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Wednesday Morning Rant

Clinging

As a foreigner and a neighbor of sorts, I don't usually comment much on Canadian politics, but Trudeau's pseudo-resignation is so familiar and so typical of contemporary western politics that it feels very familiar. My understanding of the ins and outs of Canadian politics is superficial, but this also doesn't look particularly complicated. Trudeau didn't resign, he promised to resign when the party selects a new guy to replace him - a process that will likely take months.

So why the game? Why the promise to resign once the party and its pals find a replacement instead of just resigning or fighting to the end? To hold on, of course. "To hold on" would be an apt title for the entire beleaguered progressive establishment across the west. It probably will hold on, but it is once again losing ground because of how radical and vindictive a club it has become. Populist? Fiscal conservative? Cultural conservative? Nationalist? Trade pragmatist? Energy proponent? Skeptic of any kind? There's no room for you in any of the mainstream parties here or abroad, and they know it. So they, like Trudeau, cling.

Trudeau was guaranteed to lose a confidence vote soon. If that had happened, he'd be out on his ass, whether the party/coalition was "ready" for it or not. He could front-run it and resign because his control has broken down, but that means he's out on his ass today. Or he could derail that vote by promising to resign and take advantage of the lull so the party machinators can throw up obstacles and sow infighting within the bloc. He probably will actually have to resign before the scheduled elections in October, but this phony pseudo-resignation will prevent the confidence vote that would probably pull forward the elections by several months.

So the delay allows Trudeau - and more broadly his Liberal party - to cling a little longer. If snap elections followed a vote of no confidence, the party might lose. Too risky. But since the die was cast, Trudeau had to find a third way that protected himself, maintained his party's control as long as possible and allowed the various deep staters that Canada surely has stuffed into its government rank and file to jockey for position and set up to weather the storm.

Sound familiar? It should. This is how western politics work now. Trudeau has contrived a way to hold on for longer and probably avoid a snap election, allowing his party to fight it out on more favorable terms. And, of course, he will surely siphon off plenty of graft and give Canada many gifts before he goes. Just like our Congress and president have accelerated their graft and given us plenty of ill-smelling "gifts" in November and December, he will certainly shower Canada with little brown presents as he lines his pockets on his way out. No point in clinging to power otherwise.

His "resignation" speech was self-congratulatory, of course.

Why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy.
And to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.

I am sure Canadians who were willing to take to the streets (literally) to blockade your borders and highways over your COVID power-grab, Canadian immigration opponents, foreign entanglement opponents, energy producers, taxpayers, blue collar employees and more all appreciate your efforts to destroy them. Good for you. You should be proud of your accomplishments.

I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process. Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process.

A process that will, coincidentally, take a while and will happen at the end of March at the earliest. Not that this could have been the point of the exercise. No chance at all.

Trudeau is typical of the contemporary western political power man. They are either incompetent or evil (or, in most cases, both) and entitled. When facing the end, they don't take the opportunity to reflect or ever entertain the possibility that they could possibly be wrong, let alone bad. Instead, they contrive ways to hang on and salt the earth behind them for as long as possible.

If you want to find "bitter clingers," don't go looking for them in rural Pennsylvania or Alberta. Go to Ottawa or Washington or Paris or London or Berlin or Canberra. You can't swing a cat without hitting scores of bitter clingers in the western power centers.