This week we saw a head of state take authoritarian actions that run counter to the basic tenets of a free society. Dissidents were beaten, had there property seized, accounts frozen, and even had their pets threatened to be euthanized. All without due process, under the “authority” of a highly questionable emergency declaration. While most major media and political leaders in the US would normally be quick to denounce such actions. For some reason, there seems to be a conspicuous lack of over the top denunciations one has come to expect. Of course, it may be because those actions weren’t taken by a despot somewhere half a world a way, but instead by our normally docile neighbors to the north and their Prime Minister and fancy lad Justin, Trudeau. It’s particularly disconcerting when you consider folks on the left were, just a year or two ago, ardent defenders of protest. I heard many prominent left of center leaders in politics and media say that even filming protesters could be considered an act of violence. That to publicly disagree with them was, in fact, a show of aggression, and of course, any show of state power was irrefutable proof of fascism.
One of the “truths” to be repeated by the hyper-educated, mostly useless intelligentsia during the summer of protest following the murder of George Floyd, was that economic disruption was the point of protest, and to bring up any financial concerns related to protests was to care more about money than about people. Most of those same people sure clammed up when the protesters didn’t agree with their political ideology. The workers of the world are uniting and the supposed far left leadership in the US are cheering on state repression. It didn’t start with this trucker protest. We saw it early on in the pandemic, with anti-lock down protests. Then 1/6 hyper-charged our “lefts” move towards pro-law enforcement and anti-freedom positions. We’ve seen unduly long sentences for non-violent offenders at the 1/6 riot cheered on. People denied bail, held in solitary confinement, (which the left used to consider torture) not to mention the many jobs lost and who knows what other kind of financial penalties. All applauded by a bunch of people who were hollering ACAB not to long ago. To be clear, I think 1/6 was a national embarrassment, and people who broke the law should pay a price. That price should be in line with the crime though. Non-violent trespassers should not be receiving years long prison sentences. There is no other way to describe that except a politically motivated punishment. Especially when we saw rioters in Portland and Seattle, literally try to brick up exits and light occupied buildings on fire, go unprosecuted. In fact, they were publicly defended by many of the people now cheering on absurd punishments for 1/6 offenders.
The pundits and pols on the right have been no less hypocritical of course. Many used to condemned any protest that caused a disruption. Hell, they forcefully condemned protests that weren’t disruptive. Now they see a chance to make some political hey, so they’re suddenly pro-protest. I don’t buy it for a second. If that was BLM or Occupy Wall Street protesters they’d all be cheering Trudeau on. They think they have a chance to make headway with working class voters though, since the Dems seem unwilling to. I can’t help but wonder if this could lead to farther realignment along class lines with respect to party affiliation. I still have real trouble buying the GOP as the party of the working class, but I have no delusions that the Democrats still are. The sudden spate of CRT bans and book removals doesn’t bode well for the GOP. I think most normal working folks think most of the CRT stuff in crazy, and a few of those books are maybe a little grade inappropriate, but these laws are a mess. Most Americans want our real history to be taught, not ideas and books (by the far right or the far left) banned. I understand that our “real history’ is hard to pin down, but there are some broad stroke most people agree on. Nobody wants to prevent slavery or racism from being taught. Normal people still put a great value on freedom, and free expression. They believe in the ideals of America, all the while understanding we haven’t always lived up to them. The censorious impulses on both sides of the aisle leave normal people stuck in a bad spot. That’s why so many people are loathed to label themselves as either Democrats or Republicans, even though one side usually lines up with their ideals far better than the other. They are repulsed by the duplicity and hypocrisy of both “teams”.
Most of this week was filled with warnings about Russia and their attempt to annex, at least for now, eastern Ukraine. In my previous post I go into a few reasons I am reluctant for the US to take an aggressive posture with Russia. It really feels to strange to focus on an autocrat in Eurasia when the Canadian Prime Minister of all people, is taking straight up autocratic moves of his own. When for two years, in Washington State where I live, we can be in a “state of emergency”. Where Lord Inslee can open and close businesses, hire and fire employees, control landlords property, and decide if I have wear clothe over my mouth, all my fiat. Two years of one man with the power over millions of people and their livelihoods. The 1/6 commission has become nothing more than a way to expose private citizens for having the wrong political opinions. All the while, congress continues summoning social media companies before them in an obvious attempt to try and intimidate the companies into silencing their political opponents. We saw this past few weeks the organized effort to get Joe Rogan, one of the most working class sounding media personalities out there. The White House felt the need to weigh in for some reason. Democratic politicians certainly played a role in Parler being taken down by web hosting services in January of 2021. On top of all, this month we found out about another massive government surveillance program.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Trudeau or Joe Biden is Putin. The thing is, Putin is no real threat to me at all. I feel pretty confident I could protest him all day long on-line or in real life, and would receive no consequences. There is no chance Putin is going to have me kicked off social media. He won’t get fired, or tow my car. There’s a zero percent chance that Vladimir Putin poses any threat to my pets. The same goes for Justin Trudeau, but he controls a country that’s a five hour drive from where I live. Not a country that’s a fifteen hour plane trip. The party in power of my state, and country, seems to be a big fan so far of Trudeau’s tactics. In fact it seems, a good portion of the “West” has been pretty okay with indefinite, near unlimited, power being place in the hands of a few executive officials. The last two years has shown our western leaders’ commitment to freedom to be extremely weak. Almost all engaging in the telling of “noble lies”, and as is the theme of our politics lately, oozing with contempt for anyone who would dare to question their wisdom. Quick to silence, condemn, and try to intimidate those who speak against them. All in the name of protecting people from themselves. I worry deeply for the people of Ukraine and hope for the most peaceful outcome, I just can’t bring myself to focus on the actions of an authoritarian on the other side of the globe. Not while the slow creep of authoritarianism spreads through my own backyard.