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Cohen: Truck convoy — An American-style protest, a limp Canadian response

The prissy city that issues parking tickets on Christmas Eve and makes kids shut down lemonade stands is afraid to ticket truckers blocking downtown, because, you know, they might get angry.
Andrew Cohen - Feb 02, 2022

It is easy to talk of the Americanization of Canada, particularly in our political institutions. We now set fixed election dates, we ask appointees to the Supreme Court to appear before Parliament, we embrace attack advertising in elections.

More than anything, the tone of our politics has changed. Parliament does not have the congeniality or collegiality of a generation ago. Members clash in raw personal terms. Parliament sounds like Congress.

The Conservative Party is no longer the Progressive Conservative Party. Increasingly, it is what was once the now-defunct liberal wing of the Republican Party. It has acquired a hard-edged social conservatism, which makes winning hard in a moderate, centrist country.

If you are looking for more evidence, consider the trucker protest unfolding in Ottawa. You’d think this show was “imported from Detroit,” as the television commercial brilliantly sold the Chrysler 200.

Looking around, the signs of Americana are there: “Make Canada Great” hats, a Confederate flag, the ubiquitous banners (“F–k Trudeau, Trump 2024).” The crowd may be Canadian but it looks American. The vulgarity, the slogans, the props. Talk of the Tea Party. How original.

As the language and messages are American, so are the goals. Freedom, freedom, freedom, the protesters cry, like Richie Havens wailing at Woodstock. That’s the best you can do, your loudest chant, in a country overwhelmingly vaccinated? Canadians don’t live in a gulag. According to the Human Freedom Index, we are the sixth-freest country in the world.

But freedom to choose, whatever the cost to the majority, is the ark of the covenant of this “freedom convoy.” You have to work hard to make that argument in Canada, where freedom matters less than security.

That is why Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a civil libertarian, could impose the War Measures Act against terrorists in Quebec in 1970. He knew what mattered.

So, surveying the protesters, you might conclude: this picture is American. But look more closely and you may think we are not so American. After all, with downtown shut down, with businesses, clinics and offices closed, all we do is wring hands and wag fingers.

Yes, we ask the protesters to go home. Please leave, implores Mayor Milquetoast, a lame duck who has never been more lame. And if you don’t, he quacks, well, we’ll keep asking. Or, maybe, I’ll use my outside voice, even if it hurts your feelings, and then, well, you’ll be sorry.

We’re good at scolding in Canada. It’s “disrespectful” to dance on the National War Memorial or pee on the lawn or smear feces on someone’s door. It’s “concerning” or “inappropriate” when you honk all night. Now, stop. Please.

The prissy city that issues parking tickets on Christmas Eve and makes kids shut down lemonade stands is afraid to ticket truckers blocking downtown, because, you know, they might get angry. The more we tell the protesters the damage they cause, the more we embolden them to carry on.

Curfew? Permit? Public mischief? Wrongful assembly? Deadline? Limits? Boundaries? Really, there is nothing you can do but shrug, with a cost of increased policing at more than $1 million a day?

Meanwhile, the police chief congratulates his members for their patience and restraint, which seems to include tucking the protesters into bed at night. He talks about “de-escalation” while timid souls fear retaliation if we dare consider the rights of the majority, particularly the sleepless in Centretown — isolated, intimidated and frustrated.

Canadian? Someone inside foolishly tells the CBC the prime minister has left town, as if the mob were at his door. This makes news abroad. Better he channel his defiant father, hook his fingers in his belt and declare, “Just watch me.” At the very least, let him offer the police the “non-lethal weapons” he offered Ukrainians, the better to “de-escalate.”

So here we are. In tone, the truckers are Americans: defiant, noisy, coarse, messianic, insouciant. In response, the police and politicians are Canadian: deferential, polite, prudent, feckless.

Six days on, who has the upper hand?

Andrew Cohen is a journalist, a professor at Carleton University and author of Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours That Made History.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/c...n-style-protest-a-limp-canadian-response

Steve;
Good evening to you sir, I hope the day's been a good one for you and this finds you all well.

There is so much about that article which shows the author's open left of center bias that I'm not entirely sure where to begin to dissect it.

After watching and/or listening to most of David Frei's live broadcasts over the past couple days, I can only surmise that Mr. Cohen is selectively blind or hasn't been there himself.

The second last line where he uses the term "American" followed by derisive terms truly indicates his motives, his bias and his foregone conclusion.

I read it Steve, twice even and I believe it'd be difficult for him to be more wrong about pretty much everything.

That said I'm not surprised that a professor from a major university accomplished that.

Bravo Mr. Cohen, you've affirmed my bias and furthered the gap between us - well done?

All the best to you all Steve.

Dwayne

Holy Scheet! After strolling thru Andrews twitter feed, all I can say is wow. That man loves him some Biden/Harris more than CNN. These truckers really got you triggered, why dont you like them? Serious question.

It is an opinion piece published in a major Canadian newspaper. I have no doubt that many people here do not agree with Mr. Cohen. That's not the point. Cohen is not the only person who thinks this.

As I reminded 673 in another thread, in order to promote your ideas, you must be aware of what others are saying.



I am not triggered. It seems that many people here are very triggered. Because I post articles from media outlets does not mean I disagree with the truckers. It is what governments, the police, and the media are saying about what we are talking about. That's all.

As I reminded 673 in another thread, in order to promote your ideas, you must be aware of what others are saying.

Well thank you! We have our very own left wing 24 HRCF reporter to keep us up to date on left wing reporting!! Thanks for the chuckle boss, have a nice evening.

I am hardly left wing. I do like to read as much as I can about things. As I said in a couple of other threads, you should be aware of what others are saying.

It is interesting on the left bias in Mr. Cohen's article. Here is a different view with much less bias from an overseas article.

https://spectator.com.au/2022/02/the-road-to-freedom/

The road to freedom 1 February 2022 6:22 PM

Truckies have become a symbol of freedom for Canadians living under Justin Trudeau’s increasingly despotic medical state.

50,000 trucks – the largest convoy in history – assembled under freezing conditions before snaking their way toward Ottawa. They were accompanied by hundreds of vehicles and greeted by cheering local crowds waving flags and banners after standing in the snow for hours. It created an outpouring of hope and signalled a palpable change in the political wind.

The celebration of liberty was enough to make Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flee the capital and go into hiding.

His evacuation was conducted with such drama that anyone would think Canada was under attack from a foreign army rather than frustrated citizens. Perhaps he was worried things were getting a little – uh – French?

There is something uniquely pathetic about Trudeau’s cowardice. After telling truck drivers that they were ‘extremists’ with ‘unacceptable views’, he equated the transport industry with terrorists. It was a low blow from a government running out of power. In Trudeau’s absence, the message of the Freedom Convoy was left to echo around the world – repeated by the independent press.

Ezra Levant of Rebel News addressed the rally with a backdrop of blaring truck horns. ‘I see a lot of cameras – a lot of independent journalists – because when people say, “What do we do about the media?” I say, “You become the media!” You have got to tell the story yourselves. Justin Trudeau says that you’re extreme – but he is the one who has violated your civil rights. He says that you are “fringe”. Well, this is a pretty bloody big “fringe”.’

Mainstream media barely touched the Freedom Convoy, and when they did it was only to hurl slanderous labels in their direction. Nazis. Conspiracy theorists. Anti-vaxxers. Terrorists. Even the word ‘freedom’ has been used interchangeably with ‘selfish’ – as though we should shame anyone that wishes to maintain their civil rights.

The press failed to acknowledge ordinary people had latched onto the truck protest as a sort of ‘freedom by proxy’. Unable to rally against Trudeau on their own, Canadians have used the truckers as protection to begin their own rebellion in defiance of Covid health orders.

Truck drivers hold a unique position of power. They are, in effect, the on/off switch of the nation. Without trucks everything stops, including the ability of the government to govern. Trudeau ran away because his empty threats could not stand toe-to-toe with 50,000 transport workers.


Trudeau’s weakness has alerted other freedom movements around the world to a chink in the armour of illiberal regimes.

Australian truck drivers are among those that have taken to the road in a satellite protest, journeying to Canberra as part of the Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccination group, where they assembled in front of Parliament House chanting, ‘You serve us!’

It is a message that has been lost during the Covid years, with politicians increasingly viewing their role as one of ‘control’.

In Australia, as with Canada, truck protests are not a single-cause issue. Mandatory vaccination is a major concern, but people are also furious about a wide range of Covid health orders which are seen as overreach, unnecessary, unscientific, dangerous, punitive, and increasingly ridiculous.

One of the only journalists on the ground in Canberra was Rebel News reporter Avi Yemini – who news.com.au chose to disingenuously call a ‘far-right YouTuber’. He spoke to the protesters and asked them why they were gathered in front of Parliament.

‘I am not allowed to earn a living. Why? Where is the justice?’ said one driver, clearly furious. ‘This truck costs me $2,200 a month to have parked up.’ He went on to say that he was allowed to work during the pandemic, and then the government cast him aside with mandatory vaccination orders.

‘This is democracy – this is real democracy,’ said another.

‘They are trying to destroy everything that we’ve ever worked for.’

‘We need our freedoms back – we’ve had enough.’

‘This government is killing our future.’

For Scott Morrison, the message was clear. ‘Just grow up. Make hard decisions for the country. Let us go back to work.’

‘We’ve just got to have change in this country, mate. We cannot keep on going. We’re going to send this country broke as a nation. We need a leader. We need someone to stand up for our people – for what’s right.’

Other truck drivers thanked their Canadian counterparts, saying, ‘Thank you for the motivation. Thank you for believing in us and supporting us.’

‘We’re thinking about you in the snow while we’re in our shorts and T-shirts.’

This is not the first time that Australia has looked to truck drivers to help free the country of Covid health orders. The #IStandWithTruckies hashtag did the rounds in August of 2021. It may be that the timing is not yet quite right in Australia for a full scale rebellion, but Canada has taught us that truck drivers hold the key to freedom.

As they say, ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!’ or in this case, ‘Don’t upset the truck drivers that bring food to your local supermarket’.

Interesting. These articles show the biases of two different media outlets. In both cases, they have a large subscription base. A clash of ideologies. Who will win?

It will be won by the working class as it should be. And by working class , I do not mean godless communist.
Like many things, governments frequently out live thier usefulness.

Politicians like nappies should be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
-Mark Twain

Left wing communist children like Steve hate the working man and pray at the alter of facism and dictators.

There is nothing interesting about the disinformation you keep posting . Canadian workers are treated like crap and want their basic human rights back,.
The govt controlled media want to destroy them and employ every lie and fraud that they can and the useful idiots like you lap it up.

I see you're hoping that the military comes and and starts shooting the workers at the freedom rally. Based on your responses to these workers I can tell you have never put an honest day's work in your life. Union member? Govt worker?

I don't believe him to be a communist.

There is a quote by Reagan.

It's not that our friends the democrats are wrong. It's just that they want to believe so much that isn't true.

It is easy to criticize people who live by their wits and work when you have never done so yourself. Take away his monthly payment and he would starve in short order.

He gets a retirement for having lived a life at public expense and his disdain and contempt for those who supported him all these years is very common among his ilk.

I wonder if he feels stupid yet for "following the science" that "evolves".

"Parliament sounds like Congress." What are you watching? Now I've only seen parliaments in Canada and the UK but yelling and making noise by the opposition to disrupt the person speaking has been the norm. I have watched off and on for many years now. So it is not a new thing. They even do it the Prime Ministers. Only recently have I seen someone yell out (extremely rare) in our congress and are usually rebuked. As those in our congress have found out if they disrupt the President (even when true and warranted) they get censured.

He is employed by the paper to help with sales. Andrew Cohen is well known around Ottawa. He sure gets people worked up.

Your left wing compared to the most, and not man enough to admit it. It's called liberal disillusional syndrome.

I approve of, and applaud the stand the freedom seeking patriots in Canada are taking. Nowadays it does the heart and soul good to see such brave men at work. It's also worth noting again what a coward and worm Redgewell and guys like him are, truly a disgrace to what real men stand for.

I don't mean to get all twisted up in you Canadians' business, but I don't really think Steve is taking a side here, to me it seems like he is simply stating that journalists are oftentimes scum feeding off of their subscriber base's confirmation bias.

Thank you. That is precisely what I meant.

Now you're changing your tune. The past two years you have repeatedly praised the CBC and all of their lies and misinformation , lauded the forced government shutdowns, sand colded and demeaned those who questioned the facist shut downs and destruction of Canadian life and culture.

Now all of the sudden when you're called out you changed your life long politics? lol

Win what, some blogging war? The issue is between the group that is shutting down middle class freedom, wealth, travel, employment choice( about 4-5 of the major human rights) over a so called supervirus that to date still barely beats diabetes for global deaths ...and people who would like to handle this non-entity flop of a virus like we handle all things of similar fatality by 'getting on with life'. Any drones who want to line up for the next 15 boosters that still dont work, ban themselves from workplaces or wear masks in their cars, are welcome to. They can sign up to whatever rubbish news rag to boot.