Come on guys you’re scaring us.

We have had polarized politics here in Canada. There was the trucker protest in 2022 that paralyzed Ottawa for 32 days. But some of the worst riots in Canadian history involved hockey. Vancouver in 1994 and again in 2011. And let’s not forget the Montreal riot in 1955 after the NHL suspended Montreal star Maurice “Rocket” Richard during the playoffs.

But political polarization in Canada does not split the country into two camps. We’re too divided for that. There’s the English v. the French. And the West v. the East. Progressives v. Conservatives. Not surprising the Canadian Parliament has representatives from 5 different political parties. And many voters will shift their vote from one party to another.

We look at the political divide in the U.S. and it looks like the Grand Canyon. Bipartisanism is dead. There are two visions for America with no room for compromise.

What is alarming is the vitriol that now exists. The language used is alarming. References to Nazis and Hitler should never be part of an election campaign. Both sides accuse the other of threatening democracy, corruption and being beholding to special interests. Policy platforms are now secondary to character assassination. Neither side is likely to accept the results of the vote on November 5. There has already been political violence and nothing to suggest it won’t happen again.

This is not something that just appeared eight years ago. It’s been slowly evolving for 30 years. It’s just getting worse.

I don’t have a solutions. I barely understand what’s happening. America is looked upon by many as the leader of the Free World. As American fight among themselves, the void left will be filled by the bad guys. That thought is utterly frightening.