Read on Twitter
Consider the following: Scheer speaks for about five minutes, but doesn& #39;t actually say anything good Sir John A actually did. #_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=kYBpKcl">https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/scheer-other-conservative-mps-met-by-protesters-at-john-a-macdonald-rally-in-regina-1.5091422 #_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=kYBpKcl">https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/...
There& #39;s a lot of platitudes about "politicians coming together" and Canada being a great country and whatnot.
But surely if John A& #39;s legacy is so remarkable, we& #39;d be able to convey a full-throated defence of him beyond "well, uh, confederation!"
...Right?
But surely if John A& #39;s legacy is so remarkable, we& #39;d be able to convey a full-throated defence of him beyond "well, uh, confederation!"
...Right?
The whole idea that we need to revere the man is some very modern revisionism. This 1947 Maclean& #39;s feature (with language of the time, fyi) tackles MacDonald without much sympathy for the man. https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1947/7/1/the-great-and-gay-john-a">https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1...
Someone posited to me recently: Justin Trudeau is the most corrupt prime minister we& #39;ve ever had.
I had a good laugh at that. John A. MacDonald awarded railway rights to a Quebec rail tycoon in exchange for about $100,000 in campaign contributions.
I had a good laugh at that. John A. MacDonald awarded railway rights to a Quebec rail tycoon in exchange for about $100,000 in campaign contributions.
It strikes me as so bizarre that the damn statue& #39;s most ardent defenders chastise the mob for wanting to destroy history, when they themselves don& #39;t seem to have a great grasp of it.
It seems to me that the defence of the statue shares a lot with the statue itself: It is a pretty symbol, not the reckoning with history that we& #39;re constantly told it is.
Look at the plaques underneath these statues. They& #39;re like a Wikipedia entry, after the subject& #39;s publicist has got hold of it.
If I may keep harping: My point is not that MacDonald had no redeeming qualities or no achievements.
But his defenders are accusing the unruly mob of being anti-democratic, of hating the country itself, and of wanting to erase history.
But his defenders are accusing the unruly mob of being anti-democratic, of hating the country itself, and of wanting to erase history.
From where I sit, it seems the unruly mob has a clear list of grievances: He hated the French; he led the crackdown on the Northwest rebellion and the execution of Louis Riel; and ordered the determination of Indigenous people.
For his boosters, the response seems to be "yes, but, confederation." https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/crowley-sir-john-a-macdonald-an-underrated-statesman">https://ottawacitizen.com/news/poli...
Which, fair enough, confederation! But the defences of MacDonald appear to be particularly wistful paintings of the prime minister as a Hegelian world historical figure. And he& #39;s...just not that.
