at the county fair ... neoconservatives and cotton candy!

(they're both stuck up ...)

So I volunteered to help staff the progressives' booth at the local fair today. We got quite a few people dropping by to pick up literature, complain about the cutbacks in government services, and even take out memberships (British Columbia New Democrats).

About midway through my shift, a thirtysomething guy with a child in tow swaggered up to the table. I smiled and offered him a button, and he cut me off to start ranting about high taxes and government interference.

I will cut to the chase here and sum up his argument for him: "I'm an independent businessman. I can't be productive and efficient with all your rules and regulations. The more money I make, the more you want to take away. You're a bunch of stupid losers. What could you possibly do to improve the economy." (The neo-conservative BC Liberals have been in charge since mid-2001, so he's talking to the wrong people.)

Now, I've decided to borrow a page from George W. Bush and smile when I argue with detractors, because it seems to disconcert them.

I said, grinning away, "Well, one thing might be to make sure the tax cuts are spread more evenly through the system, rather than going to a handful of people at the very top." (The BC government gave away half a billion in tax cuts to the richest corporations.)

He started sputtering -- "Those tax cuts are what makes everything work. They're crucial to my business."

Here my colleague Anne jumped in ... "Most of them went to about ten companies ... could I ask you which of them you represent?"

(None of them. Okay. His company employs about 20 people. Admittedly, small business is very important in job creation.)

Smiling away, I said, "That's fabulous! How many new local jobs can we look forward to?"

(He dodges the question. If he HAD hired more people, he certainly would have bragged about it.)

He asserted loudly, "I've gotten where I am by sheer hard work and creativity."

(Um ... you did say you had 20 employees. I assume that they contributed their share, otherwise you would certainly not clutter up your establishment with deadwood. Since it's Labour Day weekend, are you going to give them a nod ...?)

I said, "Well good for you! I'm sure your employees are inspired by your example. You must be a wonderful person to work for."
(At this point, Anne is smirking at me -- he can't see her face, and I'm on the verge of cracking up.)

He hastily put in, "Oh, and they're rewarded for their productivity."

(Would I ever love to talk to his employees! I've talked to plenty of people who've found that their "productivity reward" consists of not being fired right away.)

Anne said, "I'm sure they are. And of course you're the responsible type of employer who would pitch in if they have unexpected medical expenses?"

He: "Well, that's really not my, um, ..."

I said, "How interesting you would say that, because I've spoken with several small business operators in the US, who say that it's simply too expensive to provide benefits for all their workers ... I'm so glad that you agree it's important to have assured public funding for essential services so you can focus your time and money on your company and not worry about the things which you feel are peripheral to that."

At this stage he was breathing a little strangely. Finally he said, "I see we have very different ways of seeing the situation."

I said, "I'm so glad you came over to chat, because we in the NDP think diversity is a good thing. As you see, we are totally in favour of a mixed economy. We have businesspeople and public sector people as members, and as social democrats we don't see them as mutually exclusive."

Anne tried to give him a membership form, whereupon he grabbed his kid by the hand and stomped away.

make someone like that understand. No getting through the right wing fog machine.

It's a shame the NDP are being dragged so effectively through the mud by the media--it's a great party (I'm a Member). For those not up on Canadian Provincial politics, "Liberal" = neocon, and the former NDP leader (and provincial Premier) was persecuted, blue-dress style, because of his patio deck. Basically, a minor personal indiscretion has become the rallying cry of the Establishment's lapdogs to completely discredit the only mainstream progressive party in the system (sound familiar, Southern Neighbours?).