Trudeau Jnr & San Francisco

[August1991]

Justin Trudeau strikes me like Gertrude Stein's description of San Francisco: there's no there, there.

He inherited his mother's hair, and his father's eyes - his father's sensibility and his mother's logic.

To me, Justin Trudeau is the punch line of a George Bernard Shaw joke: "But what if our child inherited your brain and my looks?"

-----

After travelling to Riga, and in western Ukraine, to Lviv, I'm now more federalist. The Austrian-Hungarian Empire was civilized. Trudeau père seemed to understand this.

His son is a mere dilettante.

[Black Dog]

Cool story bro.

[Michael Hardner]

Cool story bro.

You must have more to say than that, BD ? Why not elaborate ?

[guyser]

You must have more to say than that, BD ? Why not elaborate ?

What more is there to say?

We got a cool story from August, he travelled to Riga and Trudeau is a dumpling because of it.

End of story.

[RNG]

Most of the press on the west coast seems to consider him an intellectual lightweight but a real charmer. Just what we need, a leader with charisma and little else.

[The_Squid]

Another nonsensical August 1991 post. Pseudo-intellectual mumbo-jumbo.

[Moonlight Graham]

I don't understand the purpose of this thread.

[guyser]

I don't understand the purpose of this thread.

See post #2 for the answer

[August1991]

Another nonsensical August 1991 post. Pseudo-intellectual mumbo-jumbo.

Giggle.

Cool story bro.

In fact, it is.

----

Lviv, in western Ukraine has a Jewish Hospital (just like Montreal, BTW). Lviv's hospital is known because, even in modern times, it still has the Star of David from its construction in the early 20th century.

http://www.polishjews.org/photos/lvov.htm

-----

I am not Jewish. Nor am I Polish. No one (to my knowledge) was Jewish, Polish, German, Slavic in my ancestry. (As you would say BD, I don't have a dog in this fight). But I was disturbed when I walked around Lvov to see tourist groups of older Poles, coming back to see where their parents once lived.

From what I understand, Lviv (Lvov, Lemberg) was once a city with many Poles and Jews, and Germans or rural Ukrainians who came in to do business. It was multilingual, multicultural, multireligious.

I reckon that Lviv in 1900 was like Montreal (Montréal) in 2000. And I fear that unlike his father, Justin is like his mother, a dilettante, in understanding this.

Edited March 23, 2013 by August1991

[nimiru]

Another nonsensical August 1991 post. Pseudo-intellectual mumbo-jumbo.

here, here, Ain't that the truth. Where's all the right wing diatribe? Seems pretty quiet out here.

[Michael Hardner]

I reckon that Lviv in 1900 was like Montreal (Montréal) in 2000. And I fear that unlike his father, Justin is like his mother, a dilettante, in understanding this.

You think that Justin doesn't understand multiculturalism ? I don't share your fear - I think that the concept is simple enough for him to grasp.

Economics, global politics, the challenges of communicating in today's environment, the challenges of the Canadian business environment - those are the things that I fear he doesn't understand.

[Argus]

You think that Justin doesn't understand multiculturalism ? I don't share your fear - I think that the concept is simple enough for him to grasp.

Economics, global politics, the challenges of communicating in today's environment, the challenges of the Canadian business environment - those are the things that I fear he doesn't understand.

Trudeau is a rich boy who has never faced want or need. His family is replete with connections everywhere. I was just reading a column by a woman who is, evidently, a great teacher, but most new teachers don't get jobs easily, and if they do they're in the far north or on native reservations, and even those aren't at all guaranteed. Trudeau graduated into a full time job at an exclusive boys school in Montreal. Why? Connections. No traveling around desperately looking for work or working at Starbucks while living in his parents basement for HIM! Not knowing what to do with himself he started an Engineering degree, then dropped out. Then he started a Liberal Arts degree, then dropped out, and ran for parliament. Hey, he got in! Cash for life! All the party boys swooning around him eager to make him Prime Minister!

I think he could well be an effective, charismatic communicator, but he has no real clue as to how business or economies function, much less the interlinking issues of social welfare, business, taxation and community. Nor do I think he can really identify with the everyday man. I fear he is more likely to seize on ISSUES like the environment/global warming, world poverty, multiculturalism etc, and address them as individual subjects without regard to the economics involved. The problem with earnest left wing types is they see a problem and are eager to throw money at it. Trudeau Senior was much like that, and talk of costs/economics simply irritated him. Just borrow the money, he said, and so we have our debt. McGuinty was much the same.

Edited March 23, 2013 by Argus

[Jerry J. Fortin]

We are all entitled to our opinions Mr. Hardner. Mr. Trudeau, who is not yet a party leader, is now experiencing what every up and coming new political leader does, trails by fire.

In a very real way it can be said that the mantle of leadership is a burden known only to incumbents. No person is ever really prepared for the job, not even the number two person in the command chain. The real key lays within the ability of a leader to acquire administrative staff that can work together effectively.

"Economics, global politics, the challenges of communicating in today's environment, the challenges of the Canadian business environment - those are the things that I fear he doesn't understand." Those are just some of the paradigms we need to address, and doing the same thing and failing the same way year after year are the rewards we have earned by defending the political entrenchment we have slaved over for decades. The old ways no longer work. Reaganomics don't work, and deficit financing doesn't work either. The entire monetary system is fundamentally flawed because of privately owned central banks and a fractional reserve banking system. The systems were never designed to do anything more than leverage capital in the first place. They were designed to profit themselves, and that they do very well for themselves. The legal pyramid scheme that is the monetary system will work until the little guy quits buying in.

Which ushers in the mention of global politics to which I assume the author suggests Mr. Trudeau does not understand. I too am guilty of not understand international politics. However having said that, I am sure that any leader this nation chooses will have little if any impact on international affairs. This nation has never desired international leadership and has never sought to attain it. Mr. Trudeau will not be voted world dictator by Canadian citizens any time soon. I would suggest we look toward cleaning our own act up before we worry about the acts of others. Canada has more pressing internal than external issues to resolve at the moment in my view. Communication is everybody's challenge not just a Trudeau challenge. In fact as a communicator he has obviously acquired sufficient skills to rally a following. The Canadian business environment is needlessly complicated with taxes and regulations designed in previous centuries. Efforts to reform or modify this business model have been suggested at mainstream levels within government however to this day the paradigm remains.

If and or when Trudeau becomes the leader of the Liberals, citizens will have the choice of something different or something the same.

[Michael Hardner]

Then he started a Liberal Arts degree, then dropped out, and ran for parliament. Hey, he got in! Cash for life! All the party boys swooning around him eager to make him Prime Minister!

Although I think that a country where nepotism is the rule will succeed less often than a meritocracy... and I also think that political family dynasties and pop-star politicians and fads such as Trudeaumania II run counter to having the best people run the job... there would be no reason to not give young Justin's ideas a fair hearing.

That is, if he had any to offer. I haven't heard anything yet other than easy statements on being Canadian, and appeals to our national vanity.

Harper's record on the environment is terrible, and his unnecessary overtures to the far-right zealots who support him are aggravating but he is at least working towards a new Canada following his vision by working towards major trade agreements with Europe and China.

Even if you disagree with Harper, you must admit that he's doing something new.

Trudeau Senior was much like that, and talk of costs/economics simply irritated him. Just borrow the money, he said, and so we have our debt. McGuinty was much the same.

Trudeau's time was different, and his vision of strong national identity, as well as economic control was what played at the time.

[Michael Hardner]

Those are just some of the paradigms we need to address, and doing the same thing and failing the same way year after year are the rewards we have earned by defending the political entrenchment we have slaved over for decades. The old ways no longer work. Reaganomics don't work, and deficit financing doesn't work either. The entire monetary system is fundamentally flawed because of privately owned central banks and a fractional reserve banking system. The systems were never designed to do anything more than leverage capital in the first place. They were designed to profit themselves, and that they do very well for themselves. The legal pyramid scheme that is the monetary system will work until the little guy quits buying in.

Well, it sounds like you're talking about a vastly different approach than many of the G20 nations are now taking. Restructuring banking, changing the monetary system to help the 'little guy' is heady stuff indeed. As such, Trudeau is even less qualified to take on such tasks than Harper would be.

Which ushers in the mention of global politics to which I assume the author suggests Mr. Trudeau does not understand. I too am guilty of not understand international politics. However having said that, I am sure that any leader this nation chooses will have little if any impact on international affairs.

Maybe - but we are also doing business with the same countries that engage in global politics.

This nation has never desired international leadership and has never sought to attain it.

I disagree. Politicians such as Trudeau and Mulroney had far more influence globally than Canada might have had, and Canadians have seen themselves as a significant voice on the world stage.

If and or when Trudeau becomes the leader of the Liberals, citizens will have the choice of something different or something the same.

Indeed that seems to be the choice. And if that's the best way to characterize Trudeau - that he's "different" from Harper - then that's not very much to say about him is it ?

"Vote Trudeau, he's not Harper" will lose the election.

[shortlived]

A lot of successful people dropped out of college, take Bill Gates for example.

However we should be clear that he graduated from his undergraduate program, as well as the Bachelors of Education program, not exactly a drop out.

There are not a lot of people that go back to school for a third degree in an unrelated field.

Edited March 23, 2013 by shortlived

[August1991]

A lot of successful people dropped out of college, take Bill Gates for example.

However we should be clear that he graduated from his undergraduate program, as well as the Bachelors of Education program, not exactly a drop out.

There are not a lot of people that go back to school for a third degree in an unrelated field.

Justin Trudeau, unlike his father, never studied abroad. And unlike his father, Justin never travelled much abroad either. But like his father, Justin has been accused of being a dilettante.

We may soon discover whether Justin is as solid as his father.

Or as solid as Stephen Harper.

Edited March 29, 2013 by August1991

[Argus]

Justin Trudeau, unlike his father, never studied abroad. And unlike his father, Justin never travelled much abroad either. But like his father, Justin has been accused of being a dilettante.

We may soon discover whether Justin is as solid as his father.

Or as solid as Stephen Harper.

I'm more worried he'll be solid like Dalton McGuinty...

[The_Squid]

Harper dropped out of college before he went back later to earn his Masters in Economics.

Harper has never studied or worked abroad before becoming PM.

These criticisms of Trudeau Jr can also be applied to Harper. As far as I can tell, before Harper got into politics, his only job was working for Imperial Oil. Not exactly a wealth of experience there or a well rounded career!

[Argus]

Harper dropped out of college before he went back later to earn his Masters in Economics.

Harper has never studied or worked abroad before becoming PM.

These criticisms of Trudeau Jr can also be applied to Harper. As far as I can tell, before Harper got into politics, his only job was working for Imperial Oil. Not exactly a wealth of experience there or a well rounded career!

Harper worked a number of jobs before and during college, not being a rich boy getting by on daddy's wallet. More importantly, Harper put in a lot of time in the smoky back rooms, involved with political discussions, infighting, and the development of policy. The problem I have with Trudeau is everything has been handed to him on a platter, and he quite literally doesn't know what it means to worry about paying a bill, or whether your job is safe. This isn't to say I have any great admirer of Harper, but he was a lot more experienced in politics (and that is the job, after all) than Trudeau.

[The_Squid]

A career politician with not much employment history.... I'd say Trudeau stacks up just fine in the employment history category.

[August1991]

Solid? When push comes to shove, the question is: who is the flake.

(Neither Lévesque nor Trudeau Snr were flakes. IMHO, Ignatieff was a flake.)

Harper is not a flake; I still wonder about Trudeau Jnr but I suspect that he'll bend, like his mother. Let's see.

Edited March 31, 2013 by August1991