Sunday, February 14, 2016

Justin Trudeau and the Antidote to Cynicism



Well it took a while, but I finally found a writer in the MSM who shares my feeling about Justin Trudeau's first 100 days.

One who unlike the others sees the glass half full instead of half empty.

One who remembers the horror of the Con regime, and our lost decade.

And sees the arrival of our young leader and his news government as something to celebrate.



And the antidote to cynicism.

Canada has changed so much in the 100 days since the Liberal cabinet was sworn in that I don’t quite know how to describe it. It’s not a sea change, which is a gradual encrustation at full fathom five, or a reversion, which would let us pretend those 10 Harper years had never happened. Don’t ever forget that lost decade. 

But as I write this, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is live on Twitter, asking us to ask him anything. Tell me that’s not new. If Harper had had anything to say to citizens, it would have been, “Stay away from me. I have guards both human and dog,” or “We are watching you from apertures.”

One who points out changes like these are real achievements.

Climate change is now taken seriously and can be discussed without fear. Government scientists can speak freely without stigma. 


There will be an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women, and it will be well-designed and purposeful. Their shameful treatment cannot go on forever.




And recognizes that cynicism is the death of hope.

We have four Liberal years ahead of us and I don’t feel cynical about the future. My cynicism has always been my worst quality. It’s good to shrug it off.

Which is what I have always believed, for we will need all the hope we can muster if we are to push for real change, and confront the enormous challenges we face.

For without it there is only despair, and the moaning of the living dead.

You know yesterday, as I was crossing off Antonin Scalia from the group picture of the U.S. Supreme Court...



And wishing that miserable old bigot swift passage to hell.

I was reminded that if Trudeau hadn't defeated Harper, he would have been able to change OUR Supreme Court beyond recognition.

The one he defiled over and over again...



As only that beast could.

The court that was during that lost decade, the last bastion of Canadian values.

And had it been destroyed would indeed have been the death of hope.

So that's also something to celebrate.

As is the way Trudeau defied the Con bigots..



And brought in so many refugees...



For that too is another sign that we are living in another country.

A cold country to be sure...



But one that is rising from the dead.

And finally looks like my Canada again...

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6 comments:

jrkrideau said...


Even if we could afford a war, why would we wish to join someone else’s?

I definitely agree with the sentiment. My version is, “You broke it, you fix it”.

Scalia
"This Court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is 'actually' innocent," Scalia wrote in a 2009 dissent of the Court's order for a federal trial court in Georgia to consider the case of death row inmate Troy Davis. "Quite to the contrary, we have repeatedly left that question unresolved, while expressing considerable doubt that any claim based on alleged 'actual innocence' is constitutionally cognizable."

What a man! Heck, if he had a law degree, I'm pretty sure D. Trump would have more humanity and common sense.

Anonymous said...

We do owe a great deal of gratitude towards PMJT for how he didn't succumb to Harper's constant barrage of attack ads, out of context quotes from JT and overall deceit employed in the last election. Even though all looked lost at the start, JT stuck to his guns and clawed his way back up the polls to eventually vanquish the tyrannical Harper regime. For that I deeply thank you Mr. Prime Minister and keep up the good work.
JD

Anonymous said...

Yes Heather Mallik is a beam of light in the MSM. I'm not a Toronto Star/Globe and Mail urban reader, so the first piece Of hers that I ever read was a recent one on city dogs (Dogpocalyse), that just made me smile and laugh. I'm a country person and my critters don't really know what a leash is. She has a spark, and I think there are other glimmers in MSM that are starting to appear (there was a good piece in Mcleans about Syrian bombing this week).

So yes, loose our cynicism, laugh at ourselves, and buy some booties for the pup <3 :)) We may be getting to a place where we can listen more, agree to disagree, and toast our differences. Some harshisms are nearly impossible to say when meeting someone's gaze. Being Canadian...

Cheers to 1st 100 days!

TS

lagatta à montréal said...

Thrilled with the demise of the Con régime. But never forgetting the class line.

e.a.f. said...

100 days in office and this time when the First Nations Murdered/Missing women's march took place in Vancouver, one of the participants of the past 7 years, this year was the Minister of Justice. I'm good to go with this government. There are changes. the federal government can not control the world economy, but it can have a pleasant face and promote hope for the future. Hey, its more than the last bunch did. I'm always good with happy.

David said...

Re: Trudeau's first 100 days in office....what has been overlooked by the MSM is the Liberal's Dec. 17 announcement--just 2 months in-- to provide federal funding for their part of the Freedom Road.

If the Cons had got back in, NOTHING would have changed. And Harper would never accept the invitation to speak at any First Nations conferences because he would be asked some tough questions.

Road to Freedom APTN Investitgates (Feb. 12/16)
http://aptn.ca/news/aptn-investigates-full-episodes/

Shoal Lake 40 - The Road Home (2011)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjlRg096XFY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtuJ6qlp8Q4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjlRg096XFY

The Cons offered only $1million.... to fund the design of the Freedom Road. That's it. No funds to build it. I wonder what former Con MP Greg Rickford is doing now?

52 sec. mark
http://aptn.ca/news/2015/06/25/shoal-lake-first-nation-residents-weep-as-ottawa-balks-at-funding-road-construction/

http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/08/11/Shoal-Lake-Road-Support/

http://aptn.ca/news/2015/10/20/first-nations-look-forward-to-new-relationship-with-ottawa-chiefs/

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Outgoing-Conservative-MP-fights-for-construction-of-Shoal-Lake-highway-321277921.html

"We support the construction of the Freedom Road in principle," Rickford said in a statement released by Smith. "That is why we are funding the design of the Freedom Road." But, the commitment came without mention of federal funding. The city and province have each pledged to pay for a third of the $30-million highway.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/07/07/federal-tories-abandoned_n_7744278.html