Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

KRUGGEL -- You have to be grossly tone deaf and ignorant as a diplomat to say something like that in the nation you are speaking to


U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstr is dumb, and I have no problem writing that down.

Why would I write that? My first reason is that it is true.

Ambassadors have a unique role in politics. They aren't elected, but they are national representatives, nevertheless. They are accorded a high degree of diplomatic immunity. They speak for their government. They speak to the state they are posted to.

Let me repeat those two key points. One of their duties is that not only do they speak for their government, but they also gauge and understand the people they are speaking to on behalf of their government.

A good ambassador, a good diplomat, is sensitive to the mood of those people he or she speaks to. Their job is to grasp the nature of the people in a country.

Hoekstr is missing the part completely.

He made some comments that Canadians aren't happy with the United States, and they are downright unpleasant about it. Our anti-American sentiment upsets him.

I'm disappointed that I came to Canada — a Canada that it is very, very difficult to find Canadians who are passionate about the American-Canadian relationship... You ran a campaign where it was anti-American, elbows up, me too. You know, that was an anti-American campaign. That has continued. That's disappointing." ~~ Pete Hoekstr

What exactly was he expecting? His boss is Donald Trump. 

Before Donald Trump was sworn into office he outright lied about Canada, on numerous occasions, about various topics including saying that Canada was a major conduit of Fentanyl entering the USA (about 0.1% comes through Canada), and that Americans couldn't bank in Canada. The last one was an outright lie.

Then he said he would place 25% tariffs on all Canadian goods. He said the United States subsidizes Canada to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars a year. He said that Canada doesn't work as a nation. He got back on trade and said Canadians are nasty. He said he would consider annexing Canada.

That last one is tantamount to war.

This is all in spite the fact that Canada has easily been the United States most reliable trading partner. Trump blames current US-Canadian trade deals like CUSMA. Except, he signed CUSMA after forcing it in his first term.

Now, saying all of that, Pete Hoekstra is surprised and disappointed that Elbows Up! and anti-Americanism is rampant.

You have to be grossly tone deaf and ignorant as a diplomat to say something like that in the nation you are speaking to. He clearly has zero grasp of Canada-US relations and why they have deteriorated.

The sentiment here is 100% the fault of the administration, nay the regime, he represents.

He also complains about boycotts by average Canadians. I'm sorry but if you kick my dog ,and crap on my lawn ,I'm not going to be your friend. If I'm not your friend, I'm not going to buy your products or services.

The boycotts are from average Canadians who are pissed off and rightly so. Any good diplomat would understand this and look for ways to:

(a.) communicate this back to his boss and 
(b.) smooth out the relationship.

Yet, Pete Hoekstra, like many in the Trump regime, believes that they are victims of the world that has been taking advantage of America. The victim mentality is strong among the Trump regime leadership.

It is nothing less than delusional thinking.

Most seasoned diplomats wouldn't mouth off like Pete Hoekstra did. They'd choose their words far more carefully, and they'd do so not because they are trying to kiss ass but because bilateral diplomacy is a two-way street. A diplomat, as I said, has to represent their nation and understand the nation they are speaking to.

Pete Hoekstra got the first part right, and the last part wholly and completely wrong.

He's not very good at this job.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...

Tourists Rack Up $200M in Unpaid Health Bills While BC Patients Wait Years for Care

While British Columbians wait years for basic medical care, the NDP government has allowed non-residents to rack up $200.6 million in unpaid health bills since 2020-2021. New research from SecondStreet.org, obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed that people from outside Canada are coming to BC, receiving health services, and leaving without paying their bills.  The losses span every health region in the province. "British Columbians are not guaranteed timely access to healthcare, be it treatment or diagnostics, and this situation continues to deteriorate under the NDP," said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Critic for Health. "Taxpayers are footing the bill for tourists' health treatments to the tune of over $200 million, enough to cover over 21,000 hip replacements in this province while British Columbians wait months to years for that surgery.” The research found BC has the worst record of any province in Canada examined so far. Under a dec...

NDP Finance Minister Given "F" on Report Card by Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centres and Official Opposition Finance Critic, released the following statement in response to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's 2026 Finance Minister Report Card, which ranked BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey dead last among provincial finance ministers in Canada with an overall grade of "F":  "British Columbians didn't need a report card to know things are headed in the wrong direction. They see it every time they pay their bills, try to buy a home, or watch another government deficit pile up. But now an independent national organization has confirmed that NDP Brenda Bailey is the worst-rated finance minister in Canada. "After nearly a decade of decline under this NDP government, British Columbia has become a province where people pay more, government borrows more, and families get less in return. We have some of the highest debt in the country, repeated credit downgrades, and no credible plan to get our finances back on...

Labels

Show more