The Great Darkness In The Perspective Of Conservatism

The Union Nationale administration of Quebec, led by Maurice Duplessis, remains an controversial issue. The opinion prevalent in Canada and China holds that the administration is conservative and reactionary as well as totalitarian and corrupt. However, if we examine it from a perspective of conservatism, a new conclusion can be drawn.Conservatism, as a theoretical system, represents a world outlook as well as methodology. In terms of world outlook, Duplessis' Union Nationale took liberalism in economy, tried to attract investment from English Canadians and Americans by offering favorable conditions and repressing organizied labor activities. As social strategy, Duplessis regime promoted Catholicism, advocated promoted values about rural life. In line with the economic strategy and social value, Duplessis regime adopted a tight fiscal policy, refusing to expand the government functions. Accordingly, the "small" government took defensive position in face of the federal government increasingly expanding power. Duplessis regime refused mass democracy in political sphere, Duplessis practiced personal dictatorship, provoked and utilized communist terror ,and repressed Jehovah's Witness. In terms of methodology, Duplessis regime made some improvements and innovations while inheriting and defending the political tradition and economic philosophy. The Church's dominant position in the relation with the government waned; Duplessis administration saw no contradiction between industrialization and agriculture myth; favorism got so directed to more people and to lower classes as to be thought of as some sort of social welfare; despite the few substantial steps in terms of nationalism, the regime confined itself to provincial right dorman or conservatist nationalism. In a word, Duplessis regime pursued gradual advancement and improvement while conserving traditions, so it is rightly regarded as a conservatism oriented administration but not just a conservative and reactionary regime.Duplessis' regime suffered a lot of criticism in Canada and only negative comments could be heard domestically. Besides the regime's own defects and faults, the major reasons may be as follows: the Liberals ,the opposing party, attempted to discredit the Union Nationale in power with all media channels available; liberalism, the dominant ideology in Canadian public discourse, rendered conservatism marginal and aberrant. Therefore, the administration became the "loser" in the discourse dominated by liberalism in combination with partisan attacks. If examined in the perspective of conservatism, many rational and positive elements about the regime can be discovered.While Duplessis' Union Nationale was in power, Quebec boasted social stability and economic prosperity. Since lots of infrastructures for modernization were built, it is no wonder to term Duplessis as the starter of Quebec's modernization. Besides, the sound fiscal status in Duplessis administration offered strong financial support for the following reform known as the Quiet Revolution by the Liberals. Last but not least, Duplessis' administration greatly alleviated the miseries rural population suffered most in the process of industrialization, which offered a good example for modernization and government interference.