issue 15// vol 47 opinions // no. 19 Why are politicians playing by a different set of COVID-19 rules? » No holidays for me means no holidays at all Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor rom March until this very day it has been clearly stated that travel is permitted on a strictly-essential basis. We have all known and mostly accepted that you likely should not go visit grandma in Edmonton or siblings in Montreal. Consequently, many have missed the births of nieces and nephews, many have lost the opportunity to say goodbye to a treasured loved one, and just about everyone has lost the ability to travel for leisure. Just about, but not everyone. Now, I—like most other people—can feel a compassionate response to NDP Niki Ashton who traveled to Greece for her grandmother’s last moments, and I certainly empathize with familial losses and do not wish to see these moments stolen from people. However, knowing that many Canadians have been prevented from seeing their family members’ final rites, it’s hard for me to extend any special leeway to Ashton in her situation. For months Canadians have been implored to stay home to flatten the curve or prevent further spread—why should our politicians be treated differently? Likewise, two Liberal MPs made trips outside of Canada for memorial services and sick visits. PM Trudeau expressed his disappointment with these compassionate travels by stating that: “The actions of any one person can have a positive or a negative benefit on the health situation of your neighbour.” It’s little comfort to know how much dispassion we have accepted in our society. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has had to fire, accept resignations from, or otherwise discipline seven staffers for their travels abroad during the holiday season. This is only after Kenny faced public backlash for initially declining to discipline anyone of course. Preceding this, Alberta became the province with the most active cases in the country. So, while many hunkered down and Zoom chatted loved ones, Tracy Allard was regaling in Hawaii. Simultaneously, Jamie Huckabay (Premier Flatten the curve #STAY HOME Presidential outrage >» How much anger can one man generate? Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor here has been a storm above the White House for a few years now. Both Januaries of the past two years have had the storm unleash a new torrent to drench us. The killing of Soleimani last year rocked the world and led some to wonder if World War III was eminent, while the accusations of voter fraud and attempted insurrection and decertification of the electoral college votes on January 6 of this year showed precisely how precarious democracy in America has become. But these outrages have been flowing for the past five or so years—anid it all traces back to one man. The total state of America is never the doing of one person exclusively; decades of failures led to the destruction of the Rust Belt, the inherently predatory nature of the pharmaceutical industry created the opioid crisis, and the prison industrial complex began as a response to the 13th amendment. However, I believe only Donald Trump has managed to capitalize on these angers and channel them into his own profit machine in a way that has magnified these catastrophes while making the political storm inescapable. Were it not for the utter disdain with which mainstream media has treated millions of viewers, the American people might be more inclined to take its promises and “truths” to heart. However, it was a shrewd New York real estate mogul who managed to capitalize on that media backlash to mobilize his followers against a system that looked down on them while embracing the wildest of Qanon theories as fuel for his own aspirations. Even liberal commentators and authors like Noam Chomsky denounce the lies, shortcomings, and failures of the media, but I think no one has driven an even comparatively large swath of the population into believing such absurd conspiracy theories and acting on them as Trump has. The Qanon flags and patches coupled with the images of people literally climbing the walls and breaking down the doors of congress showcase how deep the misleading of America’s people has become. All that before we talk about the litany of extremist and white supremacist symbols on parade at last Wednesday’s insurrection. In my opinion, the presidential office has become a melting pot for ideas and angers that have never been addressed by the wider public or the political Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne system. Whether it’s the monumentally low approval rating that congress has maintained over the past few decades or the sheer disregard shown for the poor average American suffering through the pandemic, all of these failures have landed on the lap of the president—and his only goal is to enrage. The blind eye and “stand- back-and-stand-by” response to white supremacy has left the back door open and unguarded to a movement the FBI has known as being the most dangerous in America for years. Even though Trump told protestors on Twitter to go home in peace, the call for the denunciation of America’s violence for what may be the first time in history. Only now, well over a Kenny’s chief of staff) was vacationing in the UK. Better still, when Huckabay was making his way back, he had to detour through the US as Canada had already halted all flights from the UK due to the new strain of COVID-19. It’s great to know how little various members of the Conservative Party care about the health of their neighbours. Did I say earlier that travel has been discouraged for just about—but not quite—everyone? Some people were clever, or at least thought they were. Conservative politician Rod Phillips pre-recorded a message in front of his fireplace while holding a prop book and festive eggnog to release while he vacationed in French St. Barts. Phillips resigned once his deception was revealed. Don Plett, the now former head of the ethics committee—who once asked our PM if there was a separate set of rules that Trudeau followed—went to Mexico after acknowledging how drastically the year had altered peoples traditional holiday plans. Apparently, shortly after his arrival he reconsidered his actions, felt terrible, and returned immediately. Dear reader, I hope you are more convinced of this than I am. Canadian comedian Andrew Barr joked that the government-imposed travel restrictions on us so that we wouldn't encounter them on vacation. It certainly feels like that’s the truth. Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld month after losing the election, has Trump publicly conceded and promised a peaceful transition of power. The Trump rage machine drums up anger within its supporting ranks and from the ranks of the opposition. It has taken the hatred endemic to the American two-party system to the furthest extreme and has allowed political street violence to enter the realm of our daily lives. From the summer protests and riots to the Christmas day bombing and the only now realised Election Day backlash, America has accelerated to its current state of simmering rage and fear. I had written earlier that America was burning, now I am more convinced that we can all see the flames.