Everything that develops in the United states eventually crosses our border. So it is that we now have our own version of Donald Trump. Max Fawcett writes:
It’s not surprising then, that nearly a decade after Donald Trump’s entry into public life, we now have a Canadian Conservative leader who trades in the same trademark combination of bombast, belligerence, and bullshit. No, Pierre Poilievre isn’t the second coming of Donald Trump, but he keeps hitting some unmistakably Trumpy notes.
His contempt for the mainstream media, of course, is entirely in keeping with Trump’s. So too is his obvious disdain for expertise and the well-educated. And the rallies where he praises the virtues of the “common people”, and talks about all the ways in which they’re getting screwed over by elites? Textbook Trumpism.
Like the former and potential next American president, he’s also turning the party he leads into a projection of his own ego. Case in point: it recently asked members to help pick the new design of its membership cards. Their choices? Three different images of Poilievre. As someone on Twitter said, “if I wanted to be part of a cult of personality, I’d still be a Liberal.”
But perhaps the most striking similarity between Poilievre and Trump is their ability to bend long standing members of their party to their will — and away from their own apparent ideas and ideals. Take Michael Chong, the Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills and a longtime darling of Canada’s dwindling community of red Tories. First elected to Parliament in his early 30s, Chong stood out from his peers almost immediately both for his decency and keen mind for foreign policy. He served as Stephen Harper’s Minister of Intergovernmental affairs and Minister of Sport. Even after the CPC defeat in 2015 he seemed poised for much bigger things down the road.
But there are some differences between Poilievre and Trump:
While Trump doesn’t seem to consistently believe in anything other than his own right to profit and pleasure, Poilievre has the rigidly defined worldview of a lifelong conservative operative. Nowhere is that more obvious, or more telling, than in Poilievre’s approach to the Trudeau government’s signature policy. Skepticism towards carbon pricing has long been an article of partisan faith among Conservatives, but Poilievre has elevated it to a commandment that appears to override all others.
Take the CPC’s bizarre position on the modernization of a free trade deal with Ukraine, it opposed repeatedly on the basis that it contained language promoting carbon pricing. Never mind that Ukraine already has a modest price on carbon, or that it’s one it will need to significantly strengthen as it prepares to join the European Union. As an official spokesperson for the Ukrainian embassy noted in a statement, the deal “does not include any specific instruments on decreasing carbon footprint, including specific taxation instruments.”
Still, Poilievre's rise is deeply troubling. According to the polls, he'll be our next prime minister. God help us!
Image: The National Observer
12 comments:
Careful, Owen. Your final comment will put you on a list for Poilievre’s version of the Brown Shirts to pay you a visit after the next election. DJF
Pierre suffers from a fatal, disease, DJF -- terminal certitude.
As someone who had to have security clearance to do my job, PP's reluctance to receive his security clearance when he is positioned to be our Prime Minister is a serious red flag. It shouldn't be yesterday's news, it should also be today's and tomorrow's news. Where are Postmedia, The G&M and the Star on reporting this possible security hazard?
mr perfect
The red flags are everywhere, perfect.
Ok, mr perfect
re: "Where are Postmedia, The G&M and the Star on reporting this possible security hazard?"
either ... you're being sarcastic or you get the 'most naive comment award'
The polling companies, (mostly foreign owned) media and CSIS have decided Jr's time is up.
I'll let perfect answer, PoV.
His contempt for the mainstream media, of course, is entirely in keeping with Trump’s.
True but Skippy also had an earlier model in Steven Harper. Harper was just less vocal about it.
Skippy is simply following in the footsteps of his master, jrk.
It is disillusioning, especially at our age, Owen, to witness the unhinged certitude of so many Canadians. they certainly are PP's people.
For two old guys who thought we were teaching the young to think critically, this is a deep disappointment, Lorne.
Skippy prefers what he calls the "independent media". That limits him to fake interviews by Jordan Peterson any other interviewers prepared to feed him questions for which they know he has pat answers.
He revels in being the Leader of the Opposition, John. But he has a hard time dealing with opposition.
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