Tuesday, February 15, 2022

If Trudeau Wins

 ... he gets Canada to go from 88.56% vaccinated to 90% vaccinated?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday he is enacting the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history, in response to ongoing protests over COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa and around Canada. Trudeau says the act will be limited in time, scope and geographical area and it is not being used to call in the military or to override the charter. The act, established in 1988, allows the federal government to override the provinces and authorize special temporary measures to ensure security during national emergencies.

I still can't figure out the cost-benefits calculation here. He's establishing the equivalent of martial law in exchange for vaccinating an additional 3500 people? I'd say there was some kind of conspiracy at work, but five provinces have already said they won't support this. It's not a conspiracy if other people won't play with you.

It's as if Trudeau can't find an offramp even though they're all around him.

The view from Justin Trudeau's office.

Bonus Content

It's like they think they're the only ones who can escalate the situation. Dig this bit from the Deputy Prime Minister telling us that banks will be forced to cooperate. That means the money of private citizens can be impounded. It's doomed to make things worse. If you take everything away from the protestors, then you've also made it so that they've got nothing to lose.

Again, what do they get if they win?

1 comment:

Ohioan@Heart said...

So many things to say...

Let's start with the quotes in the twitter post: "This is literal madness." Close but no cigar. It should have been 'This is liberal madness.'

Then "Canada's Deputy Prime Minister says, under the Emergencies Act, banks can immediately freeze or suspend bank accounts without a court order and be protected from civil liability." [That's my emphasis.] If that's right I would wonder, would banks do so? If any of them want to have customers when this is all over they should think hard.

Then there is your query "Again, what do they get if they win?"

That is a poser. I've tried to figure it out, and I don't see any upside. If the truckers give up and go home, then Trucker Frudeau has permanently alienated a significant group of the Canadian populace and permanently endeared himself to his base (which based on a Maru poll seems to be about 16% of the populace). That is only a win if he thinks keeping Canada divided is good for his party (maybe it is, I don't know).

If the truckers stay put, does he think that images of police arresting truckers and towing their trucks helps him somehow (and that's assuming they can find tow trucks and operators)?

What if the truckers change tack? Say they go home and call for a general sick out/strike? The next thing you'd know would be empty shelves everywhere in Canada. Is that the kind of images he wants?

I guess I have too limited an imagination, since I can't see what his end game is either. But then he just said "Mandates are the way to avoid further restrictions" so I guess he sees things much clearer than I...