DisinfoWatch founder and director in the Toronto Star on Tuesday, January, 12, 2021.
Last week, Canadians watched in horror as a violent mob smashed their way into the U.S. Capitol — never believing that the same could one day happen in Ottawa. During and after the riot, they shared amusing social media memes of a map of Canada being sawed away from America and joked about Canada paying for their own wall with the U.S.
We would be wise to check that smugness.
Growing discontent among Canadians in various regions is being stoked by malign foreign actors who amplify disinformation and conspiracy theories on both the far-left and far-right. Left unaddressed, trust in our democratic institutions will erode and lead to a deeply polarized society not unlike what we are seeing in the United States and some European countries over recent years.
The warning signs are clear.
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