For those who may still think the Dauphin in Ottawa is as foolish as his namesake in Shakespeare’s famous play, think again..“Ums”, “uhs”, and “drink box water bottle sorta things” episodes aside, Justin Trudeau is as shrewd as he is glib. The prime minister and his closest advisers had a plan in mind from the start — and Alberta for Trudeau Jr. (as it was for Sr.) is the pesky puzzle piece that will not fit neatly into his grand designs for Canada.. Trudeaucracy Lubor ZinkCzech-born veteran Toronto Sun journalist Lubor Zink was a dedicated critic of Communism, and of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who he considered a 'crypto communist.' .In the words of the late Canadian journalist Lubor Zink: “Insiders call it blueprinting of social engineering.” Writing about Justin’s father in the early 70s, Zink was putting his finger on a propensity within the Trudeau government to resort to foisting ideologically-fuelled long term plans onto ordinary Canadians that would help mold Canada into the country it “should” be..Forget what sort of country Canada was historically — Pierre Trudeau had a destination in mind, and Canadians were headed there whether they liked it or not..Never mind most Canadians (including the majority of recent immigrants from war-torn Europe) spoke English — Canada would now officially be bilingual..Never mind that indigenous groups were diametrically opposed to abolishing the Indian Act. Trudeau senior was going to scrap it anyway. (He ignored virtually all of the demands presented by First Nations’ groups in pursuit of this policy, until political pressure eventually forced the government to retreat.).Encyclopaedia Britannica’s entry on Pierre Trudeau reads, “Never before had Canada been governed by a prime minister of personal assurance bordering on the arrogant and flavoured by the autocratic.” Never before, and never again — until now..Pierre’s son embodies the very same, “I know best, so get with the program — or else,” sort of attitude characteristic of his father’s tenure..Trudeau Sr.’s controversial tough-guy politics led to a suspension of individual rights when he invoked the War Measures Act to deal with the October Crisis in 1970. In a bizarre seemingly-parallel event, his son chose to invoke that act’s successor piece of legislation in 2022. Only le Dauphin wanted to suspend the rights of Canadians in order to disperse a bunch of obstinate truckers who had inconveniently parked in downtown Ottawa — not to deal with terrorists who were kidnapping civil servants, killing people and leaving bombs in public spaces, as was the case with the FLQ..In a 1975 BBC interview, Pierre Trudeau made a revealing comment: “If there is any one constant in my thinking, it is to be against the establishment or the accepted ideas of the day.” That’s all very well for a revolutionary, but what if the general population happens to be OK with the accepted ideas of the day?.So one asks: If Justin Trudeau was raised in a household where this cavalier attitude toward what is known, institutionalized, accepted, or even praised is constantly denigrated at the dinner table at No. 24, could it have influenced his thinking?.The sort of “blueprinting” Zink talks about that was characteristic of Trudeau Sr.'s premiership, might seem familiar again today. After all, as we’re increasingly told by Trudeau Jr. that to be Canadian, is to embody some combination of the terms “green,” “woke,” and “apologetic.” (The latter being not the sort of “sorry” one shyly mutters at the supermarket, but a self-flagellating repentance for every sin perpetrated by previous generations of Canadians.).These buzzwords espoused by today’s Trudeau Liberals may not be representative of the views of the majority of Canadians. Many still prefer to put gas in their vehicles and thoughtfully consider issues of oppression and historic injustice without expressing blind loyalty to a trending dogma. But that doesn’t matter, because by the time Justin is done with us, those will be the views of the majority of Canadians. It’s that special brand of Trudeau social engineering firing on all cylinders..Justin’s father, Pierre, also tried hard to shape Canada into something totally different from the country he grew up in. An unapologetic Frenchman who despised the Anglos who dominated business in Montréal, he put French Canadians on the most equal footing with the English they’d enjoyed since the Plains of Abraham. He also adopted an official policy of “multiculturalism” — something which was perfectly acceptable as a means of protecting an individual’s right to maintain their cultural and religious practices, except this right is now guaranteed in the Charter and multiculturalism as a policy to be actively pursued is so ambiguous, it’s like trying to sail to a destination without even knowing what that destination looks like. It’s impossible to tell when you’ve “arrived.”.So far, Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism has only resulted in Canadian culture becoming alienated from its Anglo-European origins and transformed into something intangible, malleable, and to a certain extent unidentifiable..We are still dealing with the effects of uniquely Trudeaupian policy today, in that Canadians are finding it increasingly hard to articulate what it means to be Canadian apart from being welcoming, liking hockey, and putting up with winter..As Prime Minister, Pierre lauded Mao’s China and was open about his friendship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Is it such a surprise his son would then express admiration for both communist China and for Castro?.We are all familiar with the adage, “like father, like son”; and gee, this kid is like his dad..Even le Dauphin’s rise to prominence mirrored a page from his father’s press book. Both men sent the media into a tizzy well in advance of declaring their intentions to run for the top job. Pierre let rumours of his candidacy run rampant until the mainstream media made such a clamour that it seemed only natural to Canadians that he should run. Justin, with the help of his pal Gerald Butts, kicked off a media storm in 2012 when he trounced Senator Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match. The speculation on his political future that followed only snowballed, until he was confirmed as Liberal leader in 2013..Like his dad, Justin has never been a particular fan of Alberta either — just consider this comment on Télé-Québec from 2010, where Justin remarked in French that, “Canada isn’t doing well right now because it’s Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda.”.I think most Albertans today would disagree that we control anything that happens at the federal level, unless its the amount of money that goes into the Liberal government’s pocket..According to Justin, Albertans aren’t just an annoyance, they’re Anglos with an unmerited share in Confederation. When asked if Canadians are better served when Quebecers are in charge, he answered, “Of course I think so…This country — Canada — it belongs to us.”.At least we know where he stands. Canada belongs to Québec and the French minority — the rest of us are just supposed to accept this reality. Of course then, that means we’re also supposed to accept the fact a special set of rules exist for Québec that allows the French majority in that province to discriminate against English speakers (Bill 96) and immigrants (Bill 21) alike. And we must also accept that no major inter-provincial project — however beneficial for the country as a whole — will ever get done without a stamp of approval from Québec’s National Assembly..Nearly 10 years on from Justin Trudeau’s ascent to power, remarkable similarities to his father’s time in the PMO continue to appear. We should never be too shocked therefore, when le Dauphin flexes his muscles on those he perceives as dangerous, praises dictators, talks smack about Alberta, or offers preferential treatment to his home province..This Trudeau is nothing new to Canada. We’ve seen him before. The only part of the son’s story that is yet to mirror the father’s? The part where we vote him out..Danny Randell is a Calgary-based writer.
For those who may still think the Dauphin in Ottawa is as foolish as his namesake in Shakespeare’s famous play, think again..“Ums”, “uhs”, and “drink box water bottle sorta things” episodes aside, Justin Trudeau is as shrewd as he is glib. The prime minister and his closest advisers had a plan in mind from the start — and Alberta for Trudeau Jr. (as it was for Sr.) is the pesky puzzle piece that will not fit neatly into his grand designs for Canada.. Trudeaucracy Lubor ZinkCzech-born veteran Toronto Sun journalist Lubor Zink was a dedicated critic of Communism, and of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who he considered a 'crypto communist.' .In the words of the late Canadian journalist Lubor Zink: “Insiders call it blueprinting of social engineering.” Writing about Justin’s father in the early 70s, Zink was putting his finger on a propensity within the Trudeau government to resort to foisting ideologically-fuelled long term plans onto ordinary Canadians that would help mold Canada into the country it “should” be..Forget what sort of country Canada was historically — Pierre Trudeau had a destination in mind, and Canadians were headed there whether they liked it or not..Never mind most Canadians (including the majority of recent immigrants from war-torn Europe) spoke English — Canada would now officially be bilingual..Never mind that indigenous groups were diametrically opposed to abolishing the Indian Act. Trudeau senior was going to scrap it anyway. (He ignored virtually all of the demands presented by First Nations’ groups in pursuit of this policy, until political pressure eventually forced the government to retreat.).Encyclopaedia Britannica’s entry on Pierre Trudeau reads, “Never before had Canada been governed by a prime minister of personal assurance bordering on the arrogant and flavoured by the autocratic.” Never before, and never again — until now..Pierre’s son embodies the very same, “I know best, so get with the program — or else,” sort of attitude characteristic of his father’s tenure..Trudeau Sr.’s controversial tough-guy politics led to a suspension of individual rights when he invoked the War Measures Act to deal with the October Crisis in 1970. In a bizarre seemingly-parallel event, his son chose to invoke that act’s successor piece of legislation in 2022. Only le Dauphin wanted to suspend the rights of Canadians in order to disperse a bunch of obstinate truckers who had inconveniently parked in downtown Ottawa — not to deal with terrorists who were kidnapping civil servants, killing people and leaving bombs in public spaces, as was the case with the FLQ..In a 1975 BBC interview, Pierre Trudeau made a revealing comment: “If there is any one constant in my thinking, it is to be against the establishment or the accepted ideas of the day.” That’s all very well for a revolutionary, but what if the general population happens to be OK with the accepted ideas of the day?.So one asks: If Justin Trudeau was raised in a household where this cavalier attitude toward what is known, institutionalized, accepted, or even praised is constantly denigrated at the dinner table at No. 24, could it have influenced his thinking?.The sort of “blueprinting” Zink talks about that was characteristic of Trudeau Sr.'s premiership, might seem familiar again today. After all, as we’re increasingly told by Trudeau Jr. that to be Canadian, is to embody some combination of the terms “green,” “woke,” and “apologetic.” (The latter being not the sort of “sorry” one shyly mutters at the supermarket, but a self-flagellating repentance for every sin perpetrated by previous generations of Canadians.).These buzzwords espoused by today’s Trudeau Liberals may not be representative of the views of the majority of Canadians. Many still prefer to put gas in their vehicles and thoughtfully consider issues of oppression and historic injustice without expressing blind loyalty to a trending dogma. But that doesn’t matter, because by the time Justin is done with us, those will be the views of the majority of Canadians. It’s that special brand of Trudeau social engineering firing on all cylinders..Justin’s father, Pierre, also tried hard to shape Canada into something totally different from the country he grew up in. An unapologetic Frenchman who despised the Anglos who dominated business in Montréal, he put French Canadians on the most equal footing with the English they’d enjoyed since the Plains of Abraham. He also adopted an official policy of “multiculturalism” — something which was perfectly acceptable as a means of protecting an individual’s right to maintain their cultural and religious practices, except this right is now guaranteed in the Charter and multiculturalism as a policy to be actively pursued is so ambiguous, it’s like trying to sail to a destination without even knowing what that destination looks like. It’s impossible to tell when you’ve “arrived.”.So far, Canada’s official policy of multiculturalism has only resulted in Canadian culture becoming alienated from its Anglo-European origins and transformed into something intangible, malleable, and to a certain extent unidentifiable..We are still dealing with the effects of uniquely Trudeaupian policy today, in that Canadians are finding it increasingly hard to articulate what it means to be Canadian apart from being welcoming, liking hockey, and putting up with winter..As Prime Minister, Pierre lauded Mao’s China and was open about his friendship with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Is it such a surprise his son would then express admiration for both communist China and for Castro?.We are all familiar with the adage, “like father, like son”; and gee, this kid is like his dad..Even le Dauphin’s rise to prominence mirrored a page from his father’s press book. Both men sent the media into a tizzy well in advance of declaring their intentions to run for the top job. Pierre let rumours of his candidacy run rampant until the mainstream media made such a clamour that it seemed only natural to Canadians that he should run. Justin, with the help of his pal Gerald Butts, kicked off a media storm in 2012 when he trounced Senator Patrick Brazeau in a charity boxing match. The speculation on his political future that followed only snowballed, until he was confirmed as Liberal leader in 2013..Like his dad, Justin has never been a particular fan of Alberta either — just consider this comment on Télé-Québec from 2010, where Justin remarked in French that, “Canada isn’t doing well right now because it’s Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda.”.I think most Albertans today would disagree that we control anything that happens at the federal level, unless its the amount of money that goes into the Liberal government’s pocket..According to Justin, Albertans aren’t just an annoyance, they’re Anglos with an unmerited share in Confederation. When asked if Canadians are better served when Quebecers are in charge, he answered, “Of course I think so…This country — Canada — it belongs to us.”.At least we know where he stands. Canada belongs to Québec and the French minority — the rest of us are just supposed to accept this reality. Of course then, that means we’re also supposed to accept the fact a special set of rules exist for Québec that allows the French majority in that province to discriminate against English speakers (Bill 96) and immigrants (Bill 21) alike. And we must also accept that no major inter-provincial project — however beneficial for the country as a whole — will ever get done without a stamp of approval from Québec’s National Assembly..Nearly 10 years on from Justin Trudeau’s ascent to power, remarkable similarities to his father’s time in the PMO continue to appear. We should never be too shocked therefore, when le Dauphin flexes his muscles on those he perceives as dangerous, praises dictators, talks smack about Alberta, or offers preferential treatment to his home province..This Trudeau is nothing new to Canada. We’ve seen him before. The only part of the son’s story that is yet to mirror the father’s? The part where we vote him out..Danny Randell is a Calgary-based writer.
