Like most people of presumably sound mind, I don't like the backdoor weasel move by Justin and Jagmeet. And though it's easy to be pessimistic about the direction of this country - though not unreasonable - I'm not entirely worried.
Justin is obscenely lucky and an obscene hypocrite that has tarnished Canada's reputation. The only way such a scandalous person manages to squirm their way out of one gaffe after another is through a combination of an inattentive and apathetic Canadian populace (which the world has duly noted) and a completely discombobulated conservative party still without effective leadership. Had they been so, Justin would have been gone a long time ago having offered 'normies' a viable option. They say the GOP are the 'stupid party'. If so, the Conservatives are the 'stupider party'. Remember, this is the party that elected Erin O' Toole. Mitt Romney north.
Yet, Justin is somehow squandering this fortune and his luck has to run out at some time. You can't manipulate the system to keep you in power forever. At least I want to think that. Is our democracy that fragile as to become so easily a Venezuela? With a guy like Justin in power and his spending, anything is possible I suppose. Instead of thanking his lucky stars and moving the country in a more unified direction he has chosen to take a page out of the totalitarian play book and use divisive politics as a wedge to maintain power.
He is your classic remedial wannabe tin pot dictator of a banana republic. He's acting the way the left believed Harper did. Like a dictator. Harper never did this.
But here's the thing that gives me hope. This is not an alliance' borne from principles of any kind but out of lazy convenience by two very unpopular and weak individuals. Think of it as two low end, mediocre capos forming an uneasy partnership to take down a Mafia boss. This can crack, crash and burn at any time. Reality can still come in and pinch and punch Justin in the gut.
Nonetheless, all this cynicism and commitment to irrational Covid measures is weighing heavy on the country. His father put this country in massive debt in the 70s and 80s and it took us 20 years to fix that mess. Now Justin is doing the same only this time the stakes are far higher and more dangerous. He already has spent the coffers and plans to do more This deal only benefits Jagmeet himself and not the party or country. We've already spent to the equivalent of GDP and now with inflation (and inevitable result of shutting down the economy for two years) set to settle in, the geniuses have decided the best way to 'offset' the rising cost of living is with a stimulus cheque of $500. This is the equivalent of using inflation to fight inflation. It's nonsensical and will lead to printing money out of thin air (MMT in action) and exacerbate the problem.
The only way out of this is to end all mandates and measures and allow for the economy to organically set itself back on track. And no, it's not because of the Russians gas prices are rising. That was a trend already set in motion when the U.S. and Canada cut production and killed pipeline projects. This problem can easily be remedied by opening the taps again. But with the Green project in play and Agenda 2030, they won't. So they will be more than happy to decimate the low and middle classes to achieve their pet project. And as things get worse - and they will - blame Russia. Even though they export barely 1% of oil and gas to North America.
The deal doesn't strike me as a good one for the NDP in particular. The NDP have always prided themselves as being the 'conscience' of Canadian politics while supporting the working classes. They're neither under Jagmeet (who has a fancy Rolex collection) and this has to ruffle their caucus. In the long-term, if I'm one of those 26 MPs I'd worry about my job if this 'alliance' lasts to 2025. People who voted NDP didn't vote Liberal so they will remember and vote accordingly.
For now, keep the pressure up and don't despair.
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I think of all the countries in the West, Canada will come out the worst. As Europe and the United States continues its U-turn on Covid (mature societies that understand the stakes regarding their economies and the civil order grasp this), Canada remains stuck on stupid.
The problem is the government seems more prepared to get it going but it's the population insisting on remaining petulantly afraid. I never would have thought Canadians could be so weak and pathetic.
They talk a tough game about Ukraine but still call for masks and restrictions.
It's hard to nail down the psychological aspects to all this but it certainly is blocking any move forward.
At the moment, we're paying to keep cowards at home. They're way too comfortable.Now, we have to treat them now like I was treated on the construction site when I was 14. Like shit with a "You get your sorry asses back in the fucking office. Fun time is over'. That's the only way to jolt these smug son of a bitches who helped to ruin lives back into reality.
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I don't see an economic recovery any time soon.
Montreal's economy took another blow when Gap and Eagle closed. Those commercial spaces will not be replaced. You're gonna probably see those locales be subletted and become multiple stores that, in turn, will also eventually and likely close.
And then it will be converted into condominiums or something.
The pandemic response set Montreal - the engine of Quebec - back 10 years flat and easy. Retail was already dying and no one is going to invest and commit to a long-term investment in this environment. Would you?
I wouldn't. In fact, my advice to those who can is to leave Canada altogether.
With Trudeau and Covid still swirling they can shut everything down on a dime. Won't happen in America but here it sure as hell can happen here because we're not a business culture and are ignorant of what business faces.
So all those 'A louer' signs across the city from St. Laurent to St. Denis to St. Catherine to anywhere else will remain empty for some time. And this is where the real fun begins. You wanted your CERB and wanted to stay home and flick olive pits at the unvaccinated and 'anti-maskers' like a bunch of cowardly children? You accepted the fear mongering nonsense from the media swallowing whole the pseudo-collectivist, false virtue gibberish? Expect blowback.
Mind you I don't expect the civil service to feel pain. Although I would not be against the return of austere measures to cut the bureaucracy. Someone will have to pay for this catastrophe.
How this population gave in so easily to totalitarian measures under the guise of 'protecting' public health is a topic we will be talking about for a long time. We created an entire new class: The Pajama Class. A class of people who are recessionary proof who often work for government or corporations who can login from their homes to work and never miss a pay check while tapping on Twitter how it's 'too soon' to end measures. We also created a 'Medical class'. These are the experts who call for a shut down of the economy while also never missing a heat and paycheck. Ironically, their salaries are paid through taxes. Taxes raised from the productive economic activity of the people and industries they advocate to shut down. For 'public health'.
The sad part to all this is Canadians bought this bunk and hunk of irrational thinking and don't appear ready to admit it or even fight it off. There's no resistance. And where people most affected fight back, they turn on them. See truckers.
And expect headlines in the future along the lines of "Government officials look to rejuvenate the economy' and 'What happened to the economy?'
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Hey, how long before the whiny masked up pukes complain about the term 'Pajama class' and Justin looks to ban it for being 'toxic'? What a mess and ALL FORESEEABLE.
And perhaps done on purpose.
No one can be so idiotic.
Right?
