Trudeau: The Politics Of My Way
...Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from
Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau
became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to
Canadian politics.
Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the
politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind.
Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power,
and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was
always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by
combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight
of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of
Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader
forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St.
Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them,
or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them.
Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his
pre-leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant.
Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion
and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie;
each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King
dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-
in an omnibus bill.
This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was
Trudeau's first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But
Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has,
was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be...
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