Who Should Drive The Truck?

“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”

— Laurence J. Peter, The Peter Principle

Addison Wiggin Dear Reader,

For the first time in history, Canada has invoked its Emergencies Act. It gives Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet the power to bypass normal laws and procedures.

Instigating the crisis, of course, is the ongoing protest by truck drivers who have shut down parts of the country until COVID mandates are rescinded.

It’s not clear how Trudeau and his cronies will use the extralegal tools to which they’ve given themselves access. In theory, they could order the army to clear the roads.

For now, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has suggested the government can freeze the bank accounts of anyone associated with the protests — without a court order.

The truckers’ automobile insurance could be suspended, too.

Poor Mr. Trudeau… trying to enforce an unpopular mandate by threatening the livelihood and safety of the people who put him in the hot seat in the first place. His threats are inimical to the very people he’s meant to lead.

Charles Hugh Smith, my guest for this week’s Session, laments this turn of events. His latest book, Global Crisis, National Renewal: A (Revolutionary) Grand Strategy for the United States, explains how institutions are failing “because they’re bloated, they’re overly complicated, they’ve lost sight of the mission.”

In Trudeau’s case, they are also laid at the feet of the globalist agenda.

“That’s what centralization does,” Charles insists. “It basically cripples the institution from actually solving problems.” It’s one thing for government to build roads… put you in jail for drunk driving… or prevent child pornography. It’s entirely another thing to threaten to ruin your life if you’re choosing not to take a vaccine in which you don’t believe.

Charles’ comments echo Mark Moss from last week’s Session on “peak centralization.”

Charles, he of two minds, thinks the solution is similar. “The answer is radical decentralization.” Several tens of thousands of deplorable truckers in Canada would no doubt agree.