Lobbyists: 24k, Truckers: 0
Government meets with corporate lobbyists by the thousands, but refused to meet with truckers.
There’s a concept in psychology known as projection - accusing others of your own shortcomings. Last week Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, told an Emergencies Act hearing that Freedom Convoy protesters didn’t just want to talk. They wanted, he said, to be obeyed.
That was a strange word for him to use. About people he’d never spoken to. Yet it sums up his own posture rather nicely: Don’t bother trying to change my mind. I’m in charge, you must obey. Conversation over. Case closed.
According to Mr. Trudeau, the Freedom Convoy didn’t deserve a face-to-face meeting with his government because it wanted to change public policy. How terrible that free people, in a free country might want some influence over the increasingly draconian COVID rules they were required to follow. How unreasonable for them to come to Ottawa in an attempt to communicate the depths of their desperation.
A Prime Minister who received less than 33% of the votes cast during the federal election a mere four months earlier chose to thumb his nose at these protesters. Get lost, peasants. You will not be changing public policy.
This is the moment to remember that an entire industry spends every minute of every working day trying to do what the truckers were attempting to do. Those people are called professional lobbyists.
Over 8,000 lobbyists registered with the federal government during the latest fiscal year. A government press release tells us these lobbyists had more than 24 thousand “communications with high-ranking decision makers.”
Lobbyists get well paid. To ask for meetings. In which they talk to politicians. In attempts to change public policy.
We need to recognize what has happened here. The same federal officials who meet with corporate lobbyists by the thousands refused to have a single meeting with the truckers.
This, ladies and gentleman, is the state of Canada’s democracy.
It occurs to me that the faction that refuses to listen and then demonizes their opponent is not very convinced of their own argument. It is the stance of tyrants and bullies.
Good point Donna about the lobbyists and well said. Also good point about Trudeau using projection. This makes sense. I have been wondering whether T really is a terrified and raging child inside truly believing the things he says - projecting his own aggression outward - the TRUCKERS ARE TERRORISTS (not me). Good to have you back!