John Chuckman

POSTED TO AN ARTICLE IN CBC NEWS

 

“’Full steam ahead’ on trade deal now that tariffs are lifted, Freeland says”

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Response to a comment which suggested Chrystia Freeland take over from Justin:

 

I see Freeland as an exceptionally disagreeable Canadian politician, a Liberal who might easily and comfortably have served under Stephen Harper.

She’s smart, but so was Harper, and being smart is no guarantee of other emotional and personality qualities. Please recall her cutting public remark, completely gratuitous, about Jody Wilson-Raybould early in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. It was truly character-revealing.

Our distressing situation in Foreign Affairs is largely her doing, from making China justifiably angry to supporting America’s coup in Venezuela against a democratic government, from echoing Washington’s ugly remarks about a law-abiding Iran to saying virtually nothing about Saudi Arabia’s on-going slaughter in Yemen, in Syria, and at home against its minority Shia.

Not a word about record numbers of beheadings in Saudi Arabia, many of them simply people voicing criticism and a couple of them including teen-age boys. That is not the traditional approach of Canada in foreign affairs, but it very much is the approach of someone closely supporting American policy, Saudi Arabia’s ghastly new government being an important element in that policy.

I believe Trudeau has depended on her far too much, even for his own political good, precisely because he feels himself uncertain and ill at ease in large matters, and she seems sure and decided. This has given her an outsized influence, an influence which has not been in keeping with the reputation Canada enjoyed in the world for much of the twentieth century, a reputation earned by people like Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau and Paul Martin.

By all observation, she is reasonably comfortable with America’s bleak current foreign policy. She even joins in on the slighting comments from Washington about Russia and Iran and Venezuela, comments not justified by any objective matter, not required of someone who isn’t a genuine partisan, and not representative of Canada’s traditional values of fairness and decency.

 

JOHN CHUCKMAN

POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN IN TORONTO’S GLOBE AND MAIL

While Chretien’s observation is already shared by most citizens genuinely concerned with international affairs, his testimony still is welcome.

Chretien is one of our most respected former prime ministers, a man who is admired by a number of world statesmen as an ethical statesman and a remarkable politician.

The grotesque and clownish stunts of Peter Kent, Maxime Bernier, John Baird, Helena Guergis, Peter MacKay, Rahim Jaffer, and the bloodless, narrow ideology of their leader do not go unnoticed in the world.

There is an inherent lack of commitment by this government to openness, honest communication, genuine democratic principles, and balanced human rights.

Everything from cheap stunts like pernicious robo-calls, ceaseless negative advertising, ugly outbursts, and blatant catering to special interests reduces our stature.

There is also – and quite in conflict with the historic role of Conservative Parties in Canada – a marked spirit of following America’s lead in almost all matters of international consequence – almost a visibly servile posture.

Informed people in countries around the world – politicians, members of international organizations, and private citizens – note these things and their goodwill towards our country must inevitably be reduced.

And this has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with core traditional conservative principles.

It is strictly a reflection of the ugly ideological bent of this government.

A bent demonstrated in everything from contempt for Parliament, contempt for important international forums and organizations, unbalanced and almost viciously partisan statements on the Middle East, and its cheap way of expressing itself on many solemn occasions, such as the recent death of the widely-liked President of Venezuela.
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“Talking to other leftists and anti-american socialists is obviously going to get the desired result of Canada being disliked. I fully expect nothing being done by our current governemnt to be gain acceptance with the worldwide pro terrorist socialist alliance. Nothing to read here….and to think a criminal thug like Chretien should be given any further respectability is beyond me.”

You are too uninformed to comment with any meaning.

A number of prominent world leaders have in the past made public statements of admiration for Chretien.

No one but Mr. Netanyahu – a genuine thug who has committed murder, piracy, and theft – expresses admiration for Harper.