To begin with, here is Mr. Brian Lilley’s article published today in the Toronto Sun entitled “Trudeau gives China a pass then targets gun owners”:
Mmm… with such an article, we can perhaps guess that Mr. Lilley or his newspaper are not counting on bailout from the federal government ?.
Ok, more seriously, this article is a sharp analysis of what happened yesterday.
Mr. Trudeau has the art of using dramatic language and tone.
Yesterday, our PM spoke about the tragedy in Nova Scotia and expressed kind and compassionate words to everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. He also reassured our NS neighbours that they will not be forgotten, getting the needed help. For this, thank you and bravo.
However, what Mr. Lilley is focusing on is how Mr. Trudeau used “the present moment” to move a political agenda, namely his wish to pass a legislation that would affect legal (or licensed) firearms owners. This would be about 2 million Canadians, as reported by Mr. Lilley.
Ironically, Bambi can suspect that many of these affected licensed people would be from Nova Scotia itself (farmers, hunters, trappers, perhaps recreational users, etc.). Will targeting them effectively target future criminals? Can’t people use a car or a knife to commit crimes, as it has been done in Toronto and in Montreal?
Anyhow, this is not the topic here and it is not her expertise (although she has an opinion about guns, for having experienced civil war). The topic of this post is China or rather Mr. Trudeau’s attitude toward it.
Anyhow, to come back to Mr. Lilley’s article, his points are relevant: Is this the time to talk about this, Mr. Trudeau, when we are still in the immediate after-shock of the carnage? Indeed, the grieving RCMP did not complete its investigation yet. So, why are you in a rush to build a political momentum with our tragedy?
Plus, most importantly here, as Mr. Lilley sarcastically wrote, what a contrast with your attitude toward China, whose carelessness has caused the death of so many people in Canada and around the world.
How sad that you keep dismissing the journalists’ questions about China. When you do reply, you say that it is not the time for finger-pointing; we will assess different countries’ responses to the pandemic later, etc.
Besides gun issues, Bambi had wished you would have at least also addressed mental health issues, especially in times of massive job losses, collective grief and fear, increased domestic tensions/violence, etc.
Anyhow, let’s move now to Mr. Facal’s article. It is sarcastic in a different way ?:
First, here is his French article published today in the Journal de Montréal, to begin with. It is entitled “Erectile dysfunction” [“Dysfonction erectile”]
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/04/21/dysfonction-erectile
Second, here is an English translation:
“Rest assured, gentlemen, I’m not saying that one of the consequences of COVID-19, if you catch it, is that you will be flaccid forever.
Let’s review China’s behaviour for a moment.
China first silenced the whistleblowers and denied the onset of the virus, then downplayed its severity, wasting precious time that the world could have spent preparing for.
China then lied about its death toll, argued that everything would have been worse for the planet if it had not been so fabulous, and then suggested that the virus may have been a foreign plot.
Tragicomic
There remains dessert.
China is now pointing at the slightest criticism, continues to conceal, lectures the world saying that it is necessary to rise above petty politics … and reopens the public market from which the disaster started.
Shall I continue or stop? A digestif after dessert?
However, in this tragedy, I see comic, or rather tragicomic, dawn.
The tragicomic is the reaction of Western leaders. Angry, they say they are going to hold China to account, that it will not be the same.
Trump says of the pandemic, “It could have been stopped in China and it was not.” “And now the whole world is suffering because of this.”
Macron says that we must no longer be “naive”.
France foreign minister said, “We want to be respected as China wants to be respected.”
Other leaders have toughened the tone. We roll up our sleeves to show our biceps to Beijing.
Our cute or handsome Justin [in French Canadian, “beau Justin”] says that his fear is the increase in discrimination against Chinese Canadians.
Don’t tell me you didn’t see it coming, this one …
All of this is pathetic.
China is restraining itself from laughing at our leaders.
For China, Trump is a clown with the psychology of a spoiled child, fascinated by dictatorships, convinced that he can solve everything with a telephone conversation.
For China, the European Union is a “thing”, which cannot be discredited any more since it no longer has any credibility left.
For China, Macron is a beautiful suave talker, whose natural inclination is to flee conflicts.
For China, Trudeau is a Macron with two differences.
Macron speaks French, while Justin speaks bilingual, and Macron has read more than two books in his life.
Local
Today we are paying the price for having, in the name of limitless capitalism, ceded to China all our leverage to increase our profits or save a few pennies.
We should, if we can afford it, buy as much local products as possible.
Our leaders let this collective dispossession take place.
They are toughening the tone now, but what will they do for real when the time comes to draw conclusions against China?
My prediction? Re-read the title of the column.”
