Is there a Ford in Toronto's future?

The first part of today's musings was about the decline of the American rust belt and the impoverishment of Detroit and Buffalo. Half a century later, the virus has spread north. Torontonians are waking up these fine fall mornings to the realization that their city's glory days are over.

Toronto's position as the economic hub of Canada is waning. The auto industry is not the powerhouse of the last century. Banking and finance are still doing OK. But oil and resources are where the money is, and that means west. Hello Alberta! Even poor Saskatchewan is suddenly a player, thanks to potash. [Wat dat? Ed.] Who knew?

Meanwhile, Toronto's streets are beginning to resemble those of Buffalo or The Big Apple itself. Graffiti, sure. Street people -- burn-outs, drug addicts, and panhandlers -- on every corner and in the parks. And gangbangers ruling the night. Shootings are an every-weekend, if not everyday occurrence. And 99% of the time the shooters and the shootees are black and "known to the police".

And let's not forget ghettos. Toronto's got not just racial ghettos, like the notorious Jane-Finch, but ethnic ghettos -- south Asians in Mississauga and Brampton, east Asians in Markham and Scarborough, and Italians in Woodbridge.

That's the other side of multiculturalism. If you encourage immigrants to cling to their own languages and ethnicities there can be no "melting pot" in the American sense.

One of the losers running for mayor of Toronto -- George Smitherman -- says Toronto's diversity (by which he means its huge population of fairies) is its strength. In fact diversity breeds disharmony. There is strength in unity, not diversity. But there is precious little harmony or unity in Toronto these days.

Can Toronto be saved from becoming another Detroit, or -- even worse -- Buffalo? (Please don't get on Walt's case for that remark. It was made by another Toronto mayoralty candidate, Joe Pantalone, part of the outgoing administration that couldn't organize a two-car funeral procession.)

Out of right field comes Rob Ford, the odds-on favourite to beat Mr. Pantsonfire and Furious George. Mr. Ford is running a platform of fiscal responsibility and no more politically correct nonsense. In fact, he is Mr. Politically Incorrect, and thus the darling [How about "Great White Hope"? Ed.] of the (mostly white) suburban and working-class Torontonians who now find themselves a beleaguered minority in their own city.

If Canada had a Tea Party, Rob Ford would be its leader! That's why he's going to win in a walk on October 25th. The implications for provincial and federal politics are enormous.