It’s Been Two Whole Weeks Now

Wow! This ‘protest’ has been going on for a fortnight. And, as is usually the case, it is divisive as hell.

Now, my normal stance in these matters is to side with the ones who are seeking ‘freedom’ from government control, but this time, they are holding the whole country to ransom. Trudeau is not the villain here, but you’d never know that from the rhetoric that’s been swirling around Parliament. The Conservatives see this ‘problem’ as his, but I suspect they would have reacted the same way when being backed into a corner. He’s ‘damned’ if he keeps on with mandates and he’s ‘damned’ if he gives in to the protesters. I wouldn’t want to be the one to try running a country under these pandemic restrictions.

Today, Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency in Ontario. He and the Progressive Conservatives in power want to enact laws that will make it illegal to block roads and stop international trade with America. Sure, great, but who will enforce those laws: the Ontario Provincial Police? The mayor of Ottawa has already requested 1,800 more police from that service, but has had only about 200.

This is not an ‘insurrection’ a la January 6, 2021. But the news media are portraying it as such, adding more fuel to the fire. Now the authorities are citing air pollution from the diesel engines running 24/7 in an urban setting. The truck owners don’t care. They just want the mandates lifted completely.

What makes this laughable is that they have chosen to finally stand up to government control at just about the same time that all levels of government are looking to reduce or eliminate these same controls.

In the end, the truckers will take full credit for these mandates ending, and everyone else will look like they caved in to the pressure. Such is life.

That means we’re ALL ‘damned if we do and damned if we don’t.’ It’s the late 60’s, early 70’s again.