FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Sep 15

The Press Is Physically Under Attack By Police in the U.S.

by bcurry

On September 11, 2020, five police officers threw a female journalist to the ground and handcuffed her as she repeatedly screamed that she was with a local news network and her press credentials dangled from her neck as they shoved her into a patrol car.  This was all captured on video wherein she can be clearly heard shouting that she was a reporter.  At the time, she was covering an incident between police and a small group of protesters.  Local authorities explained that she was taken into custody for five hours on suspicion of obstruction of justice by “interfering with a lawful arrest.”  However, the same authorities later explained: “There is footage of the incident and an active investigation is underway.”

In late May 2020, two members of a TV crew from Reuters news agency were shot at with rubber bullets while police dispersed protesters defying an 20:00 curfew.  Around the same time, a riot police officer charged his shield at a BBC cameraman covering another protest.  The cameraman was clearly identifiable as a member of the media.  An identified reporter from Germany’s international news broadcaster Deutsche Welle, again covering a protest, was shot with projectiles by police while preparing to go live on air.

These attacks on the media did not occur in Russia or Belarus, but right at home in the U.S.  In June, the US Press Freedom Tracker, a non-profit project, said it was investigating more than 100 “press freedom violations” at protests.  About 90 cases involved attacks.  The Committee to Protect Journalists has claimed that dozens of journalists covering anti-racism protests in the U.S. have reported being targeted by security forces using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray.  In many cases, the Committee said it was despite showing clear press credentials.  The Society of Professional Journalists has stipulated that this excessive use of force represents a serious threat to the First Amendment guarantee which protects the press, free speech, and the right to protest.

Meanwhile, you have President Trump who continues to blatantly attack the media.  He has tweeted: “The Lamestream Media is doing everything within their power to foment hatred and anarchy.” He also said that journalists were “truly bad people with a sick agenda”.  Statements like these only add to a perceived justification for enforcement officials to harass and even physically attack reporters and their crews.  Such crews are simply carrying out their primary role to provide citizens with the information they need to effectively govern a democracy.  Attempts to prevent the media from performing this role in a safe and secure manner are in itself a deliberate attack on democracy.  Such attacks do not help the image of law enforcement which is primarily to serve and protect members of the community, including those diligently and importantly working within the media.  On-going coverage of the protests cannot and must not be used as an excuse to arbitrarily attack representatives of the media, despite dangerous and unwarranted pronouncements by certain politicians.

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Sep 7

Squeezing the Middle Class: The Proof is in the Pudding

by bcurry

Over the last few years, numerous studies have come out which confirm beyond a doubt that the incomes of those in the American middle class have slowly but surely shrunk.  The most recent one just released by Stephen Rose of George Washington University, Urban Institute, highlights this fact by looking at income trajectories from 1967 to 2016.  In his study he concludes, and I quote from his main findings:

  • “ The median income growth experienced by prime-age Americans over a fifteen-year period has been cut by almost two thirds, from 27% to 8%.
  • The proportion experiencing a large income loss has more than tripled, from 4% to 12%.
  • The upper middle class has expanded significantly, while the “middle” middle class (MMC) has shrunk from 50% to 36%.
  • Income growth at the top of the distribution has been almost twice as fast as in the middle (48% at the 95th percentile, compared to 26% at the median).
  • Upward mobility out of poverty has declined, from 43% to 35%.
  • Downward mobility from the MMC has doubled, from 5% to 11%.
  • The proportion of Black Americans in the upper middle class has increased significantly, from just 1% to 14%. But large race gaps remain: 39% of whites are in the upper middle class or higher.
  • More education has become more closely associated with a higher income; 59% of those with a BA+ are in the upper middle class or higher, up from 37%. ” 1.

Meanwhile, several other studies have shown that during the last few decades, the rich have been getting richer.  One such study in December 2014 by the Pew Research Center found that the wealth gap between the country’s top earners and the rest of America had stretched to its widest point in at least three decades.  The same report also noted that the Great Recession of 2008-09 had destroyed a significant amount of middle-income and lower-income families’ wealth, and the economic ‘recovery’ has yet to be felt for them.  According to a 2019 working paper on wealth inequality by University of California at Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman, the 400 richest Americans — the top 0.00025 percent of the population —tripled their share of the nation’s wealth since the early 1980s.  Zucman also found that U.S. wealth concentration seems to have returned to levels last seen during the Roaring Twenties.  Those 400 Americans now own more of the country’s riches than the 150 million adults in the bottom 60 percent of the wealth distribution. 2.

Once again, initial indications are that the middle class is being particularly hurt by the novel coronavirus pandemic, such that some refer to the current economy as the depression of minivans.  There is little doubt that there are two economies at this time: that of wall street and that of main street.  Gabriel Zucman writes that the wealthy use their money to buy political power, and they use some of that power to protect their money.  On the other hand, middle-class families tend to use their wealth to save for rainy-day expenses or to draw down on for retirement.  With the pandemic and ensuing high levels of unemployment in key sectors, the middle class is having to draw down on their savings just to survive.  Under the Trump administration which believes that wall street depicts the current state of the economy, wealthy Americans continue to thrive, including the Trump family.

1. Squeezing the Middle Class: Income Trajectories From 1967 to 2016: Stephen Rose, Economic Studies at Brookings, August 2020

2. Wealth concentration returning to ‘levels last seen during the Roaring Twenties,’ according to new research: Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, February 8, 2019

Donald Trump Economy The American Dream US

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Sep 4

A September That No One Will Ever Forget!

by bcurry

Well, here we are.  We’ve almost survived the summer of COVID-19 and are anxiously awaiting to see that the fall has to offer.  Kids are going back to schools for the most part across the continent.  Parents are as anxious as ever for their safety.  Already, there are signs that troubled waters lie ahead, especially on college campuses.  While the coronavirus outbreaks are relatively under control in Canada, the same cannot be said for the U.S.  Community cases continue to emerge in the mid-west and in California.  Over six million COVID-19 cases have to date been confirmed in the U.S., making it statistically the leading country in the pandemic, ahead of such countries as Brazil and India.

In the meantime, the U.S. is preparing itself for a presidential election which everyday is becoming nastier and nastier.  Donald Trump will keep on tweeting right up to election day and will continue to use scare tactics and conspiracy theories to justify his position.  There is no doubt that this will be the weirdest American election of all time — virtual or not.  As a long-time student of American political history, this should be one for the books — and there are plenty of those already starting to emerge.

As far as the North American economies go, tougher times are expected.  As of mid-August, more than 29 million Americans were receiving some sort of unemployment insurance.  In Canada, although there was a labour market improvement in August, that may not be as robust as headlines suggest.  The fact is that most of the job gains have been due to the return of workers, especially part-timers, who became unemployed during the early stages of the pandemic.  The damage to both economies has been wide and deep.  Economic growth is in negative territory and is not expected to improve substantively for some time, perhaps years.  The two big risks for the recovery remain the uncertainty around back-to-school plans and the onset of colder weather which will also bring in the normal influenza season and potential second waves of COVID-19.

There appear to be two economies in both countries, that of wall street and that of main street.  The average American and Canadian is struggling to pay their bills, make mortgage payments and put food on the table.  The rich on the other hand are just getting wealthier, exacerbating the already established inequalities in society.  A huge question remains as to how long government assistance can continue?   The U.S. debt is set to exceed the size of the economy next year, a first Since World War II.  The federal debt held by the public projected to reach or exceed 100% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).  In Canada, the combined debt level of all governments is poised to surge to an unprecedented $1.9 trillion or 85% of GDP.

The fact of the matter is that the only way that both economies can improve is by first getting COVID-19 outbreaks under control and, as experts note, by flattening the curve related to community spread.  In the meantime, school re-openings will no doubt test the resolve for both parents and politicians alike.

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Sep 1

Difficulty of Lying in the Face of U.S. Statistics on Coronavirus Cases

by bcurry

All too often Donald Trump has claimed that the country’s stats on coronavirus are exaggerated and not to be believed.  This is in the direct contradiction to the fact that U.S. coronavirus cases approached 6 million this past week.  The most recent rise in confirmed new cases is attributed to the situation in the Midwest, especially resulting from students returning to college campuses and not taking the applicable precautions.  In addition, experts agree that coronavirus-related deaths will most likely reach the 200,000 mark by the end of September.  Indeed, some sources believe that the current statistics are very likely an “underestimation” because of lack of timely reporting by several states.  Unfortunately, the President’s claims are contributing to the belief by some, especially his supporters, that the spread and dangers of COVID-19 is all a “hoax”.

Then there is the recent assertion by one of President Trump’s top medical advisers who is urging the White House to embrace a controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy to combat the pandemic.  This strategy would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations.  The approach’s chief proponent is Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist from Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution, who joined the White House earlier this month as a pandemic adviser.  He has advocated that the US adopt the model Sweden used in response to its virus outbreak, which of course led to Sweden having the highest coronavirus-related death rate among all Scandinavian countries — more than three times the combined total of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland.  Although Sweden did not implement the degree of control measures taken by most countries, its economy has faired no better than other Scandinavian countries.  Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says aiming for herd immunity would lead to an “enormous” death toll.  Even the World Health Organization has warned against pinning hopes on herd immunity.

Then there is the issue of rushing out a Covid-19 vaccine before it has been proven to be safe and effective.  President Trump is reportedly considering plans to put out a vaccine before it has been fully tested, claiming a vaccine could be available before the end of this year.  The majority of international experts, including Dr. Fauci, have warned against prematurely letting a vaccine out.  Without completing the essential clinical trials, any rushed vaccine would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the other vaccines to enrol people in their trials.  People and public health officials want the usual trials completed to ensure the safety of any vaccine.  Researchers are hopeful that a vaccine will become available perhaps sometime in 2021 at the earliest.  Its eventual use should not be driven by political considerations, but instead by science.  In the meantime, the emphasis should be placed on continuing to adhere to the precautionary measures already put in place by public health authorities across the country.

Please Mr. President, stop lying about the current status of the war on COVID-19 and listen to the reputable medical and scientific experts.  Tell the American people the truth in order to obtain their support and assistance in preventing the further spread of this deadly disease.  The time for action and honesty is now!

Coronavirus Donald Trump Uncategorized US US Politics

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Aug 25

When Leaders Turn To Scare Tactics to Win Elections

by bcurry

As many of you are aware, the Republican National Convention (RNC) is happening this week. It is so full of positivism that it’s scary!  It would appear that Trumpism has consumed the Republican Party, once a viable and respected political entity in America. What’s worst is that although the President earlier stipulated that the RNC would be full of positivism, it has to date been anything but.  On top of which, the Trump re-election campaign has no platform for 2020, but is instead referring back to its 2016 platform.  Also, during the course of the four days of the virtual RNC, Trump in an unusual move will be speaking to his followers — as if he’s heading up some kind of cult. The only and primary onus of the entire event will be to attack Joe Biden and the Democratic Party as being out to destroy the American way of life with radical socialism and unholy devil-made policies.

This leads one to the next well defined theme that, when one cannot defend one’s policies while in government or has no real new platform to offer, then the next best thing is to employ “scare tactics”. This is exactly what the Trump campaign intends to do.  Forget the fact that the U.S. is leading the world in coronavirus deaths (over 177,000 deaths to date) and confirmed cases and that average Americans are suffering from the worst economy since the depression, Trump believes that everything is just honky-dory. Miracles will happen, right?  However, should the Democrats come into office, Trump supporters literally scream out that the American way-of-life will be destroyed, freedoms will be lost, cities will burn and crime will increase ten-fold.  One might call this “negativism” or a warning of the coming of armageddon.

Nothing has changed in Trump’s extreme style and approach to campaigning. It may even be worst this time around.  Again, he is perpetuating baseless conspiracy theories such as the one surrounding the extent of potential voter fraud in U.S. elections, particularly due to the use of mail-in voting. His most recent theory is that, if the Democrats win the election, they will have done so through electoral tampering.  Trump further claims that this is the only way that he would not be re-elected.  Perhaps he should give the American electorate a little bit more credit for their active participation in free elections.

Many leaders of undemocratic countries, Russia, Iran and Belarus to name a few, use scare tactics to remain in power. Hopefully, the U.S. 2020 elections will not go as far as the case in such countries. Simply defiling your opposition’s positions without any substantive evidence is not the way to go.  Such scare tactics should be seen for what they are — the undermining of credible debate over the important issues of the day. Failure to provide meaningful and plausible policies to voters would be an unfortunate outcome of the RNC.  Such an outcome would simply confirm that a once proud Republican Party has been swallowed up by the occult of Trumpism and left to fade away into darkness.

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Aug 20

Conspiracy Theories Abound Under the Trump Administration

by bcurry

Never in the past when I was studying American politics have I seen as many conspiracy theories being touted by a President and a party than under the Trump administration. First, one has the President arguing that mail-in ballots only lead to electoral fraud, without any clear evidence to back up his belief.  Unfortunately, the result has been an attempt by the administration to undermine the U.S. Postal Service in advance of the November elections through deliberate cutbacks. All this during the pandemic!

Next is the President’s expressed appreciation for the support of QAnon. The QAnon conspiracy theory is based on unfounded claims that there is a “deep state” apparatus run by political elites, business leaders and Hollywood celebrities who are also pedophiles. They are actively working against Trump.  Supporters of the Democratic Party have been described nonsensically as belonging to a satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals.  Here we have a group comprised of conspiracy advocates that even the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat.  Their theories have resulted in violence by followers.

Then there is Trump’s unsubstantiated accusation that he is saving the world from “… radical left philosophy that will destroy this country.” Again, with no substantive evidence, the President is claiming that the Biden ticket is out to implement some form of radical socialism into American society.  Nothing in the Democratic platform would substantiate such a ridiculous claim.

Finally, there was the claim by Trump’s administration that the coronavirus outbreak was the result of being released by a laboratory in China. Further investigations, including those by the World Health Organization, have proven that this conspiracy theory was not only untrue but also nonsensical.  Why would the Chinese deliberately introduce a new virus into the population which would sicken thousands and even kill thousands of people in China, while seriously damaging the Chinese economy at the same time? On the other hand, the President initially even referred to COVID-19 as a “hoax”, a belief unfortunately taken up by many of his supporters resulting in serious health consequences.

It is regrettable and a tragedy that, during a time of major economic, political and health challenges, one has a regime that is perpetuating conspiracy theories. As always, I imagine that history will be the final judge.

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Aug 16

Postal Service Is More Than Just Delivering Mail

by bcurry

In many rural American and Canadian communities in particular the only contact with the federal government is the local post office. People rely on the postal service to deliver their old age security cheques, medical prescriptions and devices, food stamps, and now mail-in ballots for the next American elections.  Rural community offices serve as a gathering point and source of stability, employment and a critical link to the rest of the world.  Up to now, American experts and employees believed that the Postal Service was still capable of operating as usual. However, under the Trump administration all that has changed with blatantly obvious cutbacks to the postal service under the new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Republican megadonor to President Trump. Incidentally, he has no previous experience at all with any postal service. The President has argued that the purpose of Mr. DeJoy’s appointment is to make the postal service great once again — a recurring theme.

Among claims being made by employees and citizens are that postal boxes have been removed from certain key locations, mail-sorting machines were removed from processing centers, drivers are being sent out according to set schedules whether or not all of the morning’s mail is ready for them, and increasingly limits have been placed on working overtime or overtime has been eliminated. Today, citizens are complaining more about increasing delays in the receipt of mail and packages than had been the case a few months ago. This apparently is not just about the fact that the service is already short on staff because of quarantines and the coronavirus outbreak.

Instead, what it is about is the fact that the President does not want the states to rely on mail-in ballots for the election and continues to argue that, without substantive evidence of any kind, mail-in ballots lead to fraud. While nearly a quarter of Americans voted absentee or by mail in 2016, millions more are expected to mail their ballots this year because of the coronavirus crisis.  Polls have shown that two-thirds of Democratic supporters intent to vote by mail due to the pandemic compared to one-third of Republican supporters.  This could offer an advantage to Trump should there be serious delays in the receipt of mail-in ballots. Due to the recent cuts in service, the Postal Service has already warned states that it may not be able to meet their deadlines for delivering last-minute ballots.

Yes, as in Canada, the U.S. postal service has to adapt to the realities of a new era driven by major technological advances and competing delivery services. However, is this the right time to be making major changes when so many citizens, especially vulnerable persons, are even more dependent than ever on essential mail deliveries because of isolation due to the pandemic?  Or is this just another political ploy by a desperate Trump administration in advance of the upcoming elections?  Do the administration’s actions justify hurting millions of Americans, especially those in rural communities?  Perhaps there is significant danger in this tactic where many of Trump’s rural supporters may become disillusioned and either not vote altogether or vote for Democratic candidates.  Hopefully, Congress will look into the matter more closely.  Time will tell.

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Aug 10

Starting in the early nineties, Americans have been divided over what is objective journalism

by bcurry

Today, where does the average American get their daily news from? Why are they dependent on one or two sources more than ever before?  Are they interested in “objective journalism” or simply seeking out opinions that confirm their biases — known as “confirmation bias”?

Today we know that people get their news from various media sources: including traditional print media such as newspapers, television and talk radio, and increasingly over internet media such as that found on Facebook and Google. These internet and non-print sources have especially hurt print newspapers.  The verifying evidence is certainly there:

  • The loss of classified ads to non-print sources has hurt newspaper advertising revenue, which dropped from $63.5 billion to $23 billion from 2000 to 2013, according to the Brookings Institution.
  • According to PewResearchCenter, by 2016 the newspaper industry’s ad revenue was nearly a third of what it was a decade before, falling to US$18 billion from US$49 billion.
  • Moreover, subscriber and advertiser revenue for traditional print journalism has been in free fall, and many think it started when newspapers offered content online for free.
  • In 1990, daily and weekly newspaper publishers employed about 455,000 people, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By January 2016, that number had fallen to 173,000.

In the 1990s, publishing online became easy, which led to a surge of independent digital publications that produced original content while also re-reporting news from other outlets with a little bit of analysis added. This transformation has greatly affected mainstream media sources in particular.

As for television, many people are still tuning in to certain news outlets that tend to confirm their views. In June and July of this year for example, it was reported that Fox News was the highest-rated television channel in the prime-time hours of 8 to 11 p.m. Not just on cable. Not just among news networks. All of television.  Fox News ratings demonstrate the size and resilience of America’s audience for pro-Trump opinion, and the loyalty of Fox News viewers who shrug off the numerous controversies that routinely swirl around the network. Whatever news source one watches, the reality is that the press has more often than not been openly biased in one way or another.  Although actual journalists are taught to be objective, the fact of the matter is that their interpretation of the news will most often be viewed as being biased by individuals with preconceived political and social perspectives.

Indeed, the overall opinions of American journalists have worsened in recent years, as reflected in a general trend of public animosity toward journalists that bubbled up during the 2016 presidential campaign. Ivy Kaplan of the Globe Post writes, “A climate of hatred and hostility towards journalists in the United States has become significantly worse,” pointing to a sobering Reporters Without Borders report in 2018 that rated the U.S. as the sixth-most-lethal place in the world to practice journalism. Studies have found that that Republicans in particular don’t like or trust the news media.  In Canada, the same can be said about conservatives who often refer to the “liberal media” in condescending terms.

“Objective journalism” appears to depend on the preconceptions of those who interpret the news. Journalism is not just about uncovering the facts and reporting on one’s findings, it is also about how the journalist presents them.  Failure to appreciate this reality can mean the collapse of a news source if there is no longer a receptive audience.  In this age of ready access and instant media sources, people want a quick and dirty accounting and interpretation of events in some easy to access presentation.  The decline of traditional print media is just one obvious victim of this phenomenon.

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Aug 9

Should You Send Your Child Back to School in the U.S.? — Probably Not!

by bcurry

With over 5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and almost 165,000 related fatalities in the U.S., the nation now stands out statistically as the leading country for the consequences of the disease. What is most alarming however is the increasing number of younger people, including children, who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been hospitalized.  To date, of the millions of cases reported in the U.S., about 265,000 were in children 17 and under — almost 5%. Unlike what President Trump asserts, children are not “virtually immune” to the virus.

Indeed, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 570 kids who tested positive were diagnosed with a rare condition, which CDC calls multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Ten of the children died as a result of the condition. What is more troubling, the CDC reported that Hispanic children were hospitalized at a rate eight times higher than white kids, and Black children were hospitalized at a rate five times higher. Some of this is attributable to children living in poverty and a lack of access to regular health-care. To date, the experts have concluded that genetics appears to have nothing to do with why some racial and ethnic groups are more likely to be infected by the virus, get seriously sick from it or die from it.

What does this all mean for the average American family? Simply put, with thousands of new confirmed cases being reported daily in the several states from California to Florida, the thought that communities are ready to send kids back to school is scary. To date, where kids have started high school for example, coronavirus outbreaks have occurred all too often.  Anecdotal evidence shared through social media has displayed a lack of physical distancing being practiced by students and school staff, no masks being worn and inappropriate group activities being carried out.  Coronavirus-related problems have also popped up in kids’ summer camps, again raising red flags.

Let us not forget that while kids are considered generally less likely to have serious symptoms when they’re infected, they can in turn transmit the coronavirus within the community at large. In some cases, transmission can occur with respect to vulnerable populations, whether at home or within the community. Given the science to date and resulting studies, Americans should pause about opening schools until the overall number of community cases begin to decline and the so-called curve is flattened. More resources have to be provided urgently to implement the necessary precautions and health-care, particularly in poorer school districts. Yes, it is certainly desirable from a mental health and socialization perspective to have children back in schools. However, community leaders should understand that they are potentially talking about putting children in unsafe situations.

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Aug 2

Ethics Scandal Hits Prime Minister of Canada Once Again — So What!

by bcurry

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the headlines once again for a situation involving a potential conflict of interest. This time it has to do with a proposed contract to a supposedly non-profit organization called the WE Charity Foundation, run by two brothers: Craig and Marc Kielburger. The federal government initially awarded a sole-sourced contract for $19.5 million to WE Charity to administer a $912-million student grant program— meaning no requests for bids.  Post-secondary students could volunteer up to 500 hours to receive a grant up to $5,000 under the proposed new Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG). The problem is that the PM’s family has close ties to WE Charity with his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau hosting a podcast called WE Well-being.  Both Justin Trudeau and his wife have spoken at WE Days, as have the PM’s mother, Margaret Trudeau, and his brother, Alexandre Trudeau.  It was uncovered that Margaret Trudeau had been paid $250,000 for 28 appearances and Alexandre Trudeau had been paid $32,000 for eight appearances.  When the matter of awarding the contract for the CSSG came before Cabinet, neither Trudeau nor his Finance Minister Bill Morneau, whose family also had ties to the WE Charity, recused themselves from discussions about the contract.  A big mistake for which the PM has now often apologized even before Parliament, the House’s Finance Committee and Canadians in general.  Moreover, the CSSG contract to the WE Charity was withdrawn by the government as a result.

What makes matters worse is the fact that this is the third time that the PM’s actions have been investigated by the Ethics Commissioner. In the previous two cases, Trudeau was found to have broken federal ethics rules.  Neither decision was sufficient to force the PM to resign and install an acting PM.  Given that the opposition parties really don’t want to bring down the government at this time, in light of the pandemic and everything else, it is highly unlikely that Trudeau will resign and call an election.  This despite the fact that he has a minority government and requires opposition support to govern.  However, such scandals can eventually influence the electorate as people may not be ready to forgive the PM for his latest transgression.

Of course, the media loves such scandals and continue to uncover certain dirt with respect to the WE Charity itself, accusing Craig and Marc Kielburger of financially benefiting from the foundation, especially in its real estate holdings. As a result, the foundation is itself under close scrutiny for significant real estate holdings that received charitable status last year, the firing of half its workforce and the resignation of several Board of Directors members; including the former Chair, Michelle Douglas.  Indeed, it appears that new information about WE financial irregularities preceding the scandal had come to light of which the Prime Minister’s Office should have been aware.

What does all this mean? The PM’s popularity rating had risen due to the federal government’s fairly good handling and coordination of national policies and programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.  However, recent polls show a slight decline in his popularity, but not enough to force Trudeau to resign or to dissolve Parliament.  No one, including the official opposition Conservatives, wants an election at this time or in the near future.  While any so-called scandal currently makes for good press and suggests incompetence, over time it usually dies out unless more serious revelations about political improprieties come to light.   There may be a shake-up in Cabinet such as moving the Finance Minister to another portfolio, but that’s about all.  In the meantime, the government must keep on governing in response to the pandemic, which in my view and that of most Canadians should be its priority.  The nation and the economy need a steady hand at the helm, even if it may be shaking right now.

Canada COVID-19 Justin Trudeau Political Scandals Uncategorized

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