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'Ordinary Canadians'

PHILIP JACKMAN

From Saturday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 7:51 AM EST 17/10/08

Why do politicians keep calling us that? ...Read the full article

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  1. Geoff I from Canada writes: Interesting points but I wish this could be expanded a bit. What does it mean to be 'ordinary' in a multi-cultural mosaic with a low population density? Do 'ordinary Canadians' hate Ontario or are people from other places think they are 'extra-ordinary' because they get more out of IE?
  2. toco- mak from moonbeam, Canada writes: Ordinary means your probably "white" a racist, not an Aboriginal or other victimized group.
  3. Jay Fitzgerald from Canada writes: A Canadian version of ' Joe Sixpack '. Also dull boring Canadians. A polliespeak euphamism.
  4. Sys Crusher from Canada writes: Geoff I from Canada writes: Interesting points but I wish this could be expanded a bit. What does it mean to be 'ordinary' in a multi-cultural mosaic with a low population density? Do 'ordinary Canadians' hate Ontario or are people from other places think they are 'extra-ordinary' because they get more out of IE?

    As I wrote last week but the G and M conveniently deleted

    the distinction has nothing to do with class or ethnicity - but is a reference to whether your status is achieved or ascribed. To distinguish between those who are elected or nominated to a position and those who are not or those who rule and those who are ruled. It has nothing to do with economic status so the definition provided is rubbish.

    an ordinary canadian is a derivative of the term ordinary citizen which means you enjoy the rights and privileges of that status and nothing more

    people who consider it an insult might think its a reference to status in society or hierarchy based on economy or race but not so

    Stephen Harper might be an ordinary Canadian but he is also elected to represent others and Canada and so he is something more than just ordinary.
  5. Vic Hotte from Kettleby, Canada writes: Wonder if the term 'ordinary' is used to describe Canadians at election time because politicians have almost no interest in unincorporated entities. Average Canadians experience the splendour of voting in a democracy where they are FREE to be ignored for the period between elections.
  6. Pamphleteer . from Canada writes: Politicians love to pander to the lowest common denominator. God forbid a person be well-educated, articulate, thoughtful and well read. These people just are not amenable to thought control! Unless you've got a beer in one hand and have your eyes glued to Canadian Idol and Dancing with the Stars every night, you're one of the icky "elite."
  7. Pamphleteer . from Canada writes: Our leaders should be encouraging us to be more than just ordinary. For our children's and great grandchildren's sake, we need to be more than mediocre boob-tube watching twits.
  8. Anti Fascist from Canada writes:
    Politicians and their handlers use terms like ordinary Canadians in public, in private the term is "sheep".
  9. Mark Wells from Canada writes: In Canada politicians could just refer to us "Canadians" without the qualifying adjective. The unfortunate fact of Canadianism, however, is that many people would take offense to that too.
  10. Billiam Smith from Montreal, Canada writes: The only thing meaningless here is Dennis Pilon's muddied answer to the "ordinary Canadians" question. Is there a vast conspiracy out to marginalize the lower-income bracket, or a political effort to mobilize them? His answer suggests both. It's more likely that the term "working class" fell out of favour because members of the rich, poor and middle class also mostly all, well, "work". In any event, the tripartite class structure has less meaning in Canada and "ordinary Canadians" is intended to refer also to what would have before been considered the upper-middle class and even the rich - as long as their tastes don't run to the elitist.
  11. Trudeau's Apricot poodle from Canada writes: Not ever Canadian is an entitled, urban, liberal feminist, tree-hugging victimized interfering doo gooder. The persons who can be described in positive terms are, to whatever degree possible, part of their outwardly expanding community. We have a slight interest in the state of the world, but focused on the day to day events of our "little worlds". We pays out taxes, don't support gun control, think everyone should live and more importantly let live. Would like the legal industry to reflect Canadian society's values and the CBC to revert to it's original mandate, or go away. Everyone likes to slag Toronto, because as centre of the flat earth society, it tends to attract that sort of thing, gravity etc. Other than sloveing the worlds problems on a daily basis in coffee shops all over the place, not that much different than anyone else.
  12. Derek Lambert from Edmonton, Canada writes: Trudeau's Apricot poodle from Canada writes: Not ever Canadian is an entitled, urban, liberal feminist, tree-hugging victimized interfering doo gooder.

    Yeah, polls show about 34% of them are mean spirited, selfish, polluting (and feel they have a right to), judgmental, reactionaries who don't believe in science or simply care nothing about future generations :p.
  13. RRR JJJ from Canada writes: the same people that take offence at being called "ordinary" are probably the same people on here who keep demeaning people in rural ridings/areas as somehow being less educated or less worldly, as if those ridings dont count as much and urban dwellers know better.
  14. GuineaPig Zed from Moorpark, United States writes: Ordinary Canadian, if your Adds For Vimax Pills , mean anything, is that the average man should surprise her with a bigger penis? ( And her eyes will bulge out!)
    That would mean the average man is four inches short? ( Canada )
    Do you read the front page of our own paper?
    Are you that much in in need of new income?
    Moderate your front page!
  15. baldev sood from toronto, Canada writes: ordinary people are the people who work for living not the people where money work for them.
    Ordinary people are the one who are controlled by the govenment policies,polies are not created by them and have little influence in policy making.
  16. been there from Toronto, Canada writes: As the article explained, "ordinary Canadians" is a code word for working class.

    These code words are used by right wing populist political strategists to mobilize "the people" to support their policies.

    The opposite of "ordinary", of course, is the "elite". The tactic is to exaggerate the different interests between the two abstract groups and basically tries to goad the populace to choose between "us" and "them" when it comes to policy and the ballot box.

    Never mind that it is often a portion of the "elite" who are instigating this, or that those "elites" who are pushing policies that often act against the interests of the "ordinary" (like weakening job security, or even cuts in arts funding (most arts people have earnings in the working class bracket)). This is the insidiousness of populist politics.

    This tactic has been used so pervasively in the US that hearing it has become so "ordinary" -- like chickens crowing in the morning.

    It is interesting to note that some Canadians are offended by the term; you almost never hear that in the US.

    I suggest that the difference lies in both class structure and values -- that Canada does not suffer from the class polarization of the US, and that Canadians as a whole don't buy into class polarization.
  17. Prometheus Motel from Canada writes: nonsense
  18. J. Bergin from Canada writes: The only politician I have heard using the term "ordinary Canadians" is Jack Layton and for once I would like to hear his definition of that term. I would bet that most Canadians who think they are ordinary would not meet the NDP's idea of an ordinary Canadian.
  19. Polar Bear from Edmonton, Canada writes: ... and one day we wil be called "poor Canadians." Politicians care about themselves ... the extra-ordinary Canadians.
  20. Rob Ruttan from Barrie, Canada writes: The term 'ordinary Canadians' is used to create division and mistrust. Rather than encouraging people to reach for what is extra-ordinary it suggests that thinking outside the box, being different, creative, successful, etc., is something to be avoided. It advocates for mediocrity, and mediocre people are easier to manipulate. Layton used the term, and so did Harper. Harper used it to create a false division between the 'ordinary' Canadians and 'elites'. Layton, I suppose, wants to create a sort of reverse class warfare in a country that would be better off without it. But no one seems to want to encourage people to be other than ordinary.
    Socrates once admonished the people of Athens for being more concerned with wealth than the development of their own soul. I might get called 'elitist' by making reference to a Greek philosopher, but wait a minute -- most of us know the name and many readers will recognize the idea. We know better, don't we, than to let politicians get away with slamming us down so they can get our votes.

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