Week of January 24th
What caught my attention the Week of January 24th?
Québec, the Mommy State
I love Montréal. I have always loved it! As an 8-year old, I remember standing outside the old Mount Royal Hotel and telling my brother, Paul, that Montréal would be my home. Now it has been for over fifty years. There have been highs and lows. But the last three plus years have been the most difficult. The CAQ is made up of pontificating populists who are mangling the Covid response.
If you have been reading any of my newsletters and other missives, you will know that I:
- have no patience for the anti-vax movement
- think that unruly protests against masking and vaccines are an attempt to impose the will of a very small minority on the majority
- believe that a rational series of restrictions are necessary to protect fragile health systems
However, even I am starting to get frustrated. This week’s announcement of limited restaurant re-openings was good. Conversely, limiting family gathering sizes to two households or four people is “mommy state” stuff. In other words the CAQ and its advisors don’t trust a largely vaccinated population to make smart decisions about gathering sizes in homes. They only want us gathering in places where others police our vaccination status.
The Trucker Protest
Even if Canada reversed course on the requirement for truck drivers to be fully vaccinated to cross the US border, it would have no impact. The US has the same rules in place. And now they want the Feds to lift all sanitary measures! Funny that! Ninety-Five percent of sanitary measures are the domain of the provinces! Quite a demonstration of ignorance about how this country works!
Trucker’s associations are against the convoy! Vaccinated drivers are against the convoy! The governance of the convoy “Go-Fund Me” campaign is a mess! Their positions on the why of the protest are all over the place. It seems some conservative politicians are rallying to their cause and are willing too mangle fact to do so. Bizarre!!
They would do well to remember the words of Edmund Burke, widely considered the philosophical founder of conservatism.
“Men are never in a state of total independence of each other.”
Burke asserted that freedom came with responsibility. That liberty came with duty. Burke believed that Individual rights can be subjugated to community responsibility and duty. So, just get vaccinated!
I know! I know! – it would be a little much to expect any of the “Freedom” protesters whom I have seen interviewed know of Edmund Burke.
It’s not what I read, but what I watched
RDI (CBC’s French news channel) broadcasts Les Mordus de Politique weekdays lunchtime. Over the past two years it has been my frequent lunch time entertainment. You know the format – talking heads giving their take on the political implications of the stories of the day. The four regular panelists are really quite entertaining.
So you didn’t like Jean-François Lisée when leader of the PQ? Well, the guy has a wicked sense of humour. Pierre Moreau – no wonder opposing politicians feared and respected him. He does his pre work carefully and has a dry wit that has the other panelists laughing out loud. Whip-smart Françoise Boivin and Dimitri Soudas round out the panel. Of the four, Dimitri is the guy I would like to have a beer with. Even if I disagree with most of what he says! Sebastien Bovet shines as the panel’s moderator.
Why am I commenting this week?
Dimitri acted as Communications Director for former PM Stephen Harper. He is no stranger to controversy. He dotes on his old boss. As noted above, his opinions do not always align with mine but he makes most points well, he takes criticism well, and is funny. However, this week when discussing the Ukraine, he suggested that Harper had never shook Vladimir Putin’s hand. Well, that sent me scrambling or should I say Googling. Dimitri – be careful not to imply something that can be so easily debunked. I have inserted just one of many photos.
Another reason, each of the talking heads represents a different political perspective. They never launch into personal attacks of one another. They generally wait their turn to speak – unless there is too good a joke to be made – and they seem to genuinely like each other. It is a pleasure to see such civilized and well-informed debate. Would this be possible on MSNBC or Fox News?
Montréal breakfast diner Cosmos , bought a $25,000 site in the Metaverse
Why? I don’t want a virtual huge Cosmo breakfast to block my virtual arteries! If in Montréal, do try the real thing!!
According to a UK survey, 93% of 18 to 24 year-olds will not shop in the Metaverse. Over 46% don’t even know what it is. Sure, like who is going to shell out thousands to dress their online Avatar. Or maybe buy a meal at a Michelin starred resto? Huh? Not me!
A nice shop on a main street? That I want to support! A fine meal in one of my favourite restaurants? Sure! Now where is my vaccine passport? Don’t get me started on the insanity of NFTs!
Lets celebrate:
All the panelists on Les Mordus (including you, Dimitri), Sebastien Bovet, Edmund Burke, main-streets, bricks and mortar retail, restaurants, the 90%+ of truck drivers working this week
Big raspberries to:
The 10%- of truck drivers who will not be working this week, Stephen Harper, François Legault, the Metaverse, and NFTs, the Mommy State.
Quote of the Week
And that’s a wrap for the Week of January 24th
