01.27.2017 09:08 AM

Wherein Gary Mason writes the column I wrote, but gets to publish it before I got to publish

Here.

There is an enormous danger associated with this strategy. By remaining mum, Mr. Trudeau and his global counterparts are normalizing this man’s behaviour. Mr. Trump is a classic bully, and bullies thrive on the silence of their victims. No one should ever be afraid to stand up to this man, to denounce actions that deserve to be denounced.

Certainly no one should ever be disparaged for doing so.

Most will recall the now-infamous tape recording that emerged during the presidential campaign of Mr. Trump making horribly deplorable statements about women. Asked at the time to comment, B.C. Premier Christy Clark properly characterized his remarks as “absolutely disgraceful.”

Earlier this week, Ms. Clark was ridiculed by a commentator on The Tyee, a left-of-centre online news magazine, for having earlier made her views public. According to the author, in criticizing Mr. Trump, the Premier had needlessly risked the jobs of thousands of people in her province whose companies do business with the United States. Imagine: being excoriated for decrying behaviour that is by any measure is execrable. Isn’t that what we want our political leaders to do?

It seems absolutely bizarre to be chastising Ms. Clark because Donald Trump is now President. But it speaks to the broad uneasiness that has descended on the world in the wake of his victory. People are afraid, including our politicians. Few seem to have the backbone to stand up to him.

Look how easy it was for Mr. Trump to say he wanted to renegotiate NAFTA. It seemed to take all of three seconds for Canada to say okay, and throw Mexico under the bus in the process. This is the kind of influence the U.S. President wields. He knows it and isn’t afraid to use it. Mr. Trump is also aware his fellow leaders are going to act in their nation’s own self-interests. And if that means not doing anything to provoke a notoriously thin-skinned president, so be it.

7 Comments

  1. The Doctor says:

    That is supremely ironic, The Tyee — of all publications — criticizing Christy Clark for criticizing Trump. Though I suppose it is consistent with The Tyee’s fundamental editorial stance that the BC Liberals are 100% evil and thus everything they do or say is bad. FFS, Christy Clark could save orphans from a burning building and The Tyee would somehow find fault. They are such partisan tools.

    • daveconstable says:

      From Tieleman’s opinion piece in The Tyee:
      “Most would agree with Clark’s view on Trump – and I do – but that isn’t just the issue. It’s much bigger. / The problem is that half of BC’s exports go to the United States.

      Clark’s stinging condemnation of Trump needlessly risked BC workers’ jobs and businesses’ survival.”

      Good to know, Doctor, that you and I are reading and taking seriously The Tyee. (I am as partisan as you are, but I won’t comment on whether or not your percent estimate is accurate.)

  2. Jean Chrétien wisely sat on the fence on the Iraq war a long time, sparing us from the anger directed at France from many Americans, while still keeping us out of the war. (I guess it also kept the Martinites at bay.) This is a similar situation.

    I also remember when the Liberal party ostensibly supported reopening NAFTA.

  3. daveconstable says:

    On the other hand, I caught a clip of a tv interview with the new pres, and he said something about people who bomb other people who are simply going about their daily lives being rats, being bad people, an that they should be eradicated. Good to see USA new pres adopting this principle.

  4. bluegreenblogger says:

    No need to throw ourselves onto a bonfire though. There are an armful of objectionable things, but only a few that represent battles we, Canada, can possibly win. Trade, and NAFTA is going to be a fight. Canada should publicly support Mexico, and loudly condemn, even ridicule any border tax, and pronto. Yes, there are other things we could holler about, but we have to fight our corner on trade for sure, so lets start by getting us some allies with some skin in the game.

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