It's Not About Trudeau Or Trump: It's All About YOU!

Like I said over at Warren's place, we get the government we deserve by remaining silent, or not taking action as the change-agent.

What it all comes down to is the type of society we want to live in and promote: most of us were either inculcated or have developed certain fundamental values.

Trudeau senior was on the right path with his Just Society. A baby step taken is to realize that we should treat other people how we hope to be treated. Then we should try as best we can to conduct our lives with honour and decency.

Nothing less should be expected from our leaders: they should be a mirror reflection of the kind of society we value and hope to live in. They should work for the people, not themselves.

It should be for the common good, not all about them, their wishes, desires and an endless drive at self-serving promotion.

The collective should be the priority: making our world a little better than we found it, one day at a time.

In short, if politicians go out of their way not to live up to your personal ideals, then fucking turf them.

That's what Trudeau and Trump have in common, a narcissistic drive for it to be all about them. Never mind the rule of law or other elected representatives -- no, no, it's always their way or the highway.

They're in it for themselves, period. They are never wrong and an opposition never right. And they have this view, Dear Reader, that you ought to just go along with anything. They know better than you do, so remain silent and fall into line, like good saps.

My message: say Hell No! and take the battle to them. Give as good as you get but fight with everything that you've got for change, positive change, that will help put the country back on its right path again.

No one ever has to agree with any or all governments. But make it your goal in life that it at least reflects your view of a decent, honourable, caring, compassionate world that reflects the country's ideals and higher angels. That's what we should demand at the ballot box.

Never, ever, remain silent. Vote, not only your political beliefs but most especially as a reflection of your personal values.

Think of the type of country you want and can admire -- and then make IT happen on voting day.

When Bluff Triumphs Over Sanity.

Boris Johnson. The man who has left no Briton indifferent. A triumph of bluff and bluster over political sanity as the public eagerly eats it all up.

Boris has reason to be confident: Corbyn is literally despised and many find the new prime minister, at the very least, amusing if not entirely practical.

No one is joking in Whitehall though chuckles are likely aplenty at Number 10. The BREXIT show must go on, and damn the torpedoes! Johnson is not known for advocating for anything in particular, hence does he really want a soft-Brexit or nothing at all?

And so the Brussels dance continues with Boris' magical contortions, whether based in reality or pure fiction.

Right now, the bluff is on to get Brussels to say uncle and cough up a better leave-deal. Tell that to May, only slightly more credible in EU circles.

The Boris election magic is now set to erupt on October 17 -- the very day that the European Council deliberates on a better deal. Seemingly, either way, that will be voting day in Britain.

The UK has fallen for the greatest act since Reagan: testament to Boris' sudden twelve point polling lead. Sounds rather emboldening.

But can recent history be your guide? Depends on why May whittle downed her majority. Was it because of an early election or did people not like either the messenger and/or the message? Probably a combination of all three.

But Boris is nothing if not panache's anointed representative. That's why the polls moved. Can he get a deal? Maybe, if the EU has more to lose on October 31 than Britain.

The Boris Bluff has the luxury of carrying with it the fluidity of true convictions. No one knows what Johnson will do under any scenario.

Talk only takes you so far. However, it's managed to get Boris into Downing Street. The vote might result in a comfortable majority.

Not too shabby when you're all icing and no cake. Stranger things in politics have been known to happen.

What Trump Really Gets About His 2020 Playbook.

Two things about Trump: not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer but up until now strategically brilliant tactics-wise.

It's dishonourable to play a quite deliberate fear card against immigrants or nation-states but it fucking works!

It's catering to our worse angels and it not only consolidates but also expands the base. Plus those people can literally be counted on on voting day. So, looks great for re-election cause more people dislike or hate Trump but lots don't vote. (Just ask Hillary about Bernie's people's turn out. But I digress.)

Where Trump starts literally sweating is if the Goldilocks economy goes south -- coupled with an inverted yield curve. Both of those are now
R-E-A-L-I-T-Y so Trump had better start shitting.

That's the giant elephant in the room and no one feels it more than Trump. He's got no choice but to keep taking on China (and others) but he can see the electoral dividends slowly slipping away.

His good friend Xi is not an actual reformer and will do whatever it takes to stay in power. Xi is all about maintaining Communist Party totalitarian control and Trump can do zip about that.

That's why Hong Kong will be the next Tiananmen Square. Xi is no Zhao.  Far from it. He's all Li, on steroids. Xi is no different on tariffs. He's not about to lose face, much less capitulate to Trump's demands. That ain't good news for the already flailing Trump approval rating.

Essentially, that's the fly in the tactics ointment. 2020 isn't, in Republican circles, the lead-pipe-cinch of yesteryear.  No panicking yet but plenty of sleepless nights ahead for the re-election team.

And you thought God didn't have an ironic sense of humour. Trump pretty much knows that one better than anyone else too.

Were You Idiotic Enough To Make Close Enemies?

Close friendships need to be nurtured and cherished. That's how you sometimes save your political ass. Mutual respect, accommodation and appreciation always goes a long way in cementing the ties that bind.

But when you start to deliberately lie, withhold facts and limit access, you turn what was once golden into lead.

Crisis management is never helped by taking a red flag out and waving it in everyone's face. Those are the tactics of fools.

Everyone has ambition and a drive to be upwardly mobile. Throw freezing water on that at your own peril. In every crisis there comes a breaking point where personal drive and future prospects are ceded in favour of at least setting the record straight. That time is now.

For an oaf who turned friends into blood enemies, the price will be positively stratospheric -- in a few short months the other shoe will drop and it will be utterly devastating. It will positively destroy the idiot and take his minions with him. The fool had a clear choice. Instead he chose the path straight to political suicide. As he's about to discover: [R]evenge is a dish best served cold.

Trudeau: Do You Want People To Think You're An Idiot?

I don't get fumed very often in politics but this Prime Minister's stroll down Saint-Denis Street yesterday really did it for me.

What the hell was he thinking casually jaunting down the street, seemingly without any RCMP security detail protection?

It's one thing not to have a high regard for your own safety -- foolish as that may be -- but it's quite another to theoretically leave a family without a spouse and father. That's the big picture that really matters...in short, don't ever pull that stunt again while you're still in office. You may regard Montreal and Vancouver as your own safe turf but that type of careless risk should never be taken, without adequate protection, while serving as PM. Someone needs to read Trudeau the Riot Act, or better yet, scream at the top of your lungs.

Kinsella Does The Math: Expects Liberal Win.

I just read Kinsella in The Toronto Sun: he's done the math and expect a Liberal win.

Remember when I said quite a ways back that I have the most fun when we disagree (like on Van Jones) so here it goes: I don't think Kinsella's piece is full of shit -- far from it. Rather, I think he's too much in the electoral and polling weeds.

My contention remains that people overwhelmingly want change, period. And in my book, that means at the top of the ticket. They've given Trudeau his chance and he's been found wanting. End of story. Might turn out I'm full of shit but don't think so.

The next vote will be a change election -- not a who do I like the best contest (like most times) and that means Justin is in very serious trouble.

I think Trudeau loses and I chock it up to a degrading effect: people are disillusioned and disappointed to find out that Justin's low expectations were pretty much on target.

Translation: Scheer ain't as bright as Harper or as relatively politically savvy but what counts is he isn't Trudeau.

Clark won a minority in 79 and Scheer will best that. Put another way, the CPC and Scheer will get in, despite himself.

The public wants change. Logic follows most voters also do. So, my gut expects a sea change in federal politics. Just call it a Conservative majority. Another country simply tilting further right -- in that Canadian sort of way.

I Didn't Break With The Liberals For This.

Don't get me wrong, I've absolutely no regrets for breaking with the Trudeau Liberals. Ditto when I broke with the Harper Conservatives.

I've got my view of Canada, and more importantly, how a federal government should conduct itself and in my book, both Trudeau and Harper were found wanting. You all know why I broke with the CPC: my personal dislike for Harper not to mention a profound disagreement with much of his overly right policies.

With Trudeau, I actually liked the guy even if Garneau was my choice for leader. So, I got on board in 2015 and pretty much didn't look back. But then came the El Supremo prime ministerial test which Trudeau utterly failed by not putting caucus in its place. JWR and JP had resigned from cabinet and that should have been it. Their resignations were on principle and should have been respected by this Prime Minister. You know the rest of the story.

But as I've already suggested elsewhere, I didn't break with Trudeau to watch JWR be too cute by half: she knows precisely what the prime ministerial motivation was in pressuring her as AG. Let her and JP get on the record and speak that part of their truth. Enough of this bullshit of well, you'd have to ask them about their motivations. Please, get real.

What I want from JWR and JP is the whole story, not just the parts that put them in a good light or play to their version of the narrative. I want to hear from them the good, bad, ugly and most especially, their own mistakes that they have come to regret. That's how your star rises in politics.

It's too simple to brand them as the good guys and Trudeau as, succinctly, bad. What Trudeau did was wrong and he knows it. Frankly, taping the Clerk wasn't so hot an idea either. There are no angels in this story, only flawed human beings.

What I want from all of them is forthcoming and truthful disclosure, not shaded answers and oral tactical manoeuvring.

Are any of them living up to that standard? NO. It would be nice, not to mention refreshing, if politicians could Just Once, perform beyond my expectations. Sadly, I know I had better not hold my breath in the interim...