I must admit when I first saw the picture of Justin Trudeau dressed up as Aladdin I found it hilarious.
Oh sure, I knew some of the friendly snowflakes I know would soon be screeching at me:
"Simon How DARE you find THAT funny #@!!!!"
To which I would coolly reply: "Please go away, go fight the real racists, or just get a life, before you drive me CRAAAAZY #@!!!!"
But sadly I was not able to remain cool for long. Not when I saw the way our shabby Con media was covering the story.
For they were in a feverish frenzy, screaming questions at the prime minister, trying to make it sound like the biggest scandal ever.
Or at least the biggest non scandal since Trudeau's colourful visit to India.
Even though this wasn't a real scandal either, as I pointed out on Twitter...
But sadly the Con media was in too much of a foaming frenzy to be reasoned with, or talked down.
They were moving as one like a school of fish. They were hissing like kettles. Some of them were even suggesting he should RESIGN !!!!
Which also made me laugh, until I heard what Andrew Scheer had to say about this latest fake scandal...
My response to the Time Magazine story about Justin Trudeau: pic.twitter.com/nIfukTRiev— Andrew Scheer (@AndrewScheer) September 19, 2019
And that's when I almost lost it.
For everybody knows that Scheer and his Cons are the real racists.
“This Conservative Party ad is racist,” David Moscrop, an academic and politics writer, said on Twitter. “Misleading. Mean. Irresponsible. And utterly nihilist. It has nothing to do with ideas or a vision for the country. It's strategic culture war aimed at winning at any cost.”
Their sordid track record speaks for itself. I'm still waiting for Scheer to apologize for comparing LGBT Canadians to dogs.
Anybody who believes we should sacrifice our medicare and pension systems by making that creepy religious fanatic prime minister is badly in need of a brain transplant.
And this is the bottom line:
And the good news?
The Cons and their stooge media have overplayed their hand. Justin Trudeau's fondness for dressing up may have got him into trouble again. But everybody knows he is NOT a racist.
On the contrary he is a champion of diversity.
So anybody who calls him a racist, or suggests he should resign, will end up looking like an idiot or a Con maniac.
And I'm still predicting that Trudeau will win the election...
47 comments:
Simon, I know your eyes are on the bigger prize here, but don't minimize the history of blackface. We had racist vaudeville shows playing up here in Canada too. It's got a really really bad history.
I don't think Trudeau's racist. I think he's a guy who's been so ensconced in wealth that he mistakes costumes for being "woke." For the sake of the country, he should fight Scheer to the end and make sure he doesn't take power. Then he should take a long walk in the snow.
-KM
Ah, we all know how this ends. Despite the machinations of Jafar Scheer and his media Iago, Alladin goes on to marry the princess, and Jafar ends up with PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER and itty-bitty living space.
I'm going to mail him another letter of support, Simon. I don't know if he read the one I sent in February during Jodygate (obviously he's very busy), but for the sake of his mental health amid this turmoil, I think it's important that he's aware there are people who forgive him. He showed genuine contrition in that statement and a willingness to begin a process of healing. But the hair-on-fire media are still saying it's not enough and that he should resign and wear a hair shirt and be pilloried in the public square. A number of PoC on social media are calling out the all-white press for being self-righteously offended on their behalf rather than listening to their voices on this matter. They are not a monolith any more than FN were during the JWR fiasco. It's important to hear them out one way or another.
This could have been an important teaching moment about Canada's fraught relationship with race and the veneer of "politeness" that's being ripped off. JT opened himself up to be a crucible. But as usual it devolved into partisan sniping, hypocritical grandstanding, and media frenzy. Nobody wins when everyone is trying to score points.
I hope he does OK. I'm worried about his psychological well-being amid this firestorm, especially considering his family history and personal struggles with depression. He mentioned the impact on his children. This has got to be grueling for his family and I just want to reach out and give him an I-forgive-you hug. Why didn't anybody at that school tell him this was a bad idea? Did he lose his marbles after his brother and father died?
One thing is for sure, Andrew Scheer has zero moral credibility on this of all issues, and his phony outrage is sickening. So much for all it takes is an apology? I've already typed my letter and included a paraphrase of the signature line from Love Story: For the Cons, hate means never having to say you're sorry!
Justin screwed up and he owned it. I don't think he's racist in the least. I accept his apology and he still has my support. Especially when compared to the guy we have to deal with every day: the actual racist in orangeface.
I don't think he's racist either. But I am coming around to the possibility he has some elements of mental instability. I don't want to play armchair psychologist or link mental illness with quote-unquote "racism" but he does have a family history and from what I've seen in my own family, his bouts of impulsivity and odd behavior like the India trip and now this seem classic bipolar. I'm reminded of Maggie's wild days at Studio 54. He doesn't think clearly sometimes and it shows. The Liberal Party used him. Maybe he should have himself checked out if he hasn't already? I'm not concern trolling either. Mental illness runs in my family and I am seriously worried that his "embarrassing moments" were manic high points and that amid all this, he could end up having some sort of a breakdown. Maybe I'm projecting but I went to bed last night honestly worried that he would try to jump out of the plane.
As for a walk in the snow, in my letter I invite him to come hide out in the States for a little while until the voters forget about all of this. I don't want him and his family to be hounded or humiliated, and believe me, he's a breath of fresh air compared to the Nazi asshole putting babies in cages. I don't know where he goes from here. If he can squeak through a strained victory and then decamp in favor of someone like Freeland so be it, as long as Scheer doesn't get in. But as for Trudeau himself, just like with SNC, I just want him to be able to find redemption and a second chance. He's willing to put in the work. My hope is that people are willing to meet him halfway and forgive.
I don't care what people did nearly 20 years ago unless they still act the same way today. As far as I can tell, Trudeau is different today than in the distant past. He has "matured".
Scheer, however, is still as homophobic and against a woman's right to choose as he was 15 years ago. Some people never "grow up".
I also find it curious that a Vancouver businessman sent the "original photo" to Times magazine (a US publication) rather than to the National Post - or, even The Tyee.
UU
Sheer-nonsense seemed subdued and apprehensive today. He should have been happy, but he evaded question after question . Katie Simpson's questions seemed to be hinting at some skeletons ( halloween costumes again ) in the reformatory closet. sheer only said he didn't do it but refused to say whether anyone in the party did. He seemed more afraid than triumphant.
Time is owned by a Koch subsidiary so I suspect Harpo oppo at work. That and this guy just seems to have a score to settle. I feel bad for Trudeau, he has scores of enemies and what seems like very few friends. God but I wish that he hadn't ventured into the family business. The Michael Corleone of Canadian politics, "just when I think I'm out they keep draggin' me back in."
But the tragic irony of all this is that despite all the moral indignation, Canada is still a racist enough country that the actual brown guy in a turban still has zero chance of becoming PM. More apt to peel away votes and help the actual Nazi who'd gladly shove him in a Gitmo North. The hypocritical howlers don't want to admit it, nor do they really care about how any of this impacts PoC. Just like how they made SNC about "feminism" and "reconciliation," they just want a bombshell story that allows them to assuage their own guilt and simultaneously slag on Trudeau.
Interesting note: the two solitudes, aka SNC 2 Aladdin Boogaloo. English media is going bonkers, while QC is meh. Blanchet defended Trudeau today, said he's dumb, but not a racist. That's a twist nobody expected. Maybe Trudeau's electoral fortunes would improve if he crossed the floor to the BQ?
Interesting that the comments section of The Globe & Mail are primarily in Trudeau's favour on this issue ... it was 20 years ago, he apologised, etc.
UU
I'm a person of colour, I work in a place where there are many others like me, And we all think this story is just bullshit. Trudeau is not a racist and we are all with him.
Not good that he admitted in today's presser that there may be more incidents than the three publicized ones.
I really wish he had gotten ahead of the story by copping to it before it blew up in his face, perhaps during the Ralph Northam firestorm or, better still, when he first entered politics. He must have known it would come out at some point.
I'm still voting for him, but this is depressing as hell. Judging by the international coverage, his brand on the world stage has taken a serious hit. Whether it's enduring remains to be seen.
Maybe he could mitigate the damage by turning this episode into a teaching moment via a town hall with POC or some such.
.. as Shakespeare said once.. 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Even the boss here .. says 'nothing burger'
I myself went full disclose.. mea culpa
Once went Lew Alcindor and once.. Jimi Hendrix in full burnt wine cork el splendour.. They were and are two of my absolute heroes.. .. Yes yes.. political expediency must be observed.. but really, Mr Trudeau could just as well been rather blunt.. as he's getting roasted & toasted from those on their fainting couches anyways.. Go big or don't do I always say. Presumably Gerald Butts cautioned him to bend over & take some whacks.. but my advice would have been 'don't take no shit'.. Take the offensive.. I fail to see the sin.. where is the flat edge of planet world politically correct anyway.. the world still turns regardless of Andrew Scheer et al.. and their imagined reality.. so Rock it Roll it.. Justin
Jackie, send him a letter of support if you like, but please leave any suggestion of his mental health out of it.
FWIW, let me try to put your mind at rest. Without any claim to expertise, but rather, going with my gut--I feel completely confident to promise you that he's of sound mind. He'll be just fine.
Jackie, in not copping to it ahead of time, he was being human.
How many of us, I wonder, would flag our embarrassments publicly in advance, and volunteer to be humiliated?
It's how you handle it when you are humiliated: He did it better than I probably would.
I just wonder how long the media's had this/saved this...
My initial thoughts was this was kind of dumb of him but what do I know. I am a WASP from Eastern Ontario. Then my wife, who is as apolitical as they come, asked me about it because she saw on the news and did not understand what all of the fuss was about.
I explained it to her and her reaction was it was stupid, there was no hate there. As my wife is an anglophone Jew who grew up in Montreal in the 70's and 80's I am going to believe she knows hate when she sees it because she experienced it alot during that time.
So now I do not know what to believe. Although, I think I am aware enough that such actions would be completely unacceptable in 2019 I am not so certain we can apply the same standards to 2001. Whatever.
The media's reaction was predictable. They were bored. The first week of the election lacked any kind of heat or excitement and this changed that. Like all things that happen during an election campaign the media will grow bored with it very quickly as they look for the next "big thing".
Mr. Scheer broke one of the cardinal rules of politics. "When your opponent makes a mistake get out of the way". Instead he inserted himself directly into the situation. It was inevitable that he would make some kind of statement but his over-the-top reaction last night followed by his doubling down on it today has muddied the waters a great deal as people and the media begin to compare Mr. Trudeau's handling of questionable conduct in the past to Mr. Scheer's handling of the same thing.
Will this have an lasting impact on the election? We will have to wait and see.
On October 21, Canadians will answer the only real ballot question. Do they want a change in government?
If the answer is yes there is nothing Mr. Trudeau can do about it. He only has to ask Mr. Harper, Ms. Wynne, Ms. Notley and countless others about that.
If the answer is no then there is nothing Mr. Scheer et al can do about it.
Either way, politically speaking, the events of the last 24 hours will be largely insignificant in the grand scheme of the election.
What! Not cultural appropriation too?
How did they get this stuff on CNN?
O yes, some final thoughts.
This is not a winning issue for the Conservatives. No one pissed off at Mr. Trudeau over this will say, "Oh I guess I have to vote for the Conservatives now".
The NDP would be the biggest beneficiary but they are the NDP. 2015 was proof that Canadians still do not trust them to govern the country.
Finally, campaigns react to situations like this if they carry on too long. If this carries on for another day expect to see the Liberal campaign highlight the government accomplishments, with regard to diversity and inclusion, from the past four years. They are many and they happened under his watch.
It will not resonate with their opponents and many in the media but they will not be the intended audience anyway so it would not matter.
I am gladed to see so many old white people think dressing up in black face is a hanging offence
Hi KM....I'm not minimizing the history of blackface, I think it's racist and asinine. However I don't think Trudeau is racist, and as I mentioned in that tweet there is a difference between dressing up to mock black people with their history of oppression, and dressing up to portray an Arabian prince...
Oh, I didn't bring that up in the letter. I was just commenting out of concern. Basically the gist of what I said in the letter was that I respect him for confronting the issue head-on and support him regardless of what the likes of double-standard Postmedia with their anti-immigration op-ed, and the Globe & Mail with the likes of Ezra Levant, have to say. Plus a few puns like "Scheer hypocrisy" that I hope he'll appreciate.
Hi Jackie....I wouldn't be surprised if Trudeau have some bipolar characteristics? It does run in families. But if he does its under control, and one should not underestimate his inner strength. So not only will he win the election, he should have an excellent second mandate...
I'm loving these Con radio ads I keep hearing. Each of them says bad things about Justin Trudeau. Each of them mentions the name Justin Trudeau four or five times. None of them mention the name Andrew Scheer. If you're not really paying attention, and most of us aren't when listening to the radio, you end up with Justin Trudeau stuck in your head!
Nice job, Cons!
This is what foreign interference looks like. Not Russia, not China but a very Yankee Kudatah
Suspicions of interference
It was the American magazine TIME that launched the ball yesterday by broadcasting a photo taken in 2001 at a party held at the private school in Vancouver where Justin Trudeau was teaching at the time, the West Point Grey Academy.
Behind the scenes, the Liberals suspect a case of foreign interference. The fact that the cliché first popped up in an American magazine fuels these suspicions. The case has also gone around the world, and it ignites social networks.
In other words why Time (USA) and not a Canadian paper? As I pointed out above, Time is owned by a Koch subsidiary. Not defending the photos per se but something is up.
HI UU...I feel the same way. It's absurd to dwell on the past when we face so many challenges. I also feel that Trudeau never had hatred in his heart when he dressed up, while Scheer has always been the worst kind of hate monger....
Hi anon....that's very encouraging but not surprising. Every person of colour I know who I have spoken to feels the same way. Who would throw Trudeau overboard and have Scheer take over?
Hi Janice....Don't let the media onslaught get you down. There is much less than meets the eye. Nobody is perfect but what happened was long ago, and during his first mandate Trudeau achieved a lot of things.This is a very different country from the one Harper left us Canada is ranked number one for quality of life, but still some Canadians aren't satisfied. What's wrong with that picture? And how greedy can we be?
Its strange the brownface story broke in a US based magazine. A result of random chance or is it possible the "story" required money to promote and that runs counter to election laws or perhaps the promoters decided an international magazine made a bigger splash than the good old Connie Post.
Certainly does not say much for our future when 20 year old dribble becomes The Story. What about climate action plans, plans to help those in vulnerable communities,jobs and job skills of the future versus mega investing in oily pipelines in order to export to some global market. In addition to our pension plans where does the oily capital come from ... China?. Like Australia would the Cons allocate military support for monitoring Iran in the Gulf. So many questions ... that the Liberals might answer if asked but you can be sure that the Cons won't because their true agenda would crater their chances of election so its all about mind f***king distraction and sufficient vagueness so that voters hear what they want to hear. We have seen these types of election campaigns before, Trump, Brown VS Dougie, Brexit, Kenney. Aside from the irrelevant propaganda the outcome always seems to diminish community well being. Hey, progress is not linear but neither are structural failures. We become what we think, the future is our mind reader.
RT
Hi salamander....This scandal may be a nothingburger amplified to a ridiculous degree by the Con media but it may have one very unfortunate effect. It may turn young people off to such a degree that many won't bother voting. And you know who that will favour. Canada is still alive, but four years of Con rule will almost certainly finish it off..l
Hi brawnfire...lI don't think it would have made any difference if he had revealed his past ahead of time. The media would have jumped on it and hyped it just as it has now. But I think Trudeau has handled the pressure extremely well, so if the Cons and their media stooges were hoping to break him they are failing badly...
I don't see young people losing their shit over this, so I'm not worried yet.
It was dumb but I have no doubt JT meant no ill will towards those he portrayed. His years in office are a testament to that.
The courage JT has shown in owning this is incredibly admirable and he will score many points because of it. Courage indeed. Contrast that with Scheer unable to utter a simple apology for his inane comparison of dogs and gay unions or his star candidate(and Goldy bff) running from the media and we have an excellent example of cowardice.
Courage or cowards. We get to choose October 21st.
JD
Trudeau is not perfect but the following article clearly outlines what a Con vote will buy you... Trump and chief bone saw plotting to destroy an enemy at the expense of humanity with the Scheeer Cons fully on board with the crazies. Their motto is "for us to win the others have to lose, if it involves lying to and cheating our own people so be it as it strengthens our strangle hold on them"
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/tony-burman-the-road-to-war-with-iran-is-going-according-to-plan/ar-AAHA1Nc
RT
HI Ottlib....I hope you're right, whatever Trudeau's dress up antics were I don't think anyone can argue that they were hateful. And yes, in these populist times the desire for change will determine His fate. You might think that living in a country with the highest quality of life would stunt that desire for change, but unfortunately this so-called populism is not rational, nor is the truly disturbing hatred so many Canadians seem to have for our prime minister. And of course the media's feeding frenzy only makes things worse. I hope reason prevails, but who can be sure it will?
Hi John....please don't talk about cultural appropriation because that might get me into trouble. For while I respect all cultures, I enjoy celebrating them and find those who would restrict people to their own cultural corners restrictive and just plain boring...
Hi Steve....yes, the sight of our lily white media getting on its high horse about anything black is ironic to say the least. One can only hope that this absurd episode will lead to more diversity in its ranks....
Hi Ottlib....I watched part of Trudeau's town hall in Saskatoon, and I think he was trying to do that. Emphasize the positive, instead of attacking the mud slinging Cons. And by so doing showing that he has all the qualities to be a Canadian prime minister, which is more than I can say for the grubby Scheer....
Hi anon....I haven't heard those radio ads, the TV ones are bad enough. But I'm not surprised at the way they repeat the words Justin Trudeau, because the ugly Scheer does the same thing. He can't start a sentence without them and seems to think that by repeating them he can exorcise Trudeau from the political scene. I think it's a religious thing, and just one more reason Scheer should never be prime minister....
Hi RT....I feel exactly like you do. The worst part of this absurd story is that it is crowding out all the other things Canadians should be talking about. And I love this sentence: "We become what we think, the future is our mind reader." For the day we start thinking like Americans or like the Brexiteers in Britain we'll be in very deep trouble. Justin Trudeau may have his faults like all humans, but he is very clearly a Canadian politician. And hopefully the values he defends so well will save us from a fate worse than death....
Hi JD.
We know that there's apologies and then there's real apologies.
There's no end of "apologies" these days, which, typically, are along the lines of "sorry, IF you were offended...blah blah blah" and WITHOUT ever NAMING or OWNING the offense.
Oblique. NOT "I shouldn't have/didn't mean to do/say XXXXX" but "Sorry YOU feel that way about IT (without calling it what it is). Sometimes even accompanied by faux tearfulness and huffiness. Their apology demonstrates itself as not being for their offense but for being caught.
Trudeau shows us what a sincere apology looks like. That takes moral courage.
He called out his offense specifically and repeatedly and took complete responsibility for it. He didn't waffle. He admitted his shame and embarrassment. At the same time he didn't overreact or do a drama of it. No histrionics, tears, excuses.
He shows he's learned that one doesn't need to INTEND offense toward someone to be offensive. I've learned that, myself. I expect most everyone has, if they think about it: Said or done things that were thoughtless or foolish or unkind, not taking others' feelings and perceptions into consideration.
Hi JD....I agree with you, Trudeau may have made a mistake, but he had no hateful intentions, and the way he is taking responsibility for that mistake is courageous and classy. Which as you point out, is something the grubby Scheer is incapable of doing. Courage versus cowardice, I like that choice a lot...
Hi Salamander... I see you have been banned by that asshole Kinsella. You join a select club of former Kinsella commenters. One guy who Kinsella used to suck up to told me he thinks he's a c,nt. Graphic language, I know, but totally appropriate. One of his right wing sycophants told me I should be on Montrea Simons blog so I took a look. Turns out he was right. Seems to be more "normal" people here.
Some people will believe anything! and I came home for this BS!!!!!
Son of a bitch, look who's at it again. Forget brown face, this guy is Punchable Face:
In today's Toronto Sun Warren Kinsella writes that he is "counseling" to Liberal MPs to break ranks and condemn Justin Trudeau - Kinsella saying Trudeau is (1) "scum of the Earth" (2) "This man is unfit" (3) "We must reject him - WE MUST!"
And I hope those Liberal MPs tell him to take a hike!
SHUT THE FUCK UP WARREN! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR ELEMENT!
He's continuing to show that he really means it, which is a lot more than weak Andy would ever do. Singh's campaign confirmed that Trudeau reached out and wants to apologize to him personally, to have a private conversation. That takes guts and that really demonstrates sincerity. It's not just words but ACTION. When is weak Andy reaching out to Jim Watson or Janis Irwin? Never, that's when.
Also today Trudeau made a gun control announcement in the Danforth, which will cut down on deaths primarily impacting communities of color without the intrinsically racist tough-on-crime approach and dog-tail-whistling about "gangbangers" that Scheer Bigotry is proposing. He means it, not just through words but policy. He really does.
Meanwhile, Althia Raj asked Scheer Bigotry again about apologizing for his dog speech. He stubbornly deflected and said the biggger problem is Trudeau and that country has moved on. No they haven't. Raj tweeted that this is now three times weak Andy has doubled down on not saying sorry. I saw several accounts with rainbow flags saying how incensed they were and I don't blame them. Even woke Adler -- who is no fan of Trudeau -- called him an "empty suit."
I have no idea what will transpire in Trudeau and Singh's conversation or how any of it will play out in October. Maybe they'll just have an intimate personal dialogue without discussing policy maneuvers, or maybe it'll be accompanied by brainstorming an anti-racism strategy for a hoped-for coalition. Singh did say he would refuse to support Scheer Bigotry should the occasion arise, so maybe this is an opportunity to decide whether he would still support Trudeau?
Because if they, together, can form some kind of partnership that keeps the far nastier party on the outside looking in, that'd be wonderful. Singh did say that he is open to the possibility that people can change, can show growth, so I hope he still believes that about Trudeau and that comes about through their meeting. If this turns out to have a happy ending in October, maybe someone would write a book about this election playing on a double-entendre: call it, "Minority Government."
Kinsella is a piece of shit. He's banned most of his long time commenters who took issue with his Trudeau obsession. Trudeau shot him down and his petty childish reaction has turned him into a frothing madman. He's totally at home now with his far right lunatic commenters. Sad really, since he used to be a stalwart defender of the Liberal party.
Oh, Jackie, don't get me going...as in, don't let my fantasies run away with me......
1. Scheer Bigotry. C'est si bon! (And that's even a song)
One can run with that surname and come up with many more such political positions/associations, he's espoused: Scheer hypocrisy. Scheer mendacity. Scheer misogyny. Scheer homophobia. Scheer religiosity. Scheer intolerance. Scheer hatred/jealousy (as his Trudeau mantra invokes) ....
My personal favorite: Scheerly NOT.
Short of a Trudeau majority, heck, even with a Liberal majority, the collaboration/partnership/pairing of Trudeau and Singh--'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.
Would make of Pierre, the Father's multiculturalism, the world's most attractive political partnership outcome. Once more punching above our weight as a nation; Canada, a leader and example to the whole world of what can be accomplished with it.
Ah, yes. Welcome to the Club of the Banned. I too am a member. It's quite simple to become a member, actually. Just point out when he is being a hypocrite. It happens often enough.
UU
yet the mainstream media put him on everyday to spew his "opinon"
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