Roundup: A lack of self-awareness in the face of a violent mob

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The cancellation of Justin Trudeau’s planned rally on Friday evening because of the growing number of angry protesters has given some pause to members of the media about how things got so bad, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of self-reflection on too many people out there. While both Erin O’Toole and Jagmeet Singh have denounced the violent protesters, and O’Toole and local candidate Kyle Seeback kicking their volunteers who were part of the mob off of their campaigns, there remains a complete lack of self-awareness on their part. O’Toole not only endorses the kinds of shitposters that fuel this toxic outrage, but he has gone so far as to hire them, both for his leadership and for the campaign. The actively contributes to this discourse through winking and nodding to them, repeating their conspiracy theories in the House of Commons either directly or indirectly, and he directly contributes to this kind of poisoned discourse. Likewise, Conservative Michelle Rempel Garner is speaking out about being accosted and harassed on her campaign, but there is nary a word of acknowledgement about how she has fed this crowd, or the fact that she sends her own army of trolls and flying monkeys against those she disagrees with (and I know people who have been on the receiving end of this).

Most galling, however, are the media figures like John Ivison, who have essentially blamed Trudeau himself for this state of affairs.

There are others who have been bringing up the testimony of former Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, during the hearings into the Double-Hyphen Affair, when he sounded the alarm about the rising incitements to violence that were happening on social media – statements that were roundly ridiculed by members of the media. I’d say that perhaps we should be looking for some self-awareness out of this, but I have serious doubts that it’s even possible among the majority of them. But maybe I’m just getting cynical.

On the campaign trail:

  • Justin Trudeau took the day off of campaigning, but several ministers all made announcements on the next phase of the plan to end plastic pollution.
  • Erin O’Toole was in Fredericton to talk inflation and promises to toughen up competition laws (and no, they’re not really related).
  • O’Toole also said he received “assurances” from the premier of New Brunswick about abortion access in the province, which doesn’t really have good access.
  • Jagmeet Singh went to Sudbury to promise to end charging interest on student loans, but also made comments which angered the Franco-Ontarian community.
  • The Canadian Press has a profile of Annamie Paul.
  • It appears that most of the parties are not choosing a campaign song this election.
  • The future of Medical Assistance in Dying, especially for mental illness, could be dependent on the election outcome, as the Conservatives promise to scale it back.
  • Susan Delacourt ponders the toxic anger on display on Friday directed at Trudeau, and why the whole of our political discourse is feeding this cancer.

Good reads:

  • International obligations and technology limitations are preventing some Indigenous names from being used on passports.
  • Sandy Garossino puts some context to the numbers of Canada’s evacuees from Kabul, as well as some fair criticism of what didn’t go as well.

Odds and ends:

Saturday was the 50th anniversary of the We Demand Rally, the first major LGBT protest on Parliament Hill.

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4 thoughts on “Roundup: A lack of self-awareness in the face of a violent mob”

  2. I wonder what these right wing opinion writers will say when a political leader especially a Liberal is attacked and possibly killed because in large part due to the inflammatory stuff that these writers are either writing or commenting about.

  3. The con media and the brocialists who are happy to glom onto them for self-serving reasons all want Trudeau gone by whatever means possible: by ballot, by bullet, or both.

    I can’t believe this is Canada. Maybe I just didn’t want to believe it’s Canada.

  4. I read a Conservative tweet today, to the effect that it was just so unfair that even the RCMP are on Trudeau’s side now – because protestors are allowed to be close enough that Trudeau’s microphone can pick up the catcalling and cursing, and therefore Trudeau is going to get more sympathy and its all a plot.
    I can’t understand this level of paranoia — imagine feeling persecuted because ordinary Canadians are going to think you’re acting like a–holes.

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