He's trying to play both sides; claiming to support the central value of freedom of expression, while avoiding actually defending that same value out of his fear of being labelled hateful
Christina Clark makes excellent points and arguments, of course. However, in my view, the article's focus slightly obscures a more general reality with Prime Minister Trudeau. "Justin Trudeau's spineless appeasement," (the article's headline), applies to almost every issue and policy Trudeau addresses, not just Freedom of Expression. The only exceptions seem to be 'no brainer' policies where no significant political opposition is expected such as the Canada Child Benefit or legalization of cannabis.
On most significant policies, Trudeau is a vacuous, timid ditherer. Examples include climate emergency policies, medical assistance in dying, and rights. Trudeau has a thin record of implementing sound policy unless forced to by circumstances (climate emergency/Paris accord) or courts (medical assistance in dying, Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement). A telling example of Trudeau's dithering and timidity is, of course, electoral reform.
When Christina Clarke writes "Trudeau's statements are appeasement. He's trying to play both sides," she's perfectly defining Trudeau's governing spinelessness. Trudeau's a workmanlike Prime Minister if he's forced into an issue or a policy by, as I say, courts or circumstances (TMX and COVID-19 come to mind). But behind the genial swagger and smile, left to his own vision, Trudeau's a blind and befuddled, timorous fellow.
A coda: after observing Prime Minister Trudeau since October 2015, my view is he lacks any vision or policy ambitions beyond being Prime Minister and restoring the Liberal Party's place as Canada's ‘natural governing party,’ and being liked by his Liberal colleagues.
I suggest that Justin Trudeau wants to be remembered as Canada's 21st century's Wilfred Laurier who like Trudeau believed being the Prime Minister of Canada wasn't about leadership or vision, but rather about referring.
A security guard had a "bad feeling" about suicide bomber Salman Abedi but did not approach him for fear of being branded a racist, an inquiry has heard.
I think offended Muslims would do better to treat cartoons with indifference or well bred disdain. All the teeth-gnashing and violence only provokes some people to poke at them more.
This piece isn't what I had hoped it would be - at all. Frankly, Terry Glavin wrote a far better piece on exactly the same issue with more ire and more steel behind it. this piece comes off as a typical trudeau bash about how wishy washy he sounds (yes) but no background to what is actually going on in France and also... no acknowledgment of the very real issues happening because of these terrorist acts. This is a far more complex issue than just "free speech" blah blah blah and to boil it down to such a petty kind of blanket statement really takes away from how serious it is and takes away from the fight that is being fought against these people. Maybe it isn't being fought loudly or publicly, but it is being fought. Also, using the memri clip is cute but really - what value are you adding; and if you are going to whine about the free speech thing of say..... cartoonists then are you going to allow pastors, imams, rabbis the same leeway because they can preach some pretty terrible things.
“Yet we are asked to believe that showing a cartoon was more dehumanizing than decapitating a teacher in broad daylight?” Where in the video does Trudeau say that?
Christina Clark makes excellent points and arguments, of course. However, in my view, the article's focus slightly obscures a more general reality with Prime Minister Trudeau. "Justin Trudeau's spineless appeasement," (the article's headline), applies to almost every issue and policy Trudeau addresses, not just Freedom of Expression. The only exceptions seem to be 'no brainer' policies where no significant political opposition is expected such as the Canada Child Benefit or legalization of cannabis.
On most significant policies, Trudeau is a vacuous, timid ditherer. Examples include climate emergency policies, medical assistance in dying, and rights. Trudeau has a thin record of implementing sound policy unless forced to by circumstances (climate emergency/Paris accord) or courts (medical assistance in dying, Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement). A telling example of Trudeau's dithering and timidity is, of course, electoral reform.
When Christina Clarke writes "Trudeau's statements are appeasement. He's trying to play both sides," she's perfectly defining Trudeau's governing spinelessness. Trudeau's a workmanlike Prime Minister if he's forced into an issue or a policy by, as I say, courts or circumstances (TMX and COVID-19 come to mind). But behind the genial swagger and smile, left to his own vision, Trudeau's a blind and befuddled, timorous fellow.
A coda: after observing Prime Minister Trudeau since October 2015, my view is he lacks any vision or policy ambitions beyond being Prime Minister and restoring the Liberal Party's place as Canada's ‘natural governing party,’ and being liked by his Liberal colleagues.
I suggest that Justin Trudeau wants to be remembered as Canada's 21st century's Wilfred Laurier who like Trudeau believed being the Prime Minister of Canada wasn't about leadership or vision, but rather about referring.
A security guard had a "bad feeling" about suicide bomber Salman Abedi but did not approach him for fear of being branded a racist, an inquiry has heard.
And 22 people are dead 🤬
I think offended Muslims would do better to treat cartoons with indifference or well bred disdain. All the teeth-gnashing and violence only provokes some people to poke at them more.
This piece isn't what I had hoped it would be - at all. Frankly, Terry Glavin wrote a far better piece on exactly the same issue with more ire and more steel behind it. this piece comes off as a typical trudeau bash about how wishy washy he sounds (yes) but no background to what is actually going on in France and also... no acknowledgment of the very real issues happening because of these terrorist acts. This is a far more complex issue than just "free speech" blah blah blah and to boil it down to such a petty kind of blanket statement really takes away from how serious it is and takes away from the fight that is being fought against these people. Maybe it isn't being fought loudly or publicly, but it is being fought. Also, using the memri clip is cute but really - what value are you adding; and if you are going to whine about the free speech thing of say..... cartoonists then are you going to allow pastors, imams, rabbis the same leeway because they can preach some pretty terrible things.
“Yet we are asked to believe that showing a cartoon was more dehumanizing than decapitating a teacher in broad daylight?” Where in the video does Trudeau say that?
Always spot on Christina!