Tuesday, February 22, 2022

When Boring People Turn Dangerous: Canada's Insane Power Grab — Matt Taibbi

Chrystia Freeland.

TK News with Matt Taibbi
When Boring People Turn Dangerous: Canada's Insane Power Grab
Matt Taibbi
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/when-boring-people-turn-dangerous

See also

Matt Ehret's Newsletter
Today's Emergencies Act, and Anti-Russian False Flags Echo the Gouzenko Hoax That Unleashed the Cold War
Matthew Ehret (Canadian)

15 comments:

Marian Ruccius said...

Drawing links where there are none.

The Emergencies Act was purely about fixing a problem that existed because the premier and government of one province chose NOT to protect the basic rights and freedoms of the citizens of Ottawa (oh, and there was the other concern about idiots blocking major trade links). The protest could easily have been resolved by the Province of Ontario, but the provincial government chose not to because the xenophobic and climate-change denying vote is a vital segment of the provincial conservatives' support. This left downtown residents and workers (not the civil servants who have been working from home, but rather poor service workers working two jobs to stay afloat) subject to daily abuse from the occupiers. Incidentally, Bytowners are very happy and familiar with protesters (I am thinking of the two-year anti-cruise missile protest on Parliament Hill in the late eighties, for instance), just not with having the streets blocked so that persons with mobility issues could not navigate the city, or having occupiers shit on the floor of Jewish-owned restaurants and then smear that on the windows, or having local people being attacked (a colleague of mine with slightly darker skin was headbutted by one of the truckers when he was out walking his dog). So Trudeau's use of the Emergencies Act was very welcome and a truly progressive intervention against the pre-Cambrian conservatives at Queen's Park.

On the other hand, Canada's support for the Ukrainian and US/UK warmongers is exactly as revolting as described. It is really about two things: 1) the huge number of Ukrainian voters in Toronto and the Canadian prairies, 2) and the close ties between the Clintonite-Biden neo-liberals and the Liberal Party of Canada. So, really, those guys know what side their bread is buttered on, and Canada will just continue to hold the bully's coat. In fairness, it is also a legacy of Canada's former internationalist traditions, which used to express themselves in transatlantic solidarity -- the Canadian policy elite has 70 years of deep commitment to that, and it will take serious disruption to dislodge this by-worn commitment from Canadian minds.

Marian Ruccius said...

Incidentally, here is the Conservatives' view of ordinary Bytowners (who make very average salaries and work long hours):

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/conservative-senator-macdonald-derides-ottawa-residents-in-video-1.5789301

Peter Pan said...

But Dougie did declare a state of emergency. Did we really need two declarations of emergency so that protesters can be charged with mischief?

Peter Pan said...

All Trudeau had to do was end the useless vaccine mandates and allow Canadians to travel. There's no excuse for what he did.

If things work out as planned, I'll be leaving this joke of a country.

Marian Ruccius said...

Peter Pan: after two weeks, Dougie DID declare a state of emergency, but then did nothing to help Ottawa. It takes direction from Queen's Park, the Solicitor General etc., to mobilise the Ontario Provincial Police and other policy forces. And Ontario did nothing! So Trudeau's only vehicle to provide help was the Emergencies Act, which is certainly overkill, a bazooka to kill a rabid dog, when what one needed was a provincial 22, which was NOT provided

Peter Pan said...

Perhaps Doug Ford did nothing because he was asked to do nothing.

Marian Ruccius said...

Also, vaccination has to be mandated in future for any travel documents -- no passports for the unvaccinated!

Marian Ruccius said...

Doug Ford detests Trudeau and did nothing in a much failed attempt to harm him. Trudeau's approval on the mandates is running at near 70%. Dougie is likely to lose the next provincial election (as long as the Liberals and NDP do not split the vote too badly).

Peter Pan said...

The federal mandates are illogical, anti-scientific and a violation of our rights. According to the Charter, Canadians have the freedom to travel between provinces, and to leave Canada. You are welcome to jab yourself silly, but I'll be taking my chances elsewhere.

Marian Ruccius said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marian Ruccius said...

Yes, you have the unmitigated right to travel domestically, and, say, you have the right to sail your ship off wherever you like. I would not say that it is a settled matter that the Government of Canada is required to provide you with a passport.

Peter Pan said...

Unless the Canadian Charter of Rights is a roll of toilet paper, then it is a settled matter. My vaccination status may only be of concern to the country of my destination. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Marian Ruccius said...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/canada/cohen-u-s-conservatives-don-t-lecture-canada-about-freedom-and-democracy/ar-AAUdhfn

Peter Pan said...

I'm leaving Canada because of people like you, Marian Ruccius.

S400 said...

Once again the hypocrisy of Marian Ruccius is exposed. Love it.