— Feature, Musings —05.14.2024 10:12 AM
My latest: Chow has chosen sides
Olivia Chow has made her choice.
For months, she’s bobbed and weaved. For months, she has refused to be crystal clear about the orgy of anti-Semitism and Jew-hating crime that has gripped Toronto.
The mayor of Canada’s largest city will issue an occasional sympathetic tweet, sure, when things get particularly bad. But clearly showing support for Toronto’s Jewish community, when they are feeling under siege? When they are feeling isolated and maligned and scared?
Not Olivia Chow.
On Tuesday morning, Chow finally made a clear choice. On Tuesday morning, a small ceremony took place: the raising of Israel’s flag in a remote corner of City Hall, as has been done for years, without any problem.
Chow refused to attend.
Before the ceremony, someone sent her an email about it. Chow sent back a response, which was circulated online late Monday night. She did a bit of buck-passing, claiming that the city’s protocol office decided to let Israel’s flag be raised, not her. And then she said this:
“The Mayor did not decide to fly the flag, and does not have the authority to approve or deny flag raising requests. The Mayor will not attend the flag raising. She believes raising it is divisive at this time, and understands the deep pain and anguish felt by many in the community.”
That’s pretty clear: “The Mayor will not attend the flag raising.” And, so, she didn’t.
Councillor James Pasternak was there, and some others. A few Israel-haters showed up, too, but they were kept a safe distance away. But no Olivia Chow, who claims to be mayor of all of Toronto.
Well, it turns out she’s mayor of just some of Toronto – a Toronto where some citizens are more equal than others. She’s not mayor anymore to any of Toronto’s many Jews, apparently.
Five problems with that.
1. Fair is fair, Mayor Chow. If Israel’s flag is “divisive,” then Palestinian flags shouldn’t be displayed at protests and rallies anymore, either. Because, you know, that’s “divisive.”
(And by the by: There are Israeli flags on homes all over Toronto, which has a big Jewish population. Does Toronto’s erstwhile mayor want them taken down, too, because they’re “divisive?”)
2. This flag-raising, as noted, has happened for years. But this year – when Jews are under unprecedented assault, and want reassurance that they are welcome in Toronto, where they pay taxes and contribute to the betterment of the city – Olivia Chow wants Jews to be invisible. She wants them erased.
3. By falsely claiming there is a “security” issue, Olivia Chow has made it into one. In previous years, no one had “security” issues. This year, Toronto’s mayor is making it into one – by recklessly pitting one side against the other. Is safety truly an issue? Well, if safety is an issue, then pick up the phone and call the police, Mayor Chow. You’ve got their number, don’t you? I mean, you appoint the Chief and set the Toronto Police Service budget, after all.
4. A few days ago, the logo and propaganda of Hamas’ military wing was projected onto the side of a building at the University of Toronto, which happens to be blocks from where Chow lives. From her, not a peep. But, now, Israel’s flag is “divisive”? Seriously?
5. Final point, about which there can be no mistake: this no-show is a profound insult to Toronto’s Jews, who see this as more than a mere flag-raising. To them, it’s making a choice. To them, it’s expressing a desire that they aren’t here anymore. Erasing them. Removing them.
Which happened in a certain European country in the 1930s, didn’t it?
Warren,
I’ll volunteer to design Chow’s signs for next time. How about this: MORAL COWARDICE AND HIGHLY SELECTIVE MEMORY. Re-elect the Mayor of some.
The Mayor was right for now showing up. The optics wouldn’t have been good at this time. Besides, why should Israeli flag be raised at City Hall? Just why? To me, no country flag should be raised in Canada, Ontario or any of our cities.
In general, I agree. Should be the municipal, provincial, and federal flags only.
Sadly, the precedent has long been established that every flag from every group needs to be up at all times, or you’re a bigot.
Chris,
Flying other national or institutional flags is an act of respect and inclusion. I see nothing wrong with that so long as that flag does not represent hate, crimes or discrimination. (Self-defence is not a crime unless a court declares it to be so.)
I am in favor of self-defense too. But when you are disproportionately using force it to kill women and children, levelling whole cities, stopping aid trucks with food to entering Gaza, starving homeless and hungry people to death, then to me, that’s genocide. You do not need a court to tell you or me that. Besides, the International Courts have all condemned the way in which the war is being conducted, but the government in Israel, and their Western backers do not give a damn about anything international, as they violate every international order, but expect the rest of the world to kowtow to Israeli demands and go out condemning anyone who speaks against the state of Israel as being anti-jew.
Chris,
I think Warren has previously successfully argued that the term genocide doesn’t come in gradations. If the Israeli intent was truly genocidal, would they not be systematically exterminating Palestinians in Israel and on the West Bank? Quite clearly, they’re not doing that and have absolutely no intent of doing so. Calling these tragic circumstances genocide is a massive political overreach.
Ronald,
The Israeli political definition of genocide need not apply to the rest of us. Absolutely, the Holocaust is among the most egregious cases of genocide in recorded history, that is indisputable. But Israel is a country that quite deliberately will not recognize the Armenian genocide, or the Holodomor as a genocide. And that’s before you even consider the manner in which the Israeli government allegedly handled Rwanda, backing the Hutus.
Jews have been historically persecuted, again, this is not in dispute. But as more of the elements of the Israeli far right emerge in positions of power, it becomes more than apparent that a great deal of these power brokers are more than willing to play the victim card in order to justify inflicting atrocities on others.
“Systematic destruction” does not only mean mass execution. The eradication of all ways and means of livelihood, culture, and basic resources and safety qualifies as genocide. It applies correctly to the treatment of North American indigenous peoples, and it certainly appears to apply to the treatment of Palestinians.
This is disappointing, but surely not surprising to anyone.
Olivia Chow was, and is, a hard-left politician. And hard-left followers inevitably flock together like mindless sheep. Always looking for the trendy new cause to latch onto – irrespective of whether it makes any sense, or if they even really understand the cause. Besides, being part of a fervent cause means you can attend fun parades (oops, sorry, “protest marches”) and get all riled up with your comrades.
Anyone who places passion over reason ends up a mindless sheep. This isn’t endemic to “the left.” The world exists in shades of gray. Pretty much nothing is black and white. If your worldview fits on a postcard, you’re not reading, thinking, or participating meaningfully enough.
All the great civilizations in human history have ended. It was usually noted to have happened when moral decay became widespread. When the citizenry turned on each other. When their governments or leaders became incompetent or no longer really cared about holding people together and instead fermented division for their own gain. When the values and history that made them great were tossed to the side and looked at with derision and embarrassment. When radicals were allowed to take over the narrative because they felt hard done by and a tired society idly stood by and let it happen. When the defence of these values by all means necessary including militarily was wrong. When they let people whose values their society abhorred tell them they had their time and now it’s our turn. All this is now happening to western civilization. It’s the boiling frog. If those of us that care about our values don’t stand up soon and stop it we may reach the tipping point. We’ll be living in a new civilization run by the ideals and values of China, Russia, Iran and all their evil ilk. Let’s see how much these protestors, that are telling us and Israel how bad we are and what terrible things we’ve done in our western history, enjoy living under the Ayatollas, Russia or China. Take a look at how they’d handle your protests and social justice demands. You have no idea how good you or the world has it because of western civilization. I hope we all don’t have to find out the hard way. This is what the Chow’s, Trudeau’s, AOC’s, student activists and CUPE’s of the world are leading us to.
This blatant dereliction of duty is a disgrace to all Canadians. Her gutless behaviours resonate from coast to coast to coast. How she can look anyone in the eye and purport to be a leader of substance is simply laughable. The points made by Warren are not complicated. Leaders lead. This gutless gladhander needs to go………now.
She did the right thing. The optics wouldn’t have been good for her to be there. Perhaps you see her action as a dereliction of her duties, but to me and others, her actions were justified. As a Mayor, you cannot ignore what’s happening in the Middle East or Gaza. We have Palestinians living in Toronto too. The day she raises the flag of Palestine, I would be the first to question her.
Tory would have been there.
John,
“China, Russia, Iran and all their evil ilk.”
We already had that and will again as soon as the MAGA morons put that asshole back in the office of the Presidency. He’s so sown into Putin’s pocket, it’ll likely take four years for Trump to dig himself out.
I think it’s for meds or to just Relax. I am no Trumpist here but maybe we all ought to learn to listen to the grievances of the 50% of the population that we prefer to just hate.
Trump may well be a sociopath but he may well be the next sociopath to be elevated to the highest office in the USA. I refuse to believe that half the USA is racist redneck.
Trump will pass he’s a symptom of democracy’s current ailments. If the Obama/Bush/Clinton/Bush sequence had cared a little more about all Americans instead of certain Americans there wouldn’t be so many stupid people who just don’t understand how smart we all are.
Phil,
He had four years in the fucking White House! Does that mean that he and the Republicans did not address their grievances? And yet they still use that as an excuse for insurrection and traitorous behaviour. Not acceptable. Booh hooh hooh. Hillary called them deplorables. I guess she saw January 6th coming. They’re fucking fascists just like him. They only accept two possible election results: one where the POS wins outright or another that they’ll steal. Over 80 courts said Biden didn’t steal the last one but these assholes sure will steal the next one given half a chance. Screw all of them.
They’re no better than the old bastard Joe Kennedy when he got the mob to steal the election for Kennedy and he was a fascist Hitler sympathizer who wanted the U.S. to stay out of the war. Seems to me he was also an antisemite if memory recalls correctly.
Guess who will abandon NATO when Putin enlarges the Ukraine war? No wonder Germany is about to bring in compulsory military service for 18-year-olds. They already see it coming, FAST. Right after Trump wins.
From Joseph Kennedy and the Jews:
“Arriving at London in early 1938, newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy took up quickly with another transplanted American. Viscountess Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor assured Kennedy early in their friendship that he should not be put off by her pronounced and proud anti-Catholicism.
“I’m glad you are smart enough not to take my [views] personally,” she wrote. Astor pointed out that she had a number of Roman Catholic friends – G.K. Chesterton among them – with whom she shared, if nothing else, a profound hatred for the Jewish race. Joe Kennedy, in turn, had always detested Jews generally, although he claimed several as friends individually. Indeed, Kennedy seems to have tolerated the occasional Jew in the same way Astor tolerated the occasional Catholic.”
For the first time since the early 1990s, I am truly afraid of a nuclear war. Trump is the sort of leader that would lay the groundwork for it to happen. Not necessarily deliberately, but I truly believe he (and Putin) would launch a few nukes just because they think it makes them more of a “strong” leader.
Biden is useless, but at least he is benign and useless, and knows to let smarter people run the show. Trump always thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. Those are the most dangerous people.
Steve,
Trump’s highest loyalty is to himself, not to the United States of America. Next, it’s to Putin for quite obvious FSB reasons. They’ve got him right where they want him, and that’s why Trump “believed” Putin over Coates, the DNI and the whole national security and intelligence apparatus.
The above comment is from me.
Trump is leading, with lots of help from Biden.
I highly recommend this week’s NYT The Daily podcast on those awful poll numbers for Biden. They do a really good job of digging into it and explaining it. Basically a lot of Americans want “change”, whatever the hell that is, and there’s no question that of the two candidates, Trump is the change candidate.
And I say that as somebody who utterly loathes him.
Scares me that people in a modern and democratic country would consider voting for that moron, but then again PP is way ahead in Canada – so how are we any better?
Well for starters PP does not have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. So there’s that.
Curious,
You need to get out of La La Land. If you think Pierre has a comparable intelligence quotient to that of the imbecile, then you need to stop sniffing glue regularly.
The above comment is from me.
1. No Mayor of any City should ever *refuse* to be present at any flag raising at City Hall. Full stop. If you can’t do that, you need to resign as Mayor.
2. Chow hasn’t chosen sides. She has chosen madness.
The reason why so many municipalities have limited flag flying is because their leaders are incompetent, spineless and incapable of acknowledging others points of views. We had a bible thumping neocon mayor who got our city into doo-doo for refusing to consent to the gay pride flag a few years back.
You don’t have to be a Jew or gay to feel slighted when the mayor can’t simply show up, look stoic, bow their heads and otherwise shut the fuck up and just be there.
Chow is a career politician who can’t identify with anything but the polling potential of their loudest constituents. Is being the mayor of Toronto really where successful politicians want to be? seems the best mayors in recent memory were a show boating furniture salesman and a drug addict. It doesn’t feel fair to denigrate Ford and Lastman by associating their office with a commie hater of capitalism.
Democracy isn’t broken it’s just in need of a tuneup.
Douglas,
Yup, sad to say. Biden is clueless on monetary policy and its overwhelming relationship to inflation creation and acceleration and it’ll likely cost him the presidency. To no one’s surprise, inflation is ticking up not down and that will finish him off come November.
Ronald,
I’m going to trot out my Newsom theory … again.
Biden is being set up to look bad.
Trump will make him look inept at the June debate.
And the Dems will opt for Newsom at the Chicago convention in August.
The party knows that they cannot go into the fall with Joe at the helm, presuming he still knows where the helm, is.
Well, Douglas, I suppose this is still possible, but I view it as a remote possibility. But you could be right in the end.
How disgraceful and insulting to the Jewish community of Toronto.
This is deeply disappointing to say the least. Actually it’s a downright pissoff. She’s lost my vote.
The problem isn’t Chow. It is people like you and many others who lack poor judgment who elect idiot to lead us. Trudeau isn’t the problem. It is the low caliber population that exists in the west that we are in decline.
I want to thank you Mr. Kinsella for your article regarding Olivia Chow. The front cover of the Toronto Sun was most appropriate. You hit the nail on the head. Chow is not an asset to the city of Toronto, in fact, she has made her stance all too clearly known. What has happened to the Canada I know and love? Olivia Chow is a big embarrassment.
I’ve never understood why anybody has an overall positive impression of Olivia Chow.
I still remember her lying her face off publicly about Jack Layton visiting that rub-&-tug. It was the essence of craven and cringeworthy. It spoke volumes.
Very Disappointing that Chow would refuse to raise a flag –
What are Olivia Chow’s accomplishments? I can’t think of any.
Well she did marry another Toronto councillor and managed to live together in subsidized housing.
She managed a long enough career in Ottawa to get a hefty pension for life
Publicly denied that her politician husband visited a rub & tug, when he had in fact visited a rub & tug.