Time To Rip Off The Band-aid

 

I don't know about you, but I am growing tired of seeing an obese bully kicking sand in our collective faces. My national pride demands a real response. To mix the metaphor, it is time to rip off the Band-aid.

The obese bully, of course, is that vulgarian who 'leads' the U.S., Donald Trump, along with all of his enablers, chief among them his ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra. Said 'diplomat' delivers his master's message with relish, his contempt for our country obvious to anyone who can stomach listening to him. In my view, he personifies "the ugly American".

In his latest broadside against Canada, Hoekstra issues a warning that if we don't play nice with his country, there will be no trade deal. And playing nice means not even thinking about buying a competitor's military jets.

... we’re actually waiting to see exactly where the Canadian government is going to come out on this,” he said, pointing directly to the F-35 purchase review, and questioning what it means that Canada is shopping elsewhere for its fighter jets, and seeking to make its defence industrial base less reliant on the U.S.

Clearly, Hoekstra was not pleased to learn that Canada is thinking for itself when it comes to military procurements.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters the current F-35 contract doesn’t provide adequate jobs or other economic benefits to Canada.

“We believe that we didn’t get enough when it comes to the F-35,” Joly said Tuesday.

“The industrial benefits are not enough. There needs to be more jobs created out of the F-35 contract. That’s clear to me and clear to this government.” She added the government believes it can “use military procurement to get more.”

Joly was speaking as the  Carney government engages in talks to possibly buy Swedish Gripen E fighter jets as part of his quest to wean Canada off its overreliance on the U.S. for economic and national security. 

While we have committed to buying 18 of the F-35s, with an option to buy more, the Grippen offers several advantages to Canada. It was, for example, made for rigorous northern patrol, and it promises an economic boost to our country.

Joly underscored that Sweden-based Saab is promising to create 10,000 jobs. “We’ll see how concrete (that is), and at the same time, we’re looking at (whether) Lockheed Martin can do more,” she added.

Hoekstra pushed back, saying Canadian suppliers have benefited for years from helping to build parts for the F-35, a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

His 'solution' to all of this?  Essentially, it is to give up any pretense of sovereignty and align policies with Uncle Sam.

He said Canada and the U.S. should deepen co-operation, and Ottawa should align its trade policies with Trump’s in order to shut out cheaper Chinese-made products, such as steel, that he said are dumped into North American markets.

“You can put in place the same barriers that we have in place. And you know, the primary target is probably China, OK, because they’re dumping steel, but you can put in place the same kind of protections that we have. And part of what we were looking at was harmonizing the barriers to unfair competition on key materials and products so that it would be fortress North America.”

Fortress America may have a nice ring to it for American acolytes of Trump and his thugs. However, I suspect the majority of Canadians would see that not as a protective shield as much as a prison which, once entered, would be hard to escape from. We must never forget while it may be about military procurements today, tomorrow it will be about something else. A bully can never be appeased.

A Major Mistake?

Does anyone remember the last time a minority government decided to act as if it had a majority? Well, it was in 1979, when the Progressive Conservative government, led by Joe Clark, decided to gamble with its budget and lost. That government lasted a mere few months, and subsequently lost the next election.

The lesson: when you have a minority government, it is not wise to work without a net.

Now, why is this pertinent, given that the Carney government did indeed roll the dice and has thus far won in its efforts to pass its budget? It is because it has steadfastly refused to try to build any kind of coalition with the opposition, save for a vague promise to Elizabeth May to 'honour' their climate change commitments. And the fact that their were abstentions on the part of both the Conservatives adn the NDP is hardly indicative of future performance.

In what I consider to be an ultimately boneheaded move, they rejected any outreach to the NDP, rubbing their noses in the notion that they don't need their support, offering not even a soupcon of allyship.

The opposition NDP wanted the minority Liberal government to devote roughly $10 billion to affordable housing, pharmacare and other priorities, but was rebuffed ahead of Monday’s crucial budget vote, the Star has learned. 

{A} source said the NDP wanted the funding to come from new revenue, as well as by shifting planned spending from areas like national defence, to which the budget devotes almost $82 billion over the next five years.

Now, no one would expect the government to simply acquiesce in the NDP request, but something other than a complete dismissal might have laid the groundwork for future collaboration. Was it arrogance that informed this rejection?  I think so, and it may presage a time in the future when the Liberals might need opposition support and won't have it. Consider this:

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet slam[ed] the government for failing to clinch support from another party. He alluded Tuesday to many battles to come before the Liberals presented a massive, 637-page omnibus budget bill that will have to travel through the minority Parliament in the coming weeks. 

Blanchet suggested the general election averted in Monday’s vote could now occur as soon as next spring. 

“At each step of this long process, including the committee, they will have to start all over again because they were not good partners for anybody,” Blanchet said. 

“They exploited the momentary weaknesses of everybody and this is not how policy should be done, so I believe it will come bite their ass.” 

It would also appear that not all Liberals are onside with the government's intransigence, one MP arguing they

didn’t spend enough time trying to attract support from other parties ahead of Monday’s vote. Instead, the MP said the government seemed preoccupied with floor-crossers, after Nova Scotia’s Chris d’Entremont defected to the Liberals and a second Tory — Edmonton’s Matt Jeneroux — abruptly announced he will resign his seat. 

I think one of the problems with this current iteration of the Liberals is that they are led by a technocrat who fails to appreciate the fact that politics is the "art of the possible." One hopes that before it is too late for his government, Mr. Carney will learn that hard fact of life.

Alberta Bound?

Whether your answer is "yes" or '"no" to the title question will likely depend upon your political sensibilities, values,  and capacity for discernment. The following ad, from a group called Rise of Alberta, can serve as a litmus test for where you stand. If you find yourself nodding in agreement with it, you may consider making the move. If, however, you discern considerable hyperbole and a paranoid suspicion of Ottawa, you might want to remain where you are.

The Democrats Do It Again

Well, it was good while it lasted, but as they are often wont to do, the U.S. Democrats have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Eight of them (technically seven and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats) voted with Republicans to reopen government after a lengthy shutdown. In my view, it is a big mistake.

Daily were Americans buffeted with news of the toll the shutdown was taking - long delays and cancellations at airports, federal employees going without pay, food assistance (SNAP benefits) ended, etc. All of this was taking place as the Democrats finally seemed to have found their footing - an issue that affects about 24 million Americans: The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and the subsidies that keep it affordable.

Long a foe of anything faintly smelling of socialism that benefits the people (as my late father-in-law would say, "Socialism only for the rich; capitalism for the rest), Republicans far prefer to see masses of Americans either pay much higher insurance rates or go without. In other words, the health and lives of those they purport to serve mean little to them. And the key fact here is that the majority of Americans blamed the Republicans for the shutdown.

My own sense was that the Republicans were feeling real heat. Seeing reports of the delays, lineups and cancellations at airports led me to conclude that they would never allow the shutdown to extend to their Thanksgiving, which, next to Christmas, is the busiest time for air travel and a holiday that seems almost sacred to Americans.

Despite that, the aforementioned eight voted to reopen government. And what did they get in return? A 'promise' to hold a Senate vote on the subsidies in December. Here's how Nevada's Democratic Senator Jackie Rosen put it:

"Trump and his Republican cronies on Capitol Hill do not give a damn about hurting working people, and their conduct over the last month has been nothing short of appalling," she said. "The concession we've been able to extract to get closer to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits is a vote on a bill drafted and negotiated by Senate Democrats. Let me be clear: I will keep fighting like hell to ensure we force Republicans to get this done." 

How charmingly or willfully naive. There is nothing to indicate that a vote would succeed in extending the subsidies, given the composition of the Senate. As well, there is the troubling matter of the House of Representatives. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, hasn’t agreed to a matching House vote on the issue, making the chances of an extension increasingly bleak.

As well, the Democrats who voted to reopen government have exposed fissures within the party, reinforcing the notion that they are a party not yet ready for prime time politics.

The fury at eight Democratic-aligned senators who voted with Republicans to end the longest-ever government shutdown highlights the dramatic shift in the Democratic Party less than a year into President Donald Trump’s second term, as voters and lawmakers argue the party needs to adopt more ruthless tactics to counter the president and claw its way back to power.

The reaction to the two votes on Sunday and Monday, which provide a pathway for the government to reopen after more than 40 days, was fierce. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) called for Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer to be replaced, suggesting he was an ineffective leader even though Schumer opposed the government funding measure. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries blasted the eight senators and said House Democrats would not support a government funding bill that did not include the health care measures the party has demanded. Democratic advocacy groups, politically vulnerable lawmakers, potential 2028 presidential candidates and voters all followed suit, lambasting those in their party they saw as caving.

All of this also reinforces the reality that America is a country in steep and rapid decline. To willfully abandon those in need is yet another look at the man behind the curtain, who answers to the highest bidders, not the average citizen.  

A Peversion Of Justice

I haven't felt moved to write lately; in my experience, time away from the blog is healthy for me. Nonetheless,  I still like to bring forward items that interest, outrage or appal me. The following falls under all three categories:

One cannot help but fear that this particular perversion of justice is prologue to something even worse: the pardoning of sex predator Ghislaine Maxwell by a twisted, perverted and immoral president.

My Aching Joints

I have to admit I am feeling somewhat abused these days, and my psychic joints are paying the price. First it was 'elbows up', then it was 'elbows down", followed by the latest exercise, clearly the most painful of all, 'bowing down',  Like the old man on the porch brandishing his cane, I want to tell the kids to either get off my lawn or show some spine.

And I am clearly not alone in my sense of injury. The other day, Andrew Phillips wrote:

I won’t pretend to know what was going through the PM’s mind as he bowed to the president [i.e., apologized for the Reagan-Ford ad]. I can only assume he was thinking many of the same things any self-respecting Canadian would be thinking. Such as: “I can’t believe I have to do this.”

And what did Carney get for that act of self-abasement? Nothing, as far as we can tell.

But this apology is troubling for a lot of reasons. It’s not just that it makes Canada look weak and divided, though the hard reality is that this country is both of those things right now, much as we’d all like to think otherwise.

It’s worse than that. It reinforces the worst of all the things we’ve learned about Trump and how he deals with anyone who gets in his way. Which is that, according to him and his acolytes, pushing back is the greatest sin for those he’s decided to lean on.

Such grovelling, according to Phillips, is an affront to truth.

It accepts the premise that it’s illegitimate for Canada to make its case with the United States openly and unapologetically. It undercuts the notion that talks between Canada and the U.S. are a dialogue between two parties with their own valid interests. Not between equals, exactly, but between countries that have the most basic right to advocate for themselves.

Letters to the editor reflect widespread discontent with what Carney did. 

Carney’s apology to Trump an embarrassment for Canada

As a proud Canadian I was embarrassed when Prime Minister Mark Carney apologized to President Donald Trump for Doug Ford’s TV ad, a perfectly fair critique of Trump’s reckless tariff threats.

That ad spoke truth to power. Carney’s apology spoke weakness to it.

This wasn’t leadership. It was capitulation. Apologizing when nothing wrong was done isn’t defaulting to Canadian politeness. Rather, it erodes our credibility and emboldens bullies. Trump’s bluster over tariffs is the real offence — risking a trade war that harms everyone. Ford did what was right by advertising the truth. Whereas Carney’s needless deference whitewashes the aggressor and makes Canada look weak.

Where does this end? Will Carney next grovel to U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, the Trump clone whose rhetoric has been laced with expletives?

At this rate, Carney will likely apologize on our behalf for existing on the same continent. It’s time for Carney to reclaim the persona he showed during his election run: the bold economist who charmed Americans on The Daily Show with wit, courage, candor and unapologetic smarts. He was the anti-Trump: thoughtful, internationalist, unafraid to call out nonsense.

Canadians aren’t being led right now; we’re being shamed. We voted for a leader who’d stand tall on the world stage, “Elbows Up,” advocating for fair trade, enduring alliances and a respected Canada.

Prime Minister Carney, stop apologizing when you are in the right. Reclaim your voice. Our pride and our principles depend on it.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

Our PM needs to stop apologizing to our neighbour to the south

Canada owes no apologies to Donald Trump or the United States. Trump cares only about his ego and the almighty dollar.

I’m sure many decent Americans would agree. The apology our prime minister owes is to Canadians for wilting under pressure.

Stop being nice and stand up for our country.

That is what strong leaders do.

Rick Lockman, Orillia, Ont.

You stand up to bullies, you don’t say sorry to them

As a left-winger, I never thought I’d ever say this, but I’m totally on Doug Ford’s side when it comes to standing up to Trump.

You cannot appease bullies and tyrants, you must confront them. Ford was right to run the Reagan ad during the World Series. Prime Minister Mark Carney was wrong to apologize for it to a wannabe dictator.

It’s as if Carney decided to go as Neville Chamberlain for Halloween.

Steve Andrews, Toronto

Here's one more:

Good cop, bad cop

Re “Ford the bully, Carney the conciliator: the dream team” (Report on Business, Nov. 3): Sure, we’re known for politeness, but there’s a difference between courtesy and submission. When Doug Ford aired the truth about tariffs on U.S. television, that was courage.

That’s why Mark Carney’s apology shames me as a proud Canadian. After nine months of failed diplomacy, he should read the national mood of resistance to Donald Trump.

Mr. Ford stood up for Canada; Mr. Carney bowed down. His deference whitewashes the aggressor and makes us look like beggars in our own backyard.

We voted for a leader who’d stand tall on the world stage, “elbows up,” advocating for fair trade, enduring alliances and a respected Canada. He should rediscover the bold economist who once charmed Americans on The Daily Show with wit, courage and candor, and spoke truth without flinching.

Mr. Carney should stop apologizing when he is in the right and reclaim his voice. Our pride and principles depend on it.

Tony D’Andrea Toronto

National pride is a delicate virtue, one that needs to be regularly nourished by strong, visionary leadership. I fear that presently, there is a deep void that no one, as far as I can discern, seems fit to fill. 

A Small Man With Small Ideas

If you led a majority government and were riding high in the polls, what would you do with your power? Would you have a vision for a better future for the people? Would you enact far-reaching legislation  benefitting the majority? Would you, in other words, demonstrate on a daily basis that the people's trust in you was been well-placed?

If you are Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the answer to all of the above is a resounding "No."

Consider the evidence. After a four-and-a-half month legislative absence, most of what the government of Ontario has 'accomplished' is small-minded, more befitting a city mayor than the leader of Canada's most powerful province. Indeed, it has in fact been suggested by many that Doug Ford never got the job he really wanted: the mayoralty of Toronto. While he may have lost that race to John Tory in 2014, he has never lost his interest in meddling in what are clearly municipal matters.

Take the issue of bike lanes, which Ford believes is part of a "war on cars." Despite the fact that his efforts to dismantle them in Toronto are now on hold thanks to a ruling that deemed them unconstitutional, indefatigable Doug is appealing the decision. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled 

that removal of the target bike lanes will put people at increased risk of harm and death, which engages the right to life and security of the person."

Citizens' safety seems but of passing interest to this premier. What other explanation can there be for his latest legislation to ban speed cameras, proclaiming them to be a mere cash grab from, once again, motorists. This decision, which was hotly opposed by most rational people including mayors and parents (they were deployed mainly near schools) saw many trying to seek compromise with an obdurate Ford. 

Instead of a ban, the mayors said the province should consider implementing the following measures on ASE in school zones:

• setting cameras at a reasonable threshold before a ticket is issued
• time of day operations tied to school and community use times
• a warning ticket issued on the first offence
• a set fine that is not double due to community safety zone
• large signs alerting drivers to the presence of the cameras
• blackout on additional fines for seven days after receiving the first ticket

All efforts were to no avail, and the cameras will be deemed illegal as of mid-November. 

The Ministry of Transportation has stated that eventually they will put up more signage in designated areas, along with speed bumps and roundabouts. There is thus far no indication that the province will pay for those changes. 

Although I could go on, I will give just one more example of a government consumed by minutia that apparently crowds out any 'big ideas' (Doug Ford's tunnel fantasy notwithstanding). A few weeks ago Paul Calandra, Ford's Education Minister, was prepared to introduce legislation to fire Brant Haldimand Catholic School Board trustee Mark Watson for not paying back his portion of $45,000 for a lavish trip to Italy. Fortunately, Watson resigned and the legislation did not move forward.

So there we have it - a small-minded premier with small-minded ideas. One suspects and hopes that once Ford doffs his Captain Canada costume, it will be apparent to many that the emperor indeed has no clothes.