Canadian Truckers "Freedom Convoy"
 

Canada has not responded decisively to the so called "Freedom Convoy" that may well be a MAGA financed operation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Convoy_2022

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/ameri...day/index.html

After almost 2 weeks of this foolishness Canadian PM Trudeau still hasn't cracked down on it. The Canadian Gov. should impound as evidence every one of the vehicles involved:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60331882

The vast majority of the Convoy complaints are provincial edicts and PM has no authority over them. The transborder vaccine requirement is the law on both sides of the border. So even if the PM rescinded the requirement in Canada the truckers couldn't get into the U.S.A anyway.
Here is a backgrounder on the Convoy leardership.

I've known plenty of big rig truckers...all those early years in as a plant managerand shipping manager in chemical factories and on the loading docks. I liked some of them, some were OK, and some were annoying at best. So, in my experience, it's no surprise that among the ranks of truckers there would be plenty of alt-right, anti-vaxx assholes more than willing to fuck up everybody else's life to get whatever it is they might want at the moment.

So...as in this country, the federal government has no authority over CDL or whatever they call trucker licensure in Canada. It's all under the control of the individual Provincial government licensure authorities. And what the Provincial leadership has the authority to do is tell these economic terrorists that they have 12 hours to move their equipment off this stretch of road. And if they don't, they won't be scolded, they won't be fined, they won't be laid off for two weeks...the Provincial licensure athorities will revoke their licenses to operate permanently...no appeal...no renewal ever. So...how many DeSantis/Abbott types are the provincial bosses...who can say? But this is happening in Ontario, and as far as I know the "Progressive Conservative" party led by Doug Ford is not going to risk their political standing by cracking down on alt-right, anti-vaxxer truck drivers. DeSantis/Abbott in spades.

As far as the Canadian people are concerned, polls taken in the last three days report that although 46% of Canadians are "sympathetic to truck driver's complaints", that 2/3 of Canadians oppose the convoy blockade and want it ended immediately. Will that make a difference to Doug Ford and the PC's in Ontario...if the people in Ontario are anything like the people in this country...it won't make a shit bit of difference.

The way I see it Canada's screwed. They (the leadership) seem to lack the will to deal decisively with the Ottawa Invasion of 2022. Those behind it have figured this out so they won't relent until they get what they want. Dealing with the "Freedom Convoy" is only dealing with the tip of the spear. You have to get at those holding the spear. I'm sure they have plenty of support (financial and otherwise) from south of the border (the U.S.). It's become not so much about the vaccine mandates as it it sticking it to the government in charge.

Homeland security fingerprints all truckers who seek Hazmat endorsements on their license, and can block that if the driver fails a background check. For whatever that's worth. There is a warning about a planned US protest convoy starting at LA on Sunday, coming from--guess who--Homeland Security. This is beginning to look a lot like Insurrection II. There may be a test of Army loyalty, which Dondillion warns us is shakey in elite units, really soon.

If I was the governor of California, I would have the National Guard standing by, with equipment to haul away big trucks.

Ontario declares state of emergency, announces "severe" consequences for blockades

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ontar...161505100.html

Hope he's got the omph to back it up. He'll need the army, most likely. And as Rick says, "You have to get at those holding the spear." They are in the US.

I see things looking really bad. Let's start with Mitch McConnell. His coming out against Trump looks, as 'Beau of the 5th Column' says (anyone else follow him) like an unforced error, all downside, no upside. So why he do that? He must think Trump is set to stink on ice, and wants to distance himself. That must mean he knows about big shit coming out of Jan 6 Committee.

Well, if he knows about that, the Trump Gang knows about it. And what are they going to do, just sit still and get kicked to oblivion by the investigation? I think they are making their move, a big one. This thing in California is supposed to be the start of a convoy that will cross the US, get huge, and hit DC at State of the Union time. I think the plan is nothing less than to paralyze the country and bring down the government.

The start at Superbowl will probably be relatively nice, lots of flags, civil seeking for redress of grievance, not much trouble. They will actually hope for trouble that will look like government oppression though. Makes the response difficult.

I suggest stockpiling food and other survival supplies.

At least the Canadians can't blame Trump. Although they are behaving American.

A good guess there are outside of Canada forces helping fuel the unrest. My money is on Russian fingerprints on the key boards…..

Bannon is very plugged into the International Fascist Conspiracy.

As long as those holding the spear don't have to be out on the tip they will try to "convoy" DC. Good little soldiers will carry the fight while the generals stay out. Two ways for traffic to enter D.C. Through Maryland or through Virginia. Hogan (MD) likely won't put up with it. Youngkin on the other hand would probably give them a police escort.

Faux News certainly sees "different" people crossing the border "differently".

IIRC Mr. M T Flynn was pretty good at misinformation dispersion and cyber warrior before, and still be a very good guess....

They all work with help from Putin is also a good bet!

The government response to this is being conducted by idiots.

They have universal health care, all they have to do is say any additional expense related to non-vaccinated people contracting covid will be charged to the individual if it happens.

Don't stop the truckers from picking up their loads. Tell them if they want to gamble, they'll pay. There's no evidence the vaccine is reducing transmission of the virus. Only that non-vaccinated people have more serious problems when they do get sick.

That goes for the USA side as well. Let them in. Send them home if they get sick.

Gawd. Follow the science, make the penalty realistic.

Some common-sense response. However, the govt does not want to give any appearance that it caves to people who apparently are not part of its constituency.

One point missed by many, is the overloading the facilities with sick with C-19. With the vast majority of the effected and needing the most care.....Unvaccinated!

There again it is the me's verses the we's.... Where the me's are all about personal freedoms, personal discomfort, simple selfishness with little to no thoughts of others. When the solution seems to be a very simple one, get a series of shots and lesson the severity of the secondary effects for everyone else.

A good friend was sick with C-19 before vaccines, his bill was over a million dollars. Sure insurance picked up the lions share Yet I'm not foolish enough to think charges like this will not effect future cost for us all in the end. Also think of the staff being worked to extremes.... they need a break.

Hospitals here are full, with folks on gurneys in hallways.
My SO had to be hospitalized with a seriously infected foot, waited for nine hours for a room in the ER. Released prematurely, another trip to the ER, this time the foot is ulcerated with signs of necrosis. Another 6 hour wait for a room in the ER and subsequently hospitalized for an extended period of specialized care to save the foot from amputation as of more than a week ago.
The covid caseload is very real with real consequences for patients and health care staff.

The liars and deniers never seem to address this. It's like to them the health care workers don't exist. Once in a while one of the little minions of misinformation will spew something like "they're inflating the numbers of Covid patients" or "doctors get more money by declaring everything as Covid".

"Windsor judge gave the protesters until 7 p.m. to clear the area before the order allowing police to clear access to the Ambassador Bridge took effect on Friday."

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-go...assador-bridge

So far the so called protestors have not complied, and Canadian law enforcement has not enforced the order.

What's up with the Canadian police?

Some are still in Ottawa but at the bridge...

https://news.yahoo.com/freedom-convo...ycsrp_catchall

That news may be wrong. I haven't found any definitive news that the blockage of the Ambassador Bridge has been ended.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americ...er-2022-02-12/

According to the latest report I can find the bridge has not been cleared.

https://nypost.com/2022/02/12/ambass...test-drags-on/

This AP report is pretty comprehensive. Was updated around 9:00 PM Eastern. They say that a blockade by semis at Ambasador Bridge by semis was cleared this morning, but more ptotestors have arrived and road is still blocked.

This item in the report regarding protests in Ottawa caught my eye: “Safety concerns — arising from aggressive, illegal behavior by many demonstrators — limited police enforcement capabilities,” Ottawa police said in a statement late Saturday.

Accounts I've read of troubles in Italy leading to Mussolini's takeover spoke of ineffectual responses by government troops to the blackshirts, due to strict orders to avoid hurting anyone.


https://apnews.com/article/coronavir...d255a2ce23eb84

Damned global warming. Where's a good blizzard when you need one. I guess this is how you stage an insurrection north of the border. A Reich-wing minority takeover in the US and Canada? Why not, the money behind both is the same. Democracy wiped out in North America in one fell swoop.

Budget's kinda tight right now.

Attachment 3925

You often seem to find a lighter side to what is occurring. :D

Well, that's an oldie. US M-48, or earlier. Dates to 50's. Sort of thing the Canadian army just might own, though I expect we probably surplussed them a few dozen M-60's by now....

Well Canada is part of NATO after all.

Damn. They have my supply line cut.

I'll have to forge my own Johnson sprocket.

Seeing the various conservatives and Reich-Wingers and Faux newsies cheering on the Ottawa Occupation and the Ambassador Bridge Blockade something seems wrong about this picture. Tell me if I'm wrong but weren't these same people the ones throwing fits when BLM protesters filed onto roadways blocking traffic? Some Republican politician, I forget where, even said they wouldn't prosecute anyone who happened to hit people in the roadway with their vehicles. Gee, I wonder what the difference is? Repubs take hypocrisy to a whole 'nuther level.

On a positive note, some residents of Ottawa have had enough and begun blocking vehicles attempting to join the occupiers. Blockading the blockaders, sweet.

Yep, both parties doing essentially the same things. Doesn't matter how wrong it is, its OK as long as the other side did it first. Problem is its been going on so long now nobody remembers who was first. One of the biggest reasons I remain unaffiliated.

Oklahoma and Florida passed laws shielding drivers who hit protestors. https://slate.com/business/2021/04/d...publicans.html

Right. Both parties equally bad. No point in preferring one over the other. You are in this way excusing the party trying to suppress voters and legalize the stealing of elections, and on this basis can excuse them of anything. But ho-hum.

You make it sound like unaffiliated is synonymous with apathetic. I could reserve apathy to those who are in power and refuse to do their job. I still vote and make my voice heard.

Yeah, those are the ones. Open season on brown people in the streets.

Meanwhile, north of the border: YANKEE GO HOME!

“Something Popped Yesterday”

I fully expect the instigators to try such "Convoys" in the US. Plenty of Reich-Wing dark money out there to sponsor them. I also expect people who've seen what this noisy minority have done in Canada to take steps to thwart it here. A few of those big dump trucks in key intersections or blocking certain highway off ramps should be able to have the necessary effect. Oh they may get away with it out in West Bumfuck but after what happened Jan 6th, 2021 I don't think the authorities in DC will just roll over like the authorities did in Canada.

New Zealand hopes Barry Manilow, James Blunt and the Macarena can disperse protesters

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/14/10806...-barry-manilow

ROFL. It would sure make me want to surrender, lol.

I always find the 'they both do it' argument a reality distortion, sort of like saying both Nazis and AOC are bad for America, as if AOC is actually evil. (Maybe you disagree, but I think AOC is manifestly a decent person, rather more articulate and intelligent than the average for the US Congress.)

Even the thing that triggered this exchange, the matter of protestors blocking highways, does not seem equivalent to me.The support for the 'Convoy Protest' by what now passes for mainline conservatism (that is, the Trump GOP and it's media allies) is far more pervasive and unqualified than left wing support has been for unlawful acts by Occupy Wall Street, or BLM roadblocks.

Nah, they need an assortment of Gangsta Rap from one of the streaming services. You don't want them to surrender, you want them to leave, lol.

Poor deluded idiots.
 

They thought they were protesting (initially) Covid mandates. Actually they're up against a much bigger foe.

Here’s how much the ‘Freedom Convoy’ has cost the U.S. and Canada

The Ottawa Occupation Force is but a noisy minority. They will only be allowed to interfere with commerce for so long.