Now that you have had a chance to mull over my defence for the White Poppy …let’s now turn to Red China.
In particular, to Young Justin’s admiration for it.
We all know that at a recent speaking event, Trudeau was asked which country he admired most other than Canada.
I had expected him to say Quebec* but like you was surprised when he said the following:
‘You know, there’s a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime,,,’
And you know what …the kid’s right.
But before I get into that, let’s spend a minute on why I thought he would mention Quebec before all others.
First, he has said so in the past – that he greatly admires Quebec and if push came to shove – i.e. separation – he would opt to take Quebec citizenship in a heart beat.
He has also told us that his late father – told him that Quebecers were better than the rest of us. So hence no surprise to me if he went with Quebec over China.
One more point – even the control freak Stephen Harper declared Quebec to have nation state status in a Motion he presented to Parliament and passed on November 27, 2006.
So had Trudeau picked Quebec, as I have said, I would not have been the least surprised but had he done so …he would have been wrong. There is very little to admire about that Province save for its proficiency in getting others to pay their bills.
But I digress.
The fact is he picked China and I fear dear reader he is on to something.
At the time the Communists came into power in the late 1940s, China was a 4th world country with 90% of its population comprising of poor peasants.
Today, it has a middle class larger in size than all of the United States and within a year or two will surpass that nation in Gross Domestic Product.
That is simply astounding.
There is another side to China – as we all know – one that flagrantly abuses human rights and refuses all efforts at democratization.
And that is a side of China no reasonable person would or should admire.
In the 1960s and older friend of my father’s told me that we needed to watch China because the day would come when its economy would be on top. Scotty Broughton was his name and he went on to say that China would then move to democracy and human rights protections because at that point its people would demand nothing less.
Put yourself in the poor peasant’s place in the 1940’s – he or she worried where the next meal would come from – rather than weather or not they were entitled to vote in an election.
So China took the first step and unlike the USSR moved to implement capitalism.
They did it most successfully and for that they deserve our admiration.
Now they must move on implementing democracy, the rule of law, and human rights protection.
Once they do that, China will be entitled to our full admiration without qualification.
Scotty – you called it right over 50 years ago in regard to the first step …let’s hope your insight carries forward to step two.
As I see it…
K.D. Galagher’
