"I will use all my strength to bring about a just society to a nation living in a tough world"
Pierre Elliot Trudeau
Looking at a local statue of Trudeau made me think back to the election. The Conservatives attacked Dion saying he was the most left wing milquetoast Liberal leader since Trudeau.
It didn't really sink in at the time but, was Trudeau left wing? Or was he just a leader of his times? As for milquetoast – well, that assertion was just plain weird; Trudeau was always strong willed. (As an aside I thought comparing Trudeau and Dion was a compliment to both men)
Yes, Trudeau was a believer in governmental intervention in the economy. He was an economic nationalist. But I remember Nixon, hardly a leftist by most accounts, imposing wage and price controls.In the 60's and 70's everyone, from Richard Nixon to Bill Davis to, yes, PET believed in big government. Maybe they were wrong (maybe) but that was the times.
As for social policy, Trudeau believed that people had a right to a fair shake no matter what their ethnic, religious or gender background. He didn't believe in governmental imposed moral regulation of sexual activity. But, in fairness, the same can be said of Stephen Harper; we’ve come a long way.
In fact, where it counted, Trudeau was neither left nor right but rather tough.
Look at his 'just watch me' response to separatist violence. Look to his reaction to radicalism in the Commonwealth. He suffered fools not at all and was a man of action.
I met Trudeau on a few occasions towards the end of his political career and remember the astonishing charisma of the man. He literally filled a room and when he spoke to you there was a sense that a force of nature was upon you. The closet I have seen to that was Bill Clinton, and while my meeting with him was a handshake in a line of dozens, there was the same sense of power.
We're too close to know how history will judge Trudeau -- but weak knee milquetoast he was not. He was a true leader.
6 comments:
And could you ever see Stephen Harper or any of the current crop of conservatives give such a strong (as well as eloquent) defence of aggressive military/security action and suspension of civil rights as this?
This man was far more eloquent than Harper will ever be, or any lesder yet, fot the Liberal party.
cool. where is this statue of Trudeau?
cool. where is this statue of Trudeau?
cool. where is this statue of Trudeau?
I met Trudeau in Ottawa once. I was a teenager and he was PM at the time. He was attending a performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. I was there with my parents and three sisters. He was incredibly gracious and charismatic. I wasn't even old enough to vote but I was completely taken in by him. Thinking back, that is likely what propelled me to get engaged in politics!
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