On Trudeau, his brownface, and your virtue signalling

Common behaviors may be fundamentally offensive to all or a portion of humanity while still remaining socially acceptable in the period in which they are commonly practiced. social acceptability will tend to vary with time. Even in our own lifetime the definition of decency has shifted somewhat away from proprietary gravitas towards kindness . We like to think that the arc of history leans towards justice and that the general behavior of individuals in our society is continuously improving. Meanwhile every effort to improve our behavior is held up to the mirror of our own histories. Political operatives and perhaps Russian trolls do well to find footage or images of our past transgressions. How often these unpinned hand grenades sit dormant for decades and somehow find the light of day as elections draw near. Why didn't we hear about Trump and his classic "grab her by the pussy" until a month before the election. Why did James Comey make his waffling yet dark statement about the undetermined criminality of Clinton's emails until a week before the election. There are no coincidences. And yet we follow the emotional rat trail just as we are supposed to.

And now Trudeau. Cue the outrage. We are to be once more lead by the pied pipers of propaganda. Our obsession with symbol and image denies us the opportunity to reflect on the real world beyond the image. The academic left would have us believe that sign, symbol and semiotics are the meaningful drivers of action in our world. Ask yourself: Is racism better addressed by outrage and apology in cyberspace or by meaningful steps to reduce infant mortality in the reserves. Sign and symbol are simple and easy ways to signal virtue. Offensive symbolism like blackface on a prime minister (albeit twenty years hence) provide a simple reference point for us to reaffirm our virtue. Our reaffirmed virtue signal does nothing for a bullied Asian fourth grader in small town Ontario.

Yes. Justin Trudeau was guilty of virtue signalling.

Yes. This makes him a hypocrite. But so are you and so am I.

Grow up Canada there are bigger fish to fry than a Halloween costume. Undoubtedly hypocrisy is widespread. It is shared between the common people and the elite. a key element of the human condition. Perhaps it even holds an evolutionary function. even more common is error. Are there errors on prohibited grounds from which one may never return? Judge the politicians by their merits, by their platforms and by your expectations of their opponents. Who is best in the field? Whose team will achieve the results that you want. If not the Liberals. That is your right and prerogative. For me Trudeau has some maturing to do. But he is the winner among the three. What do I know? I am only an American.