Skip to content

Trudeau out of touch on China

It might just be some sort of political manoeuvering
24455499_web1_Letters-logo-2-660x440

Trudeau out of touch on China

Recently Justin Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from voting for the condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party regarding its genocidal conduct towards the Uyghur minority in China. Why? There is copious evidence of mass incarceration, slave labour and other offences against humanity taking place in China, already a human rights nightmare.

We are left with a couple of conclusions. One, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are afraid of “insulting” the regime in Beijing, something they have previously been guilty of as they cozied up to the Communist party in the past. Perhaps we are returning to the days of Justin Trudeau’s admiration of China’s “Basic Dictatorship” as a way to get things done. That would indeed be sad.

Two, the Liberal leadership lacks the courage and moral fortitude to resist the obvious tyranny and horrific totalitarianism China now represents. If so, we may be seeing a repeat of 1930s politics when the League of Nations condemned, but did not stop the aggression of fascist Germany, Italy and Japan until it was too late. That would make Justin Trudeau a political compatriot of Neville Chamberlain and the “appeasement” crowd, and that too would indeed be sad.

Thirdly, it might just be some sort of political manoeuvering, but what kind remains a mystery, since the NDP and the other major parties, plus free liberal members voted for the Conservative Party’s motion. According to a Nanos Survey for the Globe and Mail, 59 per cent of Canadians oppose the abstention by Trudeau, and 70 per cent of Canadians feel strongly about this, supporting the relocation of the upcoming Winter Olympics out of China.

Some things about this are clear. Trudeau is out of touch with Canadians, pursuing his own agenda and may well be playing both ends against the middle. That kind of politics never ends well. Just ask those few Canadians still alive who remember the 1930s. It is bad policy to ignore or excuse totalitarianism. Justin Trudeau and the Liberal cabinet should take heed.

Perry Foster

Duncan