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?
So, what's your plan? You have already decided that this Canada isn't worth much to you and you are hoping to persuade new arrivals to your point of view or maybe even have them change their minds before they come. So what is your plan?
The culture can be changed either the easy way or the hard way. But the culture will need to change for Canada to move forward though. We aren't fooling anyone anymore.
How many people live in Canada? Round numbers are fine. I am utterly and completely positive that the "culture" of Canada will continue to grow and change in both good ways and bad and I'm ok with that. The majority are neither as horribly negative as you are nor are they as embarrassingly dim as the freedum convoy.
We don't have to throw in the towel and sell off the provinces to the highest bidders just because you don't like how things are done? Do you honestly think other countries don't have similar problems? Look at the soap that is Argentina. Is this version of Canada worth it? Of course, it is. Change does not happen overnight or with the snap of the fingers and of course, it will be both hard and easy depending on who you ask.
LOL! I have it! You sound like my mother every time she'd pine for the old country. How much better things were, even during the WAR!!
Oh my! So what's the plan Kićo? Are you packing up the old guitar and heading out?
Your non sequitur logical fallacy is expected. Call out Canadians for not just accepting hypocrisy but being hypocrites and start comparing Canada to Argentina.
The first step to recovery is accepting that Canadians have a problem.
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.
I'm still trying to figure out the point. Cherry picking the worst of a country is a piece of cake. Canada is less than 200 years old, the US is barely more than that, maybe slide across the ponds, either of them, and make up lists that go back many hundreds. It's easy but time consuming. Canada has no monopoly on broken promises.
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...
It was necessary to change the look… his striking resemblance to Mr Bean and Alfred E Neuman would have been a distraction for people on the summer ‘barbecue circuit’…
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)
When you look at Trudeau's record, the blackface, sexually assaulting Rose Knight when he was 28!, and then the ethics violations in office; Canada's urban electorate obviously doesn't care much about ethics or even blatant hypocrisy.
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).
Imagine - the federal Liberals making a morally-dubious and legally problematic decision in favour of the interests of Montreal-area engineering companies...
Another example of "risk-averse" Canada, or is it that the PMO can't make a decision. For me, this is just another example of modern reality overwhelming our current government. And being incapable of saying what they think is true or real(an affliction of all party's), they "threw the dart" and this is what came up.
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.
100%. Most politicians get get involved out of a sense of public service; not Trudeau he just needed a job that fed his ego.
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?
So, what's your plan? You have already decided that this Canada isn't worth much to you and you are hoping to persuade new arrivals to your point of view or maybe even have them change their minds before they come. So what is your plan?
The culture can be changed either the easy way or the hard way. But the culture will need to change for Canada to move forward though. We aren't fooling anyone anymore.
How many people live in Canada? Round numbers are fine. I am utterly and completely positive that the "culture" of Canada will continue to grow and change in both good ways and bad and I'm ok with that. The majority are neither as horribly negative as you are nor are they as embarrassingly dim as the freedum convoy.
We don't have to throw in the towel and sell off the provinces to the highest bidders just because you don't like how things are done? Do you honestly think other countries don't have similar problems? Look at the soap that is Argentina. Is this version of Canada worth it? Of course, it is. Change does not happen overnight or with the snap of the fingers and of course, it will be both hard and easy depending on who you ask.
LOL! I have it! You sound like my mother every time she'd pine for the old country. How much better things were, even during the WAR!!
Oh my! So what's the plan Kićo? Are you packing up the old guitar and heading out?
Your non sequitur logical fallacy is expected. Call out Canadians for not just accepting hypocrisy but being hypocrites and start comparing Canada to Argentina.
The first step to recovery is accepting that Canadians have a problem.
Every single person in Canada is a hypocrite—except you?
Now your getting snotty with double negatives.
No wonder no one wants to talk with you.
Hypocrisy is polite avoidance of confrontation and Canadians are nothing if not confrontation adverse.
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.
You forgot to throw in the Mac-Paps being blacbkballed after fighting in Spain against actual fascism.
Excellent point. I had to look the Mac-Pap Battalion up because I had never heard of them.
D'arcy McGee of course was a father of confededation who was assassinated, not hung, in 1868.
Were you thinking of Louis Riel? Regardless I think your point is clear.
Oops! You are quite right and I am getting names mixed up in my dotage. Sorry.
I'm still trying to figure out the point. Cherry picking the worst of a country is a piece of cake. Canada is less than 200 years old, the US is barely more than that, maybe slide across the ponds, either of them, and make up lists that go back many hundreds. It's easy but time consuming. Canada has no monopoly on broken promises.
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...
It was necessary to change the look… his striking resemblance to Mr Bean and Alfred E Neuman would have been a distraction for people on the summer ‘barbecue circuit’…
I think he's found his groove now, appearance wise. It's the perfect look for the man.
He's waiting to see who has the better offer: Dancing with the Stars, or Celebrity Big Brother
'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)
When you look at Trudeau's record, the blackface, sexually assaulting Rose Knight when he was 28!, and then the ethics violations in office; Canada's urban electorate obviously doesn't care much about ethics or even blatant hypocrisy.
I think we used to expect our leaders to moral. Now we expected them not to break laws which are in the criminal code. Soon, that won't even matter.
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'm looking forward to replacing "Canada's back" with "Canada's better than the U.S. in 1956, at least."
Damning with faint praise sadly.
Imagine - the federal Liberals making a morally-dubious and legally problematic decision in favour of the interests of Montreal-area engineering companies...
Another example of "risk-averse" Canada, or is it that the PMO can't make a decision. For me, this is just another example of modern reality overwhelming our current government. And being incapable of saying what they think is true or real(an affliction of all party's), they "threw the dart" and this is what came up.