An interviewer said, “Mr. Crandall, what is your reaction to the prime minister’s announcement?”
The man squirmed in his chair. “Well, Brenda, we in the opposition believe that it goes beyond what is strictly speaking necessary.”
“What would you have preferred to see?”
“Well, suspending the right to form a mob is definitely a good idea as is a curfew. We agree with the prime minister that something has to be done to curb the violence. However, we also believe that the current situation is the result of this government’s inaction. Clearly, this situation has been worsening for years now. Something should have been done far earlier.”
“Do you disagree with the government’s actions today?”
“We would have preferred the government take action long ago. Had they stopped this violence before it reached this level, we wouldn’t need these measures.”
“So you agree they’re necessary?”
“They are the result of indecisive leadership that allowed the situation to get out of hand.”
“Will your party support these measures?”
“Ah, well, our job is to hold the government to account. We certainly plan on fulfilling that role.”
“What is your position on the new National Peacekeeping Force?”
“We have concerns. It appears to be a paramilitary force. It obviously needs Parliamentary oversight.”
“So you’re not opposed to the NPF itself?”
“We will need to see how events unfold.”
“What about the suspension of the election. Surely you oppose that.”
“Of course. After all, free elections are the hallmark of a democracy. We are deeply concerned about their suspension. When the next election is called, we certainly intend to contest suspending this one.”
“Are you concerned about the threat by Commander Dimster of the use of extreme force?”
“Of course. Extreme force is to be avoided where possible. We will be monitoring the actions of the NPF to ensure they behave in a responsible manner.” He looked at his watch. “I appreciate your questions, and I can assure Canadians we will be scrutinizing the government’s actions in the coming months. But I do have an urgent appointment, and I must run.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crandall. Back to you, Julie.”
“Thank you, Brenda. We have an interview with Alice Sigmund of the polling and public relations firm Sigmund and Associates. Ms. Sigmund is also the author of When Democracy Fails.
An interviewer said, “Ms. Sigmund, you have heard the prime minister’s announcement. What is your reaction?”
“I’m appalled. Suspending civil liberties? Cancelling elections? Deploying a paramilitary force? These are the actions of an authoritarian state, not a democracy.”
“The prime minister argues that the situation is desperate and demands extreme measures. Do you disagree?”
“Completely. The situation is not desperate and—”
“But there are continuous riots. Twelve people have been killed. Cities have been brought to a standstill. Are you saying that nothing should be done?”
“Of course not. But the situation is nowhere near as dire as you just said and as the news media delight in reporting. Yes, the demonstrations have resulted in conflict, but these mostly involve occasional tussles between opposing interests. Unfortunately, there have also been sporadic outbursts of more serious violence. But most of the demonstrations are orderly.”
“Orderly? People are being killed. Buildings set on fire. Stores are being looted, cars overturned. How can you consider twelve deaths to be orderly?”
“Those deaths happened in just four riots. I agree those were serious, and they do require action to prevent something like them from recurring. And I agree that the property damage you talked about is not trivial. But I also insist it is not as widespread as the media persist in reporting and as the government has just claimed.”
“Ms. Sigmund, are you saying all of this is just some kind of misperception? That the riots and demonstrations never happened?”
“Of course not. I’m saying that they have not been as serious as you claim. Look, my company tracks these things. We have the statistics. The data. Yes, some demonstrations have brought cities to a temporary standstill, but most of those ended without incident. There has been less property damage in most cities than they experience in a heavy storm. It’s like the homicide rate. Most people believe it’s going up even though it has declined over the past decades. What has gone up is the level and, dare I say, the hysteria of media reporting. The same thing is true of these demonstrations. Yes, there are serious problems, but there is a huge disconnection between the urgency of media reports and the reality on the ground.”
“So why do you think the government has taken such drastic steps if the problem is not that bad?”
“Why? Political survival. Because the public has been incited by an alarmist media to believe there is an emergency, any government that failed to act would not stand a chance at the next election. This government is acting for its own interests. I must also point out that there are several members of both parties who are sympathetic to authoritarian rule. They believe it’s more efficient.”
“Isn’t it?”
“That you even ask is a huge problem. Just look at the economic and social conditions of any dictatorship, and you’ll realize how misguided that question is.”
“But even if these actions are extreme, won’t they at least calm things down?”
“Just the opposite. They have the potential to turn controlled anger into rage. I fear that the worst is yet to come, and it will be far worse than anything we’ve experienced.”
27
THE WEST COAST
Never had Darius seen so many people. Never had he seen such wealth. The streets were lined with stalls selling food, used clothing, pieces of equipment he couldn’t identify. Makeshift canopies of worn canvas hung propped over doorways, the interiors dark. Vendors saturated the air with the sounds of yelling. “Buy my vegetables.” “Let me mend your shirts.” “Eat my food, prepared by my own hands.” The smell of food, some cooking, some rotting, mixed with the stench of dung from passing horses and oxen that whirled up from the streets in clouds of dust stirred by passing carts. Darius had heard that the West Coast in the winter was rain-soaked. Perhaps that would keep down the dust, turn the dung into mud.
The streets passed between towers just as tall as those of the city he had left, but here they were occupied, at least the bottom three or four floors. Clothing flapped from lines strung across balconies. Semi-naked children squealed in the street, oblivious to the shouts from people around them.
Most astonishing was their first night. Lights. A few on poles above the streets, some from inside some of the rooms. Darius had seen the lights illuminating the Peak compound in Calgary, but never ones that lit the rest of the city. Some of the windows revealed a flickering that he would learn was from television screens.
He grew aware of the attention Ilona drew. From the scowls on the faces they passed, the contempt of set shoulders, her people were not welcome here.
They tried to find a place to stay, but at every hotel or rooming house, someone barred them, glowering at Ilona. They spent the first few nights under the ruins of a bridge that no longer carried traffic. They found an abandoned building. It was a slum compared to the house in the woods, but it was no worse than the home Darius had shared with his aunt and uncle. It provided them with shelter and, once they cleared a spot outside to make a fire, a place to eat.