone insinuated that I am dumber than them simply based on what they assumed to be the school system I attended. The very same person who said this confidently made another comment where they claimed that the NDP was in charge for a “long time” before Peter Lougheed, and that Lougheed ran on diversifying the economy, and ditched the effort afterwards.

This is provably false. The NDP formed government for the first time in 2015, it was the Social Credit Party who came before Lougheed’s Progressive Conservatives. Lougheed also established the Heritage Fund , which was made specifically to save money for investments in other sectors of Alberta’s economy, the disaster of the fund came with the following leaders.

However, calling someone out for getting their facts wrong, and showcasing a current example of tariffs working to protect domestic goods gets you downvoted if you’re Albertan, with the very people insulting your intelligence getting upvoted as they spew their nonsense.

Apparently explaining working-class issues and what left-wing parties can do to better reach those who normally vote Conservative is treating Alberta as “special” and forcing “everyone else to adapt” to us. Clearly the “majority” of people in Alberta are “hateful morons” and “insular xenophobes” .

Why do people continue to blanket me with the thoughts of a few bad apples they met? Are they more prominent here, sure, whatever, I can agree to that. I can agree that people here can be some of the worst you’ve met, I would know, I live here.

But me and the good, well-meaning people I know, especially those here who are marginalised or among the over 750,000 people who voted for the NDP the last election, do not appreciate having blanket statements made against us simply because we live here. I am pro-abortion, I am pro-immigration, I am pro-expanding healthcare, pro-creating public alternatives, pro-trans rights, anti-privatisation, anti-separatist, and yet sure, I’m a Conservative tip-toeing a line because my thoughts slightly deviate from the norm.

Hate the government, hate the jerks, do not hate me simply for where I’m born and the fact that I live here. I do not do this to you, I do not insult people for where they live or were born, and don’t make blanket assumptions about the entire population of an area based on who’s in power where they live. Why then is it seen as acceptable for this to happen to me?

I am an Albertan who doesn’t want special treatment, but for fuck sake, it is reasonable to want to be treated with respect.

Edit: I don’t know why the numbered lists are showing all as 1’s, I have them properly numbered in the text of this post.

I am Ontarioian and i have a hate boner for my fellow Ontarioians repeatedly voting in Doug Ford, a lying populist politician who thrives on corruption. We’re all in this together. The actions of the voters don’t always represent the actions or sentiment of the entire province. Vote for voting reform to have the people better represented by our premiers.

I think when most people say “Albertans” or “people from Alberta” (etc.) they mean “the democratic majority of people from Alberta”, or “the stereotype of the right-wing Albertan”. It’s easier than saying "the majority of Albertans… " or “the stereotypical truck-nutting coal-rolling Albertan…”

I’m not saying it’s right, but people do it all the time. Let me rephrase: many people have done it and it often happens. Even you said “people here have a hate bone for Albertans” because some percentage of people upvoted a post saying Albertans are pussies and a further (smaller) percentage downvoted your response.

I guess my advice would be to accept that they’re “on your side” and not attacking you personally. But I know that’s not easy. I have my own things I am (or was) a part of that get “hated” as a whole, so I know what it feels like to read those comments. (aka, not all programmers use AI to write their code, and even for ones that do, they don’t necessarily want to.) And I can’t say I’ve ever gotten past it - sometimes it’s easier than others. But, I hope what I’m saying might help you.

Also, in general on upvote/downvote forums, I find it very easy to get a few downvotes for saying anything. Responding to explain why they’re wrong to say that and that you’re “one of the good ones” will always, always, get a bunch of downvotes. It doesn’t matter what you’re talking about.

"Why do people keep categorizing these French people as french? I feel like it’s disrespectful. "

There’s a BIG difference between assuming someone is French because they speak French and assuming someone has a specific political view because they are from a geographical location. That’s a really poor example.

Anyway, do whatever you want. If you want to be a prejudicial bigot and automatically classify people based on your own generalized stereotypical view of them, don’t complain if people start criticizing you.

I AM an Albertan, and I have a hate boner for Albertans. The hate is 100% brought on by ourselves, and 100% deserved. The absolute manure that spills out of our legislature on a daily basis is embarrassing, and what is even more embarrassing is that a majority of Albertans keep voting for it, over and over. Don’t want the world to see you as inbred Maple MAGA hillbillies? Maybe quit acting like inbred Maple MAGA hillbillies then. Simple as.

I want to say this loud and clear in a post here for everyone to see, but there is an issue here with people having this giant hate boner for Albertans. Not the government, not UCP voters, but Albertans.

It doesn’t matter if you’re politically on the same side as people elsewhere in the country, it doesn’t matter if you present facts to people who are provably wrong on the most basic of things they say, it doesn’t matter if you treat them with dignity and respect by mentioning things with good intentions and not insulting people. You will still get labelled as the bad guy for the very fact you’re Albertan.

I made a response to a comment on this post in the community. My comment was responding to someone who called Albertans “HUGE pussies” for “giving up our rights”.

In my response to said comment, I basically said that the notion that we’re “simply giving up” is completely false, using the following facts:

1. Students have been staging walkouts:

• CBC: Calgary students among thousands across Alberta taking part in provincewide walkout
• Global News: Alberta students walk out of class in support of teachers forced back to work
• OkotoksOnline: High River students walkout in support of teachers

2. The AFL (Alberta Federation of Labour) has stated that they will retaliate against the back to work order with a “general strike if necessary”

• Global News: ‘General strike if necessary’: Alberta unions declare intent to bring down UCP government
• CPAC: Alberta Union Leaders Respond to Smith Government’s Back-to-Work Legislation
• CityNews Calgary: No general strike yet as Alberta labour unions mobilize against Smith government

3. The UCP has faced a dip in the polls resulting from the back-to-work order

• CTV News: Majority of Alberta Gov’t Report Card respondents feel province headed in wrong direction
• Angus Reid: Teachers’ Strike: Most Albertans side with teachers as they criticize UCP’s handling of education
• Calgary Herald: ‘Reputational challenges’: New poll shows public support for Smith, UCP has dipped amid teachers’ strike (Yes I know it’s PostMedia, it’s still relevant and correct in this case)

I went ahead and said that statements like this that blanket Albertans as lazy, dumb, and inept do not help relations between the province and the rest of the country, especially when the actions being taken showcase the exact opposite.

For this, I was labelled as a conservative myself when I’m registered with the NDP provincially and federally, had myself and those around me insulted, and was told I was uneducated by someone who spewed blatantly incorrect information as they did so, and I was the one looked down upon in the entire interaction simply for where I’m from.

I suggested that in order for the NDP or Liberals, or anybody to win over Albertans, they need to address issues here. I gave the example of canola farmers suffering, and how the feds can tariff imported cooking oils to encourage consumers to choose a domestic alternative and/or have marketing campaigns to support canola farmers by increasing their domestic sales.

For this, someone insinuated that I am dumber than them simply based on what they assumed to be the school system I attended. The very same person who said this confidently made another comment where they claimed that the NDP was in charge for a “long time” before Peter Lougheed, and that Lougheed ran on diversifying the economy, and ditched the effort afterwards.

This is provably false. The NDP formed government for the first time in 2015, it was the Social Credit Party who came before Lougheed’s Progressive Conservatives. Lougheed also established the Heritage Fund , which was made specifically to save money for investments in other sectors of Alberta’s economy, the disaster of the fund came with the following leaders.

However, calling someone out for getting their facts wrong, and showcasing a current example of tariffs working to protect domestic goods gets you downvoted if you’re Albertan, with the very people insulting your intelligence getting upvoted as they spew their nonsense.

Apparently explaining working-class issues and what left-wing parties can do to better reach those who normally vote Conservative is treating Alberta as “special” and forcing “everyone else to adapt” to us. Clearly the “majority” of people in Alberta are “hateful morons” and “insular xenophobes” .

Why do people continue to blanket me with the thoughts of a few bad apples they met? Are they more prominent here, sure, whatever, I can agree to that. I can agree that people here can be some of the worst you’ve met, I would know, I live here.

But me and the good, well-meaning people I know, especially those here who are marginalised or among the over 750,000 people who voted for the NDP the last election, do not appreciate having blanket statements made against us simply because we live here. I am pro-abortion, I am pro-immigration, I am pro-expanding healthcare, pro-creating public alternatives, pro-trans rights, anti-privatisation, anti-separatist, and yet sure, I’m a Conservative tip-toeing a line because my thoughts slightly deviate from the norm.

Hate the government, hate the jerks, do not hate me simply for where I’m born and the fact that I live here. I do not do this to you, I do not insult people for where they live or were born, and don’t make blanket assumptions about the entire population of an area based on who’s in power where they live. Why then is it seen as acceptable for this to happen to me?

I am an Albertan who doesn’t want special treatment, but for fuck sake, it is reasonable to want to be treated with respect.

Edit: I don’t know why the numbered lists are showing all as 1’s, I have them properly numbered in the text of this post.

Alright, so despite it being clear that you specifically are against this, but still have a single minor tidbit of information I disagree with, it’s then fine for me to call you a fucking idiot because “this is brought on by ourselves”, right?

Clearly people have the ability to distinguish the “good” Albertan if they’re literally out here asking to be called names, so why do they have a hard time distinguishing that I’m not someone who supports the stuff happening here when I’m clearly in support of unions by the nature of my comments, my profile description states I have certain instances blocked for transphobia, and my linkstack is on an instance that’s queer-friendly based on the domain name alone?

Because we all know how much Conservatives and the UCP support… reads notes, unions, trans people, and the marginalised.

I’d agree if my intelligence wasn’t insulted with people near immediately saying “oh, you’re just stupid because you’re Albertan” when they disagree with me because of a minor comment about tariffs.

From your perspective, what are the major problems your province needs fixed?

Elect someone who isn’t right wing and people will stop assuming the population is right wing

It has nothing to do with prejudice, you aren’t a victim in this context. Sorry

Alright, so because of what you just said, I went back to look at the thread you posted again… and, I tried to read through your responses and what was said to you… and tbh, I wouldn’t really have your back.

I don’t see where anyone is specifically “calling you stupid because you’re Albertan.” I might have missed it though, I found it to be a really annoying read from both sides and mostly skimmed it. That said, you seem to be taking people talking shit about the “majority of Albertans” and “conservative Albertans outside Calgary and Edmonton” as a direct insult. You seem to be trying to distance yourself from that current majority, so I’m not sure why you’re taking it as an insult. They’re insulting the people from which you’re trying to distance yourself (I think, correct me if I’m wrong) so why are you insulted by it?

Also, you’re responding emotionally and then claiming you’re just giving facts, and then you’re completely discounting what everyone else says as insults, even when there’s actual substantive arguments (but unfortunately also insults) just because they’re wrong/you disagree. That’s not how debate works. Just because they’re wrong/you disagree, you can’t just discount what they’ve said completely. Then you’re responding to insults and blanket statements with insults and blanket statements. I’m sorry, but you’re just not going to get a lot of sympathy by doing that.

Saying that (quoted loosely) “the rest of the country just shuts its brain off and says Albertans are stupid Conservatives” is not any better than the people you’re arguing with saying Albertans are pussies or that it’s a joke province.

You’re coming in angry, responding with clear emotion, and antagonizing people by insulting everyone in the country, then getting upset when you get downvoted. I’m not sure you’re going about this argument in the best manner possible.

The AB gov’t effectively just told Albertans that they have no rights, just privileges subject to the UCP’s whims by using the not withstanding clause twice. Where’s the pushback beyond talk? Smith is trying to normalize its use, and contribute to stripping our rights federally, straight from the playbook down south. Poilievre literally just said he’d use it.

We’re in an uncertain time and suffering at the whims of an American madman, and AB has sided with him. I think it’s safe to say YOU haven’t, and honestly most Albertans haven’t, but your gov’t has.

We live in a democracy, and like it or not, we’re defined by our gov’ts. The majority may not have voted for Danielle Smith’s UCP, but the majority absolutely did not vote to stop it.

Ya gotta understand, you live in the most American province in a time when America just started a trade war with us and threatened annexation.

For fuck’s sake you guys are up for a referendum next year to separate which could lead to the destruction of both AB and Canada. Honestly, I think there’s a good chance it’ll pass simply due to voter apathy. We’re in a threatened country, and even within our country, Alberta is threatening it.

Alberta has made it clear, maybe not you or yours, but Alberta has made it clear it doesn’t want Canada. I lived in AB for over a decade, and it’s full of good people. But good people mean nothing when they do nothing.

Except I am giving facts? The guy said that the NDP was in control of the province for a “long time” before Lougheed was premier. The Alberta NDP never held government before 2015, the Social Credit Party was the ruling party in Alberta for nearly 40 years before Lougheed was premier. This is something that can be easily found through a Google search. He also claimed that Lougheed ran on diversifying the economy, and did nothing to do so afterwards, which is also provably false. The Heritage Fund was founded by Lougheed’s government to save money for investment in sectors, and it was following premiers that squandered that fund to the infamy it holds today.

So in the midst of implying my intelligence is lacking by stating that the schoolboards here have somehow failed me because I made a simple comment he disagrees with, he also spouts outright misinformation. I gave facts. I gave facts about the current state of affairs in regards to the teacher’s strike in response to someone falsely accusing people here of doing nothing, followed up with my opinion on what can be done, and then was greeted by further insults by someone who was blanketing Conservative views on me from the start for the very nature of where I’m from because they met some people that hold those beliefs.

Me saying “the rest of country turns it’s brain off”, may have been a little more loaded than I realised, I will take accountability for that, honest mistake on my part.

The separation referendum is being stalled by a referendum to stay within Canada, where the petition to start it has already received enough signatures to start the referendum at 456K signatures.

Polling for separation is laughably low. This is not something that will happen, and not something legally feasible because of Treaty rights, and other numerous legal barriers. Smith herself has admitted she herself does not support separation, but has felt backed into a corner by her base as she fears a party split handing the NDP a win next election cycle more than she does the referendum succeeding, as she sees the former as a far more likely scenario. This can already be seen with the variety of right-wing parties in Alberta as opposed to the province’s left-wing being much more unified behind one party. Basically all this is an issue that could solved by implementing proportional representation in the province.

The pushback is currently being coordinated, it has only been a week since the back-to-work order, I personally feel it is way too early to judge a lack of action, but regardless students have been pushing back in the meantime the labour movement sorts things out on their end.

I do appreciate being distinguished as an individual and not as a part of the government or the worst of the crowd that voted them in.

So you’re hating on all of us because one person generalized? Curious.

The AB gov’t effectively just told Albertans that they have no rights, just privileges subject to the UCP’s whims by using the not withstanding clause twice. Where’s the pushback beyond talk? Smith is trying to normalize its use, and contribute to stripping our rights federally, straight from the playbook down south. Poilievre literally just said he’d use it.

We’re in an uncertain time and suffering at the whims of an American madman, and AB has sided with him. I think it’s safe to say YOU haven’t, and honestly most Albertans haven’t, but your gov’t has.

We live in a democracy, and like it or not, we’re defined by our gov’ts. The majority may not have voted for Danielle Smith’s UCP, but the majority absolutely did not vote to stop it.

Ya gotta understand, you live in the most American province in a time when America just started a trade war with us and threatened annexation.

For fuck’s sake you guys are up for a referendum next year to separate which could lead to the destruction of both AB and Canada. Honestly, I think there’s a good chance it’ll pass simply due to voter apathy. We’re in a threatened country, and even within our country, Alberta is threatening it.

Alberta has made it clear, maybe not you or yours, but Alberta has made it clear it doesn’t want Canada. I lived in AB for over a decade, and it’s full of good people. But good people mean nothing when they do nothing.

It’s like the old joke about lawyers: it’s just 90% who make the other 10% look bad.

The separation referendum is being stalled by a referendum to stay within Canada, where the petition to start it has already received enough signatures to start the referendum at 456K signatures.

Polling for separation is laughably low. This is not something that will happen, and not something legally feasible because of Treaty rights, and other numerous legal barriers. Smith herself has admitted she herself does not support separation, but has felt backed into a corner by her base as she fears a party split handing the NDP a win next election cycle more than she does the referendum succeeding, as she sees the former as a far more likely scenario. This can already be seen with the variety of right-wing parties in Alberta as opposed to the province’s left-wing being much more unified behind one party. Basically all this is an issue that could solved by implementing proportional representation in the province.

The pushback is currently being coordinated, it has only been a week since the back-to-work order, I personally feel it is way too early to judge a lack of action, but regardless students have been pushing back in the meantime the labour movement sorts things out on their end.

I do appreciate being distinguished as an individual and not as a part of the government or the worst of the crowd that voted them in.