Canada

As I’ve grown older, I now know that politics is different for everyone. For some, it’s about taxes. For others, it’s about supporting a political party like some support their favourite sports team: forever loyal no matter what.

There’s a quote attributed to the Greek politician, Pericles: “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.”

At the very least, even when people trip up and get things wrong, we’re trying. Bots, social media giants, and bad-faith actors are not trying to have those conversations. They’re not trying to understand different viewpoints. They are trying to incite, divide, and confuse voters. If we can’t talk politics person-to-person, neighbour-to-neighbour, and especially among family, how can we learn from one another or understand each other? How can we feel empathy when we see the other person as the problem?

As election day draws closer, some indications show that Canadians are paying more attention than they have in years. Maybe we’re talking politics more with each other instead of letting the bots and bad actors take control. That would be a start.