Anger, hatred, and bigotry are finding expression in mainstream provincial politics these days, as witnessed by the recent conservative victories by Doug Ford and Jason Kenney in Ontario and Alberta respectively. Although Ford and Kenney grab most of the headlines, we must not forget that Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Québec, and Prince Edward Island also recently elected Conservative leaders. And Andrew Scheer and Maxime Bernier are organizing at the federal level, with Scheer a betting favourite to take the fall election and become the next prime minister, according to recent polls. This cabal of white, male, political opportunists—laughably dubbed “The Resistance” by Maclean’s—are riding a “blue wave” that has them poised to consolidate conservative political power in Canada. We must resist “The Resistance.”

Conservatives are gaining momentum in part because of the absence of a real radical resistance. Politically, there have been few notes of optimism, with the exception of Québec solidaire. The so called alternative parties, the NDP and Greens, have demonstrated a cowardly lack of leadership in recent years as well as an inability to put forward a bold set of policy proposals that address the root of our social, economic, and ecological problems: capitalism with its attendant ills of patriarchy and white supremacy.

What is needed, what has always been needed, is organized socialist resistance in many and diverse forms. We must support progressive candidates, to be sure, but much more is needed to stem the tide of the blue wave. Push your unions, organize new ones, form or support worker action centres in your city, and get involved in community associations to build relations of solidarity and protect the planet with your neighbours. As OCAP organizer John Clarke recently noted about what will be needed to build a better world today: we must work together to fight on and leave no one behind.

In short, we need a return to socialist struggle, broadly conceived and deployed, and our hope is that CD can continue to be a voice for this more radical resistance that is long past its due for resurgence. Don’t mourn, organize!

This article appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Canadian Dimension (CD Goes Digital).