ECONOMIC SHOCK OF BORDER BLOCKADE GROWS; CANADIAN CONSERVATIVES CHANGE THEIR TUNE … A LITTLE
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The economic attack on Canada by the operators of trucks now blockading three major border crossings to the United States and occupying Ottawa is certainly causing more damage to the national economy than the sporadic land-defender rail blockades in 2020.
Things have gotten so far out of hand that the governor of Michigan , Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, called on Canada yesterday to get off its collective duff and reopen the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.
Gov. Whitmer called the closing unacceptable, noting that it is was “having a significant impact on Michigan families who are just trying to do their jobs.” She didn’t bother adding that it’s hurting Canadians, like the Ontario autoworkers whose plants are being shuttered by parts shortages, presumably because she figures our leaders ought to be on top of that.
But she did say it’s “imperative that Canadian local, provincial and national governments de-escalate this economic blockade.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Conservatives who were shrieking that rail blockades in 2020 would bring Canada’s economy to its knees have not had much to say about the economic crisis created by the blockaders, who seem to imagine they can be part of a coalition government to oust the federal Liberals elected less than five months ago.
That’s probably because so many Conservative Party of Canada MPs and provincial Conservative politicians are at least complicit with the illegal blockades, and a few appear to be actively involved.
To be fair, in the past few hours Conservatives have started changing their tune and calling for the blockades to end.
“It’s time to remove the barricades and the trucks for the sake of the economy,” said interim federal Conservative Leader Candice Bergen, who was photographed in the first hours of the occupation cheerfully breakfasting with “Freedom Rally” activists.
Well, as pollster Angus Reid observed yesterday on Twitter, the Conservatives must be “starting to see the political cost of supporting these blockades which block the free movement of people and goods.” After all, he said, “CPC supporters are most likely to call for law & order. What we’ve seen for past couple of weeks is exactly the opposite.”
But the CBC reported yesterday that Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Conservative government was continuing to refuse to participate in meetings with federal officials on how to deal with the continuing blockades.
The Ontario government did persuade a court to freeze access to millions of dollars donated to the blockaders through online crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo. The supposedly Christian U.S. fund-raising site defiantly vowed to ignore Canadian authorities.
As for other Conservative provincial leaders, Gov. Whitmer would be within her rights to call Alberta Premier Jason Kenney “brain dead,” as he once insulted her over her environmental views, for sitting on his keester while the blockade at the Coutts border crossing continues day after day.
But she’s probably not all that worried about the impact of the disruption on Montana, let alone Albertans, seeing as the Treasure State has its own governor, Mr. Kenney’s pal Greg Gianforte, who can speak up if he wishes. We Albertans will have to deal with Mr. Kenney ourselves.
Meanwhile, you have to wonder how Canada’s multi-billion-dollar security and intelligence agencies managed to miss the convoy coming down the pike.
We Canadians pay about $1.5 billion every year just to operate the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Communications Security Establishment, plus another $3.4 billion for the RCMP, and God only knows how much for oxymoronic military intelligence and numerous smaller agencies.
Yet not one of them apparently had a clue this was about to happen.
I t didn’t take CBC reporter Judy Trihn long to put it together that the convoy includes many former police officers and soldiers, including a former member of the prime minister’s security detail and a former military intelligence officer, whose tactics have helped entrench the trucks in downtown Ottawa.
So what were CSIS and CSE looking for when they weren’t looking for domestic threats to Canada’s national security?
As for our hapless prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and his deputy, Chrystia Freeland, apparently they were too busy running Ukraine to pay attention to what was obviously about to happen in Canada.
That’s not as bad as serving coffee to people whose activities meet the legal definition of terrorism in Canada’s Criminal Code , as many Conservatives were doing, but it’s still not a good look.
With the potential economic and democratic impacts for Canada becoming obvious, why is the federal government so reluctant to deal firmly with the problem before American politicians start demanding all auto industry jobs be relocated inside the borders of the United States to avoid disruptions by Canadian conservatives?
“The one thing that couldn’t be more clear is that we have to bring American manufacturing back home to states like Michigan,” Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin said yesterday. “If we don’t, it’s American workers … who are left holding the bag,” said the former CIA analyst.
And surely it must be excruciatingly embarrassing for Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Freeland to know that their senior security officials are now getting calls from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security offering a hand with the problem on the border and suggesting Ottawa get cracking to end the blockade.
That might not be an offer a Canadian prime minister wants to take if we expect to maintain the appearance of sovereignty, but if we intend to restore order ourselves it suggests there might be some urgency to the matter.
If the Trudeau Government is still wondering how to deal with the situation, New Zealand offers a hint. It took the country’s police only three days to shut down the Parliamentary precinct and start evicting copycat protesters .
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I had not until now heard of Climenhaga. A brief scan of his other musings suggests he is somewhat left of left.
Canada should have a law like the one passed in right wing heaven, Florida. Protest, including blocking a street/hwy is a criminal act. Funny how many of the conservatives on NT seem to be supporting the protest but if the same folks came to Florida they would be arrested.
Alberta has the Protect the Infrastructure law which they should enforce now since there are blockades in Coutts.
BTW, are Doug and Rob Ford done with drugs or are they still smoking crack?
That is true. We have people that cheered on that law in Florida yet at the same time cheering on what would be illegal under that law...
Is that funnier than when liberals supported the clowns taking over portions of some of our own Northwest cities, but now demand protests end?
Rob died from pleomorphic liposarcoma in 2016.
So this consists of more than 'truckers'. It seems to be co-opted by other people.
Of course it's an alt-right thing - amplifying the morons and their anti-mask, anti-vax idiocy.
Like farmers and the rest of working class workers impacted by mandates and passports. It is a populist movement. The temporary economic dislocation is worth it if the people’s action breaks their government and bends it to their will.
The people impact themselves by not wanting to do a simple thing.
Like I have heard others say, if you don't like the requirements, find another job...
Populist or not it is a movement you agree with to the point of suggesting they stop food deliveries to grocery stores. You XX are calling for these 'truckers' to cause any degree of starvation that will bend the majority of Canadians to their will. How 'christian' of you.
I was wondering how much weight a bridge could hold. We all know how our infrastructure is...
That bridge is privately built and held.
Then the owners have to worry about it and lose toll money...
If the owners are losing money from tolls you would think they would do something about it
It is said that 30% of all Canadian trade uses the Ambassador Bridge.
Moroun is losing more than $100K a day between the 8,000 trucks and 13,000 cars that were using the bridge daily.
There are people on both sides of the river who cannot get to work and this will only exacerbate inflation in both countries.
Well, I definitely have a new favorite author for hyperbole.
Love it when left wing fascists lose their collective minds. Rather than meeting and actually talking to the leaders of the truckers about their concerns, and how to end the blockage, they dig in their spurs and demand that law enforcement, military, and whomever do the dirty work by whatever means necessary.
You know it is bad when the uber fascist Whitless of Michigan puts her foot down. She who demanded police arrest and close a barber shop that dared to defy her closure edicts. Which were proven to be more by what she felt important; and be of useful punishment- than doing anything to detain Covid. She was even so nice to break her own Covid rules.
I remember when the left were anti government, anti Establishment, and pro individual rights. Now they have gone full on fascist. Comparing the truckers to terrorists. If you want to see real terrorists look no further than the BLM/Antifa riots over the last two years. But the left fully supported those.
Love it when right wingers forget the conservative ambivalence towards unions and strikes.
The irony is pure entertainment.
As I said on another posted seed about the blockade, when both Canadians and Americans become deprived of necessities because of this "convoy" the support for the rogue truckers is going to disappear. Empty shelves is bound to have an effect. The car manufacturing industry has already reported having to cut back on production. The truckers have made their point, but negative feelings about them is going to get bigger, so it's time for them to get smart.
RIGHT WING HYPOCRISY
The "Law and Order" right wing, conservatives, Republicans and ESPECIALLY FOX NEWS encourage and egg on the rogue minority of Canadian truckers to BREAK THE LAW and refuse to end their "Freedom Convoy". Of course, why would that be a surprise when they call the January 6th insurrection just a bunch of "tourists".