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EESTI ELU reedel, 8. juulil 2022 — Friday, July 8, 2022
Nr. 27
English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Convoys, freedoms and populism The recent Freedom Convoy on Canada Day in Ottawa wasn’t a repeat of the head line-grabbing, confrontational, prolonged event of February. Back then, total contempt for the law was matched by the inability of law enforcers to execute their duty. Neither of the two Freedom Convoys were about ending COVID-19 restrictions, about showing opposition to a “mandate-prone” government. And it certainly wasn’t about truckers suffering from lack of freedoms. The facts tell us the real story. Some 120,000 certified truckers are part of the Canadian Trucking Association (CTA). In downtown Ottawa, at the peak of the occupation in February, only 230 trucks participated. The CTA denounced the convoy and stated that over 90% of its truckers are vaccinated and follow mandate requirements. For many, it’s disturbing to see far right international media depict the Freedom Rally as a widely supported, grass roots uprising demanding their rightful freedoms from a repressive government. It’s even more disconcerting reading in EKRE’s Uued Uudised distortions of the level of support the Freedom Rally gained from Canadians in general. Far right reports have stated that protesters ranged from 10,000 to 50,000 in numbers. Local police place the protesters from 5,000 to 10,000 at the peak. These are not small gatherings. But compare this to the 500,000 in 2019, convening in Montreal, targeting climate change. Many observers suggest the Freedom Rally represented a much broader grievance. It was a well-organized protest, an actual prime opportunity for disaffected white Canadians, who are Christian (a distortion of this designation – ed.) and male to build and express solidarity with others of equal mind. From an academic perspective, the protesters were spurred from feelings of shame rising from their inability to gain their expected status in society. This forced humility swells to resentment and bitterness – at fault being liberal ideas, policies – concepts that decision-makers
use to advocate equity and inclusion as opposed to a traditional social hierarchy familiar to the protesters. This is the scholarly, non-judgmental version of the current surge of populism. The above is an attempt to construct a psycho-social profile and motivation of a typical participant in populism. An up-to-date definition of popu lism has currently not found unanimous agreement. Far-right populism is said to play upon fear as a political motivator. Left-wing populism has been identified with hope. Critics suggest that we have been carelessly in calling far right movements ‘populist’. This legitimizes them by linking them to the people. Some scholars suggest that up until the political ascendancy of Mr. Trump, populism referred to something broad and vague such as ‘the will of the people’. This gives them un deserved democratic legitimacy. Now, for most observers, it has a negative association. In a survey of some 5000 Estonians living abroad, the Institute of Baltic Studies asked about their personal ties to Estonia and their perceptions of life in Estonia. Far-right populism (parem-populism) in Estonia was the most negative development in their estimation. It was a direct reference to EKRE. The respondents placed the presidency (specifically Kersti Kaljulaid) as the most positive ‘thing’ in Estonia – ironically the public figure most vilified by EKRE. To many, EKRE, Mr. Trump and the Freedom Convoy do have some striking commonalities. They claim to represent ordinary people and that they alone are uniquely qualified to lead them. All political opponents are part of an entrenched elite and are not traditional political adversaries, but the enemy. The notion that a legitimate opposition is possible is not in the populist’s mindset. They must represent all of the people. Those opposing them must either be corrupt, treasonous or incompetent. Procedural legitimacy is also not part of the populist’s agenda. Populists also have disdain for political formalities and time-honoured political prac
Photo: Estonian Life
Superb singing at Suvihari
In all three instances, demagogues have attracted fervent supporters and managed or attempted to turn them against a country’s established institutions. A weakening of trust in democratic norms and, at the worst, can end in violence.
performers and audience sweltered in muggy, humid air whilst trying to swat the skeeters. Hard to recall such a day at Seedrioru in recent decades. Enjoyment was had in swimming and a volleyball tournament for all, especially the younger generation. The featured performers were very special. The Estonian Radio Girls Choir had already performed at numerous Toronto locations; those who had heard them knew it was worth the drive to the environs of Elora. The choir is composed of, according to the provided programme, girls and young ladies ranging from ages of 14 to 19. Although a keen eye thought some were even y ounger. In last week’s Eesti Elu, reviewer Eerik Purje used superlatives in praising the choir and their conductors, Kadri Hunt and Kaie Tanner. He wrote that listening to their singing at St. Peter’s Church, the choir was comparable to angels expressing their beliefs. And the same can be said about the flawless performance at Suvihari. An gelic, yet professionally beyond their years. Your humble correspondent availed himself of the opportunity to speak with Kadri Hunt. At allowed length. A wonderful individual. Not only a lovely singer, conductor, but also a composer to boot. Her very Estonianness, in the sense that fun was being poked at others, her “Estonian Etudes” is remarkable. Her sense of humour, in both of Seedrioru’s official languages, shone throughout. The choir performed in the first half of their lovely singing mostly what the undersigned experienced at St. Peter’s church. And flawlessly. The movements chosen to accom pany certain songs were impeccable. This choir is extra ordinary. The proceedings went as
LAAS LEIVAT
(Järgneb lk. 13)
The slender one has long held affection for Seedrioru, from the days when the slimster was but a whelp, attending summer camp, or suvekodu. Because of the pandemic the annual greeting of summer with Suvihari, a celebration of warm weather in song, speech, the remembering of those who gave their lives to gain independence then later defending, had been post poned. It is a memorable notto-be-missed event. That we lacked for two years. Perhaps this nostalgia rises strongly from the fact that the founders of Seedrioru were from the Estonian societies, eesti seltsid in smaller cities (Hamilton, Kitchener, St Catharines and London) in
Southern Ontario. They are a special breed of Estonians. Often from the islands. Volun teers have donated thousands and thousands of hours since 1955, when an old farmstead on the banks of the Grand River was purchased in the interest of providing a cultural experience for Estonian children, ensuring that they would speak their mother tongue in the process. Seedrioru’s cottage leaseholders and supporters are of a different make than those from the Big Smoke, Hogtown, where trying to be cosmopolitan results often in a prevailing divisive attitude. This year’s Suvihari was truly memorable. Perfect summer weather, clear and sunny, a mild breeze to keep the mosquitoes away. So unlike the times when
tices. These are seen as clever maneuverings of a political elite to overthrow the will of the people. The long life of Mr. Trump’s ‘Big Lie’ and his continued rejection of the majority deci sion is a good example, one that has gained traction inter nationally. To this day, Uued Uudised have not mentioned the fact that 65 court decisions – in fact all cases dealing with widespread election fraud – have been dismissed for lack of any evidence, and needless to say, rejected by many Trumpappointed judges. One crucial reason for focusing on far-right populism is the political polarization it causes. Most starkly visible is the mutual demonizing of the political opposition within US mainstream parties. It’s the pernicious level of political polarization that puts democracy at risk. The fundamental premise of democracy is that citizens agree to be governed by whoever
wins the election. Demagogues take advantage of the fervour of those who don’t accept being governed by an elected political opposition. This was appallingly evident by the Jan 6 attempted insurrection at Washington’s Capitol, obeying Mr. Trump’s exhortations. Showing the same farright populist identifiers, on a much milder scale, the Freedom Convoy paralyzed Ottawa in February. A more benign version was the EKRE-organized mass protest in 2021 in which the leader of the party urged people to chant “Kallas maha” (down with Kallas). The last two protests both advocating “freedom”.
