SAINTS PRESERVE US

Just Little Respect

The Globe and Mail last week launched an exclusive series detailing Beijing’s meddling in Canadian internal affairs and its attempt to influence the outcome of the 2021 federal election. The stories are based on top secret documents assembled by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). That the classified materials having been circulated amongst Canada’s allies were subsequently leaked to the newspaper may be either problematic or intentional, but kudos to the Globe for doing what decent and proper newspapers do.

China’s preferred result once the ballots were counted was a Liberal minority government. Unlike authoritarian regimes, minority parliamentary governments can have a tough time getting things done. Beijing also worked actively to defeat particular Conservative candidates, those it deemed China policy hawks. The game plan included social media misinformation campaigns and discreetly leveraging the influence of cultural organizations and student associations. Other “friends” of Comrade Xi were motivated by ideology, bribery or blackmail. Standard stuff.

The Houston Astros won the World Series in 2017. As the final out was being recorded in the scorecard the sign stealing scandal broke. The Astros had been cheating all season long. There was shock, surprise, outrage. A few patsy heads rolled. The result stood. At the time I thought: You know, if the Montreal Expos were still around and if that’s what it would take for them to win it all, I’d be okay with that.

Suffice to say I would’ve been pretty much onboard with China’s 2021 Canadian electoral strategy. There’s not a whole lot of difference between the Liberals and the Tories, but go Red! Besides, any Canadian who pays attention to national politics could’ve predicted the outcome, gratis. Reading the Globe’s national security scoop, I wondered why Beijing even bothered to get involved. 

And I mean, why would Comrade Xi even wish to keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau around? Trudeau is a divisive figure in this country. Western Canada perceives him to be an ineffectual elitist. He practices wedge politics. His ethical judgment is less than zero - about where he registers in the public opinion polls which drive his party’s reactive domestic platform. Canada’s foreign policy has been something of a fluid mystery on his watch. Standard stuff.

Oh. 

meGeoff has been your most unreliable, unbalanced and inaccurate alternative source of insight into the wilderness of mirrors since 2013. The novella Of Course You Did is my latest book. Visit www.megeoff.com for links to purchase it in your preferred format from various retailers.