Justin Trudeau: Canada’s Führer?
How it came to be that Justin Trudeau was linked to an Austrian dictator.
The 2020 COVID pandemic was anything but normal. It arguably altered the course of history and changed people's lives, some for the better and some for the worst. Different countries responded to the pandemic in different ways, with some quickly issuing full national lockdowns and others taking a little bit more time to implement policies that other countries had already adopted. Following the creation of a vaccine, the leaders of our nation urged us to take it and many of us did, myself included, but there were also those who did not.
We draw our attention to Canada, where Prime Minster Justin Trudeau currently sits as leader and head of the Liberal Party of Canada. It may have crossed your mind, how exactly do COVID-19 and Justin Trudeau intersect? The answer is not so simple. It requires an understanding of the events that occurred after the introduction of the vaccines into general healthcare. In recent months the hashtag “#TrudeauIsTheNewHitler” has been trending on Twitter and again, you may be wondering why this may be the case given that Trudeau is a ‘man of the people’ after all. However, upon further examination what we see on the surface may not be all there is to the Leader of Canada.
Fast forward to 2022, reports out of Canada in January indicated protests in Ottawa, Canada, which comprised of trucker drivers who make a living off of the transportation of goods between the United States and Canada. These drivers formed a convoy of trucks (lorries) which infamously gained the name ‘Freedom Convoy’ and headed to Ottawa where they formed blockades, preventing access to key areas such as border crossings and airports. But why? Well, the answer this time is more of a simple one. Massive government overreach. COVID-19 exemptions for drivers had ended meaning that an estimated 20,000 drivers were due to be met with an ultimatum: get the vaccine or lose their livelihood. As it transpired the drivers opted to stage one of the largest protests in recent memory.
Now, onto why “#TrudeauIsTheNewHitler” was trending on Twitter. Spoiler alert, it has a lot to do with what we have discussed earlier in this article. Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, which is the first time a Prime Minster has done so since the Act’s passing in 1988, citing an unprecedented threat to national security. Now while the protests were notably disruptive, it begs the question was the activation of a piece of legislature that grants unchecked power to the government really necessary? It didn’t take long for the police to freeze the bank accounts of those linked to the protests given their new powers. It certainly raises the question is it ever right to punish those who engage in their right to protest to such an extent and would it have been different if it were not such a polarising topic?
More recently, Canadians have been taking to Twitter to express their displeasure with Trudeau’s policy-making decisions which I’m not exactly sure qualify him for Nazi high command. Such issues with policies include the following:
(i) Economic Policies: Canadian conservatives feel that Trudeau’s policies, like increasing taxes on the wealthiest in Canadian society and the largest companies, have hurt the economy and have made it less competitive.
(ii) Energy Policies: Trudeau has faced criticism from Canadian conservatives for his approach to energy, including support for transitioning away from fossil fuels and the Canadian Prime Minster’s handling of the controversial Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion.
(iii) Defence and Foreign Policy: It has been a common criticism of Justin Trudeau of his approach to defence, including his handling of the relationship with the United States and his ‘soft’ approach to Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and Taiwan.
(iv) Social Policies: Trudeau and his government have been accused by some conservatives of being too focused on social issues, such as immigration and gender equality, at the expense of other important priorities like the economy and defence.
Upon review, there is no valid comparison between Trudeau and Hitler, the hashtag “#TrudeauIsTheNewHitler” appears to be just another hyperbole for ‘I don’t like Justin Trudeau’ that is fronted by the critics of The Canadian government. This is not to excuse the mishandling of the Freedom Convoy protests of course, in a free country people should be allowed to express their disapproval with the government through means of protest without the government freezing bank accounts and activating legislature invoking a surge in power and dictating more authority to the police.
All the while, Hitler was a fascist dictator and responsible for the worst atrocities in human history and oversaw some 6 million Jews being sent to their demise during the Holocaust. Trudeau, in contrast, is a democratically elected government official who has been praised for his commitment to human rights, multiculturalism and diversity. The very act of comparing Trudeau to Hitler threatens to trivialise the suffering that was felt during the reign of Hitler. While some Canadian conservatives may be displeased with the actions of Trudeau, a comparison of this magnitude is something that has become the norm for expressing a dislike for something or someone on social media.
So no, Trudeau is not the new Hitler. I’m not entirely sure that there was ever any doubt in anyone’s mind. It goes without saying that the comparison is inflammatory and serves little purpose other than to get clicks (as does anything else compared to Hitler). Twitter continues to be one of the most politically volatile social media platforms out there (especially so since the acquisition by Elon Musk) and it certainly speaks to the current political climate of Canada, the USA and further afield. In future, I urge you (the reader) to always double-check the source of the information and form your own opinion. I believe that is how we get through this adversity.
