Freedom is the Fabergé egg of successful nations, yet the nations where it is most prevalent seem to ignore its fragility.
As in other areas of one’s personal or professional life, complacency kills. The United States obviously has its fair share of aloofness to the God-given rights articulated in the Constitution and the spirit of meritocracy, but nations that are predisposed to progressivism are extra oblivious.
I’m looking at you, Canada.
The trucker convoy across Canada, particularly in the capital of Ottawa, has gained worldwide attention for its non-violent yet occasionally disruptive protest against vaccine and other coronavirus-related mandates. While there has been an outpouring of support, the bulk of Canadians tend to side with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead.
A Maru Voice Canada poll of 1,518 randomly selected adults from Feb. 14 to Feb. 15 was asked about various aspects of the protest and the actions done in response, City News reported.
Unfortunately, 66% agree with Trudeau using the Emergencies Act as an excuse to seize protesters’ property and limiting access to financial resources related to the protest without going through the justice system, according to Fortune.
Eighty-two percent have said the protests have dragged on too long, 67% want the truckers to be removed, and 56% thought premiers should not have lifted restrictions.
NEW: Maru Public Opinion poll:
66% support Trudeau invoking Emergencies Act
82% say 3-week Ottawa protest gone on too long
67% say clear them out
71% say Canada’s handling of it an international embarrassment
54% blame politicians
56% say premiers caved by lifting restrictions— Robert Benzie (@robertbenzie) February 17, 2022
Well, it appears that the greatest threat to the Western world is itself.
It’s one thing to disagree with the protests. It’s another to support the Emergencies Act, which uses the sweeping minimally checked power of the state to act against them. There’s an argument to be made that the supply chain disruptions are too costly, except sometimes a just cause is worth the sacrifice.
What is really hilarious that some people are just now realizing that politics is not merely about procedural norms but also substantive goods.
Some protest movements are good; some are bad. Some foreign interventions are good; some, bad. The key question is what are they *for*? https://t.co/LNmikf065g
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) February 13, 2022
Trudeau and other liberals have tried to conflate the majority of demonstrators with far-right extremists, which is flat-out dishonest. Almost every demonstration has a few whackos who decide to show up, but they usually do not represent the movement as a whole.
This is nothing like the protests and riots from the summer of 2020 that resulted in an estimated $1 to $2 billion in insurance claims from damages, according to Axios. Although there were people who were peacefully protesting then, that was not the main concern by any stretch.
Freedom does not equate to lawlessness, so it’s important to make the distinction between that and being able to make choices within the parameters of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, the West needs to wake up from its tragic daze of blindly trusting the government, as opposed to the spirit of its own people, to built strength in its institutions.
