The Ukrainian president was justifiably livid after Canada agreed to send Russian gas turbines back to Germany. But betraying our principles is a part of our heritage.
If Zelensky knew Canadians better, he would know we have a culture that doesn't just accept hypocrisy but encourages it. After all, it's all a part of the nice image. Being nice means avoiding hard choices and confrontation at all avoidable costs. That include passive-aggressive hypocrisy. It's served us well over the years, Quebec would have left by now if we didn't bend our core mission and beliefs for their political elites featherbedding, but in cases like this, it's embarrassing to Canada's long term reputation with people that matter.
We have a long tradition of being two faced and realpolitik, especially when it comes with dealing with others. After all, we are the nation that signs agreements with abandon and then doesn't live up to them. (NATO, Dairy Protectionism, Environmental, etc). It's also how we get away with having a 3rd world level health system while banning private care without riots. We lie to ourselves and everyone else.
My question, and the question of a lot of people who are new to Canada is, is this version of Canada worth it?
I'm shocked Justin didn't tell Germany that it was time to move completely green. Why the extra carbon pressure on Alberta but carte blanche for Germany? Are your green or not? Do you support Ukraine or not? Bah! Principles are for suckers!
Timely article and well said. Embarrassed for Canada, though how much more red-faced can I get given the Emergencies Act imposition and all other sorts of missteps from our bloviator in chief?
Excellent piece of actual journalism Andrew - Zelenskyy's fighting a kind of zombie war in which the conditions on the ground are constantly changing - witness today's reporting of Lavrov's latest about 'expanding' Russia's war aims in the Times. The fact he has to put up with PR flackery from Canada - which has done little enough to actually help out - probably doesn't cause him to lose any sleep. Another really curious thing about Canada's 'response' to this crisis is the pusillanimous support from Sean Fraser's ministry for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Canada. Not only are they having real trouble finding affordable places to live - they're being nickel and dimed over the cost of medical exams and other support services that (believe it or not) are being provided as a matter of right in Boris Johnson's UK. There is no central coordination (and I know we handled the Afghan refugee situation even more clumsily) from Ottawa and what is being done is simply a result of local struggles in various cities and towns to respond to current needs on a series of shoe-strings.
The Government of Canada has a long history of promising much, but taking the easy and safe route out of moral choices. Look at the hanging of Louis Riel*, for example, or the starving of Sitting Bull's tribe after they surrendered to the Northwest Mounted Police following the Custer massacre, the Japanese internment during WWII, the lack of legislation on abortion. Individual Canadians throughout our history have shown principle and courage, but voters decide what government does, and voters are cowards who vote their wallets and their fears. Justin Trudeau, the consummate politician, has a compass tuned to follow that wishy-washy centre line. That is his talent.
Don't worry, I'm sure that in the distant future (after everyone involved is safely dead) a Liberal Prime Minister will apologize for this. I just hope Ukraine is still around to receive it...
I guess Justin remains "Just Not Ready" to this day, but alas you can no longer even say "nice hair" anymore. Now it's "Dumb and (more) Dumber" life imitating art...
Until recent times, in a federal US election cycle, a debate moderator would prompt a candidate to talk about the importance of *moral character* and perhaps illustrate a personal example. The debate moderator, being a proxy for the voting public, would ask this, presumably, because Americans think moral character is important to be a national leader.
Canadians.....not so much.
And because we don't demand moral character from our leaders, we don't get it. This difference is one of the reasons why, even from a soft power, cultural/artistic exports angle, they're the most powerful nation on earth, and Canada is....meh.
(note: not every US leader is a moral paragon, but the *idea* of right and wrong is a virtue and at least a lip-service necessity in US leadership)
There aren't a lot of principles going around. We didn't completely jerk the rug out from under them, withdrawing 100% of support as the bad guys closed in - as the USA did to the Hungarians who rebelled in '56, and the Shia who rebelled against Saddam in 1991, both of them after US incitement and promises. Torture chambers and mass graves for them all.
At least we are doing something, most of the time. The Ukraine Support Tracker was a fascinating new find the other day:
...where France's position, or, rather, utter lack of one, is astounding. Sorry if that's "whataboutism", but Canada's being held to high standards, here, France and Germany to low ones. Germany has over twice our population.
Not to excuse us, or anything - Potter's own piece on the bipartisan, moral indefensability of Canada on the Omar Khadr file, in The Walrus 9 years back, was also about how we sacrifice those not-too-sacred principles to please the United States (and other allies).
I don’t blame Trudeau for engaging in realpolitik. The problem is that he laid it on so thick about our love and support for Ukraine. He is just such a relentless schmoozing hypocrite - he doesn’t appear to be able to help himself. Ukraine is going to lose this war - but by then progressives will have moved on to the next thing.
Imagine - the federal Liberals making a morally-dubious and legally problematic decision in favour of the interests of Montreal-area engineering companies...
Those last two paragraphs. Gutting. At home and abroad, this government has firm principles if necessary, but not necessarily firm principles.
What a delight to awaken to something informative written by someone with the increase rare courage to think independently.
The only principles the Trudeau government has are those necessary to stay in power and stroke Justin’s ego. Otherwise, zilch.
If Zelensky knew Canadians better, he would know we have a culture that doesn't just accept hypocrisy but encourages it. After all, it's all a part of the nice image. Being nice means avoiding hard choices and confrontation at all avoidable costs. That include passive-aggressive hypocrisy. It's served us well over the years, Quebec would have left by now if we didn't bend our core mission and beliefs for their political elites featherbedding, but in cases like this, it's embarrassing to Canada's long term reputation with people that matter.
We have a long tradition of being two faced and realpolitik, especially when it comes with dealing with others. After all, we are the nation that signs agreements with abandon and then doesn't live up to them. (NATO, Dairy Protectionism, Environmental, etc). It's also how we get away with having a 3rd world level health system while banning private care without riots. We lie to ourselves and everyone else.
My question, and the question of a lot of people who are new to Canada is, is this version of Canada worth it?
The only principle our PM has is political expediency with a dash of appeasement. It has worked for him since 2015.
Andrew, I'm giving you a standing ovation for this article! Thank you so much.
I'm shocked Justin didn't tell Germany that it was time to move completely green. Why the extra carbon pressure on Alberta but carte blanche for Germany? Are your green or not? Do you support Ukraine or not? Bah! Principles are for suckers!
Timely article and well said. Embarrassed for Canada, though how much more red-faced can I get given the Emergencies Act imposition and all other sorts of missteps from our bloviator in chief?
Excellent piece of actual journalism Andrew - Zelenskyy's fighting a kind of zombie war in which the conditions on the ground are constantly changing - witness today's reporting of Lavrov's latest about 'expanding' Russia's war aims in the Times. The fact he has to put up with PR flackery from Canada - which has done little enough to actually help out - probably doesn't cause him to lose any sleep. Another really curious thing about Canada's 'response' to this crisis is the pusillanimous support from Sean Fraser's ministry for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Canada. Not only are they having real trouble finding affordable places to live - they're being nickel and dimed over the cost of medical exams and other support services that (believe it or not) are being provided as a matter of right in Boris Johnson's UK. There is no central coordination (and I know we handled the Afghan refugee situation even more clumsily) from Ottawa and what is being done is simply a result of local struggles in various cities and towns to respond to current needs on a series of shoe-strings.
The Government of Canada has a long history of promising much, but taking the easy and safe route out of moral choices. Look at the hanging of Louis Riel*, for example, or the starving of Sitting Bull's tribe after they surrendered to the Northwest Mounted Police following the Custer massacre, the Japanese internment during WWII, the lack of legislation on abortion. Individual Canadians throughout our history have shown principle and courage, but voters decide what government does, and voters are cowards who vote their wallets and their fears. Justin Trudeau, the consummate politician, has a compass tuned to follow that wishy-washy centre line. That is his talent.
Don't worry, I'm sure that in the distant future (after everyone involved is safely dead) a Liberal Prime Minister will apologize for this. I just hope Ukraine is still around to receive it...
I guess Justin remains "Just Not Ready" to this day, but alas you can no longer even say "nice hair" anymore. Now it's "Dumb and (more) Dumber" life imitating art...
'Canada doesn't do moral clarity anymore'
Yeah, arguably we never did.
Until recent times, in a federal US election cycle, a debate moderator would prompt a candidate to talk about the importance of *moral character* and perhaps illustrate a personal example. The debate moderator, being a proxy for the voting public, would ask this, presumably, because Americans think moral character is important to be a national leader.
Canadians.....not so much.
And because we don't demand moral character from our leaders, we don't get it. This difference is one of the reasons why, even from a soft power, cultural/artistic exports angle, they're the most powerful nation on earth, and Canada is....meh.
(note: not every US leader is a moral paragon, but the *idea* of right and wrong is a virtue and at least a lip-service necessity in US leadership)
There aren't a lot of principles going around. We didn't completely jerk the rug out from under them, withdrawing 100% of support as the bad guys closed in - as the USA did to the Hungarians who rebelled in '56, and the Shia who rebelled against Saddam in 1991, both of them after US incitement and promises. Torture chambers and mass graves for them all.
At least we are doing something, most of the time. The Ukraine Support Tracker was a fascinating new find the other day:
https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/
...where France's position, or, rather, utter lack of one, is astounding. Sorry if that's "whataboutism", but Canada's being held to high standards, here, France and Germany to low ones. Germany has over twice our population.
Not to excuse us, or anything - Potter's own piece on the bipartisan, moral indefensability of Canada on the Omar Khadr file, in The Walrus 9 years back, was also about how we sacrifice those not-too-sacred principles to please the United States (and other allies).
I don’t blame Trudeau for engaging in realpolitik. The problem is that he laid it on so thick about our love and support for Ukraine. He is just such a relentless schmoozing hypocrite - he doesn’t appear to be able to help himself. Ukraine is going to lose this war - but by then progressives will have moved on to the next thing.
Imagine - the federal Liberals making a morally-dubious and legally problematic decision in favour of the interests of Montreal-area engineering companies...