In Ian Fleming’s 1958 novel Goldfinger, James Bond’s adversary Auric Goldfinger observes: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”
With the Bolsonaristas storming Brazil’s capitol buildings last week, we have moved past coincidence when it comes to shambolic plots to overthrow democratically elected centre-left politicians.
Although every news organization on earth seems to have talked about the parallels between the Bud Light Putsch of January 6, 2021 and the Bolsonarista Blitz on January 8 this year, there seems to be less attention paid to the fact that Canada’s convoy protest was working from the same playbook.
Now, to be clear, unlike the other two insurrections, the Convoy of Crazy Canucks never stormed our Parliament building. But it was whipped up through the same social media channels, shared the same shambolic decentralized organizational structure, and its supporters were egged on by the same media outlets, professed similar aims to force a centre-left politician to be replaced, and were feeding from the same troughs.
Often, the best way to predict the next five years of Canadian politics is to look at whatever risible nonsense right-wingers in the United States are doing right now, and imagine it being done more stupidly and with less basic competence. This basic incompetence of Canadian conservatives and the construction hoarding around the Parliament Building are probably all that spared Canadians the sight of a defaced Confederation Hall.
Since the convoy protestors were largely unable to apply their violent methods to their intended political targets, organizers are now trying to rewrite the past to claim they organized a peaceful protest. But ignoring the terrorist nature of the convoy protest only makes us more vulnerable to the next attempted insurrection.
In the year after a horde of incensed suburbanites ransacked the U.S. Capitol, more than 900 of the 2,000 participants were prosecuted – and of those least 400 have either pleaded or been found guilty.
In the two weeks since a mob descended on Three Towers Plaza in Brasilia, more than 1,000 people were taken into custody and warrants were issued for additional organizers.
In both countries, the institutions of government are taking steps to show that this type of conduct has no place in a civilized society.
In Canada? There was a mealymouthed statutory inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act, which often seemed more concerned with determining if the government overreacted, rather than issuing a firm condemnation of the actions of the terrorist mob.
There’s a stark difference to be seen in how the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack tackled the root causes of the violence in Washington, and how the Emergencies Act Inquiry focused on institutional failures by police. The former was an exercise in accountability, the latter is about being able to move on.
Consequently, Canadians are quietly watching as charges are withdrawn, a concerted effort is made to forget the Convoy ever happened, and media continues to minimize the risk to democracy. The risk is ever present, and basic incompetence by Convoy organizers is the only reason that Ottawa residents aren’t currently being assaulted by a disorganized army of disgruntled riffraff.
I can guarantee you that the American-based propaganda machine and the financial backers of Canadian insurrectionists are taking note of our government’s weak-sauce response. We will come to regret it.
CORRECTION: Auric Goldfinger, not M, directed the attention of James Bond to the observation in the lead of this post. AlbertaPolitics.ca deeply, deeply regrets this error. DJC
It is troubling that the country the US resembles the most recently is Brazil. Extreme inequality- check. Extreme polarization – check. Right wing so called populists run amok – check. Of course, Brazil does not have a great and long history of democracy, unlike the US claims, so at least it has some excuse for what happened.
If we continue to seek to emulate the US, I wish Canada would at least limit itself to the better aspects of our southern neighbour. The protest convoy was not our finest moment. In some ways it was not as bad as what happened in the US. Despite the ineptitude or enabling by police, streets, not public buildings were occupied, there was less violence and destruction of public property. Even our opposition leader to be got the message the public were not happy with him cozying up to the convoy, despite his initial Trump like instinct to rush towards them.
However, less fortunately was that many US right wing media took up the cause of the convoy and some tried to financially back this more insipid version of their insurrection.
It would also be interesting to know the role these same characters had with the Brazilian version, beyond just giving them the idea. It seems there are too many botched insurrection happening for it to be a total coincidence.
One can only hope their own ineptude is their own worst enemy and this epidemic of extremism will exhaust itself soon and come to an end.
Dave…I unfortunately do not share your optimism. Since Bolsa’s son visited t’rump at Mara in Nov *, and Bannon was egging on his supporters on his radio show after the election,—- all the “concessions ” Kevin made—and now is paying the price for that gavel, MTG et al , this is far from over.
And with our own group, don’t be too sure about the coffee and donuts not being handed out. IMHO, it’s just happening behind closed doors, with tendrils on social media, and no thanks to chief twit, all you have to do is read through the comments section on PP’s and DS’s latest posting….they are getting more vocal and how shall I say, inflammatory?
There’s also the trials that are still to come, supposedly starting next month, with calls for “pardons ” ,as per US laws,and if RSantos can do it why can’t Alberta …..the influence hasn’t stopped, it’s being peddled in a different way, and there’s still a nice little tidy sum of frozen money, with all that entails.
With PP campaigning so hard with his $1700 a plate luncheons, one would almost think there was an election in the near future, everything with him has been “I’m not running for opposition leader, I’m running for PM, “to give you back all your freedoms “. And like GSantos he doesn’t care if people call him out on fact checking— I’m in power now and there’s nothing you can do about it. Imo, the only one who has stood up to his performance, has been E Otoole, of all people…who said enough with the flags and the rhetoric. I believe that lasted for 3days .
When I came across the first article in the Tyee last Jan, linking Tamara to wexit, and the start of the GoFundMe, the convoy raised red flags, but I assumed that the appropriate authorities had an answer to them. I guess not, there was to me a relatively simple solution on how to slow them down, at the very least, but nada, and as with Jan 6th, was nobody paying attention ???– they did what they said they were going to do. And now that Dani’s supporters think that she has turned on them, I for one, am not going to be surprised if the stuff hits the fans. JBauder (?) said he was cancelling the 2.0 , breaking bail conditions by going to Ottawa not withstanding, because he had “been infiltrated “…That raises all kinds of speculation. And given the other players involved who had no use for him, who is stirring up the pots across the country right now? Plus we have lost the little bit of protection we had at the border with the vaccine mandate, and interesting in who was making the most noise to have that lifted.
Ostriches with their heads in the sand, end up getting their butts handed to them. But hey, look, shiny thing–and the Freeedumb to chase after it, yup, fur sure!!
It’s all very well and good to follow your political choice, because they say only they can “fix the problem “, but if the used car salesman sells you a wreck that is such a sweet deal, just for you and says it’s your fault that you didn’t read the fine print that said “not responsible for”…well, as my Dad used to say, you gets what paid for, then if you tell your neighbor what happened and he still goes and buys a car there, cause all he heard was what a great price you got….people will hear what they want to hear and obviously over the last few years, they don’t seem to care about being lied to, don’t care about morals, or lack there of, or even politicians with felony charges– case in point New Mexico…or closer to home, mayoral candidate in Calgary, who seemed to be racking up charges across Canada (as well as air miles ? ) then seeking asylum in the US, How is it even remotely possible that he could qualify??? I’m still at a loss on that one.
So for anyone who is not paying attention right now and yes I know there are people who are watching closely, but I feel too many are too willing to just brush it aside, and well that happened a year/2 ago, not important, they are going to be the same ones whining, like the Xmas travel fiasco, gee, I DID NOT see that coming (sarcasm) Ironic that according to the poll 70% blamed it on the weather, but you can’t yell and complain to Mother Nature , so it’s all the government’s fault.
As someone once said, be careful what you wish for, you may find yourself regretting your choices.
And as rightly pointed out, third time is enemy action, we can only hope that we are better prepared, for what will happen next, lessons learned…… surely ? maybe ??
The rationale for Brazil’s swift and far-reaching crackdown on their own Jan 6th perpetrators was because Brazil has its own long period of military rule, the result of a US-based overthrow of an elected government, then a succession of military officers/presidents. That bad memory caused the crackdown to push to great effect. The US situation is somewhat more precarious, as the insurrection culture that propagated the stolen election mythology is still active within the Republican Party. An effective crackdown may be somewhat impossible because there is this tendency to not go after those who tried to overthrow the 2020 election.
In the case of Canada, there is clearly a situation where there’s sleepwalking into the next crisis. What efforts to deal effectively with those who lead the FreeDUMB Convoy and the various blockades of border crossings seem to have become the equivalent of Truth & Reconciliation commissions, with calls for understanding rather than recognition that the events were truly dangerous to Canadian democracy. The crazy of Alberta’s UCP government, their nut job premier, for defending the actions of FreeDUMB fighters reveals the degree of rot and compliance with anti-democratic elements in organized Canadian politics. In dealing with their reality, the present federal government and the Liberal Party seem to be befuddled over what to do about it, as though any action to protect Canadian democracy by punishing those who seek to destroy it is, for whatever reason, off the table. Clearly, this is sleepwalking into the next crisis.
We knew these convoy protesters were not the brightest light bulbs in the pack. They wanted to overthrow a democratically elected government. The money that was given to them certainly could have been used to by weapons. In addition, there were great financial losses by this, and suffering from all the noise, because people couldn’t sleep. There were people, such as Pierre Poliveire, and UCP MLAs who were siding with them. You just can’t get any dumber than that. Things like this do need to be stopped, before they make things worse.
I’m glad to see you take some time to cogitate on this topic David. Personally, I agree with you about the depth and ramifications of this insurrection, how it was handled at the time and the polite and ‘clubby’ way the Inquiry was handled.
I think there is much more to be said about what the criminal leadership element are doing now, what the rabid right-wing media supporters are doing now and what they were doing then and the cops need to be taken to the woodshed for a session. It worries me that there is such a population of extreme revolutionaries throughout the RCMP and up high in the ranks.
All that said, I think the Emergencies Act Inquiry was a very Canadian response and I’m proud of it. I watched a lot of it and a great deal of information and understanding came out.
I think our federal gov’t response is better understood through a more nuanced analysis than the rabid polarization we see the corporate media trying to stir up.
For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would choose less democracy and more authoritarianism which is what fascism is. But some have chosen this. Why?
We could go to war with these nutjobs; perhaps we will yet. But I think it’s a worthwhile effort to try to understand what this rebellion is all about and root out and prosecute the vermin. I don’t want a homogenous big brother 1984 society any more than I want an authoritarian fascist one.
The main focus of the federal gov’t should be resolving current problems and preparing for the future. Cleaning up this convoy mess should be a lessons learned opportunity and firmly put on the back-burner.
Ranger:First of all ,I finally found the name to go with the “mustache”–Mike Miller, though given his job, I never could figure out his secret to the twirls..anyway
IMHO…
around 40 yrs ago, schools stopped giving grades to students, it wasn’t fair to their esteem, and kids got put through to the next grade. Then they started having to have all the things their “peers ” had and wow to any parent who couldn’t afford it. You had to keep up the Jonses. Then parents could be sued by their children, which meant no consequences for their actions, no responsibilities, and kids could do what they like. And along came technology, and corporations realized that they didn’t have to pay “people ” ,but you had to keep them distracted, close down the factory’s,move them offshore, because share holders were more important. The working class and middle class were getting too close for comfort. When corporate greed, took away the hard working ,(mostly unionized) hard playing ,but happy workers, they boxed themselves into a corner. Now these lost souls were starting to get itchy. So now they had to find more distractions , to keep them from asking the hard questions. So sports, so called reality shows, life styles of the rich and famous, this is what you want to attain. They don’t call it the commodities market for nothing…buy, buy,buy, you don’t need to save, you need a new car every 2yrs, you can’t live in a house that small or it’s so 90’s, and look you have time off you have to travel, spend, spend, max out the cards we’ll give you more credit, Keep on carrying on…
Why are people ‘mad’ at the government, some is justified, but mostly it’s because a select few tell them that ,that’s whom they are supposed to mad at. But you don’t want someone who is actually trying to do some good,
what, that socialist/ commi stuff, taking away your freedom to be a capitalist. Look over there said the pickpocket. And with social media replacing good investigative journalism, think-tanks, replacing news anchors, reporting what they predict might happen, instead of what did, why,how. etc. Newspapers are going the way of the Dodo bird, I turn on the news and they tell me for more info go online, I wave a digit at them, use unladylike language, as I tell them I don’t have a #%##$ computer, or I don’t want to listen to the radio, gee so much for progress right?
We are working our way backwards, the Monarchy is not as removed as people think, it’s just been rebranded the kings and queens/lords and ladies and we are just the serfs,and if anyone thinks that slavery is a thing of the past, hasn’t read any history, but then again education has become a fleeting thing..don’t worry, you don’t have to know anything or do anything, Ai is going to do it all for you, just ask your roomba.
After all that rambling I guess I just want to say, people’s natural survival instincts haven’t been completely subverted , they are scared, but not sure what of, and like a blind man lashing out at something he can only sense, but still trying to protect himself. And the vultures sit and watch, and prod …. and the crows sit off to the side, waiting for their turn.
It’s a vulnerable teeter totter we live on.
A feral few can overthrow a government in this country. Sedition is not required. The TBA folks pretty much rule Alberta today and not one shot was fired.
My theory of the increase in the increasing frustration of citizen with their governments is the increase in populist leaders. No one runs on actual policy anymore. They tap into the existing frustration of people who have been consistently let down by other populist governments. Who gets to vote on policy anymore? A government is elected and pulls a bunch of stuff out of their pocket that wasn’t even mentioned (or was spun as something else) and poof, it’s law. People fall for the lower taxes line because in fact, their issue is poor wages. They need more money. They vote for lower taxes and it benefits the rich, and they are told the benefits will “trickle down”. BUT, the other party doesn’t pick up the higher wages banner particularly, because it will hurt their corporate donors. Strikes are legislated to end because they disrupt others. (Ya, that’s what is strike is for). So which side is actually trying to significantly increase wages? Neither. Who is working to limit or mitigate climate change? One side denies it is happening and the other is in bed with oil companies. One side continues to deny women bodily autonomy (there are lots of places in Canada where obtaining an abortion is nearly impossible, and women are fired for pointing out “‘fake Clinics) and the other side has implemented Bill C-16 which denies women the right to change in a locker room at work without a male present, and puts male rapists in women’s prisons. Extremism results.
While I’m very much on board with the thrust of your article, to say, or even imply, that PMJT is “centre left” is beyond the pale.
Within the Canadian Overton Window, Trudeau is center-left IMO. That said, the Canadian Overton window ends considerably right of socialism, and considerably above authoritarianism. Problem is, if you say this out loud, you are a nerd at best and a dissident at worst. In either case, sitting on a pile of wealth/advantage is your best/only protection against violence from your own government and/or fellow citizens. When you don’t feel the approved emotions about the approved topics, you need to learn to speak carefully, even in the “free” world.
When people call Liberals “the left,” they mean “left of Fox,” and for many, that is “as left as they can imagine.” The “actual left” (ie: anti-capitalists) are excluded from televised/civilized society and if/when they are mentioned, it is in a caricaturized, cartoonish fashion.
Anyways, I’ve been reading here for a bit, and I could be wrong but IMO when the author associates Trudeau/Liberals with “left” he’s meeting Canadians where they’re at. It’s not a perfect tactic, but it is *a* tactic. Once people decide you’re a lunatic fringe, they don’t listen to you anymore. Unless you’re white and on the far-right, anyway, then you can get on TV and be respected easy peasy.
Anyways, there is no logical checkmate that will compel someone who has different values to agree with your interpretation of reality. I think a combination of repetition and diversity of tactics is the right approach. I also think that if you are anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian (like me) you don’t actually need to convince people to agree with you, you just have to give them better information, get out of their way, and let them make up their own minds. Worst case scenario, at least they’ll be able to give reasons for disagreeing with you.
Sounds like you don’t like a free press.
A corporate press is not a free press.
Not M, Goldfinger: “Goldfinger’s flat, hard stare didn’t flicker. He might not have heard Bond’s angry-gentleman’s outburst. The finely chiselled lips parted. He said, ‘Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
Alklassen: Corrected. Many thanks. DJC
Long time reader, first time commenter.
Came here to say that, from now on, “Bud Light Putsch” is how I will be referring to the Capitol Riots. It’s perfect!
Pepe Escobar has reported a high level american source of his confirmed the operation in brasilia was a hasty attempt by the CIA to try once more to coup Lula , as he has announced plans to reintegrate with China and further expand BRICS+. If this is indeed true it is rather interesting to observe Canadian foreign policy since what folks are referring to colloquially as the convoy.
For example: Has the liberal party always been so belligerent towards China, or has their been a real shift over the past year? Interesting to think about, especially being that so much of their money came from the United States.
Liberal policy used to be “if we trade with China we can use mutual prosperity to get them to chill the f out.” Wolf warrior diplomacy put paid to that idea. Bizarre to me that a government that likes to think themselves subtle never asked themselves “what would I do if someone else used wolf warrior diplomacy on me?” Especially after all the crap other countries did to them over the past couple hundred years, and how much they resented it. It makes sense in the context of the cycle of abuse, ie “hurt people hurt people,” but not in the sense of “educated adults trying to conduct good foreign policy.”
Anyways, as a guy who, for years, used to advocate for more trade with China in order to have less dependency on America, let me say:
“I was wrong. We can’t trade with China’s current government, we can only give them leverage to use against us and opportunities to spy on us, terrorize our citizens, weaponize our vaules against us, and undermine our society in order to reduce our government’s ability to act on the world stage, thereby making China’s government more free to bully, coerce and/or invade their victim-du-jour. If we do decide to trade with China, we need to, at the very least, form our own state-owned quasi-extralegal corporations in order to compete with theirs, or else their state-owned quasi-extralegal corporations will use the edge given to them by state ownership and the ability to commit-slightly-more-crimes-than-ours-can to ‘outcompete’ the privately owned, for-profit corporations that are currently legally pillaging our society so that billionaires can own bigger space ships and pay fewer taxes and wow now that I re-read that sentence I think that I really ought to deal with my government before I worry about someone else’s. Anyone know where I can buy a torch and a pitchfork? Asking for a friend.”
I guess we’ll get a sampler of things to come in our nation when Alberta convoyeurs descend on Lethbridge later reply this month, in support of “political prisoners” of the Coutts border blockade. I’m not sure why these truck rallies often assemble at a truck stop chain in Calgary owned by a Tennessee Republican, or where this one will begin, or if the location has any connection beyond happenstance. I’m also not sure if the other major shareholders of this chain, including Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, are even aware of the use of their property as a launching point for border blockade support rallies. I’m not even sure if this one will get off the ground. There are so many gaps in my knowledge.
David, I must point out to you an error in your latest article. It’s not M who tells JB about happenstance, coincidence, enemy action, but Auric Goldfinger – the arch villain himself. Your misquote took me back to the mid – 1960s, and my adolescent interest in society’s infatuation with spying (Mad Magazine’s Spy vs. Spy, TV’s Man from Uncle, and of course Sean Connery starring as James Bond).
It’s the only Ian Fleming book that I ever read, but I do remember it well as an early adolescent’s introduction to pulp fiction (not the movie!), before going on to more ‘serious’ stuff like scifi and fantasy.
Thank you Bruce from, of course, Golden. It has been corrected. I am deeply embarrassed. DJC
Eye on the 905 reports! You decide! Yes, David, it’s chaos here right now! The sheep are restless and their herders are useless! The dogs are laying down with cats and well? What to do? (Sorry, Pogo, I’m not letting anyone mention *that guy* without a good reason. Too litigious. DJC)
I’ve consulted my black block brethren and the one of ten aliases masquerading as a lawyer on the internet? Well, even they agreed with your abundance of caution! Here’s an oldy but a goody! Soon to haunt likely! https://youtu.be/ltAfEXce7Jk?t=4
This phenomenon can be readily understood if you remember that the people who founded Canada were proud of their beliefs and wrote them down, which is how we know they were white supremacists who tried hard to make sure Canada would be governed exclusively by English speaking white men. Given that they also set up most of our critical institutions, and those institutions are mostly operating in the same manner they always have, we can reasonably expect white supremacists to be given a pass by law enforcement, government, media… basically everyone except minorities and antifascists.
In Canada, when white, English speaking men get away with criminal and/or unethical actions, it’s not a bug, it’s a feature. It shows that the institutions of Canada are still functioning the way their designers intended. Our education system does just as much as our Police institutions to accomplish this btw, impossible for so many generations of Canadians to share the same deceptions without the cooperation of the educator class.
DJC, you have my sincere empathy for trying to keep up with the plot of As Alberta Turns, today on CBC news re: Coutts cases / did she or didn’t she, and in spite or because, quick, deflect, de-base = He’s Baaaaack, and making a cool $253 k , plus, it pays to come out of retirement, right…? Your harbinger from yesterday, I would say coming to a political office near you, soon.
The stupidity just gets more obvious. What a surprise now Smith has brought back the godfather of the reform party stupidity , Preston Manning , and it will only cost taxpayers $250,000. more in wasted money.It’s no secret that reformers look after themselves, their friends, and the rich. She has even brought back doctor Lyle Oberg who was defeated trying to become premier and told us he knew all about the skeletons in the conservative closet. Maybe now we should be demanding that he tell us what they were. I know lots of conservatives who would like to know. How stupid does Smith think we are? Apparently Kenney didn’t pay Manning enough and he wants more. It’s no secret that Manning couldn’t get elected as a reformer or alliance leader, people weren’t that stupid. I wonder when she will start filling Harper’s pockets again like Kenney did? She doesn’t have a clue about running this province and is obviously really desperate, the writing is on the wall.
This article raises a really good point that somehow escaped me all along. Those who oppose this movement, myself included, have been so upset with the actions of the Police for aiding and abetting criminals that we haven’t demanded the prosecution of the criminals who the Police aided and abetted.
I kind of want to dope slap myself. How did I miss that?
Or, in other news . . . The sideshow never fails to disappoint. Ever. Because it is habitual clockwork politics, as are all of the accompanying ‘noble lies’.
More weird scenes from inside the Alberta government patronage gold mine? Nah, it is merely the steady state standard operating procedure in Alberta Provincial politics specifically and Canadian politics more generally. Where it is a common place occurrence that some individuals just can’t get enough of that free [Big, bad] government gravy train money, because ethics and/or morals are purely for all of the ‘suckers’, ‘dupes’, and ‘losers’ that still believe that there exists a ‘level playing field’ of some sort.
The brazen iron stooge [Singing to herself, “Does anybody really know how much patronage there is in Alberta? (Care) Does anybody really care? (About patronage) If so I can’t imagine why!”] may not be for turning [Even that is a false narrative paraded before the soft headed.] , but she surely knows how the patronage game works and who should be handsomely rewarded.
Because, it is through the “magic” of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” of patronage that the efficient pursuit of self-interested UCP acolytes wallowing in the good old government pork barrel will ensure the greatest monetary good for the greatest number of UCP insiders.
“When describing the importance of being an engaged citizen Preston says “democracy in my view starts with values and principles [And great big heaps of POLITICAL PATRONAGE.] . . . Democracy is precious and I think people should value it more.” Preston Manning has committed his life to being a powerful agent of change. In doing so, he has been a key player in Alberta’s longstanding tradition of forging new trails . . . [In the fine art of POLITICAL PATRONAGE.].”
“Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning to get $253K to chair Alberta COVID-19 panel”
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/former-reform-party-leader-preston-manning-to-get-253k-to-chair-alberta-covid-19-panel-1.6238254
“[Manning] doesn’t have any particular background in health-related issues. It appears to be a purely political selection,” Hardcastle said.
“So much money being wasted purely for political gain is not only an insult to health-care workers but to all Albertans. Everyone should be outraged by this misuse of taxpayers’ dollars.”
“Political patronage in Canada is a broad term covering the granting of favors, money, jobs, government contracts or appointments to individuals or corporations in exchange for political or monetary support. . . . Though some efforts have been made to discourage patronage, the practice remains a fixture of Canadian political life. . . . .For example, a long-time political donor might not explicitly purchase or bribe their way into an appointment, but they may be rewarded for their long-time support. This type of patronage is not necessarily illegal, but it may rise to the level of corruption if it gives an individual or group some private advantage that is contrary to the public interest. . . . Nepotism, corruption and cronyism in government are politically unpopular, and the system is often exploited for political gain.”
The Alberta voter(s) still have not realized who the sucker(s) is(are), because “If you don’t know who the fool is in a deal, it’s you.”
Too bad really, because it appears that the ‘game’ is unlikely to change anytime soon, due to low or no risk, minimum ‘blowback’, and a lack of any real accountability coupled with the guaranteed outcome of being highly rewarded.
After reading today’s news, I’m looking forward to seeing which latest Alberta Sh!t Show you will comment on next. So many topics:
– Preston (vaccine mandates are oppressive) Manning being named to chair the Alberta Vaccine Response witch hunt (er, I mean Inquiry), or
– Premier Danielle’s staff being exposed as having sent emails directly to prosecutors, despite the clarification of the clarification of the clarification, or
– Premier Danielle’s freak-out statements about the evils of PMJT using the term “Just Transition” and about him trying to at least appear that he is doing something about Climate Change and helping buggy whip suppliers to learn how to sell automotive parts instead.
So many choices, not sure how you manage to pick just one…
Anon: I picked two. Which still leave Just Transition for another day. Indeed, it’s hard to keep up. DJC
In a podcast I was recently listening to, one of the panelists pointed out that unlike during the Jan 6th insurrection in Washington DC, the Brazilian Congress was not in session and the building essentially deserted when the mob attacked it. So, the threat against Brazilian democracy may not have been as severe as it seems to us.
You’re missing the intent of the insurrectionists, which was to create a ground swell of support for their illegal activities. That it didn’t materialize as they planned is another matter.
As always, the rule of thumb is de gustibus non disputandum est. The attempted coups in Venezuela were just all right with Li’l Magus and Ms. OUN 2.0, to the point that they recognized the guy with slightly less legitimacy than Drumpf had in 2020, as the “interim president”. Lula’s got serious neoliberal bonafides, so he’s just all right with the progs. John Baird set up shop at the Canadian embassy in Kiev, hosting atavist far-right insurrectionists in 2014 when the elected government was run out on a rail, and that little imbroglio is now a triumph of freedom and democracy.
“Abortions for all!” [boo!] “Very well, no abortions for anyone!” [boo!] “Abortions For Some, Miniature American Flags For Others!”