I bought Justin Trudeau's memoir "Common Ground" the second day it came out and finished it in a gulp. I even entertained the idea of going to the book signing event at Indigo Place Montréal Trust and telling him in person that I will vote for him in the coming election if I have the chance. Unfortunately it was canceled, presumably due to safety concern after the terrible event happened in Ottawa.
I have been so frustrated by the Conservative government that I keep wondering who they represent exactly and how the hell they can win elections at all. If I get a dime every time I disagree with their policy, I'd be a millionaire by now. I believe the only reason they are still in power is the lack of a viable alternative; that is, Canadians are stuck with them.
After Justin became the leader of the Liberal Party, I finally saw some hope. From the media coverage of his MP days, I feel that he is the kind of person that is not afraid of calling BS when he sees it. I know people like that: even if you don't agree with him, you can always count on a rational and respectful debate. I understand in a country as vast and diverse as Canada, it's really hard to agree on policies that make everyone happy. But at least you, as a democratically elected representative, should genuinely try.
This book further convinced me that Justin "got it". He understood the problems. He understood the priorities. He understood Canadians. I share his view of the future of Canada.
Which brings me back to the Parliament Hill Shooting. When I traveled the world and told people that I came from Canada, I was always greeted with smiles. Why? Because Canada is a peaceful country and Canadian is a friendly people. Not bully. Not "world police". As much as Canada respects the United States as a good neighbour and ally, Canada is not US. However, with Harper government's following US into every petty war, I don't know if I would get the same reaction anymore in ten years.
It's fair to say that the Parliament Hill Shooting is Canada's 9/11-moment. When 9/11 happened in US, their knee-jerk reaction was to declare "war on terrorism", whatever that means, and to infringe on citizens' privacy in the name of homeland security. Did it work? I don't think so. All I see is that US is now in a deeper hole than the one it started with. I sincerely hope that Canada will take the lesson.
Now back to the book. It was the first political memoir I've ever read so I can't say how good it is comparing to others. (I had bought Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father" for my father-in-law but I did not read it myself.) But it was very well-written and I surely enjoyed reading it. Some interesting bits I learned from this book:
- As a politician, Justin is more of a Sinclair than a Trudeau.
- The best way to deal with bullies is not to give them the reaction they expect.
- He beat a Conservative senator in a real boxing match.
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