The Passive Aggressive Jackassery Of Justin Trudeau Is Embarrassing As Well As Hurting Canada

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

Groucho Marx

I came across the story of the widow of a victim after the Fredricton shooting - Melissa Robichaud - who called Justin Trudeau a piece of shit.

After reading the story, I think she's got every right to hold him with such contempt.

Alas, this is par for the course and should have been plain for people to see during his election campaign and if not, soon after being elected.

Already prone to incomprehensible and inane musings, he also displayed his knack for gift of gaffe. From his childish 'it's 2015' barb to him aggressively elbowing his way through Parliament to his smug refusal to answer questions. It's one thing to evade skillfully, and quite another to cynically outright offer pathetic deflections transparent in its sophomoric delivery.

His entire government feeds off this amateurish buffoonery. Watch them on youtube. Watching Morneau, Joly, Freeland or any other bobble head in action during Question Period repeating a poorly designed 'stick to the script' narrative, is cringe inducing.

This government has been a laughing stock of incompetence from its naive foreign diplomacy and immigration policies and bizarre and counter-productive tinkering of our tax laws and investment rules. Measures that generally hammer the middle-class and force them to submit to their ideological environmental and gender goals and objectives. He mistakes his vision for principles. I personally will never forgive him or the Liberals for repatriating ISIS fighters while having the temerity and stunning gall to compare them to Italian immigrants.

It's not news to anyone who reads this blog I've been a harsh critic from before he even ran for the Liberal nomination and warned the Liberals settling for him was going to be a mistake in the long-term.

Trudeau's moral compass and value system is all messed up and hardly jives with the average Canadian. He's also not exactly a sharp tactician relying on emotional pleas and ploys and when need be forceful action to sell his agenda. See carbon tax debate with the provinces and notice his 'war cabinet' he just nominated to fight Ontario over it.

Seems like junior is thinking he can be like his papa during the NEP back in the day.

Some democracy. Some leader.

*****

Then comes the whole trade spat with the United States.

I admit balancing our national interests with the reality of our branch plant economy which is the source of our prosperity, is not easy. From the onset this was a cross Canadians had to carry.

For the longest time we've had interesting and for the most part prosperous trade relations with America.

However, I tend to wonder if the USA has always been more than generous and patient with us. Canada has very little leverage vis-a-vis American might. Our economy depends on theirs much more than the other way around while we don't exactly have a scary military that can inspire some awe and concern into the Americans.

Our peace with them largely relied on the benevolence of the Americans. But what would happen if someone came along and challenged prevailing deals and activities between the two countries?

Would we be ready? Would we have sound leadership to navigate through this?

Generally, Canada was always blessed with a fairly pragmatic and competent political class that helped to keep the country stable and at the very least maintain some facade of pride and sovereignty.

With the election of Trump though, all this has been put to the test.

And we have just about the worst government in power to deal with such a character.

An astute observer would have seen from a mile away what Trump is trying to accomplish (ie leveraging tariffs to renegotiate deals. Trump starts from a 'big spot' and then seeks to work on the little components that will help to achieve his grander plan. This is how he operates) and as such would discount this in whatever proposals or counter-offers designed. Canada does hold a special place in American diplomacy and rather than play the faux-nationalist riding on a sickly pony, Trudeau and his team should have approached this with much more professionalism.

You don't challenge a leader like Trump. Trump, contrary to the trash being reported, is achieving quite a few things that in fact are indeed benefitting the USA. Economics being one of them (and I will be posting about this soon).

Americans - those outside the #resist, Hollywood and academia bubble - are fine with Trump.

Trudeau misread Trump's game and overplayed his unpopularity angle.

The worst thing he could have done, outside insulting the President behind his back, was to go out and seek a deal with Mexico.

What could possibly have been achieved by this empty theatre? Outside the fact Mexico is a defect failed narco state who just elected a socialist government, it's a country embroiled in its on highly toxic battle with the United States over immigration. Mexico, much like Canada, depends on the U.S. economy.

And as I observed when Freeland and her Mexican partners did the usual ridiculous cross hand-shakes, the second Trump called Mexico, the Canadians would be left in the dust.

The ridiculousness of our position could have been avoided with a little introspection. That is, a) hey man, we have it good with American trade and b) yeh, we do have some unfair tariffs we should perhaps deal with.

But that would take some fair amount of self-awareness and honesty. To accept we're pretty monopolistic doesn't sway votes.

In any event.

Guess what?

Mexico and the U.S. are in talks.

Now follow me. While Canada plays 'hard ball' by retaliating, two of our NAFTA trading partners are off playing pitch and catch while we wait at the tennis court.

Which means we end up in a place we desperately tried to avoid - only worse.

Horribly misplayed by Freeland and Trudeau. 'Trump is such a bad guy we'll show him and Americans will agree!' seems to have been their vacuous machinations.

It remains to be seen what exactly comes of it but if I'm Canada, I'm watching this closely. Trudeau and Freeland - always the emotional naifs - will hopefully have a second chance to make things right and deal with the Americans in a much more mature disposition.

I'm not holding my breath.

That's how low my opinion of them is.

Recall his business venture in India to see where I'm coming from.

The reality? Trump has already won this fight.