Magical Thinking and Jason Kenney

Magical thinking is the belief that one’s thoughts, actions, words or use of symbols can influence events in the physical world.¹  Children and adults before the age of science used magical thinking to explain the world, like religion. Some would argue that religion still plays that role today.

I was quite big on magical thinking as a kid and still slip into the habit as an adult. My mother put huge pressure on me to do well in school to which I responded with magical thinking rather than applying myself to activities that would actually make a difference. For example, if I got to the gate with the garbage before the back door swung shut, I would get into university. If I sunk ten hoops in a row in the backyard, I’d do well in my upcoming piano exam. I’m sure you can see the stupidity of it.

It’s all about feeling safe. I sought that reassurance in an activity over which I felt I had control. Before science, people sought control of weather and disease in the same way I tried to control my future performance in school and on the piano. They might do this through incantations to banish evil spirits or a hated individual, blood-letting to free an individual an evil spirit and the disease it carried or a ritual sacrifice to appease the gods and bring good luck to the tribe. So much was unknown to our ancestors that it made sense they would seek control of the future using ritual and superstition.

 

People nowadays are also facing a considerable unknown. Not since the industrial revolution have we experienced such a radical technological transformation. Jobs that were once considered the sole domain of human beings are now being performed by robots and machines capable of faster and more accurate thinking than a human being. And they learn. That’s why it’s called machine learning. Driverless vehicles that work without fatigue and are less likely to get into accidents will replace taxi drivers and truck drivers on our roads. Lawyers, medical professionals, construction workers, and weirdly morticians and undertakers are all likely to have their jobs replaced or altered by devices capable of machine learning.

According to the Washington Post back in August of 2017, half the jobs in the U.S. paid less than $18 an hour, 40% of jobs paid $15.50 an hour or less and the lowest 10% paid from $9.39 to $9.85 an hour. Even with unemployment rates at 4.3%, wages are not going up. This is after Trump promised wages of over $20.50 an hour. The median salary in the U.S. was $39,100 in 2017. Rick Quinn, a 59-year-old dude who voted for Trump used to make $40 an hour as an engineer for an automotive company. Now, that job is gone and he’s making $10 an hour as a security guard. He hoped for some way out of a desperate situation and Trump seemed to promise one. He would make “America Great Again.” But, how could he deliver on that hope?  

Magic, of course. “Make America Great Again” became a mantra that, if repeated enough and by

enough people, would come true, like prayer. Besides words, he did make promises. For example, he would reduce taxes for corporations and individuals. As a Christian, Rick Quinn prayed that the corporate tax cuts would motivate companies to hire older workers like himself. It didn’t happen.

Trump promised to repeal and replace Obamacare. Fortunately for people like Rick that didn’t happen because he’s already got hospital bills he gets hounded to pay.

Trump promised to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and make Mexico pay for it. Funding for the wall has never come from Mexico and who knows how long it’s going to be held up in the courts after Trump has attempted to commandeer funds by invoking the National Emergency Act. One has to question what the wall will do for Rick and others like him besides giving them an object for their frustrations and hatred. No, Rick waits for the special Donald Trump magic to happen to “Make America Great Again.”

Jason Kenney has his own mantra emblazoned under the United Conservative Party banner on their webpage, “Alberta Strong and Free,” taken Alberta’s official motto, the Latin “fortis et liber”. Like Donald Trump’s call to “Make America Great Again,” Jason Kenney calls to Albertans to make this province “strong and free.” He appeals to patriotism and authoritarianism and even though Alberta is not a country, Mr. Kenney wants to treat it as such. “Alberta Strong” also references the moniker used by those in Fort McMurray to describe their feelings of support for each other during and after the fire that hit their community in May of 2016.

His reference to free is not so easily understood however the invitation on the webpage to sign the “Respect Alberta’s Constitutional Jurisdiction Petition” provides a clue. After complaining that “Justin Trudeau’s Liberals violated Alberta's constitutional jurisdiction by adding upstream and downstream emissions to the pipeline approval process for the Energy East pipeline” it asks the reader to “tell the NDP to pass Motion 505 in the Legislature” introduced into the legislature by Jason Kenney back in May of 2018. Basically, it asks the government of Canada to “prohibit consideration of upstream and downstream emissions” on pipeline proposals. I understand the outrage but what’s the petition going to do other than provide an outlet for the rage that Albertans feel for the federal government?

Kenney will free of us a carbon tax because global warming doesn’t concern him. He’ll provide freedom of choice for schools which either means a voucher system or funding for private schools or a combination of both. Those hired to teach in private schools right now don’t need a teaching certificate, they don’t need to take all students and, under Mr. Kenney’s rules, may not have to follow the curriculum. Freedom to have religious fanatics like Mr. Kenney to run them.  

Like other leaders of an authoritarian bent, Kenney promises to bring back the Alberta Advantage. Not only does this reference the days of Ralph Klein -once a very popular Alberta premier - but also the days of $100 a barrel oil. Like Trump, he promises a return to glory days of the past.

Unlike Kenney, Klein also drank the beer

However, can he really bring back investment to Alberta simply by saying that he’s going to make Alberta strong and free? I wouldn’t bet on it. He may help middle-age and old white men feel they have one of their own in power however will it make a difference to their lifestyle and pocket book for the better? How can they know? All they know is that Kenney will balance the budget in one term (so he says), they’ll be able to wander fair grounds with a beer (for sure), and the deregulation that Kenney’s so keen on may provide them with less income and less safe working environments.

Does reality really matter when Kenney promises an “Alberta Strong and Free?” With a little magical thinking and a constant repetition of that mantra, maybe miracles can happen. The Alberta Advantage will return.