Charlie Angus is a Canadian author, musician, activist and former NDP member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay from 2004 to 2025. He is known for his work on Indigenous rights, social justice and Northern issues. After he chose not to seek re-election last year, Angus formed “The Resistance,” an organization that is dedicated to warning Canadians about the rising dangers of fascism. His Facebook page has more than 170,000 followers. He travels constantly as part of his Resistance Tour, leading public events, writing and video blogging through the Meidas Canada media network. He spoke to Christopher White.
Christopher White: Why are we seeing fascism take off at this particular moment in history?
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Charlie Angus: It’s really important to point out that what we’re seeing is a different form of fascism. I think it’s probably why mainstream media is asking, “Well, are you sure it’s fascism?” Because it’s not fascism in a grey uniform.
We see authoritarianism, which has been on the rise since around 2000 in many countries with what authors Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman call “spin dictators.” These countries technically have democracies and a free press — for example, Singapore, Viktor Orbán’s Hungary and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Their leaders dress well; they talk about democracy and freedom, but they have rigged the system.
Trump’s fascism is a whole other order of business because it has much of the public cruelty of the Nazis but it’s really gaudy and tacky.
As for why is it happening… After the First World War, was a huge economic dislocation in Europe. You see that same dislocation in the young generation today. There’s been a disappearance of the middle class and in people believing that if they work hard, they’ll have a future, but we haven’t taken it seriously. In the United States, the gap between the rising oligarchs and everyone else is so extreme that democracy is perishing. It has created a perfect breeding ground for fascism.
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CW: What actions should we as Canadian citizens be taking right now to oppose fascism in the United States?
CA: We cannot underplay the power of the boycott. In less than a year, we destroyed the export industry of American wines. We’re shifting massive amounts of money out of the U.S. market and into Canada. We have to continue to use that people power.
But our response raises a question: Are we doing this as a defensive measure against the threat, or are we going to use this as a positive power to ask what kind of nation we want to be?
Nobody’s coming to save us. The only thing that’s going to save us is us standing up and fighting for democracy.
CW: Are you concerned about the Trump cabal using force against us?
CA: Well, there’s a reason I get up every morning at seven and start writing and posting Meidas Canada videos when I could be out enjoying my life. And there’s a reason I’m traveling the country relentlessly, going to little towns like Picton and North Rustico to talk about fascism.
I believe we are in the opening stages of a new global conflict of the oligarch gangsters against democracies, including Canada. The U.S. will not want to allow Canada to sit on the American border as a nation of the rule of law.
If Trump can brag about sending the army to Chicago, Portland and Los Angeles, I can’t help but wonder when is it going to dawn on him that it would probably be easier to use the army against us?
If Canadians show an unwillingness to bend or break, it will make them think twice. We have to continue that because the threat is very real.
CW: What about internal threats facing Canada?
CA: We are in this fragile moment where we can move forward as a nation that defends democracy and diversity, but we have to be able to recognize that the threats that are here, which is rising insecurity economically. The MAGA threat is serious but we haven’t reached the level in the United States of alienation and the attack on Canada has made us think of our common values.
We may get through this, but I don’t believe we’re going to get through this because of political leadership. I think we’re going to get through this because of ordinary people who, in their gut, know we’ve got to do something better.
***
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Rev. Christopher White is a United Church minister in Hamilton.
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From a Bob Rae substack post “The French philosopher Blaise Pascal is famous for his sharp aphorisms. One of my favourites is this “Justice without force is impotent. But force without justice is tyranny.”
I’m 77 and Charlie Angus has given me a stomach ache, not that he’s not speaking truth, but I’m housebound, and feel there’s not much I can do. Thanks to Charlie, there is one thing. My daughters, who shop for me and always carefully buy Canadian, can do so with renewed zest because I believe we must, and are able, to guard our own economy. I find people are thinking things are not so serious and so, we can not be so militant about making sure we are buying Canadian. THINGS ARE SERIOUS!
I agree with Suzanne! The message is that we cannot be complacent about our situation. We cannot stick our head in the sand and just expect this situation to blow over like an ineffectual bizarre dust devil. We buy Canadian when we buy new and when we buy food and for things not grown or made in Canada we look carefully at the source. We support local businesses and markets and to reduce our carbon footprint we buy second hand.
Mary-Margaret Boone