Are trucker protests start of Canadian populism?

Pro-Trump flags, angry rhetoric and claims that Canada is turning communist -- strong right wing views among some at the trucker-led protests could grow into a new populist movement, say experts.

Trump and the "populist" movement comes from the failed promises disingenuous goals of neo-liberal centrist governments. It left wide segments of the populations of the G-7 countries disenfranchised and with few opportunities.

"Free trade agreements would bring jobs and rising incomes!". "Reducing labor protections and the power of unions would bring more benefits and greater freedom in a free job market!""Workfare and reducing social safety nets would bring budget surpluses and leaner , more responsive governments!"

All were policies of recent neo-liberal centrist governments, with a few social progressive movements to placate those on the left that served to enrage those on the conservative right and create the culture war battleground.

These movements are the result of all this.

Short answer: no it is not.

No, there is nothing Canadian about this thing. Just read the article, its a bunch of stupid American crap - Trump supporters, Qanon, Ted Cruz - that has crossed the border and is trying to screw Canada up because wrecking things is all they know how to do.

Canada don’t like that.

Governments have been poor at communicating during the pandemic and have offered little hope, increasing public stress. People don't trust politicians as all governments have a long history of scandals. All parties make promises they cannot deliver, and then fail to deliver them. General disgust of politicians has been catalysed by the increased intervention of governments into the lives of ordinary people, often in a ham-fisted and illogical manner.

The solution is not to criminalise opponents, to attempt to silence them or to dismiss them. This will always increase their support.

Be more honest. Be more transparent. Limit damage to personal finances and opportunities. Don't use the pandemic as an excuse to manipulate society by the back door. Retake the centre ground by choosing politicians that heal divisions rather than provoking opposition. Politics is still about winning hearts and minds. There are no short cuts to this.

By mid-summer last year Canada had it made: one of the highest vaccination rates (85%) in the world with almost no seriously ill Covid patients. The federal gov't got the vaccines distributed across the huge country and the provinces did the rest.

Then, idiotically, provincial governments overplayed their hands. Vaccine passports were created and you needed one to enter a restaurant or even sit on a terrace and so on. Some unvaccinated people lost their jobs. Omicron made the governments panic even more.

Plenty of vaccinated people were against these mandates and joined what was then a tiny fringe antivax movement. A united county has become divided.

As a fully-vaxxed Canadian senior whose been involved in politics since I was in my 20s, I hated the mandates the minute they were declared. Still do. But, if I need groceries (who doesn't?) or a decent bottle of wine, I still have to wear a mask or I can't go into the stores. Can't even buy a new pair of shoes or a new cartridge for my laser printer, or into my favourite garden centre for this year's veggie starters.

That's life, for the moment. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I don't want to freak out other people by appearing to not care. The moment will pass. If anyone's reading the latest news from Canada about these issues they'll realize that change is coming, and soon. And those truck convoys aren't the cause of the change.

Now, please, you powers-that-be in Japan, let me travel back to your country so I can see my friends and their children before I die.

The Trump flag is icing on the cake. The media has already shown us proof that the so-called “Freedom Convoy” is full of Nazis and White supremacists - I saw a video showing the flags! Really. They were right there. It was fortunate that the news crew showed up just at that moment. Honestly, what more proof do people need that it’s a domestic - and now international - terrorist organization. Foreign money is financing them! Canadian democracy is about to be overthrown. PM Trudeau MUST step in now and announce martial law and begin mass arrests and fill prison camps. But he’s weak. He loves his people too much. The PM must steel himself to do what is absolutely necessary. He must sacrifice his own compassion for the sake of Canada. Oh, what a noble and generous leader!

That's life, for the moment. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I don't want to freak out other people by appearing to not care.

So masking is not about protecting people from a virus (you can’t with omicron), but showing you “care”. (Hysterical laughter … )

Yep. That’s what it’s been about for the last 3 months if not longer.

No it's not, bunch of people with no responsibility because it's my "freedom" to be unreasonable, changing demands on the fly, no single leader, rotating list of demand. I mean not everyone there even has the same demands or same cause.

Doesn't represent the Canada I know.

They're acting like children who didn't get their way, and are throwing a temper tantrum. There seems to be a certain subset of Canadians who watch too much American media and have been infected with toxic American thinking.

Most definitely not.