The march towards authoritarian government continues in North America
But authoritarian leaders haven't always enjoyed the outcome
Democrats in U.S.A. and Liberals in Canada are well advanced in their aspirations to install an authoritarian progressive government not only in both countries but also globally. Their dream is a global socialist government that can address the injustices and inequalities they see as pervasive under free countries based on capitalist economies. In history, they have had many predecessors that believed they would benefit mankind through their own tyrannical rule, or at a minimum benefit themselves through rampant corruption.
Two Romanian leaders, Ceausescu and Antonescu met a similar fate - they lost their lives to forces of freedom in their countries. Sadam Hussein and Mohamar Gadhafi also fell victim to their own people. Peter II and Nicolas I of Russia were both executed by their subjects. Charles I of England was beheaded for ‘treason’ by his subjects. Louis XVI of France went to the guillotine. Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by his own supporters and a predecessor, Domitian, was killed by his court officials.
Freedom has widespread appeal and leaders who aspire to authoritarian rule are often putting their own lives at risk. South Korean leader Park Chung-Hee tried what was described as “guided democracy”, a euphemism for tyranny, and was assassinated on October 26, 1979.
As Canadian and American socialist governments (describing themselves as “democratic socialists”) expand their intervention not only into their respective economies but also enacting legal restrictions on personal freedoms and issuing mandates, they walk down a well-travelled road with many potholes. Canada and the United States are stable, orderly societies and will likely remain so for many years to come, unless Trudeau in Canada and Biden in United States persist with destructive economic policies and broad efforts to curtail personal freedoms to meet some “woke” objective they equivocate with “social justice”. The base their policies in racism to combat racism, on a specious climate change narrative intended to instill fear in their citizens and rally support for their long term goal of a global socialist government, and use identity politics to divide people into groups along lines of race, religion, sexual orientation or ideology and pit those groups against one other with “woke” policies that are destructive to an orderly society. They may reach the point where the electorate rebels and tries to vote them out of office, and should that fail, violence is a possible outcome.
It took only one generation for Venezuela to move from the most advanced and wealthy Latin American state to the chaos of today under Communist rule, and the steps in that process are eerily similar to what both Biden and Trudeau are enacting in their respective regimes -
In Canada we have had socialized health care for decades and in United States it seems on its way with Obamacare a first step. Healthcare outcomes are worsening in both countries and healthcare mandates are now routine.
Higher education remains expensive in Canada and United States but Biden’s efforts to forgive student loans are proceeding curbed solely by court actions. Trudeau suspended interest and principal on student loans during the pandemic. Canada has a number of programs that are tantamount to student loan forgiveness.
Biden is determined to enact more gun control; Trudeau is already banning hunting rifles although he pretends otherwise.
Neither Canada nor United States have imprisoned opposition leaders although Trudeau’s use of the Emergency Act included imprisonment of Freedom Convoy leaders.
Progressive fiscal, monetary and climate policies in Canada and United States have fueled rampant inflation with higher food costs outpacing general inflation and shortages appearing on a regular basis. Canada has healthcare shortages and major gaps in medicines like children’s painkillers which are almost impossible to get today.
The Canadian and American constitutions are intact but under frequent attack with Courts in both companies being asked to reinterpret the Constitutions along ideological lines, and both Washington and Ottawa keep intruding further and further into State and Provincial jurisdictions weakening the Constitutional division of powers in both countries.
But, fortunately, we remain free of government led massacres of Canadian citizens although the ills inflicted on indigenous Canadians at the hands of Ottawa’s policies come close to a genocide.
It took 27 years for Venezuela to become a Communist totalitarian state. Biden has been in office only two years and says he seeks another term starting in 2024. Trudeau was first elected prime minister in 2015, only 7 years ago. It is early days in the efforts of left wing governments to bring about the “great reset” which is a snappy descriptor for a despicable intention. Leaders who claim they want to fundamentally reshape society rarey have laudable motives.
Canadians like to think what happened in Venezuela can’t happen here. But it can and unless we are vigilant about protecting personal freedoms and free speech, it very likely will. As a student of history, I feel like I have seen this movie before and know how it ends.
The only problem is that it can take a long time for the yoke of oppression to thrown off.
Love your articles Michael.. Merry Christmas !