The Tehran Tragedy and the Strength of Justin Trudeau

The 176 bodies have apparently been retrieved, including those of 57 Canadians whose lives were so brutally ended as they were on their way home. 

The Iranian military has admitted that they were responsible. 

And said that they are very sorry for bringing down the plane with a missile, in the fog or the darkness of war.

Leaving Justin Trudeau in the darkness of an Ottawa winter having to deal with the diplomatic fallout, and the anger and grief of many Canadians. 




And doing in my opinion an incredible job.

For while I'm glad he has let the Iranians know that he is "outraged and furious" and is demanding a full and transparent investigation to explain how something like this could have happened...



I'm also pleased to see that he is not letting that anger get out of control. He is still calling for de-escalation. and not trying to score cheap political points by using blind rage as a weapon

And I'm also pleased that as Aaron Wherry points out, Trudeau is drawing on his inner strength to reach out to grieving Canadians.

Trudeau's greatest natural advantages as a politician have been his lifelong connection with the Canadian public and his own inclination to connect and so it might seem to naturally follow that he would orient himself toward the personal needs of those directly affected. He spent much of Friday meeting with grieving families and made a point of relaying their feelings and desires in his prepared remarks on Saturday. 

 "They are hurt, angry and grieving," Trudeau said. "They want answers. They want justice."



So he has been attending vigils to honour and remember the dead.

And trying to console their grieving relatives like Shahin Moghaddam in Toronto who lost his wife and young son. 



Moghaddam told Global News that Rosstin, a Grade 4 student at Beynon Fields public school in Richmond Hill, always said he wanted to be Justin Trudeau when he grew up. He said the prime minister asked him about his son’s career aspirations.

“I told him the same thing. He cried with me. He’s such a great man. I don’t know anything about his politics, but personally, he’s a great man,” Moghanddam said as tears streamed down his face, adding he thinks that Rosstin was watching from heaven today.

It has been an incredible display of smart diplomacy, strength, empathy, and of the differences that make us Canadians not Americans.

So I was disgusted to see that some members of the Con media, like Heather Scoffield, feel that Trudeau hasn't been angry enough. 

Justin Trudeau was subdued Thursday when he said an Iranian missile probably caused the plane crash that killed 63 Canadians. Sure, he expressed sympathy for the families of the victims, but there was also weariness in his call for Canada to be included in the investigation into how those innocent passengers were killed.

Where was the indignation?

With Scoffield answering her own question, only to sound ridiculous.

Would indignation work any better? 

Maybe not — but at least we’d be telling Trump that we see his recklessness for what it is. And this week, it would certainly have reflected the mood of an angry and grieving nation.

And ending up, in my opinion, sounding hysterical.

This column is hysterical garbage.Trudeau has handled relations with the maniac Trump better than any other leader. And has shown the empathy and class I expect from a Canadian prime minister. https://t.co/h78VQBTYBV via @torontostar

— 🇨🇦 Simon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🌈🏂 (@montrealsimon) January 11, 2020

For what good would it do to scream at Donald Trump for having started the cycle of violence with his reckless assassination of a top Iranian leader?

When his own people will hold the orange maniac in the White House accountable.

Americans by more than 2-1 said the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani has made the United States less safe, a nationwide USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds, amid broad concerns about the potential consequences ahead.

A majority of those surveyed, by 52%-34%, called President Donald Trump's behavior with Iran "reckless."

And the world needs another leader screaming for bloody revenge, like it needs a hole in the head.

For that is NOT the Canadian way. 

And even some of Trudeau's most savage critics now seem to recognize that our young prime minister has risen to the occasion.



Which may surprise some of you but doesn't surprise me.

The vile Cons and their media stooges have tried to destroy Justin Trudeau in many  disgusting ways.



But as the old saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

In this time of war and tragedy Trudeau is the leader we need.

And all good and decent Canadians can be proud of him...