Earlier today, I shared an article about Donald Trump and Joe Biden and how they seemed to like to threaten one another physically, as if they were two schoolyard bullies. Frankly, it feels like they are both the equivalent of that in their real life, supposedly adult lives.
I mused that it might be actually entertaining to see these two idiots literally step into a ring, and referenced a real-life instance when this happened between two politicians in North America, although this happened north of the border, in Canada.
Yes, a few years before he would be elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau literally stepped into the boxing ring to take on a political rival, who appeared far more muscular and had a background in martial arts. Almost everyone expected Trudeau to get his ass kicked, frankly. Yet, Trudeau is in very good shape, and deceptively strong. I once saw a picture of him balancing himself with his arms in what appeared to be the halls of Parliament, although I cannot fully confirm if it was actually there. But yes, Trudeau is in good shape, and quite strong.
So, he was able to win the boxing match, much to the surprise of most who watched. And the win propelled him to a considerable measure of stardom, and many view it as key to his rise to become the Prime Minister.
Of course, that was not the only reason that he won. He also won because he seemed to really hear people, and their struggles, in a real way. And he seemed to act on that concern, at least that was the popular perception.
Which is why it seems a bit confusing to many that Trudeau recently worded his behind the scenes orchestrating to make the match happen, when he at least seemed to take what many are suggesting is an imperialist approach towards his Native American opponent.
Yes, Patrick Brazeau is a Native American, and was a political conservative nominated by Stephen Harper, Trudeau's predecessor. And what is strange is that while the boxing match, which really could have been dismissed as a spectacle, allowed Trudeau to rise to prominence, it also seemed to mark a dark turn for Brazeau.
Not long thereafter, Brazeau was mixed up in a sexual assault and domestic abuse controversy. The charges were dropped, and Brazeau entered politics again eventually. Yet, he was not exactly found innocent, and many Natives feel that Brazeau was a poor representation of Native American people.
But this was all after the match. Some people are reviewing comments made by Trudeau regarding how the match came to be, and wondering what exactly he meant by them. Some are outright criticizing the once popular Prime Minister with the GQ looks and the smooth words and mannerisms, that made him incredibly popular and, once upon a time, seemingly politically untouchable and apparently unbeatable.
Earlier this year, Trudeau found himself mired in a huge controversy when he seemed to protect a corporation against charges of wrongdoing. It was serious enough that some members of his own cabinet resigned.
Well before that, however, he was being accused of taking a condescending attitude towards Native Americans by outright choosing one to step into the ring with, and literally beat up on, suggesting that this was "the right kind of narrative" that he desired.
What did he mean by that?
Well, here is the snippet from his published interview with Rolling Stone magazine:
Not long thereafter, Brazeau was mixed up in a sexual assault and domestic abuse controversy. The charges were dropped, and Brazeau entered politics again eventually. Yet, he was not exactly found innocent, and many Natives feel that Brazeau was a poor representation of Native American people.
But this was all after the match. Some people are reviewing comments made by Trudeau regarding how the match came to be, and wondering what exactly he meant by them. Some are outright criticizing the once popular Prime Minister with the GQ looks and the smooth words and mannerisms, that made him incredibly popular and, once upon a time, seemingly politically untouchable and apparently unbeatable.
Earlier this year, Trudeau found himself mired in a huge controversy when he seemed to protect a corporation against charges of wrongdoing. It was serious enough that some members of his own cabinet resigned.
Well before that, however, he was being accused of taking a condescending attitude towards Native Americans by outright choosing one to step into the ring with, and literally beat up on, suggesting that this was "the right kind of narrative" that he desired.
What did he mean by that?
Well, here is the snippet from his published interview with Rolling Stone magazine:
“It wasn’t random. I wanted someone who would be a good foil, and we stumbled upon the scrappy tough-guy senator from an indigenous community. He fit the bill, and it was a very nice counterpoint. I saw it as the right kind of narrative, the right story to tell.”
Obviously, this was more than enough for Trudeau to receive some serious criticisms, even from people who once looked up to him and viewed him as a great hope for Canada. Here are some of the criticisms published in a recent article by Ashifa Kassam of The Guardian:
The comments – part of a 6,800-word August cover story on the prime minister – sparked immediate reaction. “So ‘privileged white guy beats up Indian’ was the ‘right kind of narrative?’ Seriously?” wrote one person on Twitter, while another noted: “White guy in power and entitlement looks 4 an #Indigenous human to beat up so he looks like a strong white dude. How precious & colonial supreme.”
Kassam continues:
Others pointed to Trudeau’s much vaunted commitments to diversity and tackling the deep-rooted inequities facing many indigenous peoples in Canada. “What is up @JustinTrudeau after all your talk of inclusion you brag about beating up a guy with the issues you swore to address,” tweeted one.
Kassam mentions Brazeau being cast out, although he did nevertheless eventually return to national Canadian politics:
Brazeau – who told reporters after the match that it was his ego, not his reddened nose, that was most hurt – would later be cast out of the Conservative caucus following a 2013 arrest for sexual assault and domestic abuse.
It seems that with each passing week, and even each passing day, Justin Trudeau is looking less and less like Canada's Golden Boy. He looks great when compared to Trump, of course (and who doesn't?). But that does not mean that he is anywhere near as ideal as many had hoped and obviously wanted him to be. This controversy, not to mention the far more politically damning and damaging and one earlier this year, are revealing the first cracks in Trudeau's once political armor. Maybe Trudeau is not quite the knight in shining armor that so many Canadians - not to mention Americans, and much of the rest of the world, to boot - had once believed him to be.
Here is the link to the article on Trudeau and his controversial comments about the boxing match that at least some are viewing as betraying a "colonialist attitude":
'Privileged' Justin Trudeau accused of colonialist attitude over boxing match by Ashifa Kassam in Toronto @ashifa_k Thu 27 Jul 2017 14.51 EDT Last modified on Fri 28 Jul 2017:
Personally, I was never especially impressed with Justin Trudeau, and feel that political dynasties are inherently bad and to be avoided. The Patrick Brazeau incident aside, although I don't for one second presume to be very knowledgeable about Canadian politics, I think Justin Trudeau is in office largely because of his last name and his pretty boy good looks, in addition to perversely benefiting from the fact that his tenure as Prime Minister happens to coincide with the grotesque clown show that is the Trump presidency. It's easy to look good and to be heaped with lavish, hyperbolic praise when that's your competition – a cartoonish, blowhard man-child incessantly calling attention to himself for all the wrong reasons. There is however one glaringly obvious parallel between the two: they're both part of a privileged, entitled elite, and as such have had everything handed to them from day one. As some of Trudeau's disillusioned former supporters and allies have found out, looking to such people for humility or empathy is invariably a mistake.
ReplyDeleteWell, Trudeau first won election and took power well before the Obama presidency was still far from being gone, although point taken. Trudeau has his pretty boy looks, and his famous last name, not to mention his father's political legacy. It was obviously not a minor factor in why he wound up becoming elected Prime Minister. That said, I agree, political dynasties tend to be bad news.
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