The Snowboard Instructor, Drama Coach is out of His Depth
"It boils down to our political masters to have a serious reflection on all of this."
"There's a need for an internal debate and maybe [to] make some revisions to the strategy. I think this is taking place now, so hopefully there will be progress in the next few weeks. There's a bit of hard swallowing that is required."
"I think that if the prime minister wants to stick to an explicit reference to labour rights, we won't have negotiations -- and in a way, then that could have an impact on the bilateral relations because they will say, 'Well, the Canadians are not serious and they should know better'."
"Otherwise I think it will remain an agenda that will be difficult to push."
Guy Saint-Jacques, former Canadian ambassador to China
"There's more substance in a fluffernutter sandwich than there is in that damn thing [NAFTA negotiations]."
"The government is actually endangering the progressive agenda that they're putting forward by making people think that all these wonderful things have been done, when jack-all has been done."
Carlo Dade, director, Trade and Investment Centre, Canada West Foundation
"There is still some work to be done."
A progressive trade agenda opens more doors, raises standards and positions the middle class for success."
Joseph Pickerill, spokesman, Canada's Minister of Trade
"[While China values Canada as an important trade partner and] stands ready to negotiate and sign a free-trade agreement with the Canadian side at an early date, [it considers some issues to be off the table]."
"China always maintains that non-trade issues should not be brought in the FTA negotiation no matter in what kind of name, for it is not conducive to talks on the basis of equality and fairness."
Xiaozhong Zhu, Chinese embassy, Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's admiration for China's ability to administer its vast empire as a totalitarian government appears to know few bounds. It just seems that totalitarian dictatorships fascinate Trudeau. His father's close relationship with Fidel Castro geared his son to regard that dictatorship as a resounding success too. In a way, while the world snorts its derision over the election to the American presidency of Donald Trump, a political novice whose personal attributes are anything but sterling, it has fawned over the election to the prime ministership of Justin Trudeau.
What few seem to notice is that Trudeau is a knock-off of Trump. Younger, more personable, more delicate in his language, but equally egocentric, and just as dedicated to prevarication, holding dear to himself the notion, like Trump, that he can do no wrong. Trump made many promises during the election campaign that brought him the presidency, some of which alarm the world at large. Trudeau made many promises during his election campaign that focused on representing the interests of Canada when in fact he has focused on his own personal interests.
To cap things off, he's as disingenuous and untrustworthy as Trump, but while Trump leers, Trudeau smiles beatifically, and congratulates himself on his "sunny ways". Both are bullies; Trump is criticized for his bullying,Trudeau's supporters prefer not to notice his bullying tactics. Trudeau has focused on re-orienting the world in his image, and as a feminist and touchy-feelly progressive plans to gift the international community with his vision and version of justice and fairness.
Introducing his "progressive trade agenda" into all negotiations for free trade agreements with Canada. Trudeau managed to scupper the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement on the cusp of signing through his sanctimonious insistence of renaming it the Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, based on his vision of including workers' rights, a feminist agenda and protection of First Nations community interests in trade issues. When he did the same with China the bilateral talks came to a swift parting of the ways.
What is surprising is that Trudeau is so oblivious to the impression he leaves with others of his monomaniacal agenda that he cannot believe it when he is rebuffed. He's fine and there's something seriously amiss with the rest of the world. His efforts to impose his personal views on moral and ethical considerations that the rest of the world should be eager to import, fails to mesh with their domestic situations on reforms in their due time.
Japan's ambassador to Canada, Kimihiro Ishikane mused that "progressive" is "a political word". Japan, he said, is prepared to talk trade when specific issues are brought to the table in concrete terms. Logical, but Justin Trudeau is emotional, not logical. Carlo Dade points out that Trudeau has failed o define what "progressive trade" means in its lexicon, nor has he proposed any solutions to solve inequality that Trudeau references.
Aside from the fact that there are so many contradictions in what this man contends are non-negotiable values he will not surrender. He insists on adding a chapter on gender to the North American Free Trade Agreement, considering it an absolute priority. Now wouldn't that be a winner with Donald J. Trump? Other than for the fact that in the negotiations for the Canada-Chile free trade agreement there are no substantial binding commitments to anything but the hard fundamentals of trade.
Labels: Canada, China, Donald Trump, Japan, NAFTA, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trade
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, January 20, 2018
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