Feature, Musings —04.06.2021 07:47 AM
—My latest: Hitler, Hillier and hate
What would Hitler do?
That’s what preoccupies Randy Hillier, apparently. Hillier is a member of the Ontario legislature. He doesn’t belong to any political party, because Doug Ford kicked him out of the Progressive Conservative caucus two years ago.
On Thursday, Hillier tweeted a picture of Adolf Hitler surveying a parade of Nazi troops, above the caption: THE THIRD WAVE.
Here’s what Hillier posted: “The Third ….wave. Everyone who has ever been to the sea, knows there is no end to waves. Its only 28 days this time. Truth does not mind being questioned. Lies do not like to be challenged. #onpoli #WeAreLivingaLie #nomorelockdowns”
Hillier is the MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston. He thinks the coronavirus is a hoax, a lie.
Hillier has been piloting the dark waters of the anti-mask, pandemic-denying lunatic fringe for about a year, now. He’s held anti-mask rallies, and cheerfully posed maskless for pictures. Along the way, he’s attracted the support of a gaggle of knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers who actually equate modest public health measures with fascism.
Hillier and his hillbillies don’t like lockdowns – and, as of Saturday, Canada’s largest province is again under one. Premier Doug Ford said that the numbers – as reflected in the number of daily new infections, as well as hospitalizations – were heading in the wrong direction. So, Ford said, it was time to apply an emergency brake.
Said Ford: “We are facing a serious situation and drastic measures are required to contain the rapid spread of the virus, especially the new variants of concern. I know pulling the emergency brake will be difficult on many people across the province, but we must try and prevent more people from getting infected and overwhelming our hospitals.”
Some on the political Right are mad at Ford for going too far. Some on the political Left are mad at Ford for not going far enough.
That’s fine. That’s democracy. As my old boss Jean Chretien used to say, when the fringes on the Right and the Left are both mad at you, you’re winning.
But no one of significance has actually likened Ford’s lockdown to National Socialism. Until now.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney condemned it. Tweeted Kenney: “There is – and should be – a vibrant debate about how best to deal with the pandemic. But equating the public health measures of democratically elected and accountable governments to the genocidal anti-Semitism of the Nazi Third Reich is odious.”
Bernie Farber, the former head of the Canadian Jewish Congress, also expressed his outrage. Said Farber: “The comparisons to Hitler re: Covid are obscene. That it would come from a member of the Ontario Legislature is truly detestable. He needs to be isolated by his constituents and voted out of office.”
Like Kenney and Farber say, Randy Hillier is odious. He’s obscene.
But he and his cabal are acutely in need of some education, so let’s give it to him. Because he’s got everything backwards. So here, below, is a message to Randy Hillier.
Randy, Naziism – like the pandemic – is monstrous. Like Naziism, the pandemic has rendered life dark and grinding and bleak. Like Hitler and his murderous cult, it is the coronavirus that has killed and sickened millions.
Randy, the pandemic has stolen away jobs and livelihoods, just like Hitler did. Like National Socialism, the virus has destroyed businesses and economies.
Adolf Hitler and Covid-19 are the real killers, Randy. They are the real destroyers.
But our response to the coronavirus – as seen in the wearing of masks, and social distancing, and limiting public gatherings – doesn’t kill people. It saves them, Randy.
Randy, it was wrong to equate what most of us are willingly doing to Adolf Hitler and Naziism. Because if Adolf Hitler was here today, Randy, we all know where he’d be, don’t we?
He’d be at one of your rallies, clapping.
Randy Hillier is a classic loser’s hero. The guy makes six figures each year for achieving absolutely nothing. I suppose its a nice racket if you can get it. His supporters are no better than the rubes in a pyramid scheme.
I’m not terribly perturbed by the stupid Hitler analogy, which is just daily par for the course on today’s dystopic social media. I don’t know why guys like Farber even bother responding anymore. And, no, the pandemic isn’t “like Hitler” either. It’s “like” a pandemic.
That said, the whole anti-mask, anti-shutdown and particularly anti-vaxer movements are getting very worrisome. I know of at least three anti-vaxers and a couple more on the margins practicing amateur epidemiology on their smartphones, and I’m an isolated senior. A lot of it is associated with the right these days, especially the loopy conspiracy theories, but there’s a strain from New Age granola leftists and health nuts too. In the States, it appears up to a third of blacks plan to skip the vaccines because of a general distrust of “The Man” and a conviction he has it in for them. Of course, down there almost every politician will condemn one side, but not the other.
A year ago, I was quite impressed with Ford and the other premiers, but there seems to be a lot of fumbling going on now and a lot of trying to find a balance or middle ground that obviously isn’t impressing the virus. We may need a new wave of Churchillian resolve that goes far beyond posting indignant tweets, and I’m not seeing a lot of candidates up for that challenge, with the arguable semi-exception of Legault. I really do hope Justin will rise up, grab the reins and save us all. That was a joke.
I’ll up your three anti-vaxers…. I know an anti-vaxer working *in a vaccine clinic*. Classic pay check warrior. The world has officially gone completely insane.
Part of the problem is, there’s a super-receptive audience for this stuff, with so many people being so stressed out, disoriented, etc. I can totally see why someone who has lost their job, for example, and has had their whole world turned upside down (for the worse) would be looking for someone to blame. They get on the internet and voila, someone is offering them magic answers, etc.
A lot of these demagogues are basically telling their audience they can totally go back to normal, things can be just like they used to be. It’s like telling people they’re entitled to free beer. Is it any surprise that there’s a receptive audience to that?
Amplified “magic answers” is Facebook’s business model.
It’s been my experience that most people get religion right before they croak. By then, it’s at least a day late and a dollar short. Wonder what Hillier will do if he ever catches COVID-19? Hopefully, not pray to Adolf Hitler.
Meanwhile, how to put it succinctly? Oh yes, beans for brains…
UNRELATED BUT INTERESTING: (That is, with the kind indulgence of our host.)
Treasury Agents are now raiding businesses and personal residences where considerable cryptos have been purchased. Meanwhile, the FBI is also raiding privacy vaults, also known as safety deposit boxes. Signs of the Big Brother times.
To Vax or not to Vax.
That is NOT the question.
I have a small penis and a smaller brain.