Awkward moment when world realizes Canada’s been at the grown-ups’ table the whole time

Weren’t those kids supposed to be outside playing and asking for ice cream truck money?

Take a look at their fascist Prime Minister! Winsome lad Justin Trudeau was over in Vilnius making propaganda videos for his oppressed citizens as if he were a front line playa or something! Just like other dictators (can’t think who would spring immediately to mind…) used to do.

Last week, we went to the @NATO Summit in Vilnius – to continue defending democracy, to strengthen transatlantic security, and to reaffirm our support for the people of Ukraine. Watch this video to learn more about Canada’s significant contributions to the Alliance’s progress: pic.twitter.com/bUXs0tcI4H

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 16, 2023

You GO, Boy King. Such a pretty celebrity.

Very glad to meet @JustinTrudeau in Vilnius.

The EU highly values Canada’s investment in Europe’s security, with your announcement of an increased presence in Latvia, on @NATO’s Eastern flank.

A true example of transatlantic solidarity. pic.twitter.com/exDqqgyNm3

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2023

Besides Trudeau’s rooting-for-democracy-abroad-while-crushing-it-at-home schtick striking a sour note with his constituency, the split over support for Ukraine (along with the bazillions outflowing from countries into Zelensky’s coffers)…

{UPDATE: deleted this tweet]

…has interested parties in all walks of life squinting a bit more closely both at the powers involved and the fiscal insanity surrounding it.

It didn’t take long before Trudeau and his native home were exposed as the guys who order cocktails and dinner entrées when everyone else has iced tea and sammiches, then are conveniently in the ladies room when time comes to split the bill.

Aw, jeez – stiffed again. We never learn.

What was that figure?

Well, I’m sure that’s some kind of mistake! I mean, here’s the prime minister announcing all he’s going to do in support of NATO’s efforts in Ukraine. He says right there – Canada is “strengthening” NATO.

Just announced: In the face of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Canada is stepping up to strengthen @NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities – and we are enhancing our support for Ukraine and its military. More details here: https://t.co/jpAZ54IFs9

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 12, 2023

Why does the Wall Street Journal have to be such a wet blanket and ruin all these wonderful moments of triumph on a world stage for the guy. I mean, what do they have against Canada?

Turns out, a lot, and they weren’t shy about telling everyone.

Canada Is a Military Free-Rider In NATO

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Lithuania this week for the annual NATO summit, but it’s too bad there wasn’t a junior table where he could sit. That’s where his country belongs based on Ottawa’s feeble commitment to alliance defense.

In 2014 all NATO members agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. Eleven out of 31 countries now make it, but Canada still isn’t close at 1.38%. That’s up from 1.01% in the nine years since 2014, but it still falls between those exemplars of muscular self-defense Italy (1.46%) and Slovenia (1.35%).

Canada ranks sixth from NATO’s bottom in spending on defense as a share of GDP, and its spending on military equipment—i.e., weapons—is seventh lowest. Canada is a member of the G-7 democracies but spends less on defense than the other six.

…Canada has also long been a free-rider off the U.S. military, which it knows stands guard over North America. Mr. Trudeau’s Liberal Party figures it can thus afford to shirk on defense and shovel money into public unions and social-welfare programs. Canada’s military is so degraded that even its role in peace-keeping missions has waned. Nowadays Ottawa can be counted on to “fight” for human rights, which is to say that it talks a lot about them.

Holy CRAP. The editorial board even goes so far as to suggest replacing non-hacker, major slacker Canada with? POLAND, as the Poles willingly spend 3.9% of their GDP on defense and are not afraid of a fight in the literal sense. Granted, it comes with the territory – literally – but you could probably count on the Poles to show up ready to rumble.

They would be the polar opposite of Trudeau, who is not only a lightweight when it comes to carrying freight, he’s also in no big hurry for anything. He’s so cool, so insouciant, he even wandered in late for his own – HIS OWN, mind you – discussion panel at the NATO summit.

TRUDEAU shows up late to his panel at the NATO summit 😅#Canada #NATO #NATO_summit pic.twitter.com/awlnTAujOj

— Melissa 🇨🇦 (@MelissaLMRogers) July 12, 2023

When it goes, south, it goes south fast, eh, laddie?

Anyways, total absence of gravitas aside, in the global cast of characters, Trudeau only reinforces what a gossamer poseur Canada is when one peels back the pleasant façade the tiniest smidge. Fellow Canadians are only too happy to agree and point out the Trudeau administration’s contributions to that decline.

…Partly because of a decade of weak economic growth, Canada is no longer a serious player in the world economy. And we are unlike the rest of the G7, none of which is little brother to a big brother next door. Our relationship with the U.S. is more like Austria’s or Holland’s with Germany. Unless we prove we deserve a seat at the adults’ table, we should be talking with other middle powers about how to live next door to an elephant. Canada will not regain its stature on the world stage until renewed economic growth provides the money needed to rebuild our military capacity and the economic heft that makes others covet access to our markets.

Canada is limited by more than our relatively small population and economy, however. We are also constrained by the mindset that “people in Canada don’t think big,” as art historian Barbara Dodge put it. Canada today strives to be nice and progressive rather than great or strong. The Wall Street Journal editorial quoted from Justin Trudeau’s mandate letter to the minister of defence in 2021, establishing it as a priority that she “build an inclusive and diverse Defence Team, characterized by a healthy workplace free from harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct and violence.” As the Journal editorialists sarcastically remarked, “See how that cultural manifestation works on the Ukrainian front lines.”

One more thing for Canadians to pile on Trudeau about. As things were going so swimmingly at home…

This is the result of “safe supply” & legal injection sites
This is Trudeau’s Canada. 😢pic.twitter.com/BW5gS5cMBc

— Have We All Gone Mad? (@HaveWeAllGoneM1) July 20, 2023

…I’m not sure another ding in his coiffure matters.

Will they reelect him? Parliamentary governments and electorates are very wired creatures. He should have been out on his ear after COVID, the response to the truckers’ protest and what he’s done nationalizing news delivery and censorship.

But he held on by the skin of his teeth, with something like 33% of the vote.

If any of the G-7 (or a nation who is not, but deserves to be) has the gumption to stand up and shuffle the big boy cards, that could be really fun to watch.

I don’t see it happening, though, not any time soon. Too many patsies who play WEF footsies together are running the show.

All those bug people stick together and guard the grown-up table jealously.