Prof. Jordan Peterson slams Justin Trudeau over 'swastika' remark to Jewish lawmaker
Canadian professor and psychologist Jordan Peterson slammed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday after Trudeau accused a Jewish Conservative MP, Melissa Lantsman, of “standing with people who wear swastikas.”
In Parliament, Trudeau accused Lantsman, who is Jewish, of supporting neo Nazis and white supremacists after she criticized him over his heated rhetoric towards the “Freedom Convoy” protesters, who have been encamped in downtown Ottawa for several weeks over vaccine mandates and restrictive COVID-19 policies.
“I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone more self-righteous in my entire life than our current [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau],” Peterson tweeted along with a clip of Trudeau’s remarks.
https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1494047194571317251
Trudeau and Lantsman’s exchange occurred during a session of Parliament over Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act.
Lantsman opened her remarks with several lines from a 2015 speech Trudeau gave celebrating his party’s control of Parliament, in which he said, “A positive, optimistic, hopeful vision of public life isn’t a naive dream; it can be a powerful force for change. If Canadians are to trust their government, their government needs to trust Canadians.”
“Those are the words of the prime minister in 2015,” Lantsman said before contrasting Trudeau’s past remarks with his hostile position toward the protesters.
“‘These people — very often misogynistic, racist, women-haters, science deniers, the fringe.’ Same prime minister six years later as he fans the flames of an unjustified national emergency. So Mr. Speaker, when did the prime minister lose his way? When did it happen?” Lantsman asked.
Trudeau replied: “Mr. Speaker, Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas. They can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag. We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, to be able to get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop and they will, Mr. Speaker.”
Trudeau’s remarks demanded an apology from Conservatives, including Lantsman, who said, “I think the prime minister should think long and hard about his own history before singling out a Jewish Member of Parliament and falsely accusing me of standing with a swastika. What a disgraceful statement unbecoming of anyone in public office — he owes me an apology.”
Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to clamp down on the weeks-long demonstration by providing federal law enforcement and financial institutions the authority to freeze and shut down bank accounts suspected of financing the “Freedom Convoy.”
Despite the move, protesters appear to be undaunted and have continued to protest in Ottawa.
Peterson has been an outspoken opponent of the Trudeau government’s measures against protesters, and also condemned Deputy PM Chystia Freeland for the move on Thursday.
“‘Frozen’ is liberalspeak for confiscated without trial or cause,” wrote Peterson, quoting an announcement by Freeland to freeze protesters’ bank accounts.
“‘accounts will be frozen’ means the Canadian government can now steal your money with the collusion of the banks because you provided financial support to a protest against the government. If you think this is a good idea you deserve what coming to you,” he wrote.
Ian Miles Cheong
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Ian Miles Cheong is a freelance writer, graphic designer, journalist and videographer. He’s kind of a big deal on Twitter.
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