Justin Trudeau rode to energy 4 years in the past on a wave of progressive enthusiasm. With an Obama-like ‘hope and change-y’ vibe, loads of social media savvy and an virtually cult-like following, he was extra a model than a politician.
The media beloved him. He was the “youthful,” “geopolitical golden boy” – even a “dreamy heartthrob.” They applauded his progressive guarantees, lauded his half-female and racially various cupboard, and fawned over his penchant for novelty socks. His crew’s PR savvy even landed him on the quilt of Vogue because the “new younger face of Canadian politics.”
At a time when Donald Trump was simply bursting onto the political scene within the US in a extra severe approach than ever earlier than, liberal Canadians have been proud to indicate off their anti-Trump – and progressive Individuals swooned and cooed with jealousy.
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As of late, the image couldn’t be extra totally different. As soon as a shining beacon of hope, Trudeau’s approval rankings are immediately even decrease than Trump’s – and as one other election rolls round, the fresh-faced political wonderboy and media darling has misplaced his shine. With a path of damaged guarantees behind him and a severe corruption scandal on his palms, the 2019 incarnation of Justin Trudeau comes with considerably extra baggage than earlier than – and the controversies appear to maintain piling up.
Right here's Justin Trudeau, simply paddling round in a canoe whereas individuals watch him from the shore.
(NOT PICTURED: His canoeing footwear)#elxn43 #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/X2TwEClHlb
— Josh Ok. Elliott (@joshkelliott) September 26, 2019
The latest being the blackface scandal. Trudeau’s choice to decorate up twice in blackface (and ‘brownface’ on one other event) was a foul one, and sure, he ought to have recognized higher. However let’s be sincere, within the scheme of Trudeau’s worst political sins, it doesn’t crack the highest 10. But, it appears to have been the second at which the media started to comprehend they have been fooled – and thank heavens for that, as a result of after the blackface scandal, Trudeau’s determined PR stunts have began to look much more like… nicely, determined PR stunts. Living proof: He confirmed as much as a latest marketing campaign occasion in a purple canoe. “Brownface, Blackface and About-Face. Is Trudeau Who He Says He Is?” requested the New York Occasions final month. The reply, in fact, isn’t any.
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Two planes, two faces
There is no such thing as a one subject the place Trudeau’s hypocrisy is laid naked greater than that of the setting and local weather change. At some point he declares a local weather emergency, the subsequent (actually) he’s increasing oil pipelines. At some point he’s marching with local weather activists, nodding in settlement with Greta Thunberg and giving speeches about chopping carbon emissions – and the subsequent, we hear he’s been utilizing two airplanes to tug his marketing campaign workers and tools across the nation as a substitute of 1. Look, nobody would anticipate the PM to trip across the nation campaigning on a zero-emissions bike, however certainly if he desires to guide by instance, one gas-guzzling jet would suffice.
Cautious. After he takes a cute PR image with you he normally tries to construct a pipeline by means of your home
— BQE ? Huge Unhealthy Con (@LammaticHama) June 26, 2019
One tweet succinctly summed up the futility of Trudeau marching with environmental activists pretty nicely: “You don’t have to march bro, you’re actually the f**king man in cost.”
you don’t have to march bro you’re actually the fucking man in cost https://t.co/HqFZqwV976
— nathan thanki (@n_thanki) September 29, 2019
Nonetheless, Trudeau’s environmental hypocrisy had already been well-established earlier than the Conservative Celebration whipped out the journey logs and pictures of his two marketing campaign planes. See, normally avowed environmentalists don’t are usually within the behavior of constructing pipelines, however green-conscious Trudeau appears to have missed the memo on that one.
After promising to usher in a brand new period of environmentalism, Trudeau infuriated hundreds of thousands of Canadians when he purchased the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline for $ four.5 billion on the taxpayer’s dime – and promised federal assist for its enlargement. Trudeau revealed his true colours in siding with company oil pursuits, regardless of a wave of protests from native communities, environmentalists and First Nations peoples. The pipeline, set to trip roughshod over indigenous lands, poses severe environmental dangers, together with to consuming water.
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In a win for activists, Canada’s power regulator in July revoked earlier route approvals for the pipeline and ordered that your entire route be reviewed. Some now imagine the venture, wrapped up in authorized challenges and appeals, will trigger a lot of a headache and monetary burden, that it will be simpler to tug the plug totally.
Facilitator of US imperialism
Time’s opinion columnist Nicolas Kristof named Trudeau’s Canada a “ethical chief of the free world” in a column just a few months in the past. Certainly, Canada enjoys a typically constructive picture of being kinder and softer than the US on the world stage – however peel again the facade, and Canada, like most of Washington’s main allies, is a quiet associate in and facilitator of US aggression. From Ukraine to Venezuela to Iran, Ottawa performs a significant supporting position to Washington, all the time unquestioningly supporting and amplifying US narratives.
Underneath Trudeau, Canada deployed 200 troops to Ukraine to coach troopers and Nationwide Guard personnel to “liberate” the nation, sticking fastidiously to the US’ anti-Russia drive in Jap Europe and offering help to a post-coup authorities that was propped up by neo-Nazis. Trudeau additionally enthusiastically threw his assist behind Trump’s provocations and marketing campaign of “most strain” in opposition to Iran, portray Tehran as an “aggressor” and primarily endorsing any future motion the White Home could take.
Um,Trudeau accepted the Saudi deal as nicely. https://t.co/Ps0tRnmYjP
— Lorrie Goldstein (@sunlorrie) October 2, 2019
On China, Trudeau has aligned himself with Trump on the anti-Beijing commerce struggle – and in Venezuela, the Canadian PM lined up with different US allies to again coup chief and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido earlier this 12 months, ensuring to slap its personal sanctions on the federal government of President Nicolas Maduro. Trudeau additionally continues to promote billions of in army tools to Saudi Arabia, regardless of its ongoing slaughter in Yemen.
Corruption and bullying?
Then there’s the minor subject of Trudeau’s embroilment in a significant corruption scandal. The supposed goody-two-shoes PM is alleged to have pressured Canada’s ex-attorney basic Jody Wilson-Raybould to desert a bribery probe into his rich pals at engineering agency SNC Lavalin. The Canadian agency is accused of getting bribed officers to win profitable contracts in Libya.
Wilson-Raybould, who was faraway from her submit as legal professional basic and demoted to a much less vital cupboard place, claims Trudeau made “veiled threats” to drop the case. She resigned when the story broke and Trudeau denied subjecting her to months of strain. This doesn’t sound just like the habits of a person who would put on a pink anti-bullying T-shirt bearing the slogan “Kindness is One Measurement Matches All” now, does it?
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Maybe in future, progressives in Canada and past ought to heed the phrases of activist actress Jane Fonda, who eviscerated Trudeau throughout a tour of the Alberta oil sands two years in the past. Trudeau, she stated, is aware of all the appropriate phrases to say and “talks so fantastically” in regards to the setting, however has, in actuality, “betrayed everybody of the issues that he dedicated to” throughout the Paris local weather discuss. “I suppose the lesson is, we shouldn’t be fooled by good lookin’ liberals, irrespective of how nicely spoken they’re,” she added.
None of that is to say that Trudeau’s Conservative Celebration opponent Andrew Scheer is a greater different – however just like the Barack Obamas and the Emmanuel Macrons of the world, Trudeau’s failure to ship needs to be one other warning to progressives.
It’s time to acknowledge the hypocrisy and duplicity of the smooth-talking liberals who rapidly reveal themselves to be wolves in sheep’s clothes – and admit that “peoplekind” would do nicely to keep away from them as greatest they’ll.
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