Beware the Mild-Mannered Canadian —The Transformation Has Begun
There are only so many concessions and so many apologies one can be forced to make.
I've recently been accused of “rage-baiting” regarding some of the news articles I’ve shared on social media. Normally this happens when I share a screenshot of a news headline (because sharing an actual news article is not allowed on social media in Canada) with a short commentary on what it means. I feel compelled to do this last bit because again, our government has made it impossible for you to easily read the article that the screenshot references so something needs to be said about it.
In case you're not hip to the lingo, rage-baiting or rage-farming is:
the manipulative tactic of eliciting outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, revenue and support.
Thank you, Wikipedia.
So, if that's what I am doing, it certainly isn't providing me with the expected outcomes. Having said that, please subscribe…
As with most name-calling on social media, I usually wonder what the person on the other end actually thinks about said news article, or if he has even thought about it at all. I think often this is just another way to show displeasure without needing to have an actual conversation. Because why talk about it when you can just call your opponent a Nazi...
Personally, I think there are not nearly enough angry Canadians around at the moment. Maybe we really are a walking stereotype - constantly smiling and nodding, apologizing to everyone we meet for things we've no control over, and afraid to let anyone see us get a little upset over issues that are important to all Canadians right now. Having said that, I do think it's begun to change a little bit.
It's worth noting that most people who throw around terms like "rage-farming" would never think of employing them against someone calling for the deaths of Jews, or against someone moaning about how violent words are or how hate-filled and transphobic I am for not liking the idea of my daughter sharing a bathroom with a grown man.
No, words like these have only one purpose, and that is to shut people up, or to make them think twice about opening their mouths in the first place.
If you think the above three examples of news articles - all from the last week - are no big deal and are just me trying to get people all riled up so I can sit back and watch the show, then you my friend are part of the reason these things are happening. Yes, you are part of the problem. As ridiculous as these things are, they continue to happen largely because we let them. We allow them to happen by sitting by and saying nothing. Whether it's because of fear or because of indifference is irrelevant. Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is: Why are you not angry?
Like I said, more and more people are beginning to see this grift for what it is and those happy shiny Canadians that we're all so used to seeing quaffing double-doubles at Tim Horton’s are going to suddenly transform and then someone is going to pay a price, though I'm sure it won't be nearly high enough. For so long now the conversation has been controlled by one side and these folks seem to think they're untouchable. You can tell they think that because of how absolutely ridiculous they are. They are likely going to be shocked when they realize that suddenly no amount of virtue-signaling or victim-claiming is going to be enough to save them from a rising tide of average, nice, mind-their-own-business Canadians who have been pushed so far for so long and said nothing but now have simply had enough. I think they'll be scampering like rats in the pantry when the light comes on. At that point it likely won't make a bit of difference how many baseless accusations of hate and racism are thrown about because the only ones who will even attempt to take them seriously will be running right alongside them.
Loose the hounds.
