Trucker Convoy..

It was interesting to see the convoy in Canada. My gut reaction was to support them and cheer them on.
But then I had to have a come to Jesus moment with myself about it.
When the BLM movements were blocking roads, I was very open about them deserving to be run over. Sure they had a 'right' to protest.. but I also had a 'right' to move freely within my state. I would also often point out that by blocking roads and making people angry, they were in no way winning people to their point of view.

Obviously, I am talking about traffic jams and delays... not the blatant rioting and burning of building. No matter what side of a debate you are on, that is unacceptable behavior.

Now that someone is protesting for something that more aligns with my point of view.. I should be holding them to the same standards I used for those I don't agree with, right? No matter how misguided we think one person is over another, each has the same rights and privileges, and each should have the same requirements of behavior and accountability.

Granted, the truckers are speaking out against rights being taken away from me..

But in the eyes of the BLM folk, they believed rights were taken away from others..

That being said, looks like a USA trucker convoy starts today.

I think my opinion is shaped by how the gov't handled them. For BLM they openly encouraged the destruction. With the truckers, they have decided that real, peaceful protests need a heavy hand. Not consistent, and not in the interests of the people retaining rights/freedoms.

I've been watching the Canadian version for a couple weeks, compared to the BLM riots the Canadian protests looked more like the county fair (including bounce houses and food vendors). The reaction difference is shocking, arrests made, bank accounts frozen, nope not for the folks burning down cities and looting, for the guys running the bounce house. The live streams on youtube look more like they just got out of a hockey game with their team winning.

Canada gov't scrambling to un-freeze assets (bank accounts). Rumors are that there is a run on the banks in Canada and there is worry about collapse

I personally don't think that intentionally blocking the main thoroughfare between two countries is "peaceful protest". Call in the wrecker and impound the vehicles and don't wait several days to do it.

jeeper said:

Now that someone is protesting for something that more aligns with my point of view.. I should be holding them to the same standards I used for those I don't agree with, right? No matter how misguided we think one person is over another, each has the same rights and privileges, and each should have the same requirements of behavior and accountability.

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100%, man. I don't want to come off like I'm talking down to you or anybody else, but this is one of my big peeves right now. We in the US are too polarized in our politics and frequently unwilling to examine a situation outside the light of our own biases or team affiliation. Conservatives and progressives both, we get in our little social media echo chambers and consume only the "news" that fits the world view that we've already constructed and then bleat about how we're being repressed... you're not doing that. You ARE examining your opinions and checking yourself, and for what it's worth I commend that. And I commend that you're doing it in public, where others can see you doing it. I've been avoiding political threads on RME (and everywhere else too) because the cognitive dissonance and groupthink is just overwhelming at times - if more people were approaching their positions like you have here, I think the world would be a better place. You're a boss.

Unimog said:

I personally don't think that intentionally blocking the main thoroughfare between two countries is "peaceful protest". Call in the wrecker and impound the vehicles and don't wait several days to do it.

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I think if you're not committing violence, then it's peaceful. And this seemed to be a pretty peaceful protest. But I don't get the outrage over having their vehicles impounded - you can't block international trade and strangle a major city's downtown area for more than a couple days and not expect something to be done about you. That's the whole point of non-violent protest like this, is you force them to see you and do something about you. You can't bitch when they do.

The trucks provided one open lane in almost all places the protest occurred. The only place I saw that was completely blocked were at the bridges.

This all goes back to covid, we're sitting at a time when mandates are being dropped, efficiency of the vaccine is being questioned, so we got to look at what the truckers are requesting. pulling from the google machine:

The protest began in opposition to the government's introduction of a mandate requiring all cross-border truck drivers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

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This doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I think Trudeau got his pride hurt with the protests and now it's a grudge match.

Unimog said:

I personally don't think that intentionally blocking the main thoroughfare between two countries is "peaceful protest". Call in the wrecker and impound the vehicles and don't wait several days to do it.

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You want to be the wrecking company that shows up at a trucker protest and starts to haul off trucks? How many wrecking companies exist in Ontario that can haul off a semi with trailer?

Mouse said:

The trucks provided one open lane in almost all places the protest occurred. The only place I saw that was completely blocked were at the bridges.

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This is what kept me supportive of it. I agree with the original poster that when I first saw them blocking stuff I didn't know what to think because of the major impact on normal peoples lives. But when I read into it and saw no damages were being done and they were trying to make openings for unaffiliated people to get through without compromising their protest I respected it immensely.

For a protest to work it must affect peoples lives, so it needs to be frustrating in a way or else nobody will notice or care. People are too selfish nowadays to care about anything unless it has an effect on their own personal day to day.

But said protest should stop normal people from getting to work or home. Nor should it cause destruction.

So in a long winded way, I'm just saying as long as they make enough room for the little man to squeeze by, I support it.

Spork said:

You want to be the wrecking company that shows up at a trucker protest and starts to haul off trucks? How many wrecking companies exist in Ontario that can haul off a semi with trailer?

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I'm guessing a 10-20 companies around a city the size of Toronto, but guaranteed at least 4-6 have a contract with Ontario mounted police (or whatever their provincial police are called). Maybe none of them want to show up and earn the ~$500/hr, but I'm guessing there is always someone who will.

Unimog said:

I'm guessing a 10-20 companies around a city the size of Toronto, but guaranteed at least 4-6 have a contract with Ontario mounted police (or whatever their provincial police are called). Maybe none of them want to show up and earn the ~$500/hr, but I'm guessing there is always someone who will.

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$500/hr and a 1000 truckers pissed off would make me want money up front, police protection, and higher than my standard fee if you know what I mean.

It will be interesting to see how the US media reports this.

Spork said:

$500/hr and a 1000 truckers pissed off would make me want money up front, police protection, and higher than my standard fee if you know what I mean.

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Add to that the fact that you are pissing off your customer base. You think I'm gonna call Acme towing when I need a tug, after seeing them tow the Convoy trucks on the news? Not a damn chance.

Unimog said:

I'm guessing a 10-20 companies around a city the size of Toronto, but guaranteed at least 4-6 have a contract with Ontario mounted police (or whatever their provincial police are called). Maybe none of them want to show up and earn the ~$500/hr, but I'm guessing there is always someone who will.

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The government is threatening, fining and arresting towing company owners who refuse to assist in the removal of trucks. (reminds me of cake decorators who won't go against their consciences and beliefs) Good for them, they see the problem and are willing to stand up to it. My family members and friends in Canada are very worried, and are taking precautions for their families. This is much, much bigger than the truckers themselves.

Jesser04 said:

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I think I've had ten people send that to me today. 😂

I thought the American version started last weekend, but I guess not. I did see a bunch of people holding signs up supporting the Trump Trai... err, Trucker Convoy when I drove through Moab and parts of Colorado this weekend. I gave them honks.