The 'freedom convoy' never really loved Canada
Picking up supplies for the convoy occupation in Ottawa. Photo by: Flickr/R.D. Barry
Canada, as it turns out, isn’t broken. That was the message coming out of Pierre Poilievre’s big rebrand rally, where he tried to reposition himself as a champion of Canada’s virtues rather than just another critic of its failures. And while Liberal partisans will look skeptically on this attempted political metamorphosis, the biggest doubters might actually be some of his erstwhile fans: the freedom convoy.
Check the social media accounts of any prominent convoy participant, whether it’s Tamara Lich, Pat King, or their dedicated transcriptionists in the alt-press, and their sympathy for Donald Trump and antipathy towards Canada becomes immediately apparent. “Your sudden, newfound, fake patriotism is truly indicative of how stupid you think we are,” Lich said. “The entitlement of certain Canadians is humorous,” fellow organizer Chris Barber wrote. “If we had leadership in Canada who cared about Canadians like Trump cared about Americans … we wouldn't be in this situation.”
They insist the real problem isn’t Trump’s ongoing threats to our sovereignty but Justin Trudeau’s continued existence — and, of course, the injustices and affronts that were inflicted upon them by his government. Rupa Subramanya, one of the most sympathetic chroniclers of the convoy’s exploits, suggested that “Canadians have bought into the lie by politicians across the board that Trump wants to annex Canada, when what I believe is that he really wants Canadians to get rid of the Liberal government and have greater economic integration and cooperation with the US.”
That’s right: for these folks, public health orders aimed at protecting them and their fellow citizens are a greater threat to their liberty than an American government explicitly threatening their liberty. Policies like vaccine mandates and mask regulations — most of which, it’s worth reiterating, were implemented by provincial governments — are worth resisting, apparently, but unjustified economic warfare is best met with submission and docility.
In some respects, the convoy’s refusal to join the rest of the country in its fight against Trump’s repeated provocations isn’t all that surprising. What brought them to Ottawa in 2022 wasn’t love of their country but hatred of the government in charge of it, which helps explain the very conspicuous presence of American flags, Trump flags, and even Confederate and Nazi flags. It’s why they plotted, at least in the beginning, to overthrow that government. And it’s why, in a moment where the country they claim to love is being actively threatened with economic and political subjugation, they’re rooting for the person doing the threatening.
They’re welcome to believe whatever they want, of course. That’s one of the virtues of living in a free and democratic society: you can pretend it’s a woke dictatorship if that makes you feel better about your life choices. For many of the convoy’s leading figures it has become their version of Woodstock, albeit one where peace and love were replaced by grievance and anger. They’ll spend the rest of their lives re-living and re-litigating its supposed glories, facts be damned.
In the process, though, they might trip up Pierre Poilievre in his own quest to defeat the federal government they all love to hate. He’s spent so long running the country down, and running alongside the convoy, that it might be hard for him to convince enough Canadians his sudden outburst of true patriot love is genuine and sincere. His proximity to their movement, and his party’s willingness to aid and abet their ambitions in the past, may yet come back to haunt them.
That will be decided, like so many things, in the next federal election. But one thing is already mercifully clear: Canadians can wave and wear the maple leaf again with pride and honour. In their eagerness to surrender to Trump the convoy is effectively surrendering any claim they might have had to our flag. No longer will it be associated with a movement that sought to undermine and interfere with our collective wellbeing and safety, and is so clearly willing to do it again. That alone is a win for the rest of us.
February 21st 2025
Comments
Well said and thanks for the reminder. People need to be reminded. Not the people in Ottawa they will never forget but the people elsewhere that saw what that bunch did to Ottawa. They didn't smell the diesel or hear the honking or watch the antics from harassing homeless shelters for food, defecating on doorsteps, chasing people wearing masks, building shacks and bobbing around a paddling pool drinking beer. Also they brought their little children and watching little boys carrying gas cans to keep their vehicles filled was something else altogether.
What no one seems to want to talk about when it comes to the Convoy bunch is that they closed the bridges to trade and what it cost. And the Coutts fellas that really thought there was a revolution coming so they brought their guns. That doesn't get much press either.
I think that instead of make america great again MAGA should mean Make America Go Away.
I like your idea....Make America Go Away...........but I'm also convinced Donald will achieve that to some extent. He is bloviating in so many realms.....promising so many imperial marches into other people's territories....while simultaneously gutting so much essential American infrastructure.......
That I suspect Americans are soon going to be too busy securing the furniture...to actually have the time and energy to go anywhere.
Still...thanks for your details about the joys of having western alt right ragaholics hang out in our capital city. I missed the defecation bit...but there's nothing like the visceral detail to sober the mind.....
If Canadians choose PP over Carney or Jagmeet, it will be a clear indication of the growing ignorance in our nation. Too many people are angry and afraid.......too few reading sites like the National Observer.
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The freedom convoy crowd should all pick up and move to the USA and leave the majority of us alone to enjoy and appreciate everything we have. When it comes to freedom, Canada has always ranked high compared to the USA (Human freedom score - Canada 13th, USA 17th, Personal freedom score - Canada 15th, USA 27th).
The freedom convoy crowd are free to exit Canada if they feel as a country, we are that bad as they make us out to be. It is clear they don't love our country and feel our laws are too much for them to handle or apply to them. Even that fact that some of them quote USA law which doesn't apply here with their false claims.
I don't know if its so much that they don't love our country, as they're in positions that don't afford them much power, influence....or cathartic kinds of fun. They're rural...on social media more often than not...........and have been seduced to some extent by right wing American radicals.
We visited our sister-in-laws friend in Montana a couple of years ago........very nice lady, until politics came up. Turned out, a rabid anti-vaccer certain 80% of Montana folks would refuse vaccination if another pandemic rolled around. With only two choices...Communism or Capitalism. We never pursued what those two biggies meant to her.
We had a last breakfast together...then drove home.
On the way, we listened for over 20 minutes to a right wing radio show host...a call in...raging about the Federal Government. We finally turned it off....STILL IGNORANT OF WHAT THEY WERE SO ON ABOUT...it's crazy down there, especially in the mid west.
Real exciting for conspiracy fictions.......but bat sh*t crazy.
Our rural folks have been listening....to that and then of course Rebel Media....a station PP intends to support financially, after he guts the CBC.
We're going to get to see, in our next federal election....the degree to which many of us are not listening very closely.......or too into enemy bashing to be able to think rationally....but for sure.......the rage disease we're struggling against, has American roots.
It's always a "lose" to even say "freedom convoy". The term "anti-vax convoy" also names it just as well - meaning everybody knows the convoy you mean. It also isn't controversial, as anti-vaxxers are all proud and loud anti-vaxxers, so it's not like the "anti-abortion" vs "pro-life" naming debate.
The convoy members were interviewed saying "I'm vaxed myself", but not a single one was pro-vaccine, not one was trying to convince their fellows to be vaccinated and ONLY stood against "mandates".
Some 30% of Canada expressed some support for them because of the "freedom" verbiage, the "mandates" claim. But only 5% of Canadians are actually anti-vax.
(another 5% could not be vaccinated for medical reasons. 90% vaccinated.)
So even saying "freedom convoy" boils me. Say "anti-vax convoy" at every reference.
The problem though, is that the government illegally froze bank accounts and suspended license's. Trudeau's use of the Emergencies Act was ruled unconstitutional. He lost my trust and millions of others in that moment. The fact that a court, with all of its authority, wrote a 190 page ruling and found that the Trudeau government illegally violated the Charter, does not fair well for the Trudeau government.
I'm not sure what Trudeau was *supposed* to do. The Ottawa Police were busy being buddies with the invader-occupiers, the OPP didn't show up, and the RCMP IIRC weren't authorized, since Ontario and Ottawa both had their own police forces. Our Proud Conservative premier (still being investigated by the RCMP) wouldn't do anything about it, and trade losses to the tune of many billioins of dollars a day on both sides of the border made it a de facto emergency ... even without the guns and (again IIRC) intelligence that there was intent to use them at Coutts ... (of course with the AB premier asleep at the switch).
As far as freezing bank accounts goes, they're probably lucky no one decided to impound the proceeds of the "fund the Occupation" funds. There'd have been no way to ever get it back. Isn't it illegal for foreign actors to fund bad actors with the intent on bringing down their government?
The other thing the silly Occupiers didn't seem to understand is that it was the US that wouldn't allow the Canadian truckers back into the USA. Sheesh!!!
As far as wanting "closer integration with the US" I wonder just how much closer Canada could be without being a Siamese twin. It's the very integration that made the impassable borders so costly.
Don't be confused or fooled by TrumPierre wrapping himself in the flag. That's what all Americans do when they need cover.
TrumPoilievre has the same intent as TrumPUS.
And if you want to understand where they all got the Big Ideas from ... look no further than the Conservative ex-PM Poilievre served under in cabinet, the minister for democratic reform. His regime was Trump Lite, with firing of scientists, destroying research, etc. And oh yeah: and standardizing the size of jelly beans.
Most Ontarians past puberty remember the "Common Sense Revolution's" Mike Harris. His impact on schools was beyond awful. That was an extension of Mulroney. Harper was Harris on steroids ... and his greatest effect was to pull more and more power into the Office of the PM. Of course, the opposition party screamed bloody murder ... but when they got into office didn't make any changes.
Neither has it escaped me that Trump is throwing around the term "Common Sense Revolution." Yesterday, Poilievre was quoted in a CTV headline saying, "We need a new Common Sense Conservative government," as well as in a press conference vowing to "end the woke agenda." Today he proposed that First Nations' clean water be tied to their accepting "resource projects." He's also been carrying on about "Canada First" ... and that's only some of the most recent comparisons to his idol down south.
But it's an exercise worth doing to go through the long text of Wikipedia's entry about his former boss, and to look up what, exactly, Mr. Harper has been doing this past several years.
You don't think it's by accident that there's a noisey and thriving Extreme Right agenda has surfaced in a whole lot of the "free world," in just a few short years, do you?
I don't necessarily remember the specific dates when things happened, without looking them up: but I do recognize patterns when I see them displayed so blatantly.
You remember it all and that's great and I'm glad you posted the reminder. And you are so right about pp's puppetmaster. He's always been a piece of work and remember only got 2 minority governments and then voila 'industrial sized RoboCall Scam' and voila majority and landed running as fast as he could with it. Who had a RoboCall company at the time? It was called 3D Contact and pp and a like minded fella owned it. Just saying.
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2019/08/06/Harper-Heads-Global-Org-Help-Ele…
Hmm, it's almost like the convoy people are actively being paid to undermine the Canadian government. Wonder who that may be? Russia.
Their unwavering hate of everything Canadian should be painted onto the background of who they support (The PC's)
Russia? Well, maybe, at least a bit, but if it walks like the United States and is vulgar like the United States and the propaganda is identical to the stuff marinating the United States, it's probably the United States. The USA is THE home of propaganda and their oligarchs spend more money on it than everyone else put together.
It's not Russia that wants to take Canada over.