It’s not just an American disease. Canada can easily be caught in the same polarization. We are just as liable to see divisions driven into our politics, our families, our friendships and our country as the American mess on our doorstep. And don’t laugh at Donald Trump. Pierre Poilievre could be worse.
And the truth will not set us free. Knowing Poilievre is wrong, sets nothing right. He is not a person to be caught up in the truth. He is a weasel believing only in his own fantasies and his own self-importance. He is planning a better life for nobody but himself. He is in an alliance with the rabble of the extreme right.
These are not knowledgeable Canadians with whom Poilievre has formed his team. They are the rabble who thought they could muscle Ottawa into redirecting our country. They wanted something, they called “freedom.” They wanted to put an end to people in Ottawa they thought of as gatekeepers. They had been buffeted by the changing rules during the pandemic. They wanted the rules set aside before the pandemic was over. They had no patience for common sense. Calm and confidence have been in short supply.
What Poilievre saw was some of that angst in all of us. The problems of the past year have been a strain on everybody. Instead of standing in our own ray of sunshine and opportunity, we have been beset by inflation, troubles in sourcing, supply chain limitations, border backups, airport confusion and then some asshole starts a war.
And what makes Canadians think they were standing in line before others. We are not the honest broker for the rest of the world. We have a few good politicians and too many fools. We have some smart business people who are looking ahead to the future and we have some idiots who are raping the consumer of her loonies. Nobody is proud of working in the oil business after pumping your own gas for over $2 a liter.
The manager of my nearby Metro store used to stand down by the checkout with a friendly smile on his face. Today, he hides in his office or back at the receiving door.
I hardly blame Pierre Poilievre for any of these problems. I just know that, sure as hell, he is not going to make any of them go away.
-30-
Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to: