Confucius said it best. “May you live in interesting times.” That was not a goodwill statement on his part. It was a curse. And here we are.
We face a cart full of serious challenges these days. The world is far from peaceful, perhaps more so than at any time since the Second World War. But the big difference now is that the number one tyrant is not in Germany. He is right next door and, incredibly, has at least an even chance of once again becoming President of the United States of America.
Should we, as Canadians, care about that? Damn right, we should. There is much to compare in the wrong hands between Russia and Ukraine and The United States and Canada. More about that later. Let’s first have another look at this man, Donald Trump.
Journalist Andrew Coyne wrote an article in the Globe and Mail last Friday, the first two paragraphs of which said this: “If the American empire should fall, history will record (if there are still historians to record anything) that it was brought down by a single man. And not some latter-day Simon Bolivar but by a corpulent sweating, stone-ignorant grifter from Queens.
“It will have fallen, in that event, not to some rival power of superior ideology, but to its own interior rot. All it took, those future historians will marvel, was one push for the whole edifice to collapse. One push by a failed businessman and serial groper with a bad comb-over and a peculiar habit of sniffing after every few words.”
A little on the harsh side? Perhaps, but sadly, there is more truth there than fiction.
Donald Trump has convinced himself that he won the presidential election in 2020 when he clearly did not, and every court to which that matter was referred said so. If he was not the instigator of the assault on Congress that year, he clearly condoned it. He has sworn to pardon all those who were convicted of participating in that insurrection should he again become president. He is currently facing 88 criminal charges and at least some of these are very serious.
Trump has no respect for the truth and, in fact, has said if you tell a lie three times, people will believe it. That may be one of the few truths he has uttered because, as a result of mistruths and intimidation, he has created a cult of supporters who unconditionally believe his lies, support his intimidation, and represent a significant base of American voters.
More stunning, perhaps, are those who don’t believe Trump’s lies or support his behaviour but will vote for him anyway in this year’s presidential election.
Bill Barr served as Attorney General in Donald Trump’s administration. After the 2020 election, he told the President flat out that he had lost. He has since spoken out against him in several public interviews and said that Trump should never again be near the White House.
But on CNN last week, anchor Katelin Collins said to Barr, “So, you’re voting for someone who tried to subvert the peaceful transfer of power, who can’t even achieve his policies, that lied about the election—someone who is facing 88 criminal charges?”
Barr: “The whole episode is painful but the answer to your question is yes”.
Then there is South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, who just a few years ago said this about Donald Trump: “He’s a kook. I think he is crazy. I think he is unfit for public office. He is not a Conservative Republican. He is an opportunist.” But Graham has tasted the Kool-Aid. He is now a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
Contrast this with well-known Republican Liz Cheney, who said, “I will never vote for Donald Trump. My view is I disagree with a lot of Joe Biden’s policies. We can survive bad policies. We cannot survive torching the Constitution”.
I am with Liz Cheney here. I believe that the difference between Donald Trump’s winning or losing the next election will be the people who vote for him, knowing full well that he should not be in the White House simply because they do not like the alternative.
While I understand that is a conundrum for many people who believe they are between a rock and a hard place, I cannot accept the concept that one should knowingly vote again for someone who is so obviously unfit to hold office and could become a clear and present danger to democracy. As one who has never missed a vote in my lifetime, I would destroy my ballot if I found myself in that situation. That is because I also agree with Dan Rather, formerly one of America’s most prominent newscasters. “Let me make this perfectly clear. It’s not about politics. I’ve voted for both parties. It’s about me, as a patriot rejecting a cheating, lying, racist, treasonous fascist, and vile man who attacks the free press and wants to lead the country I love.” Again, perhaps a little overboard, but more truth than fiction.
Trump is a man who has publicly said he wants the economy to crash now so he could be seen to fix it when he becomes president. He stopped a bipartisan Bill from going through Congress because he did not want to give a win to Biden for addressing problems at the southern border. He is the first President since Hoover to lose jobs while in office. He is a liar, a cheat, and a bully. He has told potential voters that he needs their support so that he can punish his enemies. He is clearly, in my view, someone who should never again become President of the United States.
So, why should I, as a Canadian, care about that? I do because another Trump presidency in the United States will inevitably negatively affect this country. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (unwisely, in my view) has conceded this.
Donald Trump has never shown real support for Canada, although he has shone covetous eyes on our large reserve of natural resources.
According to Toronto Star business columnist David Oliver, Trump’s promise, if elected, to impose a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports would start an international trade war and drive Canada into recession with severely increased inflation.
Whether we want to believe it or not, Canada’s prosperity, at least in part, comes from being closest to the world’s most powerful nation. We depend on their military to defend us, and we depend on their trade. What if that changes?
Several months ago, Tucker Carlson, a journalist so far to the right that even Fox News fired him, was in Alberta addressing a standing-room-only crowd. This is the guy who has said that the U.S. should send in its military to “liberate” Canada.
Later this week, Donald Trump Junior, likely his father’s preferred successor, will be in Toronto spreading his usual venom and misinformation. We have been seeing this kind of intrusion and saber rattling too frequently lately, in my opinion. One has to wonder why.
In my view, our entire world has too much going on now, too many problems to solve, to risk the potential of an unprincipled, unbalanced, unreliable, and potential despot at the controls of a country as pivotal to world order as the United States of America. Indeed, we live in interesting times.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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I agree Mr. Mackenzie. It was a near thing after the last election and I’m sure that if the mob had actually secured the Whitehouse, ‘the donald’ would have been in there like a dirty shirt. The people would have spoken in his mind and he would have been in into it as the world’s newest despot. You can bet there will be no holding back should he get another opportunity.
I can see him operating much as putin does; harassing and arresting any who would stand in his way. Charging and incarcerating opponents and silencing dissenters. Democracy is a tenuous ideal and it’s becoming apparent a lot of people are willing to accept ‘the big lie’. Tell them something enough and they will eventually believe it.
As to why people are so willing to believe ‘the donald’ maybe Bill Spring should ask Gordon Darke who seems pretty sure of his choice. Maybe Mr. Darke can explain why the liar and ‘stone ignorant grifter’ is the better choice than the other old fart.
Democracies are in trouble because of people such as these.
A small correction Bill. Hitler WAS democratically elected THEN he became a dictator, Same potential here if Trump wins the next election.
While I understand the labeling of Trump as stated above (malignant narcissism, etc.), it must be noted that he is supported by half the US population. Perhaps the scrutiny should shift to the reasons for that. As the offside Trump seems to be, why does he enjoy so much support. How do you fix that?
Hitler was a dictator. Trump is democratically supported.
Mr. Darke; Trump is a sick man. His behaviour is sociopathic, not Conservative-supporting. His use of populism is emotional abuse of the electorate and contributing to the concerns of civil was in US. (not unlike Adolph Hitler’s rise to power).
Just a suggestion, if interested, look up “malignant narcisism” as a sociopathic psychological behaviour pattern.
Again, Trump is a much better choice than Biden.
Please vote, Conservative. TY
It is true that the point of Mr. Mackenzie’s article is about the rather sorry political situation in the USA, but it is so very human to compare the goings-on, conditions and happenings in the neighbour’s house to one’s own. Who has not compared the quality of the green lawn and the beauty of the flower beds in ones own garden to that of the neighbour’s?
And let’s face it, Mr. Polievre does lend himself so well to comparison with the aspirant to the presidency throne next door, that is difficult not to draw attention to similarities. Not by his looks or mannerisem. No, Mr. Polievre is much more eloquent and much less of a buffoon than Mr. Trump. However, the rhetoric is the same. And their grassroots supporters are cut of the same cloth. Both, Mr. Trump and Mr. Polievre appeal to the same sort of folks, the people who could never be accused of being over-educated intelligentsia elite. One can not forget or forgive Mr. Polievre’s vocal support for the civil disobedience with which “Freedom” convoy siege laid against the city of Ottawa and economically important border crossings.
By being more eloquent and less of a buffoon than Mr. Trump, Mr. Polievre is much more dangerous than Mr. Trump. They are both bad news for democracy in their respective countries and in the world.
Don’t you just admire the ability of a wordsmith? The ability to provide clear and colorful description and allow the subject of the work to flower in the mind.
Andrew Coyne for example, pinpointing the reason for the possibility of collapse (collapsing?) of America. That reason being “a corpulent, sweating. stone-ignorant grifter from Queens.” Beautiful! And you are almost certain as to who the description fits. There may be a couple who come close, but no cigar.
Then additionally “a failed businessman and serial groper with a bad comb-over (understated!) and a peculiar habit of sniffing after every few words.” No question now! ‘The donald.”
There was the comment suggesting it was wrong to compare Trump to that Nazi. I don’t think ‘the donald’ has the balls to do his own dirty work, just as the Nazi didn’t, so the comparison isn’t that far fetched. The Nazi hoodwinked a nation just as ‘the donald’ is doing.
‘The donald’ also chooses to admire despot leaders who are capable of and have destroyed thousands of lives. And are still at it. Might that suggest there is a tickling urge to get to do it himself? Of finding a practice site if you will. We Canadians must be very concerned about that, as we would fit the bill for such an LZ. Alberta has already entertained a journalist who suggested the Americans might move to ‘liberate’ Canada. I don’t think any Albertans attending his presentation booed?!
I might contend that one assertion made in Mr. Mackenzies’ commentary is debatable. The statement that America is the “world’s most powerful nation.” They have the logistics, but face an array of enemies, each under singular control and that control not having to suffer under the professed ‘rules of engagement’. America is a land divided. America is as close to internal war as a country can dread to be.
I hope that my comment hasn’t strayed too much from the commentary theme. Wouldn’t want to be castigated by anyone for not staying on topic. It was Aldo Leopold that pointed out the ‘single minded purpose of coffee pots and freight trains.’
For myself that’s too high a standard. Maybe for most of us.
Angel,Hugh H and Bob;
I see no relation to your comments with regards to the authors commentary.
I believe your comments and rebuttals should stay on topic to what the original author is referring to.
We will all have our chance to voice our opinions without hijacking a commentary which is highlghting a different topic.
If you wish to voice your opinion on something that isn’t the current topic..the Doppler has a place for that.
We live in scary times, for sure! The conservative leader Pierre P, is so much like Trump, it is frightening.
When we have two candidates that we have no respect for, most people tend to just not vote.
PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE, read everything you can to make the best decision you can.
Mr Holland, I think you’re trying to be disingenuous here. You’re a well read person, you must be well aware of the polling that has shown a strong conservative majority win is coming, and this has been true for many months now. Here’s 338 Canada’s latest update from yesterday. Poilievre is on his way to securing a majority like Brian Mulroney’s.
https://338canada.com/federal.htm#
Canadians have had enough of this tiresome fool Trudeau. The people want an election now, before this incompetent trust fund baby can wreak any more havoc. Will Jagmeet Singh put the country’s interest ahead of his own desire for a gold plated pension?
Hugh, by comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler, you are showing a surprising lack of historical context and political understanding. Many people, with good reason, dislike Trump’s braggadocious persona, which is the antithesis of what many Canadians appreciate. However, Adolf Hitler, by some estimates, may have been responsible for the deaths of 20 million people. There is nothing in Trump’s rhetoric or any policies carried out or proposed during his time in power that would suggest murderous white ethno-nationalist aspirations. It’s absurd. The most serious accusation against Trump involves a relatively obscure campaign finance violation related to a nondisclosure agreement with a porn star. Trump’s unbecoming reaction to losing the election did culminate in a formal concession. Despite claims that Democrats accepted the 2016 results, a four-year Russian collusion investigation led by former FBI head Robert Mueller produced no credible evidence, wasting massive amounts of time and energy. The sun rose and set every day that Trump was president, and we survived. CSIS has unequivocally stated that Canada has a foreign interference problem in our politics, mostly from the CPC. Would it be reasonable for me to compare Justin Trudeau to Chairman Mao? Trump might very well win the next election fair and square, and we will survive. Yet, the younger generation keeps hearing that Hitler might be elected, and you don’t see how this contributes to the pulling at the seams of our societal fabric.
Hugh, you are bang on with your concerns about a Trump win. Doug Ford’s conservatives won 2 by-elections this past weekend, and I am OK with that. They made some early mistakes but have shown an ability to listen, learn, and adapt. Although I disagree with his position on the carbon price, the Ford government has come to the right side on many important issues. They have added investments in the production of zero-emission nuclear energy, creating a Canadian supply chain for zero-emission vehicles, working on improvements to health care, reining in the use of cell phone distraction in classrooms, etc. He is working cooperatively with the feds on many important issues.
But Pierre Poilievre (PP for short) is another story. He is sounding way too much like Trump. The Liberals are investing in the clean energy, transportation, and industrial systems of the future. And they built the Trans Mountain and Coastal Gas Link pipelines so Canada can share resources with less fortunate countries, while they make their own transitions. Those investments will add many billions to our productivity and GDP. But like Trump, PP doesn’t want Liberal investments to succeed.
PP is living in some fantasy world where he thinks he can cut taxes and solve our housing, health care, and defense challenges with just his growing threats, childish disrespect for civil and informed debate, cavorting with cross-border extremists and conspiracy theorists, and talk about ditching the constitution, ditching responsible environmental policies, the bank of Canada, the CBC, etc. etc. All of that should concern us all.
Like all countries, bar none, Canada has some big challenges, but continues to rank among the best countries in the world. The few countries doing a bit better than us are charging more for sales tax (As much as 25% in Europe) and / or more capital gains tax from those who can easily help a bit more. Alberta has Canada’s biggest GDP per capita but no provincial sales tax, and no savings either.
The abrasive PP would be an embarrassment for Canada on the world stage. In the face of the rapidly escalating climate crisis, his undisclosed environmental and energy ideas would make Canada an international pariah. But like Trump, he is polling at an alarming level. What in the world are people thinking? The good news is that none of the other 4 parties will want to work with such an abrasive figure, so he will not get enough support to form a government, and the federal conservatives will remain on the back bench. Hopefully the Trump Republicans will also.
“What Pierre Poilievre and Donald Trump have in common”
“we now have a Canadian Conservative leader who trades in the same trademark combination of bombast, belligerence, and bullshit.
No, Pierre Poilievre isn’t the second coming of Donald Trump, but he keeps hitting some unmistakably Trumpy notes.
His contempt for the mainstream media, of course, is entirely in keeping with Trump’s. So too is his obvious disdain for expertise and the well-educated. And the rallies where he praises the virtues of the “common people”, and talks about all the ways in which they’re getting screwed over by elites? Textbook Trumpism.”