Hmmm, are you ready for the rough ride that lies ahead as the reset button is hit?
I thought that the COVID pandemic was the big upheaval I would have to endure in the latter stage of my life. (I am in my late 60’s.) With that mayhem in the rearview mirror, I was looking forward to a period of relatively smooth sailing.
Alas, that was overly optimistic. There are a number of tumultuous developments clouding the horizon and disturbing the peace I hoped to enjoy in my retirement years.
Front and center in this time of upheaval is the Trump factor. Since he took office for a second time as President of the U.S.A., Trump has unleashed a barrage of political and ideological missiles. Canada is squarely in his crosshairs as his 25% tariffs against certain Canadian exports to the U.S. will be in place by the time you read this post.
I have a degree of insulation against the impact of the tariffs as I am out of the workforce. Job security is no longer an issue for me. But no one will be immune to the ripple effects.
For the record, I am not in principle opposed to every one of Trump’s beliefs. A shift back to the conservative side of the spectrum is a natural swing in the ebb and flow of society. But I am troubled by the extremism of his views, his bullying tactics, his ruthless wielding of power and the flat-out bizarre behaviour he regularly exhibits.
In the meantime, our federal government in Canada continues to be in disarray at a time when leadership is critical. Parliament is prorogued as the Liberals race to elect a leader to replace lame duck Justin Trudeau before the party is felled by a non-confidence vote. Conservative Pierre Poilievre, whose abrasive manner and at times inflexible views do not sit well with me, will be our next Prime Minister.
Here in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford – ever the unprincipled opportunist – has seized upon the tariff threats as the lever to pull the trigger for an early, expensive and unnecessary election. He says he needs a new mandate to battle against the tariffs. But we all know that trade falls under federal jurisdiction.
In reality, Ford is using the tariffs as a smokescreen to hide his own failures and questionable dealings on such issues as the Greenbelt scandal and the Ontario Place redevelopment fiasco. In the unlikely event he ever did get a face-to-face with Trump, Trump would chew him up and spit him out.
Viscous attack ads on leadership candidates have begun on both the provincial and federal front. It is a below the belt, muck-racking at its worst environment. What would be slander in any other circle is deemed acceptable in this realm.
In summary, we have entered a period of chaos that will prevail for some time. Among the many metaphors for chaos, the shattered mirror metaphor fits best. Shards will be flying in every direction for the next year or so.
There is an argument to be made that the mirror needed to be broken as a reset mechanism for a society that is in need of a new vision and values. Whenever this happens, the pendulum tends to swing to the far side of the other end of the spectrum before working its way back to a more moderate position. But that does not make it any easier to ride out the period of chaos that the pendulum shift brings about.
~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet
~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .
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Tags: Donald Trump · Justin Trudeau · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Pierre Poilievre · shattered mirror · tariffsNo Comments