As a Canadian I've watched trDOPE destroy Canada without any idea what he's doing - or did he? Your total analysis is correct. The damage this moron leader's done (with the help of the wanabe NDP leader Singh) has crippled our economy. Because Canada 's so large & relatively spread out population wise (unlike small European countries), rallying a protest outside of Ottawa to demand his resignation is just not realistic. Canadians 'hate' the PM pretty socks - we see the distain global leaders show when he's attending meetings. He's become insignificant yet continues to relish 'photo-opps' as if he's a rock star. Democracy has created this mess as we have NO mechanism to vote for his removal - and shorten the number of terms a PM can serve. WE're stuck with this 'idiot' until our elected MP's vote him out - that's what we wait for.
1) I never, ever believe anything Mr trump touts ..... constant re-iterations give the power to misinformation , not the facts or truths. I do not have in front of me the facts of the many many problems the US posses to Canada daily... but know they exist in abundance and would easily be found out.
2) yes we, and pretty most of the other Democratic Countries are finding ourselves in BIG trouble....some our own doing(s) or naivety and ALOT of the constant work of Autocrats.
To paraphrase a recent Anne Applebuam podcasts - 'Autocrat's wake up each morning ... thinking of the threat Democracies are to their Power'
Do we emphatically choose Democracy or allow being chewed away by of those that are willing and EAGER to break us... so their own power stays intact and with Peoples INLINE
3) Pierre Pollieve is not, what so ever, a logical solution to this situation that we find ourselves in....I am simply out of energy to List all of his many shortcomings ....
.....what are the SOLUTIONS ... we might logically have?
We need solutions
and NOT to destabilize ourselves to the World and especially to trump power, even further right now ....
later, we can democratically NOT reactively deal with Mr Trudeau.
I myself have never voted for Trudeau, but instead a)against Harper or b) for the last tariffs on steel from Canada since then we were a threat to the Security US ...Imagine that ! Childs play for what is now coming ... trump...he certainly does lie
Trudeau then was able to work out the USMCA agreement without loosing our own shirts
4) Canada is and was appreciated as a strong Alley and Peacekeeping Country. And in our now unstable world we find it turned out unwise to have relied on any other Country for Security and Safety. Angela Merkel quoted during her G7 meetings..."The times when we could fully rely on others have passed us by a little bit, that's what I've experienced in recent days," or after talking with trump. Translated...the US can no longer be Trusted.
5) Canada is a Sovereign Country. One I am extremely proud to be a citizen of, to support and defend...and to gratefully live in. Freedom, it now appears, is becoming no longer FREE. We will need to work again for it.
Any suggestion of underpinning to our Sovereignty , is at its very minimum , insulting.
I agree with Shauna regarding Pierre Poilievre (PP). Trudeau must go, but I have yet to see what PP proposes as solutions to our problems. He has never had a "real" job but has been a government employee his entire life. He is a student of the former prime minister Stephen Harper, who sold out the country with his Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). Is PP the man to guide and lead us through the challenges a Trump administration poses? I think not. His only strength seems to be that he is not Trudeau.
Pierre is actually very much a 'great' leader & says it like it is. He's been very effective in his role as leader of Conservatives. Are the better choices? Perhaps, but who would want to live in a 'fish bowl' like our leaders (any leader in fact).
don't agree with some of your analysis - the mechanics of 'removing' a leader or party by some means is critical - our system however, seems better than USA's outside of more than 2 terms for a Leader.
One of my sons served in the Canadian military. He got out before the current wokey madness destroyed morale. I note that you did not comment on the role of Katie Telford, the person who runs the PMO, which runs the country. Canada could stand a little more grassroots democracy.
Great article Diane! Was actually unaware of Trudeau's background. My brother just moved to Canada from Australia and is shocked at the bureaucracy and cost of living (despite that our home country also has similar issues though perhaps not as bad). Not to mention the postal strike which has caused a lot of frustration for residents.
Yes and also behind Irish Republic which is economically in hands of American transnationals. To add vile behaviour of its government towards Israel which just broke diplomatic relations understandably
One of your best columns to date Diane, and that’s saying something with the high bar you set for yourself. Hopefully this time next year the Trudeau Liberals will be in everyone’s rear view mirror.
Great article Diane! A sad state of affairs for a country with so much potential. Trudeau is truly a millennial- narcissist. His latest petulant speech to his sycophants was his most recent embarrassment.
You are bang on!! We have ailowed the chief clown of this circus of horrors to dismantle and destroy a formerly respected and successful middle rank country to sink into an abyss of political correctness and incompetence. Because you can’t fix stupid you have to get rid of it at the ballot box and work to establish a common sense country and economy.!!
Thank you Diane for summarizing just how bad Justin Trudeau has been for Canada. He's done enough damage and he must go as soon as possible. I hope he takes the same walk his father did on a cold winter / snowy day in February 84 and packs it in.
Justin has missed so many opportunities to make Canada prosperous, especially with our vast natural resources like oil and gas. We need to protect our freshwater supply and the Arctic.
What we are witnessing is the disintegration of the neo-progressivism that has gripped Canada, the United States and Europe.
This Marxist inspired phenomenon has had remarkable success and its adherents have had incredible success in gaining control over governments and other public institutions but its influence is now coming apart as the societies of these countries rebel against being forced to tolerate the intolerable.
These people are finally coming to realize that their kings aren’t wearing any clothes and that it is permissible for them to say so - the neo-progressive element’s conceit of moral and intellectual superiority is being rejected in no uncertain terms.
Trump, as unsavoury a character as he may be, has spoiled the progressive agenda that was driving his country ever further leftward.
The notion that he will push it to the far right is simply pearl clutching on the part of those who coat tailed neo-progressivism to bathe in its optics.
Poilievre will soon be doing the same thing for Canada only it will be more difficult to purge neo-progressives who lard our public institutions.
Canadians are fed up with the slavish appetite the progressive element has for the academic, the theoretic and the formulaic approach to their lives as well as their chronic lack of common sense.
The Marxist objective of societal rebellion has unfolded, but in a manner quite far from what was intended - the ‘reactionaries’ (in their parlance) have carried the day and their agenda is collapsing spectacularly.
Another excellent piece of journalism, expressed with the courage to simply tell the unvarnished truth, without the “pulled punches” we see so often. The extent of the opportunity squandered under the joint LPC/NDP watch is unmeasurable. We Canadians can only hope our next government leader and cabinet can begin to restore some of Canada’s former glory and role on the world stage. Currently, the world sees us as an insignificant player and our PM as a feckless poseur. End of rant.
'despite its gun madness and healthcare mess.' And incoming government led by a dangerous bully criminal who attempted to overthrow the constitution and is surrounded by inexperienced incompetents as is Trudeau. All in all, Canada fared very badly under Trudeau but he is done for and prospects are I suggest much better with him gone than with getting into bed with Trump's wackos.
Wokeism is dying across the world. The people have had a gut full. So, just like in the US, left, woke governments who are transparently committing economic suicide will fail and fall badly in coming elections. Watch Australia in 2025 where the right centrist party is predicted to win in a landslide, Pierre P is going to win in a landslide, the Reform Party in the UK is winning every by-election. People just want to feel safe again, cease this carte blanche immigration, and want to have the opportunities for buying a house, having a yard, having a job. Simple, down to earth needs. Bringing another culture in to your country that actively, blatantly and audaciously want to harm and bring down the Western world is beyond naive.
I knew Canada had problems, but this makes it look far worse than the US. Last time I was in Canada was in 1982, so much of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt.
Back then my impressions of Canada was mostly positive, with the exception of hitch hiking across the prairies. Very much like Australia, only colder. Most people lived on the edges on the continent and within 100 km of the US border. Australia was much the same, people lived on the peripheries of the continent - we had no borders with other countries, which is probably the one reason no one bothered with us much back then.
Since those times both Canada & Australia have grown in both population and development. On the surface (with hindsight) it appears Canada had a much more stable government. Since 2007 we have had 7 prime ministers. Canada has had 2. Not sure what this means, good or bad.
The one thing that does seem common to both countries is that the current leadership (left leaning) appears incapable of making a decision or acting in the best interests of the country. This has not always been the case in Australia. The labour governments from 1983 to 1991 were not afraid to make hard decisions and for the most part the electorate supported them.
From your comments Diane it appears the current Canadian government is incapable of making decisions, difficult or otherwise.
Much like the Democrats in the US, the Liberal government in Canada appears to spend most of its time appeasing the so called “woke“ culture and its adherents in Canada. I do not think that the dress code in the armed forces should be up for questioning - that is going to far, but I don’t believe that long hair etc should be an issue unless it interferes with safe operational procedures. The issue low spending on defence & NATO is something that should have been rectified at least 3 if not 10 years ago. There are obviously other issues, but I really am not up to speed on those and I don’t know Pierre Poilievre. The picture of Trump with the Matterhorn in the background gives you some idea about the level of Trump’s knowledge. I don’t know how anyone could take him seriously, he clearly is looking for a bite.
Where I do diverge, is in my opinion of Trump and his impact on Canada, amongst others. Already it is becoming clear that Trump has no idea how a democratic country or economy works. As I have noted previously, Americans seem to have forgotten just how chaotic his previous administration was. He hasn’t even been inaugurated yet and chaos reigns. The Democrats and Biden once again appear to be missing in action (unless they are playing a longer game). Anyhow I do not think that Canada has much to fear from Trump, unless its the uncertainty itself. I don’t think that a change of government would do any harm either. If it is for the better.
Canada and the US are already economically aligned, it is just the political and cultural areas where the chasm lies. At least in Canada you can vote for someone else, that may not be the case for the US for much longer.
How Canada – US tensions might play out, learning from an excellent interview on Times Radio of Oxford professor Vlad Mykhnenko by James Hanson; address https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPi5IbZTwVg. Nominally it concerns Ukraine, but:
Mid-way through Mykhnenko notes that Trump appears since the election to have turned his rhetoric of menace away from Ukraine toward more geographically nearby targets in Mexico & Canada. Cut now to Mykhnenko’s assessment of resources in Siberia: a vast expanse of climatically inhospitable & ccontiguous land that is immensely rich in oil & minerals but with a small population.
These attributes could all be applied to Canada. Trump has no interest in annexing a Mexico known mainly for drug cartels, corruption & endemic extreme violence. Peaceful, orderly, & militarily-challenged Canada, however, is another story.
Siberia with its riches was profitably annexed to the Russian empire across the centuries-long span of 1581 to 1778. Modernity is known for collapsing time spans, & as Lenin put it there are decades where nothing happens & weeks where decades happen. So matters appear. And cast into accelerating foreground is the hint that there exists in the Muscovy - Siberia relationship a paradigm that might apply, mutatis mutandis, to Washington - Canada. Siberia did fight back against Russian annexation across two centuries & failed. Ukraine is fighting back against attempted Russian annexation & more power to them. Could the same be said about likely prospects for Canada?
Trump is said to admire Putin & to think -- following John Mearsheimer -- in terms of geographic "spheres of influence". Canada has had, for decades, a comfortable but delusional & voyeuristic perspective on global affairs, courtesy precisely of the US military umbrella. It does seem possible that a moment is pending that will show this to have been a poison pill, to mix metaphors.
Would Canadian resistance to economically profitable & strategically sensible annexation by the USA be any more likely than the prospect of Siberian rebellion against Russian hegemony in the present & near future?
There’s a lot of oil & minerals across that Siberian, excuse me, Canadian steppe & tundra.
As a Canadian I've watched trDOPE destroy Canada without any idea what he's doing - or did he? Your total analysis is correct. The damage this moron leader's done (with the help of the wanabe NDP leader Singh) has crippled our economy. Because Canada 's so large & relatively spread out population wise (unlike small European countries), rallying a protest outside of Ottawa to demand his resignation is just not realistic. Canadians 'hate' the PM pretty socks - we see the distain global leaders show when he's attending meetings. He's become insignificant yet continues to relish 'photo-opps' as if he's a rock star. Democracy has created this mess as we have NO mechanism to vote for his removal - and shorten the number of terms a PM can serve. WE're stuck with this 'idiot' until our elected MP's vote him out - that's what we wait for.
I must re-read this again ! BUT
1) I never, ever believe anything Mr trump touts ..... constant re-iterations give the power to misinformation , not the facts or truths. I do not have in front of me the facts of the many many problems the US posses to Canada daily... but know they exist in abundance and would easily be found out.
2) yes we, and pretty most of the other Democratic Countries are finding ourselves in BIG trouble....some our own doing(s) or naivety and ALOT of the constant work of Autocrats.
To paraphrase a recent Anne Applebuam podcasts - 'Autocrat's wake up each morning ... thinking of the threat Democracies are to their Power'
Do we emphatically choose Democracy or allow being chewed away by of those that are willing and EAGER to break us... so their own power stays intact and with Peoples INLINE
3) Pierre Pollieve is not, what so ever, a logical solution to this situation that we find ourselves in....I am simply out of energy to List all of his many shortcomings ....
.....what are the SOLUTIONS ... we might logically have?
We need solutions
and NOT to destabilize ourselves to the World and especially to trump power, even further right now ....
later, we can democratically NOT reactively deal with Mr Trudeau.
I myself have never voted for Trudeau, but instead a)against Harper or b) for the last tariffs on steel from Canada since then we were a threat to the Security US ...Imagine that ! Childs play for what is now coming ... trump...he certainly does lie
Trudeau then was able to work out the USMCA agreement without loosing our own shirts
4) Canada is and was appreciated as a strong Alley and Peacekeeping Country. And in our now unstable world we find it turned out unwise to have relied on any other Country for Security and Safety. Angela Merkel quoted during her G7 meetings..."The times when we could fully rely on others have passed us by a little bit, that's what I've experienced in recent days," or after talking with trump. Translated...the US can no longer be Trusted.
5) Canada is a Sovereign Country. One I am extremely proud to be a citizen of, to support and defend...and to gratefully live in. Freedom, it now appears, is becoming no longer FREE. We will need to work again for it.
Any suggestion of underpinning to our Sovereignty , is at its very minimum , insulting.
I agree with Shauna regarding Pierre Poilievre (PP). Trudeau must go, but I have yet to see what PP proposes as solutions to our problems. He has never had a "real" job but has been a government employee his entire life. He is a student of the former prime minister Stephen Harper, who sold out the country with his Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). Is PP the man to guide and lead us through the challenges a Trump administration poses? I think not. His only strength seems to be that he is not Trudeau.
Poilievre is smart and has a great team of advisors who get it
He's a straight shooter unlike trDOPE and his pm WANNA-BE NECKLACE. (Singh)
Pierre is actually very much a 'great' leader & says it like it is. He's been very effective in his role as leader of Conservatives. Are the better choices? Perhaps, but who would want to live in a 'fish bowl' like our leaders (any leader in fact).
don't agree with some of your analysis - the mechanics of 'removing' a leader or party by some means is critical - our system however, seems better than USA's outside of more than 2 terms for a Leader.
One of my sons served in the Canadian military. He got out before the current wokey madness destroyed morale. I note that you did not comment on the role of Katie Telford, the person who runs the PMO, which runs the country. Canada could stand a little more grassroots democracy.
Thanks. Telford is a other joke. Frankly there wouldn't be enough room to list the incompetents that are in charge of our beloved Canada.
Great article Diane! Was actually unaware of Trudeau's background. My brother just moved to Canada from Australia and is shocked at the bureaucracy and cost of living (despite that our home country also has similar issues though perhaps not as bad). Not to mention the postal strike which has caused a lot of frustration for residents.
Look up my articles comparing Canada with Australia. It's depressing how far behind Canada is in every aspect.
Yes and also behind Irish Republic which is economically in hands of American transnationals. To add vile behaviour of its government towards Israel which just broke diplomatic relations understandably
We look like we're ahead cuz everyone has passed us - it's so pathetic it hurts.
One of your best columns to date Diane, and that’s saying something with the high bar you set for yourself. Hopefully this time next year the Trudeau Liberals will be in everyone’s rear view mirror.
Great article Diane! A sad state of affairs for a country with so much potential. Trudeau is truly a millennial- narcissist. His latest petulant speech to his sycophants was his most recent embarrassment.
You are bang on!! We have ailowed the chief clown of this circus of horrors to dismantle and destroy a formerly respected and successful middle rank country to sink into an abyss of political correctness and incompetence. Because you can’t fix stupid you have to get rid of it at the ballot box and work to establish a common sense country and economy.!!
Excellent. Very interesting
Thank you Diane for summarizing just how bad Justin Trudeau has been for Canada. He's done enough damage and he must go as soon as possible. I hope he takes the same walk his father did on a cold winter / snowy day in February 84 and packs it in.
Justin has missed so many opportunities to make Canada prosperous, especially with our vast natural resources like oil and gas. We need to protect our freshwater supply and the Arctic.
beautiful summation of a huge canadian problem....the rub ...we cant get rid of the guy and the longer he is there the more damage he will do...
What we are witnessing is the disintegration of the neo-progressivism that has gripped Canada, the United States and Europe.
This Marxist inspired phenomenon has had remarkable success and its adherents have had incredible success in gaining control over governments and other public institutions but its influence is now coming apart as the societies of these countries rebel against being forced to tolerate the intolerable.
These people are finally coming to realize that their kings aren’t wearing any clothes and that it is permissible for them to say so - the neo-progressive element’s conceit of moral and intellectual superiority is being rejected in no uncertain terms.
Trump, as unsavoury a character as he may be, has spoiled the progressive agenda that was driving his country ever further leftward.
The notion that he will push it to the far right is simply pearl clutching on the part of those who coat tailed neo-progressivism to bathe in its optics.
Poilievre will soon be doing the same thing for Canada only it will be more difficult to purge neo-progressives who lard our public institutions.
Canadians are fed up with the slavish appetite the progressive element has for the academic, the theoretic and the formulaic approach to their lives as well as their chronic lack of common sense.
The Marxist objective of societal rebellion has unfolded, but in a manner quite far from what was intended - the ‘reactionaries’ (in their parlance) have carried the day and their agenda is collapsing spectacularly.
Another excellent piece of journalism, expressed with the courage to simply tell the unvarnished truth, without the “pulled punches” we see so often. The extent of the opportunity squandered under the joint LPC/NDP watch is unmeasurable. We Canadians can only hope our next government leader and cabinet can begin to restore some of Canada’s former glory and role on the world stage. Currently, the world sees us as an insignificant player and our PM as a feckless poseur. End of rant.
'despite its gun madness and healthcare mess.' And incoming government led by a dangerous bully criminal who attempted to overthrow the constitution and is surrounded by inexperienced incompetents as is Trudeau. All in all, Canada fared very badly under Trudeau but he is done for and prospects are I suggest much better with him gone than with getting into bed with Trump's wackos.
that's what I wrote
Wokeism is dying across the world. The people have had a gut full. So, just like in the US, left, woke governments who are transparently committing economic suicide will fail and fall badly in coming elections. Watch Australia in 2025 where the right centrist party is predicted to win in a landslide, Pierre P is going to win in a landslide, the Reform Party in the UK is winning every by-election. People just want to feel safe again, cease this carte blanche immigration, and want to have the opportunities for buying a house, having a yard, having a job. Simple, down to earth needs. Bringing another culture in to your country that actively, blatantly and audaciously want to harm and bring down the Western world is beyond naive.
I knew Canada had problems, but this makes it look far worse than the US. Last time I was in Canada was in 1982, so much of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt.
Back then my impressions of Canada was mostly positive, with the exception of hitch hiking across the prairies. Very much like Australia, only colder. Most people lived on the edges on the continent and within 100 km of the US border. Australia was much the same, people lived on the peripheries of the continent - we had no borders with other countries, which is probably the one reason no one bothered with us much back then.
Since those times both Canada & Australia have grown in both population and development. On the surface (with hindsight) it appears Canada had a much more stable government. Since 2007 we have had 7 prime ministers. Canada has had 2. Not sure what this means, good or bad.
The one thing that does seem common to both countries is that the current leadership (left leaning) appears incapable of making a decision or acting in the best interests of the country. This has not always been the case in Australia. The labour governments from 1983 to 1991 were not afraid to make hard decisions and for the most part the electorate supported them.
From your comments Diane it appears the current Canadian government is incapable of making decisions, difficult or otherwise.
Much like the Democrats in the US, the Liberal government in Canada appears to spend most of its time appeasing the so called “woke“ culture and its adherents in Canada. I do not think that the dress code in the armed forces should be up for questioning - that is going to far, but I don’t believe that long hair etc should be an issue unless it interferes with safe operational procedures. The issue low spending on defence & NATO is something that should have been rectified at least 3 if not 10 years ago. There are obviously other issues, but I really am not up to speed on those and I don’t know Pierre Poilievre. The picture of Trump with the Matterhorn in the background gives you some idea about the level of Trump’s knowledge. I don’t know how anyone could take him seriously, he clearly is looking for a bite.
Where I do diverge, is in my opinion of Trump and his impact on Canada, amongst others. Already it is becoming clear that Trump has no idea how a democratic country or economy works. As I have noted previously, Americans seem to have forgotten just how chaotic his previous administration was. He hasn’t even been inaugurated yet and chaos reigns. The Democrats and Biden once again appear to be missing in action (unless they are playing a longer game). Anyhow I do not think that Canada has much to fear from Trump, unless its the uncertainty itself. I don’t think that a change of government would do any harm either. If it is for the better.
Canada and the US are already economically aligned, it is just the political and cultural areas where the chasm lies. At least in Canada you can vote for someone else, that may not be the case for the US for much longer.
How Canada – US tensions might play out, learning from an excellent interview on Times Radio of Oxford professor Vlad Mykhnenko by James Hanson; address https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPi5IbZTwVg. Nominally it concerns Ukraine, but:
Mid-way through Mykhnenko notes that Trump appears since the election to have turned his rhetoric of menace away from Ukraine toward more geographically nearby targets in Mexico & Canada. Cut now to Mykhnenko’s assessment of resources in Siberia: a vast expanse of climatically inhospitable & ccontiguous land that is immensely rich in oil & minerals but with a small population.
These attributes could all be applied to Canada. Trump has no interest in annexing a Mexico known mainly for drug cartels, corruption & endemic extreme violence. Peaceful, orderly, & militarily-challenged Canada, however, is another story.
Siberia with its riches was profitably annexed to the Russian empire across the centuries-long span of 1581 to 1778. Modernity is known for collapsing time spans, & as Lenin put it there are decades where nothing happens & weeks where decades happen. So matters appear. And cast into accelerating foreground is the hint that there exists in the Muscovy - Siberia relationship a paradigm that might apply, mutatis mutandis, to Washington - Canada. Siberia did fight back against Russian annexation across two centuries & failed. Ukraine is fighting back against attempted Russian annexation & more power to them. Could the same be said about likely prospects for Canada?
Trump is said to admire Putin & to think -- following John Mearsheimer -- in terms of geographic "spheres of influence". Canada has had, for decades, a comfortable but delusional & voyeuristic perspective on global affairs, courtesy precisely of the US military umbrella. It does seem possible that a moment is pending that will show this to have been a poison pill, to mix metaphors.
Would Canadian resistance to economically profitable & strategically sensible annexation by the USA be any more likely than the prospect of Siberian rebellion against Russian hegemony in the present & near future?
There’s a lot of oil & minerals across that Siberian, excuse me, Canadian steppe & tundra.
Do geographical imperatives rule?
Trump has no aim to grab Canada. It's misbehaved, dysfunctional, and falling into his lap -- but only if Canadians don't get their act together