Before I start forming my thoughts on this, I want to make something quite clear, I was really torn between writing about this, or writing about the Spotify and Joe Rogan debacle. I certainly have a lot to say about the Overton Window shifting so far to the left that simply questioning public concern is now considered dangerous misinformation, but I can already tell there is not a lot I can say, that many of you won’t already understand and agree with.
Since this blog is written with the goal of hopefully providing something new to discuss, I figured it’s best to turn your attention towards the large air horns from our brothers up north. The cacophony of semi-trucks blaring everything they have with a common goal of freedom.
Ladies and Gentlemen
I present to you,
The Great Honkening
For those unaware, there has been a large congregation of truck drivers in Canada in the past few weeks gathering to protest both vaccine mandates and vaccine passports. They are calling it the Freedom Convoy. When I was deciding what to write about a few weeks ago, there were anecdotal reports of around 50,000 semi-trucks moving through Alberta Canada.
The only reason I decided to back off the story, was because it was incredibly difficult finding credible news sources that were covering the event itself. There have been photos and videos indicating thousands of truck drivers creating a convoy, but it is nearly impossible to verify such a large number. This is my main concern as to why I am writing about it this week. Because even though we could see mass amounts of footage from the event itself, many journalists decided it was too controversial of an issue for them to cover. So much for reporting the news, eh?
But why Canada you may ask? Well, the answer is pretty simple, and just so happens to be in line with many of my major concerns about the current state of our society. In Canada, their government elite has deemed it best to label anybody unwilling to get vaccinated, as an “Other” who does not share the same values as the rest of the Canadian citizens.
If someone even questions the credibility of these vaccines and their stubbornness in working effectively, they are to be met with ex-communication from polite conversation. Truck drivers bringing goods all around the country are no exception to these rather intense government decrees. Canada has been leaning in the “play by our rules, or we will make your life miserable” camp for a while now. This appears to be just another move in the same goose-stepping direction.
But on the horizon, there is honking.
HONK HONK
Fast forward a week or two and we are now seeing photos of hundreds of thousands of semi-trucks in Ottawa, as well as other major cities all over Canada and the US-Canadian Border. Effectively grid-locking the cities with a truly “peaceful protest.” No violence, no hate, just honking. Endless, honking.
At first, the Canadian government went completely dark on the story. The revolution is not allowed to be televised. Quickly labeling the group as crazy anti-vaxxers who are disrupting life for the noble citizens who are just trying to live their life. Instead of articles about how insanely large this gathering is, you would sooner find articles claiming it all as useless rabble. Even Google doesn’t want anyone to get a clear understanding of the impact of this event. This makes it rather challenging to find any accurate numbers as to exactly how many people, or trucks there actually are.
And the movement grows ever larger still. As more and more of the photos leak out, more truck drivers show up. As the protest numbers grew. The stories written about them have turned more and more into attempted smears and attacks. Every noble effort for freedom has to have a story written about an idiot with a swastika flag or the portrayal of someone stealing from the homeless. Journalist warriors painting a new story with weaponized words. The aristocratic way of disarming the opposition, if it still worked.
The world is watching. People are seeing with their own eyes what is happening, how it is being presented to us, and exactly what parts are ignored. I’ve read stories of people crossing thousands of miles to join in the rally for freedom. Cooking large meals and gathering in merriment over shared values. Covering the tickets of over-zealous officers trying to pry away the massive obstacle they are now faced with
The Canadian Government even managed to freeze over ten million dollars on GoFundMe meant to support the drivers. A rather sadistic act as these same individuals bailed criminals out of jail for burning small businesses in the name of their cause. Seems a bit one-sided, eh? Many of us would be quick to acknowledge people in our own lives who are looking towards this protest with hope, not disdain.
And they are not letting up either. Every cry for the truck drivers to leave is simply met with a honk. Every rally for freedom, another honk. Every regulatory citation issued towards the truck drivers met with more honks and donated dollars to fight the powers that be. Every single time anything happens at all, you guessed it, more honks. A very tired group of workers, fighting with every ounce of energy they have left, translated perfectly…
With a Honk
I write all of this with a childlike smile on my face because I have been watching and noting the reactions. While there are definitely many standing in solidarity with the Freedom Convoy, there is also great opposition as well. I’ve seen much-annoyed screeching claiming that the truck drivers who supply our stores are Neanderthals with malicious intent.
I watched dumbfounded as Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada finally addressed the conversation of this “fringe minority.” He refused to meet with the Freedom Convoy as he believes their rhetoric is hateful and violent.
He clearly must have sensitive ears.
He stated he would much rather attend a Black Lives Matter event. Because apparently calls for violence only really count when they come from someone who opposes him. I am reminded that these proposed leaders are effectively children. The Prime Minister’s speech comes across as more of a temper tantrum than an actual nuanced response to a very concerning moment in history. But even a toddler can do some real damage if he is angry enough. I have to say, published journalists reporting the convoy as an occupation have some real January 6th vibes.
“We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, but they are still lying.”
-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
It’s rather hard for me to see why this is being labeled as an occupation of a “fringe minority.” The amount of people I know personally who are affected by this event is staggering. It’s the same as saying people who voted for our previous administration are a fringe minority. Or people who listen to Joe Rogan are a fringe minority. It’s hard to see small business owners who just want to be left alone as anything other than the vast majority.
I do understand that every good business always has to downplay its competition in order to appear superior. It’s especially easy to do so when you are able to steer the entire conversation. When you are dealing with the elite, it’s easy to appear as a peasant if you disagree with them.
After watching cities burning in our country being labeled as peaceful protests, and rowdy protesting at the US Capitol labeled as a violent insurrection by the powers that be, we have a very distorted lens when it comes to understanding what is considered a peaceful display of resistance, or dare I say, what is considered an insurrection and/or occupation. Our words appear to become meaningless if we can’t agree on definitions anymore.
In this new world, a group of violent kids using guns to secure an anonymous zone in Seattle Washington, and Portland Oregon, that’s a protest. Overworked truck drivers grid-locking the city of Ottawa until immoral mandates are addressed, well that’s an occupation. It’s best to understand this labeling device, as it helps you navigate a really confusing world.
We don’t make the rules, the government does. We are best to just follow our leaders and condemn this “fringe minority” for the greater good. To oppose our aristocratic leadership that clearly just wants everyone to submit to their demands is pointless.
Only a fool would think otherwise.
Thank you for reading,
– The Young Fool
