Four full hours before the first headlights blinked over the highway’s horizon, they were there on the overpass. It was a hundred clicks west of Toronto. It was barely light. It was minus 24 with the windchill. And the bridge over the 401 was pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder with beings in parkas, hoods, hats, mitts and snowmobile pants. The standard accoutrement was a maple leaf flag. The preferred pendant-holder was a hockey stick.
I passed under many structures Thursday morning on my way to a meeting. There was no convoy yet so the bridge people waved and hooted and flapped their flags at the cars and the trucks flowing below, trying to justify wasting their collective time as they froze on the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere.
Of course, I wondered why they were there. Couldn’t be only the wives, kids and uncles of unvaccinated truckers. Many of them might not even understand why Canada felt it necessary to coordinate trans-border pandemic measures with the US. Maybe it had nothing at all to do with trucks, Pfizer, the supply chain, freedom or Omicron. Perhaps they’re just loving a chance to stick it to The Man. It’s pandemic fatigue, virus frustration and deep iconoclasm.
Since this is the dominant news event in the nation, let’s debate it for one day.
The truckers are ostensibly protesting a mandate saying they must be vaccinated to border-hop, and which 80% of their colleagues abide by. The vaccines, let’s remember are readily accessible and free to all citizens. It’s way easier to be inoculated than it is to, say, drive an 18-wheeler 2,000 kilometers with an empty load and no income. So it must be more, because that’s just dumb and incomprehensible behaviour.
Yes, the convoyers also say it’s about “freedom”. As did Trump supporters when they stormed Washington, these folks call themselves “patriots” and have absconded the national flag as their symbol. Those who think they’re fools, disturbers, misguided rebels, rednecks or vaccine cowards are, by extension, not patriots. Like, you know, traitors. In fact that’s exactly what these folks are openly calling the guy who is currently prime minister. The convoy FB page last night posted a picture of him, his wife and his children saying, “we’re coming for you.” Nice.
Ottawa police are wary of what they think may be radical elements within the group. And the GoFundMe folks are suspicious of over $5 million that materialized in a few days under the convoy banner. It’s impossible to know the specifics of a grassroots protest movement, so let’s hope this passes in peace.
Of course, no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada. We’ve had a two-year public health emergency (70 more Ontarians dead from Covid today – that makes 11,230 in one province alone), and that’s meant restrictions and inconvenience for everyone. But we’re all still free. If anyone has taken it on the chin, it’s been the entrepreneurs who own restaurants, gyms, hair salons, non-essential retail stores and other concerns that have been locked down a few times. They should be pissed. And the health care workers – burned out, stressed, overloaded and the brunt of anti-vax demonstrations – are fully deserving of a bad attitude. But strangely, these folks seem to be muscling through the fog, and coping.
In the grocery store yesterday I repeated what I say to the clerk every time I shop: “Thank you for working during the pandemic.” There was the most beautiful smile from a young girl at the checkout. An eye-smile, above the mask.
Well, the truckers figure they’re special. Like other anti-vaxers they let the rest of us work our way towards immunity and better days. As free riders they want to evade the responsibility of following rules and taking precautions, yet demand support because they’re feeling pressured for their bad choices. They cloak the guilt and poor judgement in the mantle of “freedom.” They steal our national emblem. And they rend us. On the sides of the 401 today it might as well have been Texas or Georgia, as political polarization galvanized the gullible.
Meanwhile Justin Trudeau’s office says he went into Covid isolation. Maybe he did. Perhaps it was an excuse. Not that he would have addressed the mob when it arrived in Ottawa on Saturday, anyway. No prime minister would.
But this is for sure – he’s loving it.
The convoy, especially if it is welcomed by some Tory MPs, or just tolerated by the party leader, is helping rip apart Conservatives. It gives voice and form to the radicals while strenuously pushing away the majority. There are not enough hard-right supporters in this country to ever elect a Con government. Mulroney knew that. It was what Progressive Conservatives were all about. Without drawing in middle-of-the road voters and disillusioned Liberal supporters, Conservatives will stay on the opposition benches. Forever.
And that, rather than being a man, rolling up your sleeve for humanity, seems the bigger threat to freedom.
398 comments ↓
It’s a civic duty to get vaccinated. My neighbour in Ottawa just had to close her business for good. Gone. Done. Financially ruined. We live in Ottawa and while I support any peaceful protest I hope this is peaceful!! I hate the division in our country. Our politicians are fueling it too, No Pass for them either. Would be nice if we could all get through this quicker.
I said let them Truckers roll, 10-4!
And the GoFundMe folks are suspicious of over $5 million that materialized in a few days under the convoy banner.
————————————————
And just imagine how many soup kitchen meals that could provide to those in need. What a collective waste!
Hahaha! the actor on the Hill is exposed to Covid and self-isolates – Official Ontario Health policy says essential workers who test positive DO NOT need to self-islote. I guess Mr Socks doesn’t consider himself essential, yes ??
Hey-hey, ho-ho Justin Trudeau’s gotta GO!
“Since this is the dominant news event in the nation, let’s
debate it for one day.”
No. thank you. I will pass. Might go for a ride.
Markets down a little as of a few minutes ago.
Exactly
Individuals have a right to refuse medical treatment.
The most difficult time to defend constitutional rights is during a national emergency.
With over 80% of the population vaccinated, the greatest danger the anti vaxxers pose is to themselves.
The truckers are making a statement. I believe the vaccine does protect people, but truckers are all alone in their truck. No reason to take away someone’s living when the odds are so little from one industry. Why not mandate all retail workers? They come in contact with more people every day. So if something doesn’t make sense, something is wrong
Just going to grab the popcorn…this should be entertaining!
All the Cons need to do is nominate an electable leader and Trudeau is toast.
O’Toole was an epic fail.
Wooden stage presence with zero spontaneity in press scrums or in debates.
Terrible terrible choice.
The Libs were high fiving when he was elected as leader..
As for the people standing for hour in -25 c to cheer on the truckers….
There’s no Law against stubborn stupidity.
But Trudeau ignores this at his political peril.
There are a lot of people that have had it after two years of vaccines, lockdowns and work shut downs.
If people haven’t gotten a vaxx after two years…..no amount of threats, promises or bribes are going to change their minds.
Open everything back up.
Let the chips ( and the unvaccinated ) fall.
Darwinian evolution at its most basic.
Dogs are great
Beer is good
People are freedom crazy
…Meanwhile Justin Trudeau’s office says he went into Covid isolation. Maybe he did. Perhaps it was an excuse. Not that he would have addressed the mob when it arrived in Ottawa on Saturday, anyway. No prime minister would.
******************
He’s just a coward.
As the leader of the nation, he shouldn’t sit in a bunker.
He should go out and talk to the people. He should immediately set up a commission with their leaders to study their demands and work out a solution that is mutually acceptable to all.
All these people are citizens of Canada and, by the way, working hard and for all Canadians.
Sadly, I have now joined the many who have lost a close friend to this horrible pathogen, only 39 years young, and extremely healthy. And Yes, double vaxed.
As for the resistance to participating and doing your part by getting vaxed and wearing a mask for the benefit of the greater community, I just don’t get it, and it’s impacting me more today than before.
Gone Fishing in December… back home in March.
Lots of noise everywhere.
T2 is in avoidance mode.
Invasions and tyranny has been taking place the past year… and just now it’s getting noticed.
And what ever happened to Countries (i.e. Greece) going bankrupt??? Have they suddenly turned the corner?
I’m a healthcare worker. Triple vaxxed. Watching this idiot movement is made worse by seeing the Conservative party in self destruct mode. If the Conservative party continues with anti-vaccine anti abortion and anti gay they deserve to loose again. I want a party that is fiscally responsible. That’s it. Stay out of the other stuff. And anti vaxxers should be ignored. I am really despairing about this country.
I wouldn’t travel across the country or hang off a bridge to oppose a vax mandate, but this is democracy at work and very clearly they have a lot of support. I suspect there a lot of people like me that don’t know anyone that has died or even been sicker then a rough cold. And yes, family is fully vaxed, for selfish reasons.
At some point when all the emotion dies down there will be unbiased research on this mess and I’m pretty sure the conclusion will be we overshot our coverage. A number of moderate US states like California and NY have been fully open for months and people aren’t dying in the streets.
There is no non-political reason to all of a sudden force vax mandates on truckers 22 months into the pandemic, as it fizzles out and becomes milder. This is all about splitting the Conservatives and is the absolute most disgusting form of politics. But, that’s our guy JT, surprised people fall for it.
And this will lead to more shortages in stores, trucking is already severely short staffed and removing 10-15% of drivers will have negative effects on the economy, and no material benefit to the fight against the pandemic. Amateur hour.
Why are you feeding the fire? These simpletons who are too stupid to get vaccinated and who are duped by social media are a small minority and thanks to the media, this is being amplified.
IF you become infected with COVID and you are NOT Vaxed.
DONT GO SEEKING MEDICAL ATTENTION WITH ANY CLINIC OR HOSPITAL IN THIS COUNTRY!!
Take your IGNORANT self to the closest lake and go wash it off!!!
Nah, they’re not stealing. Just borrowing the national emblem because they are allowed, you know, being real rabble-rousing, pea-souper Canadians. And Trump has nothing to do with the convoy. He doesn’t even know what a Canada is. Truth.
Agree.
These truckers hide behind the coat tails of 21 C medicine and the rest that get vaccinated.
—————-
Canada New Cases Curve.
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na… BATMAN!
https://i.imgur.com/Poc7Z1f.png
Magnifié…
https://i.imgur.com/dkLKBWd.png
Spot the 2 countries BS’ng about cases (one gave up 1 week ago):
https://i.imgur.com/2j7WZIk.png
—————-
Spain pardons +700 witches
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60149778
[how you know it’s a slow day at BBC]
…just thought I’d throw that out there.
Well put Garth but these dopes don’t deserve the airtime from you or the media.
Thanks for your common sense words once again Garth, it truly is galling to witness this parade of fools. It’s time we the folks who have rolled up our sleeves and taken the full compliment of vaccines organized a march in support of all those frontline workers who are putting their health at risk everyday because of fringe elements unwillingness to get their vaccine.
the power to do what you want to do : the ability to move or act freely
Definition from Merriam Webster dictionary.
You must have a different definition of freedom Garth. Have most Canadians had freedom over the past 2 years..clearly not. Do we have some collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable..yes. I have argued from day one that we could have taken a fraction of the 500+billion dollars that governments added to the debt and focused our energies on protecting the vulnerable..ie the elderly and immunocompromised. We could have done so much to keep the virus out of nursing homes..ie better PPE, more staff, better paid staff, much stricter protocols, and on and on. And we could have done this and more or less let the rest of the population get on with life.
The lockdown measures have had enormous negative consequeneces on many peoples lives also resulting in death and injury. Massive increases in drug overdose deaths, suicides, anxiety, advanced cancer rates and on and on. Small businesses have been thrown under the bus by governments with devastating results for owners. And much of this was not about science..science now says most masks are useless, science now says 2 doses of the vaccine is not effective to stop infection and even 3 doesnt last long, science also says that you cant often tell the difference between case numbers amongst areas with or without strict lockdowns. Science also says natural immunity is better and loonger lasting than vaccines hence healthy people should go this route. One way or another this virus will get everyone. But should vulnerable people get the vaccine.of course..but do healthy people need it..no. Do kids need it..of course not..the risk to them is smaller than the flu for goodness sake and we have Trudeau talking about protecting our children which is complete garbage.
So yes there are some fringe wackos in the truckers group but there is also a lot of justified anger at how governments in Canada have mismanaged this crisis. People are fed up about their freedoms being taken away. People are fed up with the goal posts being moved constantly. People are fed up with inflation which has largely been caused by the reaction of governments around the world to COVID.
Trucks are totally incidental to this thing. It’s a combo of narcissism + lack of critical thinking + political opportunism (possibly by someone whose name starts with P).
Justin may be not the sharpest tool in the box and he has this totally hilarious expression of triumph on his face when he thinks he said something smart. But he is not a communist Satan in disguise. He is definitely a lesser threat to our lifestyle than Trump or Putin.
I have read & enjoyed your blog for over 13 years and have never commented. To label these truckers “anti-vaxers” is beneath you and I’m shocked you would make such a misinformed judgement. They are protesting against govt mandates. Many of the truckers are fully vaccinated. They are representing and have the support of many healthcare workers, restaurant owners, etc who have have had their freedoms taken away by losing their jobs & lost income from unfair govt mandated shutdowns but felt that they had no voice. This is their voice too. Don’t kid yourself. Stick with what you know Garth.
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1486772334635536395?cxt=HHwWlsCivfTjiaIpAAAA
70+ million followers…
Trudeau has five and probably 4.9 millions are bots
Denmark has lost it…
https://twitter.com/bsant54/status/1486669307845259276
Deaths remarkably low there BUT now 2nd highest since start of pandemic and still going up:
https://i.imgur.com/Yl348al.png
Sweden upset that rapid tests bad at finding Stealth Omicron:
https://twitter.com/bsant54/status/1486674465438285827
PCR tests just as bad…
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20220122-scientists-scrutinise-characteristics-of-new-covid-19-omicron-sub-variant-ba-2
————-
Only reliable way to find Stealth Omicron is via sequencing.
I wonder if Justin knows that?
Probably not.
Or, is he just hiding out from the truckers?
[Hint: 5 day self isolation]
If oil goes well above $100 and there is also a war in Ukraine.
Will BOC still keep increasing rates as planned or will this cause a recession and rates to drop again?
As long as the Cons pander to knuckle-draggers from the 20th century, Libs&Jagmeet are a lock to continue the drunken spending of a PM who cares not about this country. Party on Wayne & Garth!
Wake me up once there’s a reasonable Conservative leader back at the helm. Hey! Bring back Helmet Hair Harper!!
Clearly there’s all kinds of influence seeping thru our border from the south.
Well put. Thanks Garth.
I hope no one who needs emergency help dies waiting for an ambulance in downtown Ottawa this weekend. What are they thinking?
CO
No one talking about this.
USA 1.08 trillion deficit in one year. 100 billion in one month deficit. Disaster, you can not hide the numbers recession ehh no depression coming. The US dollar is going to crash. There is a bubble of epic size that will pop that Canada will feel the tsunami really bad. But wait no everyone is rich cus there houses are worth a million bucks. Rather get the popcorn ready for this show.
What you don’t understand Garth is that these people have repeatedly watched some documentaries. They saw Convoy, Smokey & the Bandit and White Line Fever many times. I say 10-4 good buddy. (In case you folks don’t know good buddy is not a compliment)
Sarcasm Off
FREEDUMB!!!!!
Ottawa authorities have had several days to get together lots of flexcuffs. I hope they use them. One of these idiots told the National post they are going to block everything in Ottawa including emergency vehicles. If they do and someone dies because an ambulance, fire truck or cop can’t get there these fools should be charged with manslaughter. What a bunch of supreme idiots.
In the end, eventually they will realize that nothing will change and either go find something else to do or get vaccinated. I said a long time ago that nonsense in the states would make it here. Here it is. There is a 0% chance that none of these people believe the Qanon nonsense and the same chance that you couldn’t find any of them who would tell you Trump one. Those western separatist fools have inserted themselves as have all kinds of low lifes and cretins. I’m sure lots of them would just peacefully protest but it won’t happen because of some of the fools in their midst.
The 5-6 Mil in a week and half is proof a lot of folks have had it with Trudeau. It’s the same kind of hand grenade lobbed in thru the window as when Trump got elected. Angry folks. I bet piles of donors could give a rip about the Truckers’ beef – they just want some carnage in Ottawa.
IMHO, that 6 Mil is going to be a major problem for its handlers. How are they going to hand it out? How much goes to who? Lots of angry folks and a big pile o cash…
I meant some of them would tell you Trump won not one.
Let’s clear some facts here about this post.
1. 19 people died in Onario from COVID for the past 19 days, not for just today . So, its roughly 2.5 per day.
Let’s not dramatize here.
2. 5852 hospitalized cases, 68% fully vaccinated, 4% partially vaxxed, 16% unvaccinated, 11% unknown. If unknown are distributed accordingly to weights, or removed from calculations, we get 74-78% for vaxxed and 22% for unvaxxed. As per covid19tracer.ca we have 78-84% Ontarians vaxxed and 16% unvaxed.
Conclusion: 4-6% vaccine efficacy protection against hospitalisations, much higher in ICU setting as per previous data (today’s data not provided).
3. 11230 individuals died from COVID 19 in Ontario, 10200 over age of 60 which is 91% of all COVID deaths. Question is how many of them died of natural causes but that’s diffrent story. If you are over age of 60, be ware of this.
4. No freedoms cancelled in Canada – if you are over age 12 you must be vaccinated to travel in and out of Canada or board any plane. If not, you cannot leave the country. Quebec rules, gyms are for vaccinated only.
Vaccinated get and spread COVID almost same way as unvaxxed, they have just higher chances of survival. Hospitalisations will change only 4-8% if EVERYBODY gets vaxed, above data proves it.
Why all the restrictions and anger on all unvaxxed? Why the borders are closed for them?
Can someone reasonably explain that to me in a rational and logical way ?
Sources:
1) https://files.ontario.ca/moh-covid-19-report-en-2022-01-27.pdf
2)https://covid19tracker.ca/provincevac.html?p=ON
3)https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/domestic-travel
I was out on the Centennial Pkwy overpass in Hamilton this morning with about 5,000+ other people…epic sight.
“History confirms the fact that the passions of an aroused minority, no matter how
small a group, have exerted enough power to topple the greatest empire. The movements
that control destiny are not those that rest on the inactive majority; but on the sheer force of
an active minority”
Thanks Garth!
The trucker convoy. Not at all like the Jan 6 folks. I’d draw more parallels to the BLM/AntiFa ‘mostly peaceful’ demonstrators. A minority of agitated oppressed people demanding changes for reasons that don’t exist. Useful idiots. All of em.
Maxime will turn this into a HUGE victory for this failed nation under the libtards!
#13 nuts
“For the first time in history the ineffectiveness of a medicine is blamed on those that haven’t taken it.”
These are probably the same truckers who take 5 minutes to pass each other on the 401 while going 0.5 km/h faster than the truck they are passing, ignoring the long line of cars behind.
If the truckers are protesting their ability to work being compromised by requiring vaccination they can join the many whose ability to work was compromised due to Covid shutting down their place of work. Except the truckers have the ability to resume work by getting vaccinated. I’d add that threatening to block traffic & further restrict the supply chain to our nation’s capital doesn’t exactly win any popularity points with the people living there – most of whom are not politicians.
@#26 Elon Musk tweet – truckers rule on 01.27.22 at 4:10 pm
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1486772334635536395?cxt=HHwWlsCivfTjiaIpAAAA
70+ million followers…
Trudeau has five and probably 4.9 millions are bots
–
think he meant to put ‘automated’ at the beginning of his tweet. driverless shipping is on the horizon.
The odd time I like to go to:
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/
and view US Military flights out of USA Aviano Airbase (AVB), usually F-16s practicing refueling over the Adriatic. The odd pilot going supersonic after that and on the way back to AVG.
For the past few days all I see around AVB (10 nm north from me here in Pordenone) is NOTHING. A great BIG VOID of nothingness for at least 100 nm except for VCE. Even TSF is blanked out for all intents and purposes.
https://i.imgur.com/7Wxw3TI.jpg
Still, glad a large chunk of Uncle Sam’s +20K military in Italia close to where I live.
Elated in fact.
——————
Darn you Vladimir.
“Thank you for working during the pandemic.” That’s really nice that you’re saying this. I’ve worked the whole pandemic in a restaurant, we were open the whole time. I didn’t get a single thank you like that. And now since the minimum wage is $15, I’m a minimum wage worker. Before that I’ll always get paid more than minimum wage usually a buck more. That’s my thank you I guess. Anyway, I’ll have a talk with that grateful manager of mine tomorrow, and be on my way to new endeavours.
Thank you Garth, for working during the pandemic too.
DELETED
34 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 4:22 pm
IMHO, that 6 Mil is going to be a major problem for its handlers. How are they going to hand it out? How much goes to who? Lots of angry folks and a big pile o cash…
**********
The ignorance some people throw is mind numbing.
The organizers for these funds have a lawyer and accountants on the case. The drivers are pre-signed in for the trip. The drivers keep the receipts for all costs and submit to the organizers for full reimbursements for costs. All proceeds that are left over when everything is tallied will be donated to a veterans fund.
Everything is laid out on their website.
https://canada-unity.com/bearhug/
Not sure why I was deleted. I don’t think I said anything rude. But it’s your house your rules, I guess. Cheers
I’ve been in trucking all my life,whole family is, grew up in it. I can tell you a lot of the pictures I see tell me a lot. Quite a number of the trucks I’ve seen either never or rarely cross the border, many of these guys are not hauling food. There are not enough of them to make any significant difference to your getting the things you need. People not coming to work because they are sick or have been exposed in a bigger issue to supply than these clowns. They are deluded.
Voice & forum…ed..
#41 some guy on 01.27.22 at 4:27 pm
These are probably the same truckers who take 5 minutes to pass each other on the 401 while going 0.5 km/h faster than the truck they are passing, ignoring the long line of cars behind.
——–
That is the trucker’s right, as he is doing far more important work than the commuting wanks who might have to wait 45 seconds longer to pass.
Interesting conversation between Jordan Peterson (yes the bad guy) and Brian Peckford about breach of our rights. I am not a lawyer, but this will be interesting to follow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdhFuMDLBDM&t=2166s
So well said Garth…thanks !
I was forced to take the vaccine in order to keep my job and now I have permanent tinnitus that started immediately after being sick for 3 days from the second dose. I’m young and healthy and COVID is less of a threat than driving my vehicle on the highway.
I’m sick of the lies, bullying and propaganda.
@#37 FriedEggs on 01.27.22 at 4:25 pm
I was out on the Centennial Pkwy overpass in Hamilton this morning with about 5,000+ other people…epic sight.
“History confirms the fact that the passions of an aroused minority, no matter how
small a group, have exerted enough power to topple the greatest empire. The movements
that control destiny are not those that rest on the inactive majority; but on the sheer force of
an active minority”
–
lol, you should quit watching youtube all day.
Garth, like many, misses the point. It’s not about the vaccine. It’s about the assault on freedom. And, no, we are not free, not when we have to wear masks and show passports everywhere we go.
Covid is over. Omicron is mild. It’s a cold. Let’s move on. Open up the damn country.
The truckers represent all of us. Those, like Garth and Trudeau (who, not surprisingly, is hiding like the coward he is), are on the wrong side of history.
This movement will topple the Liberals. It’s beautiful to watch.
Delusional. This helps Trudeau. A mob is a mob and most people disdain one. – Garth
Crowdie @ 10,
Bribery still works. Odds of winning are high – low vac rate (currently) with small community populations.
See:
https://www.nunavutnews.com/news/nti-holding-draws-for-free-snowmobiles-but-only-for-fully-vaccinated-inuit/
Who knows whether the machines will be racers or workhorses, but at these inflated prices, the MSRP is probably around 15 grand. NTI does know their clientele well enough to justify the incentification and to expect results. I’ll report back in April after the contest closes, and names are drawn.
Proof of the statement:
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel” and it seems too, the Fool
and Scofflaw.
We shall survive these Fools, they only diminish themselves with their actions
or speak with ignorance.
Freedom exacts a price-you understand this very precisely when you visit,
for example, the Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek, Netherlands.
My parents fought the Second World War, my two grandfathers: four years in the killing fields of France 1915 to 1918.
Freedom is a privilege earned, it cannot survive without individual responsibility.
It is sustained when a society cherishes it; understands and engages in the
compromises and sacrifices required during a public emergency.
Sacrifices of vaccinations or self quarantines will seem
so puny when you stand in the sunshine in places such as Groesbeek.
That which is represented there cannot be diminished by the Fools.
Imagine a country that forces its citizens to get pricey Covid tests upon re-entry, another move that does nothing to curb spread of the virus. This is another example of what this movement is about.
Government overreach and an assault on our freedoms.
Although I dislike having to bring investing into todays comments, I have an honest question for our esteemed blog host or Ryan or Sinai or anyone with a better understanding of what is happening to the markets this week and month.
Q#1-if the markets had “priced in” the interest rate increase that did not happen, why did the market correct in advance of the interest rate announcement and subsequently?
Q#2-if a decline in the market can be expected before every interest rate decision, and as 2-4 interest rate increases are now expected between March and December, will that not result in a significant decline in the markets between now and year end?
Thanks for any/ all replies.
Also, I’m reminded of the old adage, as January goes, so does the year. Btw, worst January market wise ever – so far. Stay safe everyone.
I don’t expect anyone east of Saskatchewan to understand what is happening. Not your fault.
Wow, Garth. Respect for sticking to your guns but this comment section is going to need an exorcism after today.
Honest opinion: I don’t trust politicians, car sales people, real estate agents or any other professionals who’s goal is your vote or your $$$ for survival. But I trust data backed science. To me, most of the anti-vaxxers idea of science is ‘spark makes flame, flame lights bowl’.
I can understand where they are coming from in that they feel that a freedom of choice is being taken but on the other hand its pure selfishness brought on only by not being able to (or refusing to) see the forest for the trees – this, in a country where 50% of CDN’s hold post secondary educations.
Let them roll to the capitol. Let all the other AV’s be confined to their basements with their bongs, beers and tissues.
I’ll be the one treating your secret crush to dinner and a night out…maybe you’ll catch it on youtube.
Og
“Without drawing in middle-of-the road voters and disillusioned Liberal supporters, Conservatives will stay on the opposition benches. Forever.”
Forever…
“The universe unfolds as it should”
Florida has no mandates, no masks. Their daily death rate is lower than Ontario’s.
The truckers aren’t anti-vax, that’s just what the media portrays to you. They’re anti-mandate.
The majority of truckers are vaccinated. They are not “anti-vax”, they are not “terrorists” and they have shown no violence. The Communist Broadcasting Corporation paints a picture only they want you to see. They are protesting the eastern European style mandates that have upended Canada and destroyed main street as we knew it.
We can’t all be anointed by her majesty, live in big houses paid for by the printing press (at the expense of the deplorables)….then there’d be no nice lady to check you out the grocery store.
Keep dismissing the growing anger at your own peril. By refusing to understand the grossly negative social impact this government has not only implemented but continues to stand by, the tragedy progresses. The consequences will be catastrophic.
Keep fiddling, the fire is getting hotter.
Very well said today, Garth.
As I live abroad this site is one of the few sources I follow for Canadian news. Thanks for putting it so succinctly.
#33 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 4:22 pm
The 5-6 Mil in a week and half is proof a lot of folks have had it with Trudeau. It’s the same kind of hand grenade lobbed in thru the window as when Trump got elected. Angry folks. I bet piles of donors could give a rip about the Truckers’ beef – they just want some carnage in Ottawa
———————————————————–
Indeed: this movement is made up of the easily offended members of our society. Just say the name Trudeau and they get pissy.
No wonder grifters see them as easy pickings.
DELETED
I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the participants have been vaccinated. This is more than a bunch of truckers protesting mandatory vaccination. It’s about regular people pissed off about having their lives and social activities being restricted due to public health protocols. On TV you can see full attendance at sporting events in the US and the UK has just lifted all restrictions.
Justin Trudeau politicized the pandemic in our 2021 Federal election and shoulders some of the blame here.
Let’s hope Parliament doesn’t get burned down – it’s not like that has never happened before.
67 Joseph R. on 01.27.22 at 4:56 pm
#33 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 4:22 pm
The 5-6 Mil in a week and half is proof a lot of folks have had it with Trudeau. It’s the same kind of hand grenade lobbed in thru the window as when Trump got elected. Angry folks. I bet piles of donors could give a rip about the Truckers’ beef – they just want some carnage in Ottawa
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Indeed: this movement is made up of the easily offended members of our society. Just say the name Trudeau and they get pissy.
No wonder grifters see them as easy pickings.
____________________________________________
You mean like left wingnuts getting pissy over the name Bernier? BTW, Are you speaking as a grifter or is that just “What you’ve heard”?
Yes thank everybody who is working I thank and say
“you could be cerbing in Tofino” it usually gets a laugh from those who hear it. Cerbing in Tofino is not my
quote it is something I have seen or heard someplace.
The wannabe Laurentian states the Laurentian Consensus.
Surprise surprise.
Be wrong for another 20 years please. Maybe this country will have a future.
2057 h CET.
Elon Musk says it’s more important for Tesla to make a robot than new car models this year. *
-CNBC
TSLA -11.55%
yeah oil.
+0.72% ETF
+0.38% ETN
* https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/27/musk-tesla-robot-top-priority-for-new-product-development-this-year.html
Well stated Garth. This appears to be what a tantrum looks like when it’s adults instead of mad six year olds.
The realization that none of these truckers can cross the US border until fully vaccinated anyway hasn’t sunk in yet. And Mr. Biden has enough to think about right now that he doesn’t care too much about Canadian truckers. (Unvaccinated US truckers can still enter USA without a problem, it’s only Canadian truckers that cannot enter the US without vaccine passport as of now)
@#65 The West on 01.27.22 at 4:52 pm
Keep dismissing the growing anger at your own peril. By refusing to understand the grossly negative social impact this government has not only implemented but continues to stand by, the tragedy progresses. The consequences will be catastrophic.
Keep fiddling, the fire is getting hotter.
–
love the hyperbole.
the fringe is triggered so the world must burn lol.
As goes the U.S., so goes Canada. I wonder how many of these people voted for Trudeau? I wonder how many are emboldened because of previous events in the U.S.?
It’s too bad society couldn’t say to the truckers snd supporters, “Fine… vaccination is your choice! But if you get COVID and show up in hospital without proof of vaccination, you pay!”
With a shortage of truckers, that would keep the food supply chains flowing. This is more worrisome to me than if they get COVID.
#23 Honor – absolutely hit the nail on the head, could not agree more. If only our government could consider the collateral damage resulting from these absurd measures. Unfortunately the only stats that matter to them are Covid cases/deaths. Mental health, suicides, bankruptcies, child abuse, etc. apparently means nothing to them
@#70 canuck on 01.27.22 at 5:02 pm
67 Joseph R. on 01.27.22 at 4:56 pm
#33 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 4:22 pm
The 5-6 Mil in a week and half is proof a lot of folks have had it with Trudeau. It’s the same kind of hand grenade lobbed in thru the window as when Trump got elected. Angry folks. I bet piles of donors could give a rip about the Truckers’ beef – they just want some carnage in Ottawa
———————————————————–
Indeed: this movement is made up of the easily offended members of our society. Just say the name Trudeau and they get pissy.
No wonder grifters see them as easy pickings.
____________________________________________
You mean like left wingnuts getting pissy over the name Bernier? BTW, Are you speaking as a grifter or is that just “What you’ve heard”?
–
why would the left wingnuts be pissy about bernier?
He’s doing the liberals and dippers a huge favour.
Tesla cannot bring the autonomous self driving semi truck to market soon enough.
Y’all-Qaeda, not just in the USA anymore.
There is a high correlation between those who supposedly are all about Freedoms, and those who do not understand the Charter.
Also a high inverse correlation who when asked about vaccines, say “my body my choice,” but when it comes to abortions…
Does anyone remember a few months back when Trudeau threatened to have an election every year until he got a majority?
Worthy of a tinpot dictator, no?
Ironic, since he himself reneged on the reform of the electoral system that he promised, merely days after his first election.
I’m sure the United Nations have observers they send to ‘developing’ countries where regimes behave like this.
One conclusion I have come to during this whole pandemic farce is that only a small minority of Canadians actually understand what freedoms are, let alone statistics.
We all need to be sent back to school.
I’m triple vaxxed but I support people’s freedom to choose. it is not for me to tell someone else what to do with their body, particularly when it conflicts with deeply held beliefs. I also support the trucking protest.
The current government in Canada scares me. No one should lose their jobs and ability to support their families over a medical issue. It violates bodily autonomy and charter rights in my view. Why is “my body my choice” ok for abortion, but not ok for vaccination? Right because one choice harms no one and the other can harm people (lots of people would debate on both sides of THAT point!)
Also, there is clear bias in this government as to who they target as radicals and who should be free to speak. I didn’t hear Trudeau ever condemn antifa or any left wing protests that turn violent. He didn’t condemn whoever was burning the churches down last summer. Didn’t he say that it was “understandable” (or was that Jagmeet? They’re one in the same anyway) So it seems to me that if you’re a left-wing radical or have a far left-wing opinion it’s perfectly fine, and also fine to act out in violence if it is justified by your views but God forbid you support a peaceful right-wing or libertarian protest then you’re a racist, facist, or whatever “ist” or “phobe” is fashionable currently.
Isn’t something wrong with this picture?
The demonstration boils down to one thing and one thing only.Trudeau has divided hard working individuals(who have been financially brutalized)and the public sector(who have often received raises)Trump took heat from lefties for picking on rapists and drug dealers while Trudeau has largely got a pass calling construction workers dangerous to women,anti vaxxers racist,women haters and terrorists.To top it all off he conveniently says the “dog has eaten his homework”and will go into isolation as protestors show up in Ottawa.Trump no doubt had issues but were they really worse than what Canadians have had to deal with?I honestly don’t think so.(Even the sexual harrassment issue showed Trump was mostly all words while Trudeau was all hands)
I will comment on covid stuff today because it is the blog topic.
My feeling is morphing into one of covid exhaustion. I believe that is the root of the problem for many. Here are a few observations:
More and more I feel we (government) is fighting the last battle. Delta is over and Omicron does not seem respond to the current vaccines. We are still fighting in trenches as the tanks roll up. Maginot line anyone?
The measures in place, particularly masking and social distancing, while helpful at first and against delta, may as well not exist anymore. People don’t follow them with any faithfulness. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen masked adults hug each other. Guess what? Fail.
The schools have thus far proven that asking a bunch of high school students to mask up and maintain social distancing is about as effective as handing them a bunch of condoms and telling them not to get pregnant. It just doesn’t work. It’s even worse in elementary schools, where they can’t even stop the spread of lice. Given human nature, closing the schools was the only thing that could have worked then, and it is the only thing that could work now, for that age group. But people are sick of it.
With the schools open and the protocols a complete failure in that environment, the germy kids bring back home whatever they catch and spread it to their families. There is no containing the germs to “cohorts”.
My son plays soccer. Here is a great rule: Only one parent per player in the facility, no siblings either. So what happens when that parent catches Omicron and brings it back home? A useless measure.
Also the kids are not allowed to shake hands after the game, a long standing tradition meant to encourage sportsmanship. This after they have spent an hour slamming into each other, sweating on each other, breathing heavily in the closest of quarters, and basically co-occupying a cloud of human emitted droplets. Crazy. Like the schools, either you shut it down or you don’t. And the cohort idea is even worse here, because each team is likely to have players from several schools, and two teams will represent schools from across the city.
The war is over. We are moving from pandemic to endemic. The government is fighting the last war, and this is what is getting everyone so angry. This is what the trucker protest and support for it is about.
If my son can play soccer in a swarm of viruses with hundreds of people passing through the building each day, I’m certain 20% of the truckers who self isolate all day every day due to the nature of their jobs is not what we should be paying our elected officials to be thinking about.
And at least state-side, it is not lost on the majority of the population that migrants don’t need to even show ID, and then Biden buses or flies them all around the country so as not to end up with large, visible shanty camps that might catch the attention of the media. So once again the government is concentrating on keeping the honest people honest and hiding everything else.
They say the government won’t change course on any issue until the public insists. Well, that is what is happening. Trudeau best start talking about when the restrictions are going to end, not about imposing new ones. People want their lives back. And people who got this far without a vaccine aren’t about to start now, at the end of the war.
(Disclaimer, I am vaccinated.)
Three issues underpinning the beliefs:
1- Provincial healthcare have their own squabbles and differing service levels which we all see and experience daily – Health care would provision better at the federal level. This will be an ongoing major issue with zero correction in sight.
2- People do not learn basic statistics and probability skills which translates into fears of myocarditis and a plethora of problems interpreting information and data points with reason. Education is not serving us very basic skill sets for today’s complex society.
3- We really blow things up with our words and we do it again and again and again. Why did anyone EVER use the term ‘social distancing’ when there is nothing social about it? It is physical distancing. Again, education is a core factor in what is going awry and we are misusing words, attributing meaning to phrases that has no business being there; critical thinking, again, and a lack of basic education.
Freedom and successful democracy is underpinned by knowledge and critical thinking. We ain’t got enough of it.
Watching back episodes of ‘This Hour has 22’ you know what’s on the CBEECEE app. Can be enlightening. Might as well get some return on your tax dollars. Better watch quickly before they magically disappear like The comments.
#73 Søren Angst on 01.27.22 at 5:03 pm
phew..and so it begins. The race to make the human labor force irrelevant..if there’s one man that can do it!?
Guaranteed they won’t be storming the capitol.
Og
#64 USA rocks on 01.27.22 at 4:52 pm
Florida does not report the deaths due to covid of non residents and Florida has one of the highest itinerant (non resident and vacationing) populations in the USA.
Your second point is a good one: the truckers are anti mandate, not anti vax – we need to be clear about that
While I’ve never met an Albertan that I didn’t like, wonder how many Alberta “Separatists” are in that convoy. They’ve been warming up for this type of show for a year.
And O’Toole is an embarrassment.
He alone will keep T2 in power.
Good article for thought, and let the fireworks begin. I see it in a much more nuanced way than you do Garth.
I am very pro vaccine and appreciate the science behind it. However, I generally do not support vaccine mandates imposed by Gov’t except in certain industries, notably like healthcare, Gov’t, and long-term care. I fully supported the idea of proof of vaccination for people being able to have “perks” in society (going to restaurants, sport events, air travel etc…). If you don’t want to be vaccinated, then your life will shrink. However, I am less supportive of Gov’t or industry imposed vaccine mandates for workers in other areas.
I could appreciate more the need for vaccine mandates for trans-border truckers earlier in the pandemic (last summer) when the much more lethal Delta was circulating in the U.S. and elsewhere. The goal there was to keep Delta out of Canada (or in low numbers) as long as possible until the population was highly vaxed. Requiring trans-border truckers to be vaxed at that time made good sense. What also made good sense was to SHUT DOWN air traffic as much as possible to India in a quick way. This T2 did not do for 7 long weeks. (6–8 flights a day into Canada direct from India where Delta was raging).
Now we are at a later stage where omicron is raging. For those who are double-vaxed and boostered it is not such a big deal. It primarily affects those who are unvaxed, or are older who have not had a booster. Vaxed people can both transmit and receive it.
So what is the sense of T2 playing hardball with the trans-border truckers now and MANDATING that all have been vaxed. By not being vaxed, they are primarily a danger to themselves if they get it. Being vaxed, they can still easily transmit the virus if they get it to others they come into contact with (just as is the case if they are unvaxed). I would understand more the pressing need to impose a mandate now if something more lethal is outside our borders, which we do not have much immunity to.
Perhaps T2 is forcing ahead with it, as he realized it would get such a response from a certain percentage of truckers and that many right-wing freedom nutbars would join the fray. Indeed, all to make the conservatives look bad.
If I was a trucker, of course I would get vaccinated. However, I don’t see the need now for putting in the mandate now on this industry at this late stage.
Why is T2 and the provinces not all collectively forcing a vaccine mandate on all the teachers in schools? Does he not want to piss off this group, who are more likely to vote for him? Teachers come into contact with literally hundreds of kids a day. Perhaps it is from an unvaxed teacher where my 17 year old caught (likely) omicron two weeks ago, which then spread it to us.
I do believe that “vaccine mandates” must be a LAST resort. What happens if in 5 years from now, scientists discover that there is some long-term health issue in longitudinal studies where having two vaccines and many boosters does cause unwanted side effects. This is why in the end, it does need to be the choice of the INDIVIDUAL.
Out of all the injustices in the world the anti-vaxxers pick the most mind numbly misguided movement to get behind. Its no surprise their rhetoric is filled with “my, I and me”. I can’t imagine living in such a self deluded bubble, its beyond understanding.
Wondering if you will post my comment as you have not posted others that raised the slightest misgivings about our current policies. Wanting to know if I am ‘really’ a healthcare professional and such….
You cannot shut down a rational and reasoned debate over something as sacred as what is allowed to be put into ones own body and not expect some sort of pushback.
In an ever encroaching policy creep that now amounts to seige warfare on the ability of those of us who do not want to be injected to feed out families, those of us who would not submit were feeling more and more isolated.
What has occurred in the past five days amounts to the first rays of Hope in the midst of what has been a very dark two years.
I have no idea how this ends. And I won’t sit here and make bold proclamations or threats. But as I stood in the middle of the Canadian Winter and watched trucks roll by, I knew that I was not alone. Not by a long shot.
You would assert that JT loves this. I don’t think so. There are a lot of people out there braving the elements of a Canadian January to express something that has been long suppressed. A cry for Freedom has been unleashed and will not be put back in a cage.
Disparage or censor me if you wish. I don’t care. The first rays of light following a very dark night are breaking through, and I for one am enjoying the view.
And cow back to economics:
https://mishtalk.com/economics/observation-of-the-day-somehow-elon-musk-nailed-the-top
My take is that Musk did not “call” the top, he “made” it.
When everyone is buying and no one will sell, prices go up. See used cars. However one major seller can the trend turn. Next come those using leverage as the margin calls come in, as they cannot wait it out. Look out below.
As I have said before a hundred times, but it seems to bear repeating, “wealth” is not “money”. For Musk to pay taxes on his “wealth”, he had to liquidate it and turn it into “money”. It is at this point we see how many buyers there are who still have cash that they would like to exchange for Musk’s mark to market spreadsheet profits.
So what happens when the “wealth taxes” morph from a popular leftist rallying cry into something more damaging like an actual law? Remember, when everyone out there that has any substantial wealth is forced to liquidate 1 or 2 percent per year to pay the government, the total cash exchange will make this transaction look like a rounding error. And it boggles the mind to figure out who the buyers will be, at any price.
“Wealth” is not “money”.
“It’s way easier to be inoculated than it is to, say, drive an 18-wheeler 2,000 kilometers with an empty load and no income. ” Couldn’t agree more.
I once heard some anti-vax acquaintances said they could buy forged vaccine passport for $1500. My first thought was “you can get the real one for free.” I’m baffled by their views, and also their conviction.
Well I for one agree with every point in todays blog. Mark it on the calender.
Thank you Mr. Garth for your voice of reason. It’s much appreciated here in the frozen tundra of Saskabush.
As a truck driver I am disappointed that this anti vax, whatever this BS convoy is being identified as a Truckers protest. Way more 4 wheelers than 18 wheelers. Pandemic fatigue for sure:(
Good post, Garth. But your thinking is still rooted at beginning of the pandemic.
I totally get why so many, vaxxed or not, are getting caught up in this. It’s because of the “personal freedom” message. Not everyone is willing to “take one for humanity”, nor should they have to.
I got vaccinated for my family – quite simply because I need to be alive to feed them and put them through college. And I thank the government for providing access to free vaccines, to protect us in that way.
It’s a waste of time to force a truck driver to be vaccinated. Everyone knows it.
It’s time to address that the vaccines (all of them) no longer work to prevent the spread of the virus. i.e. vaccinated are giving it to the unvaccinated. and visa-versa. The virus got smart. We need a smarter vaccine, not mandates.
It’s more like the ‘Petulance Riders,’ whom I’m all for, as long as they ‘ride it out at home’ and don’t dare infect anyone else. However, with exhausted and frustrated healthcare workers tragically leaving their professions in droves, you can thank those of this ilk for your upcoming lack of health services and untenable wait times. Go cheer about that.
Please respect us. We are Canada too. We are not all anti-vaxxers. We love our freedoms.
“But we’re all still free.” -G
That is some powerful Koolaid.
I usually agree with you Garth, but you are wrong here. As long as the protest is peaceful everyone has the right to protest, regardless if governments, health care workers or bloggers don’t agree. The threat of the virus was greatly overblown (I know hindsight is great) and we need to get back to life. Time to take a hard look at why the hospitals are actually overburdened, perhaps we should have added some capacity?
From the FP today – Franco Terrazzano
” During the pandemic, 528,347 federal and provincial government employees received at least one pay raise, according to government documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Those growing salaries will come from the pockets of workers and small-business owners, many of whom took pay cuts during lockdowns, lost their jobs or were forced to close their doors…”
Cici on 01.26.22 at 9:47 pm
At this point, I’m pretty sure there’s a concerted Liberal/Democrat strategy to ensure neither party gets re-elected in Canada or the US, so they can let this debt bomb detonate in the hands of the unlucky “winners” of the next election. Who obviously won’t stay in power for very long.
——————————————————————
It is very difficult to predict if the libs will get tossed out like Harper’s gang did in 2015 simply because of the demographic base in Ontario and Quebec that supports them. Add to that all the government workers who depend on the libs diverting tax revenues and future debt to support the wages and DB pension plans. The Cons did it to themselves under Harper while big corporations were lobbying them to destroy as much as possible the DB of those working class people affected by allowing these companies to avoid the bargaining process that existed. Remember Lisa Raitt??
The irony is that all these affected individuals with DB were promised this benefit and signed their employment contract when they were hired decades ago. Now hard working Canadians can only watch in disbelief as their tax dollars keep on getting diverted to pay for gov’t DB plans that can’t pay for themselves at these current emergency rates that have been kept so low since the 2008 financial crash ?
If anyone doubts what I am saying about the mess of DB pension plans, look up CALPERS and read what extent they now need to use leveraged bets on their investment portfolios to fund their retirees all the while trying to keep up with inflation.
So our gov’t workers will fear this happening to them like the private sector did. They will keep on voting NDP,LIB or whoever will promise not to touch their beloved plans. The boomers will keep quiet and agree to any jab as long as it keeps them alive to enjoy their nouveau-riche status and they can soon go back to living 6 months out of the year in places like Mexico or central America.
So this all boils down to what type of coalition government will be needed to try and fix this issue without being blamed for trying to do so. If these libs are doing something as nasty as you mentioned and dump all responsibilities onto another elected party, then truly Ottawa and the cesspit of sociopaths and corruption it has become, needs to be reconstituted and how it is governed.
In 1995, Jacques Parizeau was brutally honest when he made the unpopular comment on how the referendum question was taken by “money and the ethnic votes” it supported. To this day, the Libs are still using the same tactics with Ontario and Québec.
@#56 CJ
I wish you anti vax scaredy cats would stop saying Covid is just a cold. 70 people don’t die from a cold in a day in Ontario.
Line the lawn with crosses for all those who perished due to Covid as a welcoming party for this group of extremists.
Call me…us a traitor(s) and you/them gots a problemo. FFS. Where is King Kenney? Still riding his jack ass through Manitoba.
“”In the grocery store yesterday I repeated what I say to the clerk every time I shop: “Thank you for working during the pandemic.” “”
Erm someone tell the Doctors? A Toronto Doctor:
https://twitter.com/DrMBrandt/status/1486370460677943298
Had a patient thank me today for seeing him in person. 6-months of several skin spots growing on his face. Nobody saw him in person. All were skin cancer and successfully treated.
I’m beyond words that the bar is set so low that people are thankful for an in person consult.
—
—
War on Small Business. Guys we are this close to normal! Our masters finally allow us popcorn in the theatres.
THIS is the breaking news in Kanada today. It covers up the lack of hospital capacity spending you know.
https://twitter.com/ColinDMello/status/1486685355642441729
Colin D’Mello CTVNews – NEW: Popcorn will one again be served at movie theatres on Monday when the economy begins the first step of the reopening. Previously cinemas weren’t allowed to serve snacks — new regulations coming today.
—
— Uhh guys this is not planned out? A Bat in a wet market resulted in global communism.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/25/the-next-covid-variant-will-be-more-contagious-than-omicron-who-says.html
“The next Covid variant will be more contagious than omicron, but the question is whether it will be more deadly, WHO says”
The scenes of people coming out to cheer on the convoy remind me of the day that the train carried Pierre Trudeau’s body across the country.
Justin had the sympathy of the nation that day. How his fortune has changed.
From #17 by Dave
“These simpletons who are too stupid to get vaccinated and who are duped by social media are a small minority and thanks to the media, this is being amplified.”
—————————————————————
You must be kidding. The bought and paid for Canadian media (especially CBC) has been deliberately trying to ignore this for days. Check out the video posted on the ‘Small Dead Animals” website showing the CBC camera crew pointing the camera away from the huge crowd and showing just a few people standing around. By the way, this protest has morphed into a anti-Trudeau government protest. It’s much much more than an anti vax mandate protest. That’s why there is so much support. There is probably no-one more hated on planet Earth than Justin Trudeau. Also Garth, as much as I detested Pierre Trudeau at least he had guts and courage. He would have met with these protesters…he might have flipped them the bird but he would have met with them. Denigrating this very large group of Canadian protesters will foment more division in this country. Think again.
Great post, Garth as always. Yours is the only sound advice out there and is sorely needed in this crazy world. Thank you.
I honestly do not understand why there is a problem with truckers who are not vaccinated to be allowed across the border if there is no one else in the truck besides the trucker. If the trucker agrees to get tested and is found to be negative, then I don’t see a problem with that and I’m not an anti-vaxer. I’m just trying to see the logic in this.
Never has the world had such incredible information freedom as now. The internet allows any small group of nutcases to organize and spread nonsense no matter how crazy they are. And unfortunately there are enough gullible people out there who will believe just about anything. So we get a few thousand truckers occuping today’s new and 35 million other Canadians that couldn’t care less.
As for supply chain problems I have seen none for normal daily need products – zero, absolutely no problem. And I live on the edge of the country on an island. Ok so some people are having to wait 6 months for a dishwasher, or hardwood floors for their $2 million home, or can’t get that new $90,000 German SUV until September – So sad.
We are all free to agree with or oppose the mandates. We are also free to protest them. Why are people so up in arms about this? If it is not violent, who cares?
84 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 5:16 pm
They say the government won’t change course on any issue until the public insists. Well, that is what is happening. Trudeau best start talking about when the restrictions are going to end, not about imposing new ones. People want their lives back. And people who got this far without a vaccine aren’t about to start now, at the end of the war.
******************
Well said…. cheers
I speak three languages, a fact from which it can be inferred that I’m reasonably intelligent. Nevertheless, I have no clue how opposition to a vaccination can morph into an emotional vociferous tirade. I will say this: no right is absolute. The question is whether your right to refuse vaccination and thereby endanger the health and even the lives of others is not as important to you as your individual rights.
Re #75 by KLNR
“love the hyperbole.
the fringe is triggered so the world must burn lol.”
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The ‘fringe’ you are referring to are largely western Canadians. That’s the problem in this country. Too many easterners look upon those west of the Manitoba/Ontario border as being the ‘fringe’. These protesters deserve as much defensive regard at being at being CANADIANS as you give recent immigrants who have become Canadians Garth. We are all Canadians. The number one person who needs to get that through his thick head is Justin Trudeau.
Loooong time reader first time poster. Oh my Dog Garth……..you say no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada. What rock have you been in hiding under?? We aren’t all still free as you say. Far from it. Your comments are spoken like someone whose life has had little changed or effected with the VID, definitely has not had their business locked down and reopened, and locked down again, kids forced out of school and then back, with ridiculous rules that constantly change that seem to make no difference in the outcome of things. No wonder the truckers are getting support, alot of people are sick of what that see as a more and more authoritarianism tone from our dear leaders. Just look at the ridiculous things happening in Quebec for Dogs sake. You’re right about one thing, Iam bloody pissed. 10-4 good buddy.
well articulated Garth. The majority would rather have freedom from the virus.
I mostly agree with you Garth (I’m triple vaxxed as of today), especially with regard to how this is going to weaken the Conservative Party, BUT…
I do question the timing and intention of this mandate requiring truckers to be vaccinated. Last I checked, in my province there were still many nurses, teachers, educators and liquor board employees who were refusing to get vaccinated but were able to keep their jobs and serve the public. Those people are way more likely to be super spreaders and to transmit the virus to the most vulnerable members of our society than a bunch of guys who pretty much “work from home” in their trucks.
I actually listened to some interviews with truckers today and ALL OF said interviewees were vaccinated, but were mostly there to show support for the non-vaccinated members of their cohort. Others who claimed to be vaccinated said they wanted to put pressure on the government to improve their working conditions (due to the restrictions, many are working long hours and have limited or no access to washrooms and food services while on the road-especially at night and in the wee hours of the morning- regardless of whether they are vaccinated).
I may be wrong, but I think what they mean by “freedom” is the absurdity that they as essential workers who are barely in contact with the rest of the population are being held to a stricter mandate than many other essential workers who are in contact with large swaths of the population, many of whom are very vulnerable to COVID.
Of course, I really don’t support the radical elements of any group so I hope they keep their protests respectful and non-violent.
However, I will also say that I really don’t appreciate the timing or relevancy of this mandate. First, I don’t believe that truckers are playing a major role in the spread of OMICRON or any other COVID variant. Second, inflation was already running HOT when this mandate was introduced, so it appears to have been a strategic move guaranteed to goose inflation while dealing a direct blow to certain political opponents. If you ask me, that’s dirty politics and I’m absolutely SICK of dirty politics. Also, the people who will be hit the hardest by such inflation are those who are already suffering the most.
So, in short, if this mandate was a wedge issue by design, I hope it will also deal a big blow to the party that implemented it.
#103 Doug Stephen on 01.27.22 at 6:05 pm
“I speak three languages, a fact from which it can be inferred that I’m reasonably intelligent.”
hahahaha….dude. Thanks.
How about freedom of choice, protect the vulnerable and at risk population.
Do not shut country down, do not mandate compliance and control population, if you do first point, this is not necessary. Fact.
Health system under stress, overwhelmed, no beds, well. Look at Canada stats, 1 admin for every 1200 staff, Germany and others, 1 per 15000. It’s a nepotism industry. In Canada, it’s a rationing model. NOTHING to do with provision of care to individual or general population. bed count and Doctor stats show same “show” .
Oh well, stay healthy, have a will, prepare, pray you don’t need system. It is screwed.
Check it out, it is evident and an eye opener. Good luck Canucks, you need it.
#79 R on 01.27.22 at 5:10 pm
Tesla cannot bring the autonomous self driving semi truck to market soon enough.
———————————
Great, then we would have no cross border trucking at all. With their 100 mile range and absolutely no charging stations that can fill ’em up in less than 10 hours that should solve all our problems.
I couldn’t disagree more this time Garth.
#47 kc on 01.27.22 at 4:31 pm
34 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 4:22 pm
IMHO, that 6 Mil is going to be a major problem for its handlers. How are they going to hand it out? How much goes to who? Lots of angry folks and a big pile o cash…
**********
The ignorance some people throw is mind numbing.
The organizers for these funds have a lawyer and accountants on the case. The drivers are pre-signed in for the trip. The drivers keep the receipts for all costs and submit to the organizers for full reimbursements for costs. All proceeds that are left over when everything is tallied will be donated to a veterans fund.
Everything is laid out on their website
——-
“Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.” I just don’t think it’ll pop off that smooth. The money poured in so fast that GFM froze the account. There’s no way they were expecting that much. It’s a complicated endeavour, a ton of drivers, and a pile o cash has a way of creating disagreements…
Today’s Column from Garth.
Very well said. I usually like to add my two cents worth pro or con on a topic. But I have nothing to add on this.
The vaccine mandate on the truckers is of questionable value, to put it mildly. They do not pose a great transmission risk, their occupation doesn’t involve massive interactions with other people.
They have a point. I have more sympathy for the trucker protests than for the loony far-left protesters and their bogus clauses.
Speaking of the future elections, the anti-mandate vote won’t come from the anti-vaxxers only. Quite a few people who made a personal decision to get vaccinated, will vote against the government mandates. So, bring it on.
#15 Palpha on 01.27.22 at 3:55 pm
“If the Conservative party continues with anti-vaccine anti abortion and anti gay they deserve to loose again. I want a party that is fiscally responsible. That’s it. Stay out of the other stuff.”
Exactly, if such a party existed, they’d get my vote in a heartbeat. I’m pretty sure that they’d attract many other fiscally conservative liberal-minded individuals too.
Thanks Garth. Succinct as ever. Such a tremendous waste of resources in the name of nothing but selfishness. That 5mil could do some good for our ailing healthcare system right about now.
@#114 CalgaryCarGuy on 01.27.22 at 6:08 pm
Re #75 by KLNR
“love the hyperbole.
the fringe is triggered so the world must burn lol.”
——————————————————————
The ‘fringe’ you are referring to are largely western Canadians. That’s the problem in this country. Too many easterners look upon those west of the Manitoba/Ontario border as being the ‘fringe’. These protesters deserve as much defensive regard at being at being CANADIANS as you give recent immigrants who have become Canadians Garth. We are all Canadians. The number one person who needs to get that through his thick head is Justin Trudeau.
–
oh quit your cryin’ Karen.
the fringe in the west is triggered so the world must burn lol.” that better?
Remember, they are just the vocal minority.
I speak three languages, a fact from which it can be inferred that I’m reasonably intelligent..
I speak three languages too, and I guarantee that your IQ level leaves a lot to be desired based on yr comment…
Like any other pompous douche bag out there who thinks speaking of more than one language guarantees intelligence.
Trudeau speaks two languages, u should be head of UN then :-)
#16 Mattl
“There is no non-political reason to all of a sudden force vax mandates on truckers 22 months into the pandemic, as it fizzles out and becomes milder.”
____________________________________________
Exactly. That’s one of the main points I was trying to articulate. Thanks!
#84 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 5:16 pm
Just put it better than I ever could. Thank you, Nonplused.
Disclaimer: I’m unvaccinated (but not ‘anti-vax’)
@#120 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 6:24 pm
#79 R on 01.27.22 at 5:10 pm
Tesla cannot bring the autonomous self driving semi truck to market soon enough.
———————————
Great, then we would have no cross border trucking at all. With their 100 mile range and absolutely no charging stations that can fill ’em up in less than 10 hours that should solve all our problems.
–
you can keep being myopic about this but it’ll be happening sooner than you think.
tech is evolving rapidly.
Hear ! Hear !
A protest with genuine and legitimate issues around justice and freedom would garner representation from a broad range of Canadians, not just from the Retrumplican cousins
Aren’t unvaccinated restricted from entering both Canada and the US at the land borders? So the unvaccinated truckers are asking to be an exception to the rule? Just get vaccinated. Problem solved. Life is so easy.
@#126 jamie
“That 5mil could do some good for our ailing healthcare system right about now.”
+++
Please.
$5 million would barely cover the overtime for all medical staff in a large city hospital for 1 month.
People that haven’t been vaccinated or been sick after 24 months of a Pandemic… are convinced they’re right.
They won’t get a vaxx.
So why bother trying to enforce it now?
85% are double vaxxed or better.
The lethality of the virus is dropping.
Why are the feds pushing truckers Now?
During a logistics squeeze.
Two YEARS after it all started.
Brilliant.
Coupla more months this will be over and a lot of angry voters will be seething.
Given that the USA implemented a requirement for full vaccination to cross into the USA for anyone who is NOT a citizen of the USA the trucker protest over Canada’s mandate is meaningless, as the truckers still won’t be able to cross the border without being vaccinated even if Canada repeals the Canadian mandate. Unless of course said trucker(s) just happen to have USA citizenship. Hint: don’t try faking that documentation. Very bad idea.
I see a lot of comments about freedoms being lost. But of course that happens with any law, including ones that were unpopular previously (unpopular with some, that is), like seat belt laws, smoking indoors, driving within a speed limit, not shooting people, ……….
You don’t get to pick and choose.
Of all the things to protest right now, this doesn’t even register.
These people have freedom to choose. If they don’t get the vaccine, they don’t get to cross the border. No one is forcing a vaccine needle into their arms.
#117 Cici
I may be wrong, but I think what they mean by “freedom” is the absurdity that they as essential workers who are barely in contact with the rest of the population are being held to a stricter mandate than many other essential workers who are in contact with large swaths of the population, many of whom are very vulnerable to COVID.
Of course, I really don’t support the radical elements of any group so I hope they keep their protests respectful and non-violent.
However, I will also say that I really don’t appreciate the timing or relevancy of this mandate. First, I don’t believe that truckers are playing a major role in the spread of OMICRON or any other COVID variant. Second, inflation was already running HOT when this mandate was introduced, so it appears to have been a strategic move guaranteed to goose inflation while dealing a direct blow to certain political opponents. If you ask me, that’s dirty politics and I’m absolutely SICK of dirty politics. Also, the people who will be hit the hardest by such inflation are those who are already suffering the most.
———
I strongly resonate with what you have eloquently written and we certainly have a common view on this topic (see my earlier post, which was written way too fast).
Unfortunately, we live in a country where “might makes right”, where intimidation and thuggery prevails thinly veiled as freedom of speech. People who don’t understand the science, but do understand the power of collective intimidation in getting their point across. We have health care professionals who are desperate at this point; they have lived through two years of hell yet watch as these neanderthals take over our cities. They have watched as Canadians continue to die from this disease, only to be told to put on their “big boy pants”, this is what they signed up for. Shame on you who pretend to champion freedom by willfully encouraging the withdrawal of protective health measures, which yes, have proven to be effective. Those who comment here otherwise are not HCWs.
@#110 Reality Check
“As for supply chain problems I have seen none for normal daily need products – zero, absolutely no problem. ”
+++
Perhaps if you owned a company that regularly orders product from outside Canada you might understand the issue.
I’m talking raw materials, parts, etc.
Seen the price of a USED car lately?
New car? ( if you wanna wait 6 months for a nicer model).
#131 KLNR on 01.27.22 at 6:33 pm
@#120 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 6:24 pm
#79 R on 01.27.22 at 5:10 pm
Tesla cannot bring the autonomous self driving semi truck to market soon enough.
———————————
Great, then we would have no cross border trucking at all. With their 100 mile range and absolutely no charging stations that can fill ’em up in less than 10 hours that should solve all our problems.
–
you can keep being myopic about this but it’ll be happening sooner than you think.
tech is evolving rapidly.
————————————–
And every now and then a self driving Tesla plows into a barricade or an emergency vehicle. Just imagine when it’s an 18 wheeler! Also the spontaneous battery fires are going to be significantly bigger.
Sometimes a dream is just a dream.
Of course, no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada.
They are fighting for your freedom too, Garth… you may not see it at the moment, but nevertheless.
CPC doomed to remain irrelevant until they realize courage of conviction doesn’t mean cowering and pandering to a teeny minority of Anti Vax libertarian idiots. 6% of the CPC party are certifiable, sad to see them being pandered to. Time for tough love, tell them to STFU and go join Mad Max in oblivion. Time to play the long game. Willing to bet there will be 0 financial hit, and probably a political boost by simply tossing the lunatic fringe.
Even worse? Is to see Little Potato (probably the most incompetent PM in living memory) have yet another lifeline thrown to him. Ahh, errr,ummm, back to the cottage for a week…….again.
MacKay may become leader of the Cons yet, cause the current iteration looks like rudderless, unprincipled, opportunistic, cowardly, scattered fools who frankly do not deserve to govern the country if they cannot control their own party. Harper had no succession plan and now here we are, suffering the consequences .
#94 Swanson on 01.27.22 at 5:34 pm
I once heard some anti-vax acquaintances said they could buy forged vaccine passport for $1500. My first thought was “you can get the real one for free.” I’m baffled by their views, and also their conviction.
—— –
I have some extended family who decided not to get vax’d. I don’t call ‘em anti-vax’ers. I’m also baffled that anyone voted Trudeau, and also at their partisanship.
Today at work, two of my peers got into a pretty heated disagreement over the truck convoy. 1 male, 1 female, both die hard Cons who hate Trudeau with equal measure.
Life math ain’t always easy addition and subtraction.
DELETED
Hey,
On a brighter note, certainly doesn’t lack for interesting conversation. We can storm the capitol with transport trucks and tractors in Canada and be supported by the entire country. Would they do that in Russia?
Maybe you’d know, Garth – will these guys even get a police escort to the parliament buildings? You know, kinda like union members supporting union members.
Og
“Of course, no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada.”
Sure, by a simple decree it’s illegal to invite your neighbor for diner but no freedoms have been cancelled…
Too much CBC for you Garth!
It’s disappointing to read your blog reducing this protest to a collection of idiots.
People choosing to abstain from vaccination are well within their rights after a continuously changing narrative on their efficacy, no honest discussion on their risks, and no data showing that a 100% vaccinated population would be COVID free (see Gibraltor).
This convoy and its supporters are not idiots or time wasters but individuals finally having their voices heard about government overreach.
The pandemic is real. The lives lost are real, but the politicization of this crisis has created this illusion that all roads lead to the vaccine. This vaccine is a flawed tool forced upon unwilling people, and this blog conflates their concern with idiocy.
#16 Mattl
“There is no non-political reason to all of a sudden force vax mandates on truckers 22 months into the pandemic, as it fizzles out and becomes milder.”
____________________________________________
Exactly. That’s one of the main points I was trying to articulate. Thanks!
——–
I concur Matti and Cici. In my line of work the Gov’t should have just “Tabled” the motion for mandating vaccines for transborder truckers. The issue could be re-visited if and when some Omicron+++++ variant emerges somewhere else (my bet is that China might be a possibility) that is much more lethal. If this occurs, revisit the issue and possibly enforce the mandate on the truckers at that time. However, don’t make the same mistake as with Delta and dragging your ass to shut down flights to the country where the new variant emerges just because you want to “please” China or India or wherever it might emerge from.
Overall I wish a hole would open up in the earth and swallow T2, but I don’t see that as likely. Everytime he talks I turn the TV off.
To be honest, I don’t understand why truck drivers are forced to get vaccinated.
Just think – this is the most isolated profession. They working, as it is now fashionable to say, in an antivirus bubble – this is the cab of a truck At a gas station they do not communicate with anyone.
Loading and unloading – this is not their job – got the documents and forward.
Many of them now driving alone. Those who are two by two – both are vaccinated or both are not, or even one of them – and that’s it! They own decision should be – not government!
So I would not force them to be vaccinated. Only those who want to voluntarily.
Harm for people around them is minimal.
Absolutely wonderfully written, and captures the position of almost all reasonable people. The correlation with fringe groups in the USA claiming freedom is perfect. Enjoy your freedom, while gasping for air on a ventilator.
The one difference is that this behavior will blow up in the their faces. In the US, there are 70+ million people that are like minded. Here, maybe 1 million. At least the numbers are on our side.
#84 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 5:16 pm
Thank you Sir, well said.
so if this is a planned event who pays for all the extra security? And just how are the organizers going to control extremists?
Walkie-Talkie App Zello Purges Thousands Of Far-Right …
https://www.thedailybeast.com/zello-recordings-reveal-dc-rioters-giving-live-commentary-of-capitol-storming
===================
….. weeding out illegitimate medical exemptions.
subject to review by public health officials.
“Once [doctors] actually have to bounce this off a third party, it’s fascinating that the numbers plummet the way they do,” Fisman said.
How many physicians in Ontario are being investigated for COVID-19-related behavior by the University of Ontario Physicians and Surgeons? ~40?
==============
‘Sold by Amazon’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Jan 26 2022
Amazon will pay $2.25 million, stop its “Sold by Amazon” third-party seller program
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that, as a result of his office’s price-fixing investigation, Amazon will shut down the “Sold by Amazon” program nationwide.
https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-investigation-shuts-down-amazon-price-fixing-program-nationwide
Well, the truckers figure they’re special. Like other anti-vaxers they let the rest of us work our way towards immunity and better days.
…..
nah, finally a demographic with a set. This never ends until people say enough, or you’re in a region when a political leader that has some common sense rather than letting public health call all the shots– how’s that been working? 80% pop vaxed and still shutting down businesses? SHAME ON THE PEOPLE , garth
also, you didnt mention the thousands of medical procedures that have been delayed in jan. Is the person with cancer less a concern than the ICU covid patient? we keeping track of cancer deaths or just covid deaths?
we cant see the forest from the trees
Egyptian Summer, Canadian Winter?
One was valid, one is wannabe?
#98 Shirl Clarts on 01.27.22 at 5:39 pm
Nice. But tell that to 8 billion minds.
How do ya do the bold?
Og
#131 KLNR on 01.27.22 at 6:33 pm
Speaking of Tesla: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/elon-musk-tweets-in-support-of-canadian-truckers-ahead-of-freedom-rally-protest
#124 Michael in-north-york on 01.27.22 at 6:25 pm
The vaccine mandate on the truckers is of questionable value, to put it mildly. They do not pose a great transmission risk, their occupation doesn’t involve massive interactions with other people.
They have a point. I have more sympathy for the trucker protests than for the loony far-left protesters and their bogus clauses.
Speaking of the future elections, the anti-mandate vote won’t come from the anti-vaxxers only. Quite a few people who made a personal decision to get vaccinated, will vote against the government mandates. So, bring it on.
—- – – – –
Well reasoned. I also think Trudeau is pushing the limits. Folks in Canada are getting to the end of their rope with Trudeau’s insane Covid spending and endless Covid mandates – they just ain’t working. Don’t need eagle eyes to see the entire effort essentially collapsed once omicron arrived. IMHO, if he keeps pushing, it’s going to cost him the next election.
Everybody Knows.. Leonard knew.
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long-stem rose
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you’ve been faithful
Oh, give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you’ve been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows
And everybody knows that it’s now or never
Everybody knows that it’s me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
When you’ve done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe’s still picking cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows
And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it’s moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there’s gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows
And everybody knows that you’re in trouble
Everybody knows what you’ve been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu
Everybody knows it’s coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
Everybody knows
I don’t think the tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of fed-up Canadians who opened their pockets to support the truckers and are cheering them on constitute a mob, or “a small fringe minority with unacceptable views”, to paraphrase Trudeau. I think they’re just tired of duplicity, irrational mandates, conflicting information and being told what to do by the virtue-posturing poseur currently cowering in his Rideau Cottage bunker.
Everyone will get omicron, it’s just a matter of when.
The vaccines are not doing squat to stop the spread, so what is the point of mandates, restrictions and vaccine passports? It no longer makes any sense – unless there is an underlying agenda…
I fully support the truckers and I hope they don’t leave Ottawa until every mandate and restriction is dropped. Then we can begin the process of bringing to justice those that coerced millions of Canadians into participating in medical experimentation.
#15 Palpha on 01.27.22 at 3:55 pm
I’m a healthcare worker. Triple vaxxed. Watching this idiot movement is made worse by seeing the Conservative party in self destruct mode. If the Conservative party continues with anti-vaccine anti abortion and anti gay they deserve to loose again. I want a party that is fiscally responsible. That’s it. Stay out of the other stuff. And anti vaxxers should be ignored. I am really despairing about this country.
*****
The country is in desperate need of the old Progressive Conservative party. A party that actually cares about the books of the nation, while being in step with its values and supportive of its institutions (rather than just wanting to turn us into the 51st state, and a red one at that). The Liberals were kind of that party for a while under Chretien and Martin, but boy has that ship sailed.
There is a gaping hole in the Canadian political spectrum to the right of centre.
“Please respect us. We are Canada too. We are not all anti-vaxxers. We love our freedoms.”
===========================
Who are the us?
Respect is earned and by not selling misinformation or peddling miracle cures with no reputable scientific support for those claims.
How about volunteering then for this cause.
The world’s first medical trial authorized to deliberately expose participants to the coronavirus is seeking more volunteers as it steps up efforts to help develop better vaccines.
Everyone will get omicron, it’s just a matter of when.
The vaccines are not doing squat to stop the spread, so what is the point of mandates, restrictions and vaccine passports? It no longer makes any sense – unless there is an underlying agenda…
I fully support the truckers and I hope they don’t leave Ottawa until every mandate and restriction is dropped. Then we can begin the process of bringing to justice those that coerced millions of Canadians into participating in medical experimentation.’
well said!
stop the spread ? 3 jabs later and our PM is guaranteeing?….. . Cmon , fellas :)
Very long time reader, but rarely comment here. I agree with most of the comments here regarding the stance of us being anti_mandates, not anti-vaxx. Most of us have had enough now of forced mandates and erosion of freedoms and making small businesses a slave to the state through lockdowns, etc. Just so the likes of Trudeau can attain more political gain. Forcing the truckers for what would really be a very minimal real gain is just another game to divide the people of this country.
Note…I am triple vaxxed
Those who keep screaming freedom are really just meaning freedom from consequences. Something they were clearly not taught as a children it seems.
My opinion is that Trudeau has done a masterful job of dividing the nation. The truckers are a symptom, not the cause.
#163
The Liberals were kind of that party for a while under Chretien and Martin, but boy has that ship sailed.
—
Yup. Chretein and Martin in my view provided the best most pragmatic governance that Canada has had since I have been of voting age.
Canadians need to come together to fight our one true common enemy – COVID-19.
Our FREEDOM from COVID-19 requires all Canadians to keep up to date with recommended vaccinations and boosters to help reduce the incidence of new variants as well as reduce hospitalization rates.
Unfortunately, since there is a not insignificant minority who won’t follow public health guidelines such as vaccination, mandates are both necessary and justified in our war against COVID-19. In fact our FREEDOM depends on it.
This thing is over. You know how I know?
No new variants being announced.
Up until recently we had a new world -ending variant announced every few weeks. No new threats since Omicron popped up in November.
Dogs not barking.
#160 Billy Buoy on 01.27.22 at 7:10 pm
Do you know?
Whether you agree with the Libs or not, remember that we just had an election which they won again, for the third time.
Personally, this astounds me but clearly Liberal policies are what the majority of voters want.
There should be a law passed that prevents politicians from making laws that affect other people, but not themselves.
Fer instance: If the government wants to shut down businesses, they should be forced to take a salary hit themselves.
Force the government to feel the same burn as everyone else and see how quickly they smarten up.
If I was dumb enough to drive to Ottawa in January, I would have The Proclaimers on replay the whole way to remind myself it was a bad decision.
I will drive 500 miles, and I will drive 500 more, just to be that man that Trudeau ignores…
M47BC
You are one cowardly little hate spreading man Garth.
Garth,
Don’t lie. You’re empowered by a free-riding soul. Aren’t you?
Og
Coming soon to your so called freedoms in Canada, $1.65 a litre, $2.65 a litre, $3.65 a litre for regular gas.
“All tyranny begins with the desire to coerce others for the greater good.” – Naval Ravikant
Well said, Garth!
#131 KLNR on 01.27.22 at 6:33 pm
@#120 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 6:24 pm
#79 R on 01.27.22 at 5:10 pm
Tesla cannot bring the autonomous self driving semi truck to market soon enough.
———————————
Great, then we would have no cross border trucking at all. With their 100 mile range and absolutely no charging stations that can fill ’em up in less than 10 hours that should solve all our problems.
–
you can keep being myopic about this but it’ll be happening sooner than you think.
tech is evolving rapidly.
———- – –
A semi truck can go about 1950 miles on a full 300gal load of fuel at 6.5 mpg. For an e-semi, that kind of range would require a 6027 kw battery. That is 120X times larger than the battery in a standard Tesla model 3 that allows a 400km range. That means the battery for a single semi truck would cost over 3/4 million dollars.
We’re going to need a major breakthrough in battery tech to allow a viable E-semi to exist. Not to mention the massive grid capacity increase required to charge them.
The FHA says semi’s drive 140 Billion miles every year. That’s a ridiculous 432.5 gigawatt power requirement. The current output of every nuke in the USA *combined* amounts to 95.5 gigawatts.
It’s going to be a long, long time before the semi fleet is electric.
#71 cuke and tomato picker on 01.27.22 at 5:02 pm
Yes thank everybody who is working I thank and say
“you could be cerbing in Tofino” it usually gets a laugh from those who hear it. Cerbing in Tofino is not my
quote it is something I have seen or heard someplace.
*********
That’s been happening for years…before cerb it was welfare and it will be welfare in the future. Move somewhere surfside with virtually no winter jobs and go on income assistance, surf, and wait till summer. Live the life of Riley.
So went for that ride and I come back to 166 comments, most of which I will now go back over and scroll through.
As with many others, I had to be vax’d against several diseases before I could go to school a long time ago. I am double Covid vax’d to pay it forward for those who came before me with other vax’s such as polio, measles, among others. I still got Covid this month. It is a cold. I have not been boosted with 3 4 or 5 shots and don’t plan on it because it appears as an act of desperation not based on any science and when does it end? the 20th shot? Nobody knows the effects of this vaccine let alone multiple doses of it in such a short period of time. People have that right to be leery and question whether anyone agrees with that or not.
Aside from that, people rising up in passive Canada is a sight I’ve wished for but thought I would never see. The trucking mandates implemented this month are 100% politicly driven. Because of the massive use of this pandemic for political reasons, not for virus reasons, the mistrust of gov’t and institutions and purposeful division of people is at a level I have never seen before. It will take a long long time to repair it if it ever will be in my lifetime.
#292 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 5:24 pm
I bought @ $854 today
—
No you didn’t, or at least extremely doubtful if not impossible given the timing.
The bid/ask midpoint didn’t reach that price until long after your comment and only approached within a half a percent prior. The only way this happened is if you perfectly bottom ticked it and got a very generous fill.
More lies. Wow. This market unravel is making it clearer that you are completely full of sht.
I don’t believe this is a small fringe group, look at the donations. 6.5mil at the moment. People have had enough of being talked down, and treated like children for two years while watching politicians going on vacations during the lockdowns, giving money to their buddies (SNC Lavalin Emregency hospitals, and WE to name a few), and generally being better off.
In my opinion, there was time for lock-downs, there was time for vaccines, and now its time to be done with it and move on.
Even if you theoretically vaccinate remaining 15% (or whatever the number is) of the truckers, it would change nothing in terms of the pandemic.
Trudeau is playing dangerous politics here. IMO
#157 ogdoad on 01.27.22 at 7:07 pm
#98 Shirl Clarts on 01.27.22 at 5:39 pm
Nice. But tell that to 8 billion minds.
How do ya do the bold?
Og
——————————-
I just reached dozens, upon dozens.
Use basic HTML tags right in your comment. Google search basic html tags bold.
I stand with the truckers! Especially that guy who breezed through a stop sign and t-boned a bus load of kids. Because who cares about 16 dead hockey players and 13 cripples. Kids are weak anyways, and hockey is for… you know. And it’s totally my right to breeze through stop signs, and if you have a “Humboldt Strong” bumper sticker, that’s literally the holocaust and you’re a nazi. Stop signs are fascism!
#141 crowdedelevatorfartz on 01.27.22 at 6:47 pm
@#110 Reality Check
“As for supply chain problems I have seen none for normal daily need products – zero, absolutely no problem. ”
+++
Perhaps if you owned a company that regularly orders product from outside Canada you might understand the issue.
I’m talking raw materials, parts, etc.
Seen the price of a USED car lately?
New car? ( if you wanna wait 6 months for a nicer model).
—–_——————–
6 months?
What’s the rush?
By the time you take delivery it’s already obsolete.
Just doing fine with my VW beetle.
Groovy.
TESLA CAD Hedged looks cheap.
Garth, would you advise stoking my TFSA with my HELOC for a couple of months on TSLA? Will the CRA tax me if I make a wad of cash in my “tax free” savings account, albeit self directed? I need to speed up my retirement goals.
Ummm, please note the vaccine mandate is in place BOTH sides of the border. Canadian drivers have to be vaccinated to get INTO the U.S. so a bit redundant to be complaining about the requirement to be vaccinated to cross back into Canada! What’s next, will the convoy turn south from Ottawa and head for Washington DC? https://www.trucknews.com/health-safety/u-s-confirms-canadian-truckers-will-need-to-be-vaccinated-as-of-jan-22/1003156530/
#141 crowdedelevatorfartz on 01.27.22 at 6:47 pm
@#110 Reality Check
“As for supply chain problems I have seen none for normal daily need products – zero, absolutely no problem. ”
+++
Perhaps if you owned a company that regularly orders product from outside Canada you might understand the issue.
I’m talking raw materials, parts, etc.
Seen the price of a USED car lately?
New car? ( if you wanna wait 6 months for a nicer model).
——-
Agree with this, what I am seeing is that the equipment that used to have a lead time of 4 to 6 weeks, now its 6 to 8 months. some of the previously off the shelf items are put on an indefinite hold. (I am talking about electrical equipment, relays, panels, etc)
It just didn’t spill over to the grocery isles, but that’s probably not that far off.
#64 USA rocks on 01.27.22 at 4:52 pm
Florida has no mandates, no masks. Their daily death rate is lower than Ontario’s.
Florida’s per capita deaths are 4 times Ontario’s
Convoy of freedom, convoy of anger, does it matter?
Each year, more than 400 000 people die of malaria – a preventable and treatable disease. An estimated two thirds of deaths are among children under the age of five. When personal peace and affluence are the only 2 values that matter, how should then we live?
People keep saying vaccine mandate. This is incorrect. If you are not vaccinated you have to test and then quarantine upon your return to Canada. Obviously this is not an operable situation for an unvaccinated truck driver but it is not a mandate to get vaccinated. However it is all academic because as of the 22nd of January the U.S.A. enacted a rule that anyone who is not an American citizen, who they can’t deny entry to, cannot enter the U.S. without being vaccinated.
So this is all a farce and they know it. If Trudeau stuck his head out of Rideau cottage and said never mind we cancelled that stuff about testing and quarantine they still could not cross the border. So either they are BSing from the beginning or it’s about something else that is equally futile.
By the way I’m starting a new thing. You send us donations and when we get 5 million minimum we will get on a bunch of short buses and go protest anything you want. Both sides of it even. Just like an improv comedy group, you yell out what you want to complain about donate the minimum and we’ll get at it.
I’m watching the Canada-Honduras soccer Worldcup Qualfying game.
1:0 for Canada, on the way to Quatar.
Show some pride, people.
I hope you drop dead of myocarditis….you deserve it. I will tell EVERYONE what a phoney you are.
I love Canada, but perhaps it really is best for the country to divide at Manitoba. As a rural small towner, on balance, we enjoy much different values from large urbanites…. And never has there been so little hope for our voice to be heard. Go get em truckers, this isn’t about vax, it’s about finding a way to stand up against liberal politics.
I’m going to have to disagree with you Garth.
There’s no vaccine mandate for grocery clerks, or many other jobs. Mandates make sense for nurses, and doctors, yes. They make sense for LTC homes. Those people must be vaccinated or they really put others at direct increased risk. Those are not comparable to truckers, who’s interactions are much lower, while providing the benefit of a functioning supply chain.
Not all jobs warrant mandates, and if it’s not truly needed we shouldn’t force people, and take away their livelihood.
I’m triple vaxxed, and a big believer in it but not mandates in the trucker instance.
FELIX! O.M.G.!
So listen to this!
I’m watching Jeopardy today, and one of the contestants talks about how there is this cat they had and their dog considers the cat the absolute best friend. 8-years they are friends (contestant says) and the cat dies. The dog is depressed and miserable. Won’t eat, won’t walk, won’t move. They take the dog to the vet to find out what they can do. Vet says “GET A NEW CAT FOR THE DOG!”
I damn near fell off my training bike!
A dog for whom humans didn’t matter for happiness – instead, a CAT! Maybe these dogs are evolving?
#139 yvr_lurker
Thanks lurker! I did go back and read your post and think you made a lot of really good points too, especially with regard to the importance of shutting down air traffic to countries dealing with surges in cases. Imposing trucker mandates at this stage of the game just doesn’t pass the smell test.
#39 Property Accountant also made some excellent points, as did many others.
I do hope people stop fearing the jabs and keep getting vaccinated so the pressure on health care workers will ease up in the near future, especially for the sake of those requiring urgent treatment and care.
But I would also like to see certain “leaders” doing a much better job at actually leading, as opposed to just dividing and hiding.
Britain and Denmark are removing all covid restrictions including masking; vaccine passports and event capacity and any and all travel restrictions for visitors…so maybe our trucker folks are a tad premature. Remember the great one it’s not where the puck is it’s where it’s going. The latest studies are ripping apart status quo covid myths…aparently now (WSJ last night) if you have had covid your immunity is 26X’s stronger than the double covid vaccine and it lasts a full two years destroying all the science guidelines that natural immunity was of little value. Europe is moving toward turning away from pandemic mode to endemic mode.
This is just data. It’s neutral:
Some Elon quotes to help you digest his recent claims (i.e. robot) on the Tesla earnings call:
“FSD in 6 years” – 2014
“FSD in 2 years” – 2015
“FSD in 2 years” – 2016 (solved problem)
“FSD in 2 years” – 2017
“FSD in Next year” – 2018
“FSD end of this year” – 2019
“FSD end of this year” – 2020 (level 5)
“FSD end of this year” – 2021 (level 5)
“FSD end of this year” – 2022
And with that, TSLA will rip face tomorrow.
I saw on twitter someone took one of the pictures they used to promote this nonsense and photoshopped blond wigs onto the top of all the trucks and said it was the Karen convoy going to Ottawa to see the manager of Canada. I should have grabbed a copy.
If government had an off-ramp plan for the pandemic, this protest would not be happening. Boosting people until the virus goes away is not a plan. When scientists are concerned that frequent boosting could cause problems, it’s insanity.
The virus is here to stay, with that, everyone now agrees. If the government is not willing to present an off-ramp plan, then people have every right to demand it.
One of my biggest concerns, is that the Propaganda flavor or leanings of our Media is contributing to our failures. There is certainly some room for concern, given the toxicity of social media, in some areas, and the propensity to worship clicks, and likes… But are our Journalism, and Information sources compromised. It is an uncomfortable concern, when one factors in the Media Grants, and the desperation, of the traditional news sources, to well… survive. Disconcerting.
#69- sounds like lots of fringe groups swelling the crowd
Its great what the truckers are doing. The truth eventually will come out. We need to stop the division and discrimination of the unvaccinated for their religion or beliefs. I’m ashamed of being a Canadian for the governments vaccine mandates for a certain group of people. As for our cowardly daddy’s boy P.M. its just another charade.
Perfect. Thank you.
Also, I really miss the Progressive Conservatives. I feel a touch homeless.
Buddy of mine making “stupid” money. He’s got 7 Van/Alberta trips in, 12k litres of diesel @$1.50/litre, biggest month ever! And its not over. Says couple weeks ago, one trip, there were 30 rigs crashed. Lumber,coils of steel,boxes groceries,stuff everywhere. The Hope/ Princeton, the Coquihalla. They were jury rigged back together & looked like Saddams retreat from Kuwait. About a week & 1/2 ago he saw the convoy getting collected in Merritt. Cars,flat decks,tow trucks,& “garage trucks”that had better days. Rigs long in the tooth for slip sliding your way across B.C. in January. Old time rigs spaced to give the convoy it legitimacy. These poor Merritt guys. Talk about the Biblical plaques. Drought,Fire,Flood, & now like Moses a pilgrimage to the promised land. Poorer, tougher & a wee bit meaner. The Volvo trucker supports them. Me too. This is good. Drive the little potato into his hidey hole.
OK finished my scroll.
Looks like non-plused has some fans.
If we are in an emergency and we need mandatory vaccines for all Canadians then our government needs to legislate Mandatory Vaccines for all Canadians.
The use of regulatory powers and corporate cooperation to deny someone a living is simply a tricky form of “De-platforming”.
WOW – not sure about all that Garth
Elon Musk has chimed in:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1486772334635536395?s=21
Number of outbreaks caused by long haul truckers: 0
Are we still letting science guide our decisions?
Say goodbye to the PC Party if they keep the current leader, he is dead meat in the West. That means we get
the Liberals again, as the separation movement will gather much more momentum, due to lockdowns, etc.
This convoy is not about truckers anymore, it is about
Civil Rights which the government is taking away which
is why people are venting , they can’t do it through a corrupt media that gets 600 million from the Government
who will not tell us to whom it went to.
At least Pierre Trudeau would be there giving the Truckers the finger, Justin does not have the spine to
lift a finger.
He will alienate and divide this country like it has never been, of course this is his globalist goal.
“And that, rather than being a man, rolling up your sleeve for humanity, seems the bigger threat to freedom.”
That’s a good one. What’s next, bend over to be a man?
Radical elements?
Have you met Pat King? One of their main actors.
https://twitter.com/JaneQCitizen/status/1483008554298605568?t=oTuxa4e99AHnP8OArlposw&s=19
Can we just let them through down to Texas or somewhere away from here?
UK, then Ireland, then Denmark…all dropping the Covid mandates. Canada miles behind…
I have never seen the government roadmap out of all this BS – but people have had ENOUGH! This is why the truckers are getting so much support.
This is not about truckers or vaccines, this is about mandates. Charter of rights being violated and people demand this over. Protected the vulnerable, but don’t force it or make it a condition of employment. Whoever wants vax, gets it. In the end, look at the Health Ontario stats: chances of dying from C19 for 60 yo and younger is less than 1%. This is comparable to flu…
UK is ending it all, they have had enough. It’s time to stop fear mongering and let people decide, we don’t need big brother The Man.
Have to disagree with you on this one, let’s get back to housing bubbles and investing.
#51 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 4:39 pm
#41 some guy on 01.27.22 at 4:27 pm
These are probably the same truckers who take 5 minutes to pass each other on the 401 while going 0.5 km/h faster than the truck they are passing, ignoring the long line of cars behind.
——–
That is the trucker’s right, as he is doing far more important work than the commuting wanks who might have to wait 45 seconds longer to pass.
——–
That’s more Government mandates are you enjoying them? Trucks are not able by law to travel at more than 105 kmh yet speed limits are higher in some places.
Statistics Canada:
The lock downs have caused more deaths than covid.
All for the vaxx, had 3 shots myself and will happily take the 4th one when it comes available. At 85% vaxxx rate Canadians should pat themselves on the back for one of the highest global vaxx rates. Well done! And for the rest? Those pathetiic cowardly 15%. Public shaming? Yes! Social media scorn? Certainly! Family ostracizing? Youbetcha! Everything, but govmnt mandates. And that is why i support these truckers AND support Garth for shaming them. Reason? Yes. Force? No.
No jab, no job. Great post today.
“As did Trump supporters when they stormed Washington, these folks call themselves “patriots” and have absconded the national flag as their symbol.”
Funny how the politically-correct media will always mention this Capitol siege but ignore the WEEKS-long siege of the Capitol NEIGHBORHOOD in Seattle.
People are frustrated Garth.
People feel there is little control over their lives and see things slipping away with inflation and bubbles that they have no control over.
And all of life is about Power and Control. Right 1% ??
They need to act out, speak out.
Even Castro, Justin’s hero allowed Cubans to vent on occasion (but not too much) to release the pressure or else he would have had real problems on his hands. He even supported films that made his regime look like idiots and writers to mock him without saying his name. But everyone knew who they were mocking.
Think Justin’s arrogance would ever allow that? Never.
Luckily no one in Cuba has guns and few do here.
This is just the top of the first inning of frustration and it’s only going to get worse from here.
Watched a great Nova on PBS about the breakdown of Mayan society in Central America from 600 -750 A.D.
Reasons: Drought leading to hunger, evaporation of the middle class, rulers not telling the truth doing anything they could stay in power….gee whiz. Sound familiar?
Next thing you know Mayan cities once allies are at war with each other and within 50 years, most cities are abandoned…..sound familiar?
Then the people left for the north and about 1/2 resettled. Where is the population of the earth going to go? Maybe that’s why the race to get to another planet. Sound familiar?
OIL is running out, inflation is here. If you have $$$$$, I pray you have a lot of friends or wonderful security systems.
When the masses get even more upset, guess who they are going for?
Hope your ass is ready…it’s coming sooner than you think. And the only people you should blame are the 1% that own the central banks and politicians.
Don’t think the 99% are all to blame…As Billy Joel sang “They didn’t start the fire.”
Be an adult and look at the real creators of the problem.
It’s not the truck drivers. But oh wait. They are just the little people who deliver food, etc…
Time to pick a side?
#200 Chameleon on 01.27.22 at 8:26 pm
FELIX! O.M.G.!
So listen to this!
I’m watching Jeopardy today, and one of the contestants talks about how there is this cat they had and their dog considers the cat the absolute best friend. 8-years they are friends (contestant says) and the cat dies. The dog is depressed and miserable. Won’t eat, won’t walk, won’t move. They take the dog to the vet to find out what they can do. Vet says “GET A NEW CAT FOR THE DOG!”
I damn near fell off my training bike!
A dog for whom humans didn’t matter for happiness – instead, a CAT! Maybe these dogs are evolving?
———————————————————-
Thank you for your intelligent and revealing anecdote.
Sadly, most dog worshippers here will lack the IQ to understand it, but we do.
Trudeau is a poster child for pro-vaccination. We can believe him when he says he has been double vaxxed and boosted to help save society, and all Canadians should do as he says.
But now that the truckers are rolling, HE CAUGHT COVID AGAIN!! OMG. He should get another booster and greet the convoy as any leader with guts would do.
Remember “Occupy Wall Street?” Yeah, nobody does.
Meanwhile JT at home , upon hearing the noise asks a servant “what do they want” the servant replies “ they want bread” – “ let them eat cake “ says JT
#185 Faron on 01.27.22 at 7:55 pm
#292 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 5:24 pm
I bought @ $854 today
———
No you didn’t, or at least extremely doubtful if not impossible given the timing.
The bid/ask midpoint didn’t reach that price until long after your comment and only approached within a half a percent prior. The only way this happened is if you perfectly bottom ticked it and got a very generous fill.
More lies. Wow. This market unravel is making it clearer that you are completely full of sht.
———
This obsession is really something else. And lack of even a semblance of respect. It is really quite unwise.
I expect your and my trading work just slightly different.
#211 Dr V on 01.27.22 at 8:56 pm
OK finished my scroll.
Looks like non-plused has some fans.
———————————-
No need to disparage anyone who might agree with one of my comments (the rare time it happens) by calling them “fans”. And who says it was only “some” fans?
Could be hundreds and they just didn’t comment. (Ok, no, not that many people read the comments section.)
Note that my comments on the self driving electric trucks were not as well received, so definitely disagreement as well. Although #181 IHCTD9 did a good job elaborating on some of the reasons we won’t be seeing any long haul electric semis any time soon. They may have a place in the cities for the “last mile” though. I could see electric delivery trucks hitting the 7-11’s. But of course those still need a driver because he unloads and often stocks the shelves too. Maybe when Musk gets his robots working we can get rid of the driver, but that is going to be some robot if it can stock shelves independently. My wife’s iRoomba can hardly vacuum the floor and it takes forever. More of a gadget really, and it spends half the time recharging. Oh well at least it can plug itself in and doesn’t have to check the brakes before a big hill.
I tell peeps the convoy is more likely to get T2 a majority than to change his mind on mandates.
#161 Alberta Ed on 01.27.22 at 7:11 pm
Apparently it’s 85,000 as of 10:30 in Toronto. Population is 38,000,000 so 0.22368421052631576 % of the population. Is it really that popular? A small but loud group massively covered by the media makes it seem a lot bigger than it really is. When they get to Ottawa and some of them act up and get arrested and it finally dawns on the rest that this isn’t going to work it will all fall apart.
Then watch the fight over all of this money begin. The grifters and people with ulterior motives involved will begin to be revealed. Maybe even the true reason or how it has been hijacked will be exposed.
And what’s to stop a progressive conservative party to come back to power in the future?
Peter MacKay sold out the progessives, biggest blunder ever.
Hillary Clinton would call the Freedom fighters deplorables, I would call them misguided.
I just hope they wear their seatbelts, which are proven to save lives.
176 – No but you’re pathetic.
I love the smell of rotting lettuce and rancid tomatoes hitting my face.
Normal people scare me.
-Reporting from ‘Lunatic Island’ where its always zero (0)
#171 – New sub omicron variant – “stealth omicron” also called B-varient.
“Give us back our freedom” they shouted as they moved freely about the country and protested unimpeded.
Reading over the 224 comments tonight and there are very mixed insights to the whole situation. Some are informed about what it is all about, some are misinformed, and others are just clueless and seem to be typing to have something to do.
No one seems to actually care that these drivers are there for YOUR freedoms. They are driving to voice a voice to let others know that this country is fed up with being forced into submission. It is not about being vaxxed or not vaxxed. it is 100% about having to be forced into being VAXED.
It is about Canadians being forced to show your papers to enter WalMart / Costco … etc.
Do you feel free, or will be free by having to be forced to show papers to enter a store? to buy anything?
People who do not understand what this fight is going to be about need to read what is going on… not only here in this country, but everywhere else.
Speaking of other countries, are you aware that this drivers trek is going to be spreading and starting in other places? Way to go Canada…. we started another one.
cheers
Wow, I wish I had the abundance of money that I could drive a truck all that distance, burning a lot of fuel and all the wear and tear while not hauling a load. When you’re a single guy like me, with only one income, you can’t afford to do something so foolish and wasteful. If I were a trucker I would be double or triple vaccinated by now and keep on hauling to bring in revenue to pay the bills. I’d have my vax certificate ready as I proudly approached the Ambassador Bridge.
As for the Conservative Party of recent times I’m not sure what their mandate is, as it’s obviously not to win an election and become the next government.
“Florida has no mandates, no masks. Their daily death rate is lower than Ontario’s.
The truckers aren’t anti-vax, that’s just what the media portrays to you. They’re anti-mandate.”
Finally see some sane comments here.
#173 Well Travelled on 01.27.22 at 7:37 pm
Whether you agree with the Libs or not, remember that we just had an election which they won again, for the third time.
Personally, this astounds me but clearly Liberal policies are what the majority of voters want.
—————————————————————-
67.8% did not vote for Trudeau. Hardly a majority of voters.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/election-2021/first-reading-the-least-popular-canadian-government-ever-elected
Thought I heard on the news (was busy reading this blog) that the U.S. requires truckers entering the U.S. to be vaxed.
If the U.S. requires truckers to be vaxed that changes the whole story. And makes the protest a nothingburger. No?
I find it hard not to think about all this money donated to these clowns. A little over 7 million seniors in this country, I don’t know how many are low income but lots, what could 6&1/2 million do for them. Or the homeless in this country old in this brutal cold. Or hungry kids, kids hospitals that could use some help to help the kids, I could go on. But people choose to throw their money at a bunch of grown people throwing a temper tantrum that will end in nothing whatsoever gained.
Makes you wonder if our priorities have gotten screwed up, moral compasses malfunctioning a bit.
I have more shortcomings than I can count but this stuff just seems insane.
The massing Canadians rooting for The Truckers aren’t anti-vax, they’re Anti-Trudeau and the entire globalist BS sinkhole he brought with him. Except for the 57 GTA seats and the imported Blocs of Trouble Makers Pierre Trudeau designated as his “western hammer” , and re-designed by Butts and his super geniuses to gut democracy, Justin Trudeaus popularity is clear and transparent to the world. He has none. Justin is the most hated PM in history. No poll supports him. People want him out. It’s not even a Liberal Hate thing. But one thing people coast time coast agree on is they want Trudeau gone. Shameful CBC attacks aren’t fooling anyone. Shame on Big Tech boss at Gofundme for trying to hold back funds from the truckers.
Perfectly put, Garth.
These people feel energized by this movement, but it’s fringe. Most of us, at least everyone I know, is doing what’s right. Getting vaccinated. Wearing a mask. Being a selfless and responsible citizen.
I go to the grocery store, and everyone respects each other’s personal space. Most people are kind and courteous and wear a mask. These protesters are not the majority like they are imagining they are. They’re just louder and more angry. That may seem like a large force, but the rest of us are just quietly living our lives and trying to be good people.
And you’re right, the Cons are making a big mistake here. Imagine the field day the Liberals and the media will have if O’Toole meets with the truckers and then violence breaks out? Good luck wiggling out of that one. I’ve seen a TON of rhetoric online calling for a coup. Some of these people have been driving for days and days stewing on their moment at Parliament Hill. That’s a tinder box just waiting to explode.
Overall, I believe in freedom of speech. They have a right to protest. But Justin Trudeau was elected legally and democratically. Trying to “remove” him is the exact opposite of freedom. Voice your displeasure at the next election. And if you lose again, well, that just proves how fringe these views really are. But true, real freedom comes from democracy. What some people in this convoy group want is freedom from the rules and laws of a democratically elected government. And that, my friends, is not freedom at all. That’s the true tyranny.
You read through these comments and there is a reoccurring theme just like the Trump supporters repeating his lies about stolen election, it wasn’t. It really comes down to our side should be in charge of everything doesn’t matter that our side can’t garner the support to get enough votes. We should be in charge. If we can’t win votes we’ll try intimidation.
It’s amazing how many people tout that the virus was overblown and so many less people died than they said would. YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE MANDATES AND VACCINE. HELLO!
233 Non-plused – sorry, no intent to disparage.
Please let me rephrase
“Non-plused’s comments received some favourable
reviews”
I confess I didnt read them :)
Out of touch! This is the only inspiring thing to happen within Canadian borders for years. Clearly the jab isn’t getting us out of this. Roll up your sleeve 3 times just to isolate again? Regions with 100% vax rates are hitting record cases. 3rd/4th boosters just proving to compromise the immune system (potentially long term). Political class types like Trudeau and Garth are only good at following orders and regurgitating propaganda (medical/fiscal/monetary), even when the policies fail the people time and again.
I’m disappointed by your perspective Garth, it seems that even the most pragmatic can still find themselves sucked in by the cult mindset. I find it so baffling how so many still hold your view, heading into the 2-year anniversary of this political pandemic, given all that we know, and all that we have witnessed.
When else in history has the majority been duped. Only a few times that one can recall, and it isn’t flattering for you to be in that company.
Anyway, despite my disappointment and complete disagreement, I wish you and yours good health and continued prosperity. I wish that for everyone, along with a return to personal responsibility and sanity.
The vaccines are not doing squat to stop the spread, so what is the point of mandates, restrictions and vaccine passports? It no longer makes any sense – unless there is an underlying agenda…
——————-
Pfizer will be releasing all 55,000 pages of their data starting March 2022…
The underlying agenda will then become perfectly obvious….
Stay tuned
No more mandates. No more restrictions. Get the vaccine if you want to reduce your risk of serious disease from the virus. If you don’t want the vaccine, that’s your choice and I respect it.
None of the above should be controversial. If it upsets you, then you’re the problem. History will judge you harshly.
re today’s convoy.
Please don’t refer to them as anti-vaxxers.
That is a small subset.
Also please don’t refer to them as fringe right wingers for the same reason.
Most were out there to express their want for freedom and to come and go as they please.
Does anyone really think that restricting truckers movements at the boarders is stopping the spread of the virus? Well sorry for the bad news but the virus is both here and there on the other side of the boarder.
As far as testing Canadians before they re-enter the country from abroad, they Liberal government already confessed that they want to make it as difficult as possible for Canadians to travel.
And DOG damn it if anyone in charge does believe in science then why don’t they follow that instead of the polls?
Garth this is all about politics and trying to stay in power. Either you know that or you are just naïve and that’s why you got your ass booted out of there.
With all due respect Garth, hear what people are trying to say instead of fixating on the bullshit MSM.
Respect.
Well….I posted something earlier. Fell through the cracks, I guess. Or I got ‘deleted’.
For whatever it is worth, I fully support Garth’s views on this subject. There is nothing to support or reveal the principled objections of these ‘truckers’. Pull the curtain back on an individual basis. Show us who you are and what your objections are……… It’s one thing to ‘posture’ and another to present reasonable arguments.
Otherwise it’s just the mob and the brutes , likely goaded by organized professional protesters types. (many of them imported.) They always show up, but the media never identifies them……
They live among us. Increasingly so, and they contribute nothing and are a cancer.
Guess we will see if people care enough to take back their values, freedom and democracy.
#168 Re-Cowtown on 01.27.22 at 7:31 pm
My opinion is that Trudeau has done a masterful job of dividing the nation. The truckers are a symptom, not the cause.
////////////
+100
There is your rebellion.
#236 Stone on 01.27.22 at 10:43 pm
And what’s to stop a progressive conservative party to come back to power in the future?
******
Most likely the nutbars on the right of the right wing.
That’s likely why other countries have multiple parties.
Left wing, center, right wing, extremist and don’t forget the outright party of nutbars.
#176 Canuck on 01.27.22 at 7:44 pm
You are one cowardly little hate spreading man Garth.
////////////
I wouldn’t necessarily say cowardly, but hate spreading is absolutely true.
You want others who ask for their freedoms back to ostracized.
#181 IHCTD9 on 01.27.22 at 7:48 pm
A semi truck can go about 1950 miles on a full 300gal load of fuel at 6.5 mpg. For an e-semi, that kind of range would require a 6027 kw battery. That is 120X times larger than the battery in a standard Tesla model 3 that allows a 400km range. That means the battery for a single semi truck would cost over 3/4 million dollars./
.//////
Imagine stealing the semi just for the batteries?
Hmmm?
#193 DML on 01.27.22 at 8:12 pm
#64 USA rocks on 01.27.22 at 4:52 pm
Florida has no mandates, no masks. Their daily death rate is lower than Ontario’s.
Florida’s per capita deaths are 4 times Ontario’s
////////////////
Maybe it’s got to do with all those old people living down there. I hear they is much fatter too.
#232 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 10:22 pm
#185 Faron on 01.27.22 at 7:55 pm
#292 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 5:24 pm
I bought @ $854 today
———
No you didn’t, or at least extremely doubtful if not impossible given the timing.
The bid/ask midpoint didn’t reach that price until long after your comment and only approached within a half a percent prior. The only way this happened is if you perfectly bottom ticked it and got a very generous fill.
More lies. Wow. This market unravel is making it clearer that you are completely full of sht.
———
This obsession is really something else. And lack of even a semblance of respect. It is really quite unwise.
I expect your and my trading work just slightly different.
*******
The start of a beautiful friendship….
Ah ha ha ha
#232 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 10:22 pm
your and my trading work just slightly different.
—
Yes, I don’t magically get limit buy orders filled almost half a percent below ask.
In rando strangers I can have respect for humility, compassion and honesty among other traits. I don’t have any respect for you.
#203 Faron on 01.27.22 at 8:33 pm
This is just data. It’s neutral:
Some Elon quotes to help you digest his recent claims (i.e. robot) on the Tesla earnings call:
“FSD in 6 years” – 2014
“FSD in 2 years” – 2015
“FSD in 2 years” – 2016 (solved problem)
“FSD in 2 years” – 2017
“FSD in Next year” – 2018
“FSD end of this year” – 2019
“FSD end of this year” – 2020 (level 5)
“FSD end of this year” – 2021 (level 5)
“FSD end of this year” – 2022
And with that, TSLA will rip face tomorrow.
/////////////
Good for you Faron, some very good comments today.
Can you tell me when the Cybertruck will be ready (I’ll start holding my breath now)( Just call me blue boy)
It is about freedom, the erosion of it.
When I was in the military during the Cold War we use to make fun of communists spying on their neighbours and calling in the authorities when they saw something suspicious. Like people did last year during thanksgiving and had the police forcibly remove visiting guest from their homes.
We made fun of people in communist countries that were required to have travel permits, “Halt, show me your papers”. Which we now do to people travelling to the nearest restaurant or Home Depot having to show their vaccination papers.
#234 RC on 01.27.22 at 10:23 pm
I tell peeps the convoy is more likely to get T2 a majority than to change his mind on mandates.
////////////////
I see your point and maybe this would have been a possibility had he faced the fire.
But I think the movement will only get stronger now that JT has ran and hid underneath the bed.
I’m hoping for Alberta to separate from Canada some day.
This protest has garnered enough attention and followers that it should be taken seriously, despite how very unserious it looks. There’s a large enough portion of the population that feels they need to vent their frustrations with the current situation that dismissing it out of hand would be a mistake. The government should set up some sort of meeting with the leaders of the protest and actually listen to their concerns. It would help the country.
You have it all wrong, Garth. These protesters do not believe that mandates are constitutional. This is a matter of our civil rights. Government does not have the right to take these away from us.You have to look at the bigger picture. The government will always keep taking until the people say “no more!”
Hey RUBBER DUCK:
85,000 people with backbone in sub zero weather heading for Ottawa, plus hundreds of thousands of supporters in the cold waving them on. DONT FORGET THEM, and the million others at home cheering them on too.
I think I’ve seen your rig as I pass through Ontario, your company is called SHEEPLE TRANSPORT isn’t it?
I suggest you watch something other than CBC.
#237 Western Bunker Buster on 01.27.22 at 10:43 pm
Peter MacKay sold out the progessives, biggest blunder ever.
_____________________________________
He’d rent his open mouth for a price!
@#196 Ponzies pride Play
“Show some pride, people.”
++++
As Arthur Ash (the world ranked male tennis player) once said to Billie Jean King ( the female world ranked tennis player)when she was throwing a fit on a talk show about the discrepancy in pay between the sexes.
” We’re entertainers. Nothing more. We get paid to entertain. If people are willing to pay more to watch women play tennis. They will”
Sorry ponzie.
Waving the flag and tearing my shirt over a soccer game?
yawn.
As for Canada qualifying for the multi Billion dollar extravaganza known as the World Cup.
Double yawn.
More European “royalty” lining their pockets as commissioners, officials, etc etc etc.
The Olympics taught them well how to create something out of nothing.
Nationalistic, jingoistic pap that the sheeple lap up..
The only way in Hell Canada would win the world cup would be AFTER the zombie apocalypse.
I can’t stand the banter on both sides . It’s their choice so leave them alone
-18 cel with a wind chill of -29c in Ottawa today
Saturday will start off as a balmy -28c with a slight breeze.
:)
Oh well, in those temps, at least the Media will finally earn their 100 pieces of silver.
#264 Faron on 01.28.22 at 12:47 am
#232 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 10:22 pm
your and my trading work just slightly different.
———
Yes, I don’t magically get limit buy orders filled almost half a percent below ask.
———
???
My day’s average fill was 3% higher than end of day, not lower, you weirdo.
ALL which matters guys is that we are kept DIVIDED as more of the global New System gets rolled out.
We are living WW3 – the world fell that cold week March 2020 – when everything changed.
In fact in Q1 2020 the WEF helpfully provided a chart of what would change. Swell guys:
https://tinyurl.com/5n8escbx
The sudden global rollout of the QR code (coincidence, wink wink) plays an intergral part. Digitizing us, putting us into the block chain. And a means of control.
Yep a Bat did this.
As the Former First World countries are continued to be brought downwards, via social, cultural and financial destruction you must wonder, would the QR code kick off a new monetary system? Social credit score?
Ontario’s new digital ID is set for late 2022. The QR code was helpfully rolled ahead of this. Hint hint. it’s not going away.
We are only in YEAR THREE of this war & rollout. Buckle up
….
.How an Anonymous Reporting System Made Yale a COVID ‘Surveillance State’ – Washington Free Beacon (freebeacon.com)
And Free I Shall Remain.
“Wasting their collective time… have absconded the national flag as their symbol…” You can say that about any protest
Evidently, some of the 80% felt it necessary to show solidarity with the 20%. Or maybe they see the writing on the wall with the 3rd dose, and then the 4th, and then the fifth, and so on and so on. Not everybody wants to be vaccinated every 6 months, even if they took the first two. I don’t want a Pfizer subscription, thank you.
“Of course, no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada. We’ve had a two-year public health emergency”. This is the oldest trick in the book. What do you call a never ending state of emergency?
“Like other anti-vaxers they let the rest of us work our way towards immunity and better days.” What does that even mean at this point? What is the current narrative as to how we are supposed to get out of this crisis? We are at the end of a cycle now, we vaccinated almost everyone and there are more cases then ever. Clearly what we are doing is not working. Newsflash: coronavirus will still be there in 10 years no matter how many vaccines you take.
@#176 Canuck
The irony of your anony-mouse comment defies belief.
Could you change your name from Canuck to
Lou Zer?
I’m hoping nobody gets hurt, or worse this weekend. I’ve got a lot of respect, or perhaps sympathy for the truckers, but this whole thing has the potential of becoming a disaster. You can count on every anti-establishment nut case for 500 miles around to be in Ottawa this weekend. Lets hope they leave their weapons at home.
Garth like many thinks if we had 100% Vaccine compliance everything would be back to normal. Easy to blame the unvaccinated. Those of us paying attention know that isn’t true.
As oft stated, vaccine compliance helps keep people alive and hospitals able to treat others who need help. You are selfish. – Garth
Gee.
It seems our former politically correct appointee the Right Honorable Governor General of Canada was such a joy to work with….
$277,000 was paid out to former employees that left for reasons one can only surmise.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/ggs-office-paid-out-277k-in-settlements-the-year-julie-payette-resigned-but-wont-give-details
These payouts were given , BEFORE her juicy severance package.
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/despite-resigning-julie-payette-still-qualifies-for-the-ex-gg-perks-including-a-150k-pension-for-life
So sanctimonious of you . Conditioned with vast amount of incoherent, secondhand, unverified information posing as ‘facts’. Now you have a need to have an opinion on everything and anything considering yourself capable of judging for yourself and for others
Totally off subject from the Truckers Cross Canada Vaxx hissy fit.
Lets look at some REAL world threatening news shall we?
I wonder if the vaunted, omnipotent US Carrier group has found the top secret, stealth ,F-35 jet that sank on China’s doorstep…..?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/25/asia/us-f-35-crash-recovery-south-china-sea-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
Crashing a jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier while “flexing one’s muscles” to the Chinese ….probably isnt going to put the fear of God in our godless communist Asian pals.
Do both. Get vaccinated, and hold your government accountable. The incompetence at all levels–municipal, provincial and federal–is truly mind-boggling. It didn’t used to be this way. I’m not sure how we got here.
#249 AJ
“What some people in this convoy group want is freedom from the rules and laws of a democratically elected government. And that, my friends, is not freedom at all. That’s the true tyranny. ”
Exactly.
Earlier comment disappeared.
Seems as if a small fringe minority has a more support than is being let on.
This is the expected result of divisive propaganda and ‘othering’ people, perhaps that was the intent who knows.
Hopefully this goes peacefully as large crowds can stir up all kinds of bad events.
I’d give M. Trudeau a little more credibility if he’d just state the obvious ‘not going to endanger myself by an enraged mob’. But no, gives the lamest excuse, got the ‘rona’… uh huh.
As oft stated, vaccine compliance helps keep people alive and hospitals able to treat others who need help. You are selfish. – Garth
…….
quebec has 92% adults vaccinating
hasnt gone too well for them , unfortuately
need a passport to go into a Costco in Quebec soon Garth..do you support that? :) Or you’d rather just shrug your shoulders and i say ‘dunno’…?
Sounds like someone paid you, Garth, to write this garbage…
Protests are not against vaccines but against government MANDATES.
Sounds like you live in a bubble, as a majority of Canadians.
Here is something to think about:
1. 2 or even 3 vax shots do not stop omicron, people are getting it and spreading it, and some even die
2. Truckers in this convoy are either vaccinated or have a natural immunity against COVID due to being previously exposed to it.
3. Natural immunity provides stronger protection vs just a vaccine
So, WHY MANDATING A HEALTH PROCEDURE if it doesn’t protect anybody at all?
P.S. For those who repeat a mantra about mutations within unvaccinated bodies…viruses mutate, and they mutate in those who are immunocompromised because their immune systems can not produce enough response, so viruses have time to adapt.
#244 victor on 01.27.22 at 11:03 pm
“The truckers aren’t anti-vax, that’s just what the media portrays to you. They’re anti-mandate.”
I’m not anti seatbelts, just anti-seat belt laws.
I’m not pro murder, just anti-murder laws.
I’m not anti border, just anti-border laws.
I’m not pro drunk driving, just anti drunk driving laws.
See the pattern here?
My body, my choice, my consequences.
The freedom fanatics conveniently forget the ‘my consequences’ part.
#176 Canuck on 01.27.22 at 7:44 pm
You are one cowardly little hate spreading man Garth
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Can you elaborate just a bit? Just making a statement without backing it up isn’t convincing. I don’t see any “hate spreading” from Garth. You on the other hand…..
MatG on 01.28.22 at 8:49 am
“Of course, no freedoms have been cancelled in Canada. We’ve had a two-year public health emergency”. This is the oldest trick in the book. What do you call a never ending state of emergency?”
Bravo, MatG!
I personally think that all Canadians should read a “1984” book two times a year and study “bolshevism” , how it started, etc… let’s make it a government MANDATE for common good of all people :) lol
#215 Catalyst on 01.27.22 at 9:06 pm
Number of outbreaks caused by long haul truckers: 0
Are we still letting science guide our decisions?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I suppose you thought that was an intelligent comment eh? Hint: it wasn’t. It made you look dumb, just like most(all?) of the anti-mandate/anti-vaxxer types. I’ve yet to read of hear an intelligent comment from any of them.
Beautiful post, cannot find anything I disagree with. I will never understand why some people just don’t get it.
Be careful conflating anti mandate with anti vaccination. As a fully vaccinated individual, I believe the mandates are a far greater threat to long term prosperity than upping the vax rate by a few percentage points.
The trucker mandate is international. This convoy will change nothing and weakens societal resolve in dealing with a pandemic. Everyone loses. – Garth
I respectfully disagree with your assertion about this movement. I am not anti-vax, I am very much a rule follower and have done everything in I can to bring this to an end. I’ve been a good soldier, double vaxxed, followed all the rules. Still got covid. Fortunately, I work in an industry and for an employer that this situation did not affect my income. That cannot be said for many others. The narrative is lost. This is not following the science (and I have a med lab background, so I’m not just another FB news network hack). People are done. This makes no sense. The country is being driven into the ground financially and ethically. The current “leader” of the country (and I use the term loosely) has done everything to divide the population and sow hate and disrespect. This movement has not only galvanized this nation, but many others. The continued mixed messaging, flip-flops and direct contradiction from leadership and public health officials has led us here. I am not anti vax, but anti-coersion, anti-bullying and very pro-choice. I have followed the rules, got the jab, masked up everywhere, followed all the guidelines, and yet, two full years later, we are no further ahead, only further behind. And for what? I support this movement in terms of allowing the population to have some normalcy back. I empathize with the stressed out, over worked and over-wrought health care workers. If only there was an appetite for early intervention. For those who are afraid (and clearly believe the vaccines aren’t effective) and want to continue lock down measures, hurting those who can least afford it, well they can take a page out of the book of trudeau and hunker down at home until the danger has passed.
If you all believe in true, real freedom then Garth is allowed to have his own beliefs and opinions. Attacking him sure weakens this movement and your arguments. And telling him that he doesn’t understand this movement…then how about you all figure out the real reason for this movement yourselves. Because it’s completely muddled right now and all over the place.
As for fighting for my, and everyone else’s, freedom. They don’t speak for me. This emergency wasn’t supposed to be easy. It wasn’t supposed to be quick. It wasn’t supposed to be enjoyable. Sometimes things get hard. Sometimes we need to be a little selfless and patient to get through hard times. That’s what I, and millions of other Canadians, have been doing. We’re working in a collective mindset to protect ourselves and others. Not throwing a hissy fit because things are lasting longer than we’d like. So many tough times have existed in the past that have tried people. Why do we feel like we should all be exempt from hard times? We’ve been so lucky that for many of us, this is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to face. But getting angry and threatening is never the right way to deal with hard times. So no, I’m not on their side. They have a right to feel how they feel and do what they want. But, NO, I’m not going to get angry and mean. I’m still being patient and kind and acting in a selfless manner. No arguments from the other side will ever sway me, and so many others, from doing what we feel is right and just in this horrible mess.
Garth, will you consider running for the conservative leadership next time its up for grabs? We need a centrist now more than ever. It would probably piss off Stephen Harper too as an extra bonus.
#247 – I find it hard not to think about all this money donated to these clowns. A little over 7 million seniors in this country, I don’t know how many are low income but lots, what could 6&1/2 million do for them. Or the homeless in this country old in this brutal cold. Or hungry kids, kids hospitals that could use some help to help the kids, I could go on.
Its a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of billions of dollars the government has added to our debt in less than 2 years. That is what people should be outraged about. Likely more like 700 billion when you add the provinces and cities and what did we get for this ginormous spending. People were paid to do nothing..mostly young people and I know of many who totally abused the system. Meanwhile small business owners were desperate trying to find workers and had to jack up their wages and were forced to shut down several times. We had curfews, vaccines mandated if you want to work, vaccines mandated to do anything. At the same time we go on and on about how no one has freedom in Russia and China..really are we any better..seriously?
We also did next to nothing to protet the vulnerable in nursing homes..we still suck at that and still cant find workers. We still have way too many deaths in nursing homes..its a total digrace with the amount of money we spent and that future generations will have to deal with for decades. This pandemic has been totally mismanaged from day 1 and this truckers convoy is a message to the politicians that a lot of Canadians are fed up with with a capital F. I hope more and more people join this protest until we get some clear answers from politicians based on science not on what the screaming Karens want.
This hit piece just proves that most media in Canada are just Liberal propaganda.
this rolling temper tantrum has become quite the bug light for the fringe.
Let’s leave the anti-vax wackos out of this group. I am fully vaccinated and the whole “vax pass” (whether it be cross-border truckers or can’t-go-to-a-restauarant-without-one) is beyond useless at this point.
It was supposed to be a measure to protect the masses. It absolutely no longer is now that vaccinated people can get and spread covid. It’s a completely arbitrary rule. It MUST be removed because it’s completely unjust (at this point). It doesn’t protect the masses anymore. At all. The anger is 100% justified and I fully support the movement (though not necessarily all the types of people taking part in it).
no freedoms lost?! wow, just wow.
I gonna leave just one link here:
https://www.jccf.ca/the-charters-only-living-signatory-sues-canada-over-travel-mandates/
No, you do not have the ‘freedom’ to get on somebody’s airplane without their consent, which can be withheld during a pandemic (or any anytime else). – Garth
These mostly anti-vaxxers…sorry I meant anti-mandates protesters, have hijacked the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Flag. What they refer to as “freedom” is actually a very dark authoritarian vision for the country.
Toronto # 256,
Keeps it short and sweet:
“No more mandates. No more restrictions. Get the vaccine if you want to reduce your risk of serious disease from the virus. If you don’t want the vaccine, that’s your choice and I respect it.”
None of the above should be controversial.
If it upsets you, then you’re the problem.
History will judge you harshly.”
————————-
I believe this day is coming much faster than the indoctrinated realize, thus we have late stage systemic actions, that make zero sense to the truly rational.
It’s funny how only one side is ever accused of divisive politics. Never the liberals, or that great beacon of unity and non-partisan behaviour, Justin Trudeau.
A year ago, the vaccines (“shots” really) did seem like it might be the way out of the pandemic. I was vaccinated as almost 90% of adults are now.
However, things haven’t turned out that way, 1 year later. Delta at first, and now Omicron, have obliterated the idea that these shots would stop infection or spread. A vaccine passport, to reduce the risk of spread (yes, that was its purpose), is a complete joke now. It has no value.
All that people are now clinging to is that vaccines must be mandated so as to “not overload the healthcare system”. The reason our system is overloaded is that for decades the hospital system has been hollowed out. We have less than 1/2 of the OECD average of acute care beds.
The CDC has released a study that showed natural immunity from prior infection was better than vaccines for reducing hospitalization and deaths for Delta variant. Someone who has had Covid and recovered (those 99.98%) does NOT need to get a vaccine. Full stop.
Even small countries in Europe can figure that out. Why are the US and Canada so ignorant?
You are so talented at hindsight. – Garth
Managed, mismanaged… meh. Covid has had its (relatively innocuous) way with the human population regardless of measures and hysteria. Once the yeast is in the bread, there’s no removing it.
I’ll always take a biologist’s perspective on these things: a contagious ailment that kills something less than 1% of those affected? Insignificant in the big picture. If I or my family members contract it and die? Unfortunate, but all life ends in death (except the perpetual jellyfish, apparently). If a vax comes out that may be beneficial? Sure, we’ll take it. No biggie.
its your blog and you can do whatever you want, but I suggest you stick to financial advise as you are knowledgeable on the subject.
Providing legal opinions is clearly not your strength.
You are still wrong. You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth
This whole mess brings back some good memories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5ZLJWQmss
CONVOY!
Slim # 307,
“What they refer to as “freedom” is actually a very dark authoritarian vision for the country.”
——————————–
Please share your, insights?
Are you suggesting those opposed to vaccine conformity be put in gas chambers?
#311 George Michael on 01.28.22 at 11:19 am
its your blog and you can do whatever you want, but I suggest you stick to financial advise as you are knowledgeable on the subject.
Providing legal opinions is clearly not your strength.
You are still wrong. You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth
——————————-
George Michael.
Try to go shopping naked.
See what happens.
Am fully vaxed.
Support individual choice/freedom to decide on a medical procedure.
Peering into my crystal ball …
See fragmentation in the society.
Conflict of ideas.
In Canada, we will talk and talk and talk and talk some more. …
Freedom from responsibility always seems more appealing than freedom with responsibility.
#250 Rubber Duck on 01.27.22 at 11:35 pm
You read through these comments and there is a reoccurring theme just like the Trump supporters repeating his lies about stolen election, it wasn’t. It really comes down to our side should be in charge of everything doesn’t matter that our side can’t garner the support to get enough votes. We should be in charge. If we can’t win votes we’ll try intimidation.
———
Agreed. It’s funny that not one peep from the anti-vax losers (oops, was that “freedom fighters”? Lol) on this comment which is quite accurate to the circumstances.
It’s laughable how a tiny loudmouth minority of losers who think you can make the rules as you please actually have no power. What a relief. You are a minuscule minority. By next week, you will be last week’s news.
By the way, what was the news last week? I forget because…it wasn’t important. Just like these idiot truckers and their fringe minority supporters.
Get vaxed and get back to work. My dividends don’t feed themselves. Chop chop!
DELETED
“You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth”
Sure and forcing businesses to close and forbidding people from assembling or do sports is no right cancellation…
What the hell is wrong with you?
33,368 dead Canadians. What the hell is the matter with you? – Garth
Another bribed post paid by the government of nazikanada. Dude, at least try to write without copying word for word the email they sent you to post here. You are no different than CBC.
The more extreme you folks get, the dumber you sound. – Garth
March 2022 – Fifty thousand (50,000) pages from Pfizer coming. Not 55 years later in 2077 as Pfizer first proposed and Judge said no.
We shall see more info – maybe more people will decide to take the jab after this document.
Thanks Garth!
#303 Smoking Karen on 01.28.22 at 10:27 am
“This hit piece just proves that most media in Canada are just Liberal propaganda.”
————————————————————–
Garths Blog is “media” ?
You may want to consult a dictionary if you have one in your cave.
Here where I live the last closures, closed places where vaccines and passports were mandatory while places where vaccines were not mandatory like crowded malls were fully open. What does that tell you about the vaccines.
You are so talented at hindsight. – Garth
++++++++++++++++++++++
Perhaps you could use some.
And I have been saying this for over 7 months, when limitations to vaccine/shot effectiveness was coming out (when you don’t delete it)…
‘The Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) have both come out against the convoy, saying 90 per cent of cross-border truckers are vaccinated. ‘
And there is this: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-jan-28-2022-1.6331041 Worth a listen.
It’s a link to the CBC show ‘The Current’. Have a listen beginning at 56:10 where an excellent investigative journalist named Justin Ling outlines who and what is really behind this convoy.
What’s really going on here is the same thing that happened in Washington on January 6th. We ignore or make light of what’s happening at our peril. And O’Toole is walking right into it. Home addresses of MP’s being handed out, just like what has happened with the country’s Chief Medical Officers, doctors, and the Mayor of Calgary.
This is very organized, and if some of these people are saying things like ” The only way this ends is with bullets”, I sure as hell hope someone is paying attention.
These far right crazy people are more than a nuisance.
Is this extreme Garth – the Mayor of Chicago – offering ‘stack’ (cash) rewards for getting vaccinated?
Is this proper? (thank you for posting, i’ll be quiet now)
https://twitter.com/chicagosmayor/status/1486837104462213120?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
#248 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 10:53 am
Today’s gift is Tesla. I took profit at around this level a year ago when the company was less developed. Returned all of that this morning. It’s pleasant to finish a day’s work before 8.
——–
#292 Sail Away on 01.27.22 at 5:24 pm
I bought @ $854 today
——-
#185 Faron on 01.27.22 at 7:55 pm
No you didn’t, or at least extremely doubtful if not impossible given the timing.
The bid/ask midpoint didn’t reach that price until long after your comment and only approached within a half a percent prior. The only way this happened is if you perfectly bottom ticked it and got a very generous fill.
More lies. Wow. This market unravel is making it clearer that you are completely full of sht.
——-
Faron, a question, since it seems fairly important in light of your position as a climate scientist and policy advisor for government climate actions:
Reviewing the above discussion, and identifying that there is no possible way you could know my purchases in the 6.5 hour time period between my two posts except as I’ve mentioned, would it be standard professional practice in your field to speculate about what may or may not have happened in that time period, and further, level accusations of lying based on that speculation?
It is concerning to me that a PhD working in the field of data analysis and projection would do this. Would you stand behind this from a professional standpoint if peer reviewing someone else’s conclusions? If so, I’d suggest you may want to preface ‘scientist’ with ‘quasi’ or ‘pseudo’.
This is actually the fourth time you’ve accused me of lying in the last week based on speculation. Fact. I’ve put together a document. Sort of an eye-opener.
Thanks!
It’s a quick trip from the hospital this evening, time to go counter protest the anti vax fools.
I’ll wreck any anti vaxxer, any day.
Garth, you would have a stronger argument if the vax actually worked.
Today 75% of Covid patients in Ontario are fully vaxxed.
The below statement makes no sense because the “rules” are not those of the service provider, they are mandates from the Government.
You are still wrong. You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth
There is no restaurant owner that would refuse service if not mandated. Look at most of the US right now.
Why bother having a Constitution or rule of law when the government can issue any arbitrary health directive to rule your life that it wants, with no right to question?
History will not be kind to the governments that have done this. It is junk science not to acknowledge natural immunity from recovered people. The experts have been engaged in a massive fraud on this front, along with destroying the lives of children based on fraudulent “science”.
Vaccines do not stop you from getting infected. Common sense does that. They just help you keep from dying. Seems a good choice. – Garth
“Vaccines do not stop you from getting infected. Common sense does that. They just help you keep from dying. Seems a good choice. – Garth”
But it is a personal choice, and this medical procedure should not be MANDATED by the government. That’s all these movements are about, not anti-vax, but anti-mandates and government overreach.
#16 Mattl on 01.27.22 at 3:57 pm
#23 Honor on 01.27.22 at 4:06 pm
#25 Westerlywind on 01.27.22 at 4:09 pm
#36 Property Accountant on 01.27.22 at 4:24 pm
#82 Chaddywack on 01.27.22 at 5:15 pm
#84 Nonplused on 01.27.22 at 5:16 pm
All well written points with respect and not a hint of extremism or violence.
But unfortunately, it is all for not here…
#301 Steve-0
Garth, will you consider running for the conservative leadership next time its up for grabs?
————————————————–
I’ve lost count how many times we’ve asked Garth that.
#330 AM in MN on 01.28.22 at 12:27 pm
There is no restaurant owner that would refuse service if not mandated
___________________________
No shirt, no shoes, no service!
@#330 AM in MN on 01.28.22 at 12:27 pm
Garth, you would have a stronger argument if the vax actually worked.
Today 75% of Covid patients in Ontario are fully vaxxed.
The below statement makes no sense because the “rules” are not those of the service provider, they are mandates from the Government.
You are still wrong. You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth
There is no restaurant owner that would refuse service if not mandated. Look at most of the US right now.
Why bother having a Constitution or rule of law when the government can issue any arbitrary health directive to rule your life that it wants, with no right to question?
History will not be kind to the governments that have done this. It is junk science not to acknowledge natural immunity from recovered people. The experts have been engaged in a massive fraud on this front, along with destroying the lives of children based on fraudulent “science”.
Vaccines do not stop you from getting infected. Common sense does that. They just help you keep from dying. Seems a good choice. – Garth
–
AM in MN, here’s some words you should live by.
‘Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All Doubt’
33,368 dead Canadians. What the hell is the matter with you? – Garth
What is the matter with YOU GARTH??
90% of them over 75, and the majority with multiple co-morbidities.
Average life expectancy in Canada is around 80.
Where is the PANDEMIC??
The fact that you are in the High risk group doesn’t give you the right to destroy the FUTURE of my children. VACCINATE YOURSELF MONTHLY FOR ALL I CARE
It is a well known fact that the older boomers are mostly sadistic sociopaths but to have such a shining example in you, u are such a disappointment.
THE SOONER THE BOOMERS ARE GONE THE BETTER..
True colours shining through. – Garth
#328 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 12:25 pm
=======================
Cracked 800 balloons and the 200dma…momentarily. Testing support…. should hold.
To bad Elons such a manipulator of the price with his tweets. Shows ya how idiotic investors have become. Everything’s a casino now.
You and Faron pants should get a room :-)
#113 Doug Stephen on 01.27.22 at 6:05 pm
I speak three languages, a fact from which it can be inferred that I’m reasonably intelligent.
—- –
My parents speak two.
They never finished high school.
#336- What an ignorant person you are.
A report by Public Health Ontario says the period of infectivity for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 does not appear to be shorter than other forms of the virus, and may be longer in some cases.The agency says that while there is limited evidence on the infectivity of Omicron, its own modelling data suggests people remain contagious for a similar amount of time.And it says that, unlike other variants of concern, Omicron does not seem to show a faster viral clearance in vaccinated people compared with unvaccinated ones.The findings are included in a report on strategies to cohort patients in acute care that was published last week.
#336 33,368 dead Canadians
What’s it like being such a horrid misanthropic doof? Inquiring minds want to know.
PS I got no flesh in the game on TLSA. My RE got a 7 digit boost on the assessment’s. Just jacked my rents. Happy camper there.
Best comment of the day!
#241 Observer on 01.27.22 at 10:51 pm
“Give us back our freedom” they shouted as they moved freely about the country and protested unimpeded.
***************
love this short humorous comment
#337 All lies and manipulated u decide on 01.28.22
[Tesla] Cracked 800 balloons and the 200dma…momentarily. Testing support…. should hold.
You and Faron pants should get a room :-)
——–
Well, I’ve taken my most recent position and don’t intend to daytrade other than probably selling covered calls; I always try to buy full lots to keep the options accounting simple.
Regarding Faron: I will never accept being called a liar because some middle-aged adult thinks it’s a fun insult. Words like that are unretractable, unnecessary and dangerous.
For the love of dog. The government is not mandating people to get vaccinated. You can choose to get vaccinated or not get vaccinated. And there will be consequences based on your choice. Just like everything in life. Do your own cost benefit analysis based on your values, make your choice, and live with the consequences. Life is easy.
#336 – This whole “co-morbidities” argument is so unbelievably vile and sinister, it makes me sick. You are the real “sadistic sociopath.” SHAME ON YOU!
No, you do not have the ‘freedom’ to get on somebody’s airplane without their consent, which can be withheld during a pandemic (or any anytime else). – Garth
_____________________________________________
That “somebody” is Air Canada or West Jet and I’m quite sure they would let people on their planes with or without vaccination and tests. It’s the current gov’t that is enforcing this, not the owners of the planes.
#336- so many bloggers so misinformed and so self righteous.
Dumbest comment of the day was just above at 336
“What is the matter with YOU GARTH??
90% of them over 75, and the majority with multiple co-morbidities.
Average life expectancy in Canada is around 80.
Where is the PANDEMIC??”
********************************
Dear math challenged selfish person:
Are you under the impression that the life expectancy of a typical 75 year old Canadian is 5 years? It’s longer, see a a mortality by age table. It’s 13 years.
Are you under the impression that the life expectancy of an average 80 year old Canadian is zero? In fact it is nine years. Years of other people lives that you are willing to treat as entirely disposable.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310083701
You are still wrong. You have no inalienable freedom to fly, or eat in a restaurant. You are allowed to do so when you comply with the rules of those providing the service. Suck it up. – Garth
_____________________________________________
Those providing the service aren’t making the rules, the Gov’t is. What part don’t you get??? Those airlines and restaurants would be wide open if they had the chance.
How can you not see that?? Wow…
I respecfully disagree with you on his one, Garth.
Being in the front lines at an acute care hospital I fully support vaccination as best protection available, as well as a responsibility towards our fellow Canadians. Please do your part.
That being said, I also share in frustration with every level of our government making up nonsense rules arbitrarily. Following science when it suits them, and ignoring when less convenient.
(Big part of the hospital capacity problem predates the pandemic: we routinely run at over 100% capacity on a good day, without the pandemic. Come public health crisis we have nothing to respond with. Except more administrators. Cute how they all hid at home in crisis meatings while bravely sending front line staff to risk their lives and families without even the basic equipment . Guess who will take the credit and performance bonuses. I am proud to say my fellow physicians stepped up and did their part, even when it looked like many of us might come to grief and also put our loved ones at risk, like it happened during last SARS outbreak in TO. Long story)
Absurdly incompetent PM ruling by decree from cottage, zero parlamentary oversight, just left-wing twitter mob calling the shots.
Meanwhile livelyhoods being crushed, busineses ruined, families torn apart – same people that will be made to pay for the largesse doled out to a bloated and disintetested civil service.
CBC unashamedly in the pocket of the ruling party, might as well be called ‘Pravda’ in the old soviet tradition.
Blockading railways and burning churches is ‘undestandabe’, while desperate cry for democracy and rights of our citizens is ‘fringe’. Really?
Chasm between east and west has grown deep indeed.
Canadians seem to be sleepwalking into totalitarianism. If you think it can’t happen here you are just not paying attention.
#291 – Omicron prevents severe illness and death in most cases. It doesn’t prevent infection. Get educated and stop following social media misinformation.
33,368 dead Canadians. What the hell is the matter with you? – Garth
_____________________________________________
We now know and it’s been reported that over half of those deaths came from LTC homes. They didn’t fly in planes or eat in restaurants.
And, to you, the old matter less? Good luck as you age. – Garth
#328 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 12:25 pm
You are so b*tt hurt by having your anonymous comments attacked that you are issuing veiled threats? And have put together a document? And you call me a crazy?
You told us you bought before 8AM yesterday and that “your day is done”. Later claimed that you bought at a price that wasn’t offered before 8AM. One of those statements was untrue. AKA, a lie.
I take my job far more seriously and approach it with far more rigor than my personal posts on this blog although my comments would stand up. You appear to be threatening my occupation which is blithe cowardice coming from an anonymous commenter.
Check yourself
I’ve contacted Father Damien Karras. I know him well from work he did for me in the Old Kingdom. He’s not sure if anything can be done but needs the work.
This ones on me.
Og
end all mandates.
do whatever you want with your own body.
it’s not complicated.
We are a society. It’s complicated. – Garth
#328 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 12:25 pm
I’m sorry Garth for another comment, but this is flat insane. I’m not intimidated as much as flabbergasted. All the times Sail Away accused Stone of lying makes me wonder if Stone was flimsy enough to assemble a document. ICD guess no. Just, wow. GL man.
My rights don’t end where your fear begins
So interesting when people sound like bumper stickers. – Garth
Oh,
I asked Father if he would be willing to unite Faron and Sail Away in the bonds of holy matrimony. He has agreed. He needs the work.
Guys, this one’s on me.
Og
#357 Faron on 01.28.22 at 1:42 pm
#328 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 12:25 pm
I’m sorry Garth for another comment, but this is flat insane. I’m not intimidated as much as flabbergasted. All the times Sail Away accused Stone of lying makes me wonder if Stone was flimsy enough to assemble a document. ICD guess no. Just, wow. GL man.
——-
Stone did lie. Verified. Specifically about me boasting about exploits in Vietnamese hostels. It wasn’t speculative.
And yes, you should assume I track everything said. Anonymous? You’re the one who sends uninvited emails to my work address. Weirdly obsessive.
#351 Paul Heinz excellent post. Thank you for your service.
*Vietnamese brothels*
I gotta say, amongst the more extreme angry posts today, there are some real gems. Some truly great comments. Don’t ever get rid of the steerage section!
#359 ogdoad on 01.28.22 at 1:51 pm
Oh,
I asked Father if he would be willing to unite Faron and Sail Away in the bonds of holy matrimony. He has agreed. He needs the work.
Guys, this one’s on me.
Og
———
Thanks! We’ll need a pre-nup.
#336
“…well known fact that the older boomers are mostly sadistic sociopaths”
———————————–
Nice.
Say what you REALLY mean.
#336 your entitled post qualifies you for a prize of stupidity. DWEEB. Nuff said.
#359 ogdoad on 01.28.22 at 1:51 pm
Oh,
I asked Father if he would be willing to unite Faron and Sail Away in the bonds of holy matrimony. He has agreed. He needs the work.
Guys, this one’s on me.
Og
—- —-
That would be one short-lived matrimony – ending immediately upon its initial consummation due to excessive (and decidedly unholy), levels of erotic asphyxiation.
#360 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 1:54 pm
You’re the one who sends uninvited emails to my work address.
——— –
Serious?
“#352 april on 01.28.22 at 1:25 pm
#291 – Omicron prevents severe illness and death in most cases. It doesn’t prevent infection. Get educated and stop following social media misinformation.”
April, can you read? Read #291 post again
#354 Faron on 01.28.22 at 1:30 pm
#328 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 12:25 pm
You are so b*tt hurt by having your anonymous comments attacked that you are issuing veiled threats?
——-
Sorry, my mistake. I really tried to make it as clear as possible.
@Sail Away
I sure did reach out on two occasions hoping to lower the load Garth faced by communicating IRL like real humans should. I stand by that. You are welcome to write me as well. You will find my information in this dossier you have assembled.
If integrity is so important to you, how do you stand behind Elon Musk, a person who lies repeatedly, who has been cited by the SEC (too few times) for his lies, is set to lose a case regarding misleading shareholders and who recently outright lied in the Tesla earnings call? I’m guessing it’s okay because he has made you richer, but the cognitive dissonance is astounding. Does integrity only matter in a given set of circumstances?
It’s just gross. You have your fans here (people like authoritarianistic views these days) but a not small subset sees you for what your avatar appears to be and are revolted by what they have witnessed.
I’ll stop trolling you now. You are obviously triggered and dangerous.
363 IHCTD9 on 01.28.22 at 1:56 pm
I gotta say, amongst the more extreme angry posts today, there are some real gems. Some truly great comments. Don’t ever get rid of the steerage section!
———————-
Agree.
#336 33,368 dead Canadians ……..
Some uncomfortable truths there…..
364 sail Away
“Thanks! We’ll need a pre-nup.”
———
Now THAT was funny. Enjoy the weekend. You too Faron.
#361 Habitt on 01.28.22 at 1:56 pm
#351 Paul Heinz excellent post. Thank you for your service.
——————-
Yeah,
He started out well.
But then quickly self combusted into the usual right wing hate tirade.
Hope he does not infect his patients, if indeed he works in a hospital.
#370 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 2:18 pm
Sorry, my mistake. I really tried to make it as clear as possible.
—
That you are so hurt? Wow. You play internet chat for keeps. A game of checkers must be life or death.
@IHCTD9
Sure did. Was invited to at one point. Happy to chat with any of you any time in a form that saved Garth a shred of energy. I’m a real human and pretty reasonable outside of the steerage posture land hell-silo. However, I have little desire to meet any of you in person unless you needed critical help.
#374 Dr V on 01.28.22 at 2:37 pm
364 sail Away
“Thanks! We’ll need a pre-nup.”
———
Now THAT was funny. Enjoy the weekend. You too Faron.
—
Thanks, you too Dr. V. I’m headed to the mts for a cabin trip with friends. Looks to be glorious for the first bit. Cozy in the snain for the second.
#376 Faron on 01.28.22 at 2:53 pm
#370 Sail Away on 01.28.22 at 2:18 pm
Sorry, my mistake. I really tried to make it as clear as possible.
—
That you are so hurt? Wow. You play internet chat for keeps. A game of checkers must be life or death.
@IHCTD9
Sure did. Was invited to at one point. Happy to chat with any of you any time in a form that saved Garth a shred of energy. I’m a real human and pretty reasonable outside of the steerage posture land hell-silo. However, I have little desire to meet any of you in person unless you needed critical help.
— – —
Dude, that is seriously ******-up. That’s a no-go zone unless totally utterly invited. I remember some goof on here crapping all over Smoking Man’s LinkedIn page.
Battles on the blog should stay on the blog.
#283 Martin on 01.28.22 at 9:13 am
Garth like many thinks if we had 100% Vaccine compliance everything would be back to normal. Easy to blame the unvaccinated. Those of us paying attention know that isn’t true.
As oft stated, vaccine compliance helps keep people alive and hospitals able to treat others who need help. You are selfish. – Garth
—————————-
Yes, in theory you are correct Garth. However, the facts are 50% or more are now breakthrough cases in hospital. The countries around the world now with the highest vaccination rates are also experiencing the highest breakthrough cases. I’m not making this up and it’s not an antivax rant either.
There is no mandate there is a choice. Choices have consequences. Get vaccinated and you are free to cross the border. Don’t get vaccinated and you cannot cross the border. How is that so hard to understand. The United States will not allow you into their country if you are not vaccinated. But this is actually just the vehicle that has been chosen for grievances that have nothing to do with this. Still it is incredible what some people choose to believe no matter how shady their source of information.
I keep seeing here Omicron prevents. What? It is an infection, a viral infection it does not protect anything. Your body produces antibodies because it that protect you, to what degree can differ in different people. The antibodies you produce from being infected have been scientifically proven to not last as long or be as effective as the vaccines.
One of the best comments I’ve seen here was to the effect of these people cavorting across the country freely and unimpeded crying about their loss of freedom. Hypocrisy, stupidity or some combination of both?
These clowns talking about the charter and constitution and how they are going to do this or that about this government, they understand none of it. I think they all went to Trump University which was shut down as a con but had been operated by the first president of the U.S.A. who had no knowledge whatsoever about their constitution but spouted about it when he thought it suited him anyway. We live in a world of mental midgets.
No, you do not have the ‘freedom’ to get on somebody’s airplane without their consent, which can be withheld during a pandemic (or any anytime else). – Garth
A couple of weeks ago I backed my car into a parking spot at the store, as soon as I stopped someone opened my passengers door. Do you think they got in? It was a simple mistake but same principal my car you don’t get in unless I say you can. Or plane, business or virtually anything but government and courts and even then only if you follow the rules. You can even be denied use of public transit like the TTC if you don’t follow the rules.
We are a society. It’s complicated. – Garth
______________________
People make things way more complicated than it needs to be. The pandemic is already over – now we’re just making things worse.
If people are permitted to use their common sense, the end result would have been roughly the same – in an educated society like Canada.
It’s hard to imagine that there really isn’t something else going on to be honest. But unfortunately, if there is, we won’t know until it’s too late.
Should Quebec be using a vaccine passport for Walmart and Costco? Should they mandate a booster….for everyone? Should a child need 3 vaccines to be able to do stuff. Should you need to show your pass every time you go into a store? Should every vector be treated the same….er I mean, person. Meh…it’s your vote, use it wisely.
#380
“…cavorting across the country freely and unimpeded crying about their loss of freedom…”
——————————
No biggie. It’s just the trek of the two-digit IQs.
The countries around the world now with the highest vaccination rates are also experiencing the highest breakthrough cases. I’m not making this up and it’s not an antivax rant either.
………
correct. Easy to vet if anyone cares to. And our hospitals aren’t overwhelmed, they are understaffed . Important distinction. Omicron is more contagious, less lethal as likely prior immunity to sister strains/vaxxed population. . We knew this from the S Africa data and was echoed by the CDC a month ago. But who reads for themselves nowadays?
I think garth is in auto-mode. All responses are ‘you’re selfish’
think he locked the door, lol
#380 Rubber Duck
One of the best comments I’ve seen here was to the effect of these people cavorting across the country freely and unimpeded crying about their loss of freedom.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks. That was mine.
Garth, I am a huge fan. I’ve read this blog faithfully and will continue to do so, you’ve featured some of my questions in actually blogs and answer them or used them as examples. Thank you for this. This post is a poor representation of the overall sentiment of those i know that support the convoy. I fear this will get out of hand due to a few, I really hope that doesn’t happen. But I think you’re way off base on this one. Will it accomplish much? Probably not, but their message deserves to be heard and represented.
Their message? Me first, the rest of you next. Not how a society gets through a crisis. – Garth
In the grocery store yesterday I repeated what I say to the clerk every time I shop: “Thank you for working during the pandemic.”
There was the most beautiful smile from a young girl at the checkout. An eye-smile, above the mask.
—————————————————————-
An eye-smile? How ridiculous that people have accepted this as ‘normal’ behaviour. Sad!
BTW, haven’t you heard? It’s been rebranded as a Plandemic. Fact-checked…
We just went through covid. Triple shots didn’t help prevent spread or ilness. Overall it was mild. Funny thing is it was mild for unvaccinated people I know as well. Our hospital has no covid cases despite it ripping through town now. The virus has changed and the truckers have a point.
This is no longer about a virus or vaccines. It is about control and dividing people. All these arbitrary rules about masks, vaccines, restrictions on movement, employment insurance, curfews (poor Quebec) are based on a zombie apocalypse from 2020. I believe this is all about the mandates and overreaching power of government and I support the truckers.
DELETED
@Peter, post #188:
While some unvaccinated people had a mild case of COVID, many others died. You should ask them about it. Oh, that won’t work, because dead people can’t tell you how much they suffered before dying. Instead, you could get out more and ask those long haulers who got over it but still have long term effects from it.
As for the truckers if I still lived in Ottawa I would go nowhere near it all. Why? Because I much prefer the company of sensible, responsible, and mature adults. You won’t find any there, except for the cops on duty.
Correction, @ Peter, post #388.
As free riders….”
Greetings from St. Paul’s, B.Cs busiest hospital. We have 6 covid patients at this moment, zero on vents. We’re seeing far more vaccinated people with covid than unvaccinated, but that’s due to the vaccinated in the populace outnumbering unvaxxed by a factor of 4 to 1.
Haven’t seen any covid patients who didn’t have numerous other serious health problems. If the government wants to end covid they should mandate a healthy diet and exercise, but mainly they need to find a cure for old age.
The truck unions don’t support this action and the demonstration is not acting altruistically on behalf of my/our ‘freedoms’. The convey has attracted a following of various nut case groups and has lost any credibility. I think Garth’s post was spot on this time — throwing in my two cents a bit late. Disappointing to see so much anti-vax invective and phoney flag-waving here.
Well now they have an MOU, I guess they don’t understand you need to sides agreeing for an MOU. Regardless it is idiotic anyway the senate, Governor General & these clowns will take over the government for 90 days until all this they bitch about is fixed. First these truck drivers didn’t come up with that, second those who did know how ridiculous it is but they also know that it will bring a bunch of fools who don’t know better together behind it.
Since they have arrived in Ottawa and I’ve seen it on tv I can’t get Tom Cochrane’s voice out of my head, I can’t be the only one.
Lunatic Fringe
Red Rider, Tom Cochrane
Lunatic fringe
I know you’re out there
You’re in hiding, and you hold your meetings
I can hear you coming
I know what you’re after
We’re wise to you this time (wise to you this time)
We won’t let you kill the laughter
Woah-uh-huh
Woah-uh-huh
Woah-uh-huh
Lunatic fringe
In the twilight’s last gleaming
This is open season
But you won’t get too far
‘Cause you got to blame someone
For your own confusion
We’re on guard this time (on guard this time)
Against your Final Solution
Oh no
Woah-uh-huh
Woah-uh-huh
Woah-uh-huh
We can hear you coming (we can hear you coming)
No, you’re not going to win this time
(You’re not gonna win)
We can hear the footsteps (we can hear the footsteps)
Out along the walkway (out along the walkway)
Lunatic fringe
We all know you’re out there
Can you feel the resistance?
Can you feel the thunder?
Oh no
Hey-ey-ey
Songwriters: Cochrane Thomas William
For non-commercial use only.
Okay Garth not into the Red Rider stuff. How about this from Politico “Tamara Lich and Benjamin Dichter are the convoy organizers. Lich has said there will be zero tolerance for extremists and apologized Wednesday for any trouble that may be caused as a result of the rally.
“Due to the size of our movement and the overwhelming support we are receiving from people around the world, we can no longer promise that the average Canadian will not be disrupted by our convoy,” Lich and Dichter said in a statement. “For that, we are truly sorry, and we will do our very best to limit the disruptions to your lives.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/28/risky-and-significant-canadian-capital-braces-for-trucker-protests-pro-00003364
All foreseeable if my opinion to anyone who was watching it evolve. It is the Lunatic Fringe for those who wonder give the tune a listen.
The only beneficiary is the prime minister. So dumb. – Garth
@Doug. My point is the virus has changed. We should change our approach too. Keeping draconian rules on how people move, do business, who they see in their homes, and shame them if they question “experts”, is not right. Politicizing science is not right. Printing money without debate in the house of Commons is not right.
I was one of the first to get vaccinated. This is not april 2020. Was the virus deadly, unknown then? Remember police tape around playgrounds and surfers getting fines? We are so lucky compared to how other nations handled this. Look at Australia, China, Austria.
This isn’t about me, this is about a world I want my kids to grow up in. This isn’t about the vaccine, this is about mandates, and an unadaptable governance.
@Peter:
I see that all restrictions are being lifted in Britain, and all will be opened up. They will be the guinea pigs for whether or not opening up everything here is a good idea.
Garth comments on the conservatives, however he does not mention the left. Under certain circumstances, with a popular leader, the NDP could be the party to draw in middle-of-the road voters and disillusioned Liberal supporters, enough so to form Government.
Never gonna happen. – Garth