Fascist Pancakes
Hey Doll faces,
If you’ve been online at all recently, you’ve likely seen the clip. What was supposed to be a perfectly manicured, highly controlled photo-op on the legislature grounds in Edmonton turned into a viral masterclass in peaceful, slightly absurd grassroots resistance.
During the Premier’s annual legislative breakfast, local advocate and activist Mikayla Resists decided to bring some real, unscripted questions to the griddle. Rather than letting Premier Danielle Smith simply flip flapjacks for the cameras, Mikayla pressed her directly on Alberta’s massive push for artificial intelligence data centers, coal mining, and the quiet erosion of our public services.
When the Premier tried to brush her off, asking if she used social media, security stepped in to escort Mikayla away. But as she was led out, she delivered a parting line that immediately echoed across Canada and became an instant internet meme:
“ FUCK your fascist pancakes!”
It is witty, it is hilarious, and it is incredibly human. But behind the laughter and the influx of pancake memes lies a much deeper, more sober truth. The reason that phrase struck such a massive chord isn’t just because it’s funny, it’s because a growing number of Albertans are feeling the heavy, quiet hand of a government that is steadily moving us away from democratic norms and toward something much darker.
When “Fascism” Isn’t Just an Exaggeration
In political discussions, the word “fascism” is often thrown around as a cheap insult. But when political observers, legal experts, and everyday advocates use it to describe what is happening under the dome in Edmonton, they aren’t just exaggerating. They are pointing to a classic, textbook playbook of democratic erosion.
Modern authoritarianism doesn’t arrive overnight with marching boots. It creeps in quietly through the legislature, passing omnibus bills under the radar, cutting off public debate, and steadily stripping away the guardrails that keep our leaders accountable.
When we look closely at the manoeuvres of the current provincial government, the patterns are impossible to ignore.
1. The Erosion of Our Charter Rights
One of the clearest warning signs of an authoritarian shift is when a ruling power decides that human rights are optional. By repeatedly using and threatening the Notwithstanding Clause (Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms), the provincial government has bypassed the courts to pass highly restrictive policies targeting transgender youth, specifically around school pronouns and gender-affirming healthcare. When a government decides it is above judicial review and constitutional protections, the very foundation of our democracy is fractured.
2. The Direct Attack on Local Autonomy
Fascism relies heavily on centralization, ensuring that all decision-making power rests in a single executive office. Over the last year, We have watched a systematic strip-mining of local, community-level power. Municipalities, school boards, and universities are now legally banned from negotiating funding deals with the federal government without the Premier’s direct sign-off. Even worse, new legislation grants the provincial cabinet the unilateral power to fire democratically elected local mayors and councillors and rewrite local bylaws at will.
3. Splitting Us Into Two-Tier Systems
A healthy democracy treats its citizens as equals. Authoritarian structures, however, thrive on hierarchy and privatization. The quiet passage of Bill 11 is a prime example of this corporate-state alliance. By systematically underfunding public healthcare and opening the door to private, two-tier healthcare systems, the government is ensuring that those with wealth can buy their way to the front of the line, while the rest of our community is left waiting in a crumbling system.
4. Cozying Up to Extremism (The BertaProudDad Sit-Down)
Authoritarian leaders routinely bypass mainstream, accountable journalism to speak directly through fringe, echo-chamber platforms that legitimize radical ideas. A glaring example of this occurred when Premier Smith sat down for a cozy, pointed interview on the podcast Over the Target, hosted by the prominent Alberta separatist influencer BertaProudDad.
Rather than maintaining the dignity of the office and promoting provincial unity within Canada, Smith used the platform of an obvious secessionist to play into grievances, cast doubt on federal institutions, and validate a highly divisive, “us vs. them” separation narrative. When a Premier lends the immense credibility of her office to active separatists, she is no longer governing for all Albertans, she is feeding the flames of radicalization to maintain her grip on power.
The Power of the Griddle
This is exactly why Mikayla’s protest was so incredibly powerful.
By disrupting a highly controlled, superficial PR event with the raw, messy truth, she reminded us of something vital: We do not have to accept the narrative they are selling us. We don’t have to quietly eat the pancakes while our Premier cozy-talks with separatists on podcasts and chips away at our public healthcare behind closed doors.
Protest doesn’t always have to be heavy, angry, or destructive to be effective. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is point out the absolute absurdity of a government that wants to control our school boards, our local councils, and our healthcare, all while smiling and handing us a free breakfast.
It starts with one voice in a breakfast line. It continues with us refusing to look away from the policies that impact our neighbors, our libraries, and our healthcare workers.
Let’s keep talking, let’s keep organizing, and above all, let’s keep flipping the script.
With love and resilience,
Your InnerGoddess
Join the Conversation: Let’s Keep Flipping the Script
Change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it certainly doesn’t happen when we stay silent. It happens when we refuse to let the absurd become normal, and when we choose community over division.
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