Feldman's Faves: December 4, 2023

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

I can’t believe we are now into December. And one of the highlights of December is our holiday party, which is taking place THIS THURSDAY. I hope you can all be there. Special thanks to Max and Alex for organizing what I am sure will be an excellent and fun time. It turns out that both JC and Max will be celebrating birthdays the day before so let’s let them think this party is something we are doing for them.

Talking about fun, for those of you who like musical theatre and want to be thoroughly entertained (without having to use too much brain power) I would strongly suggest SIX. I went last week with my mother and it was a one act, high energy, fun, 1.5 hour show. Other than the basic premise (the story of Henry VIII’s six wives) and that I knew it had won the Tony, I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away. I have noticed that super cheap tickets can be found ($36) so not much more than going to a movie. Well worth it – and fun for the whole family - if you have the time/interest.

Finally, I want to wish a Happy Hanukah to all of you who are celebrating this week.

This week’s theme is Canadian history and politics.

THE DUEL: DIEFENBAKER, PEARSON AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CANADA By: John Ibbitson – I have often referenced many of my blind spots when it comes to history. One of my most embarrassing holes is the history of our own country. I have always neglected Canadian history and politics as an area of interest because I have thought that the stories and the characters are just not that interesting. Well, as is often the case – I was wrong. In The Duel, John Ibbitson’s latest book, he does a tremendous job painting the picture of two very different and equally significant figures in Canadian political history: John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson – both with fascinating histories both leading up to and becoming two very important Prime Ministers. The book also is a history of the birth of Canada as a one time colony that became an important (major might be an overstatement) player on the world stage. As one reviewer notes, “One of Canada’s foremost authors and journalists, offers a gripping account of the contest between John Diefenbaker and Lester Pearson, two prime ministers who fought each other relentlessly, but who between them created today’s Canada. John Diefenbaker has been unfairly treated by history. Although he wrestled with personal demons, his governments launched major reforms in public health care, law reform and immigration. On his watch, First Nations on reserve obtained the right to vote and the federal government began to open up the North. He established Canada as a leader in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and took the first steps in making Canada a leader in the fight against nuclear proliferation. And Diefenbaker’s Bill of Rights laid the groundwork for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He set in motion many of the achievements credited to his successor, Lester B. Pearson. Pearson, in turn, gave coherence to Diefenbaker’s piecemeal reforms. He also pushed Parliament to adopt a new, and now much-loved, Canadian flag against Diefenbaker’s fierce opposition. Pearson understood that if Canada were to be taken seriously as a nation, it must develop a stronger sense of self. Pearson was superbly prepared for the role of prime decades of experience at External Affairs, respected by leaders from Washington to Delhi to Beijing, the only Canadian to win the Nobel Prize for Peace. Diefenbaker was the better politician, though. If Pearson walked with ease in the halls of power, Diefenbaker connected with the farmers and small-town merchants and others left outside the inner circles. Diefenbaker was one of the great orators of Canadian political life; Pearson spoke with a slight lisp. Diefenbaker was the first to get his name in the papers, as a crusading Diefenbaker for the Defence, champion of the little man. But he struggled as a politician, losing five elections before making it into the House of Commons, and becoming as estranged from the party elites as he was from the Liberals, until his ascension to the Progressive Conservative leadership in 1956 through a freakish political accident. As a young university professor, Pearson caught the attention of the powerful men who were shaping Canada’s first true department of foreign affairs, rising to prominence as the helpful fixer, the man both sides trusted, the embodiment of a new country that had earned its place through war in the counsels of the great ambassador, undersecretary, minister, peacemaker. Everyone knew he was destined to be prime minister. But in 1957, destiny took a detour. Then they faced each other, Diefenbaker v Pearson , across the House of Commons, leaders of their parties, each determined to wrest and hold power, in a decade-long contest that would shake and shape the country. Here is a tale of two men, children of Victoria, who led Canada into the atomic each the product of his past, each more like the other than either would ever admit, fighting each other relentlessly while together forging the Canada we live in today. To understand our times, we must first understand theirs.” Having read this book I have decided to spend more time studying and learning about Canadian history. It is significant and it is important. Here’s a good review from The Globe and Mail – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/reviews/article-the-duel-book-diefenbaker-pearson/

Canadian Politics is Boring - Juicy Bits: Breakfast with Maxime Bernier – These guys are pretty funny. They decided to go “undercover” to an event held by Maxime Bernier, leader and founder of the People’s Party of Canada. Very different from Messrs. Diefenbaker and Pearson. They are not too impressed and actually refer to him as a moron. Not sure if that’s true but he does certainly say some unusual things from his views on climate change, to vaccines to multiculturalism and to immigration. He has his supporters, but I don’t I will be one myself. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Nope, not a joke or a lie, Jesse went undercover to a special event with Maxime Bernier and his PPC crew. He tells Rhys how it went. Buckle up! “Become a Patron and get access https://www.patreon.com/canadianpoliticsisboring

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation. And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon Feldman