A picture taken from CBC Kids (Alison Cake; April 2, 2020)
We are in the middle of a pandemic, at war against a potentially deadly virus.
As our PM, we would have imagined Mr. Trudeau to be too busy, leading our country in such turbulent times. Yet, he has the time for a video conference… with our kids?
If parents are well informed, through full and genuine transparency, they would feel less anxious. In turn, they can be better equipped to reassure their kids themselves.
So, why doesn’t Mr. Trudeau focus his energy on his PM-related job only, letting families take care of their own kids’ concerns (if any)?
In Bambi’s mind, from an evolutionary perspective, those Swedish folks featured in the video below can be called “coviidiots”… unless they are simply extreme death deniers. Who knows?
Perhaps this is what happens to brains after hearing ideologies for too long? They end up ignoring both science and common sense.
This being said, they are reminding Bambi of risky behaviours of religious freaks elsewhere on the planet (e.g., Lebanon, Israel, NY, and even Montreal, etc.).
Perhaps these people truly believe that they are more superior, not just to the novel (thus dangerous) virus but also to the rest of us?
In his daily press conference of March 30, 2020, Mr. Trudeau told Canadians: “Fortunately, Canada has taken responsible decision over the past many years to have one of the best balance sheets in the G7, we’ve been making sure we have money set aside for a rainy day. Well, it’s raining we are now able to invest in Canadians” .
Although these words seem
reassuring, to what extent is this statement accurate?
Well, according to a report, which was published by the “Centre of Productivity and Prosperity, Walters J. Somers Foundation, HEC” (Montreal, QC, Canada): “The situation is changing from 2015. At the cost of four consecutive budget deficits totaling $ 56.5 billion, the government is taking program spending to an all-time high in 2018, or $ 8,714 per capita.”
For fun, after reading the above, Bambi became interested in comparing Canadian and Lebanese financial indicators. Mind you, this comparison would not be glorious for Canada, being as Lebanon defaulted on eurobonds on March 8, 2020.
Canada’s public debt, calculated as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), was: “89.70% in 2017” (27th highest debt in the world; the USA was at the 34th position, if you are curious to know, like Bambi).
According to the same CIA website, Lebanon’s public debt was: “152.70% in 2017” (third highest debt in the world, after Greece and Japan).
The title of this post refers to airlines’ wisdom. When
we are in a survival mode (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic or airplane emergencies,
wars, etc.), if we do not put ourselves first, we die. This would be especially
tragic, if we want to keep living.
This does not mean we do not think or love others.
This does not mean we cannot be human toward other countries. We have a human
responsibility, for sure. However, we must be “smart”, to use Mr. Trudeau’s own
words today (Bambi’s word for this is “coviwise” ?).
Mr. Trudeau, you are asking Canadians to be smart (“you
are serving by staying at home”, well said again, as usual). The problem is not
the beauty of your words, it is rather their emptiness or their disconnect with
your people.
This being said, Mr. Trudeau is absolutely right. Thanks for the smart advice. However, Bambi wonders why our federal government is not acting “smartly” as well, in order to protect our first-line health workers, and by extension all of us!?
This brings Bambi to Dr. Tam (Canada Chief Public Health Officer). Too much on her shoulders… Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister) both keep referring journalists to her, when they do not want to answer or when they do not have any clue what to say.
For Bambi, Dr. Tam seemed, from the beginning, the most
competent in this ministry. Sadly, she is not the Health Minister herself. Despite
Bambi’s latter remark, Dr. Tam seems to be limited with what to say or not to
say (normal after all, despite her intelligence, she is being respectful to her
bosses).
Now that our federal government woke up (bravo, it is a start!), everyone in that government seems to be relying on Dr. Tam. Let’s hope she will keep on being wise and honest.
Yesterday, one of our federal ministers said that “we do not just protect Canadians but we also have a responsibility toward other countries”. Although he is absolutely right about our collective responsibility to humanity, Canada should be concerned about Canadians’ safety BEFORE anything or anyone else in the world.
Where are the masks, Mr. Trudeau, that will protect
our first-line health workers? Where are they also to protect border agents at
our still-open airports? Why aren’t we distributing them to travellers who may have
symptoms, as your health minister has stated, and as written in the government’s
official documents?
On a different topic bur related to COVID-19, Mr.
Trudeau (or his helping staff) tweeted yesterday the following: “While many of us are
working from home, there are others who aren’t able to do that – like the truck
drivers who are working day and night to make sure our shelves are stocked. So
when you can, please #ThankATrucker for everything they’re doing and help them however you
can”.
Beautiful words, as usual. Sadly, they are not just empty. They sound hypocritical, especially to our truck drivers, given the carbon tax increase on April 1, despite the pandemic.
“That scheduled rise from $20 per tonne to $30 per tonne is in keeping
with the plan to raise it by $10 per tonne each year until 2022. For consumers,
that translates to roughly an extra 2.5 cents per litre of gasoline at the
pumps.
The prime minister repeatedly refused to give a yes or no answer to
whether the increase would go ahead during days of recent questioning by
journalists”.
When dealing with journalists’ amazing efforts to get transparency for all
of us, Mr. Trudeau showed an ability to admit that some questions are
difficult. This is a new start for him. Journalists managed to “corner” him on
the mask issues.
The truth of the matter is that we are not prepared for the pandemic, as we should have been, as a G7 country. We have the scientific capacity and the economic means. We have NO EXCUSE like other bankrupt countries, like Lebanon. In all honesty, the latter country seems to be behaving now more wisely AND honestly. Let’s give them this credit, for once.
They are considering building field hospital for Syrian refugees, in coordination
with the UNHCR… because “the virus’s spread within
refugee communities “would be a catastrophe for both, the displaced and
the Lebanese population” (Orient Le Jour, March 31, 2020).
Mr. Trudeau, we are all being as smart as we can to protect ourselves AND
others.
What are you doing to protect us when it comes to masks and medical equipment?
