Just watch me - some nostalgia

[Joe Shlabotnik]

I know Trudeau is often seen as a divisive character (ie NEP in the west, and a traitor to Quebec nationalists), but I love this clip! Although the FLQ crisis was a BIG deal, and before my time (I was born in '71), I've read much about it, and talked to my parents generation about it (although their memory of Canadian politics is strangely vacuous -perhaps the Canadian memory hole is a whole other post), this interview is a Classic. I love how Trudeau turns the interview around at numerous points and starts asking the questions; he was brilliant. Harper doesn't have an iota of this man's intelligence, oratory skill, personality or patriotism. Well worth the 6.5 minutes of viewing: just watch it!

[auntAgonist]

1. Loved P.E.T Can't see the video though because it's blocked in the USA :( (copyright grounds)

Thanks for posting it though.

aA

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. wow really!?. maybe it's some CBC copywrite crap, or

maybe It's a conspiracy...... wouldn't want today's politicians to look like blocks of concrete by comparison. I'm sure if you wanted to view it, there are other versions on you tube. I just searched "Trudeau just watch me" and picked the first one.

[Posteritatis]

5. There's a whole lot of blocking of streamed content in and out of Canada

Most places in Canada can't watch a lot of American streams, I run into lots of Youtube videos that are blocked, etc.

Hearing of blocks going in the opposite direction is weird though, especially for public footage like that.

[JBoy]

3. Thanks, I hadn't seen that long a version before.

That was a scary time. I was 9 years old at the time, so I was pretty aware of the news and drama, but wasn't able to put it all in any kind of context.

"Just watch me" sounds kind of like "Make my day".

[Joe Shlabotnik]

4. EXCELLENT point, I never thought of it that way before!

but basically that's what he was saying to the FLQ. And ya, pretty serious shit when the war measures act is brought out. But what a difference 40 years makes. I'd rather the WMA be brought out right now, if this 'war on terrorism etc" was sooo serious. Deal with it, conclude it, and get back to being Canadian again, instead of the slow erosion of our rights from perpetual generic fear. Mind you I shouldn't give Harper ideas. Glad you enjoyed it, I try to watch it once every year or so.

[Posteritatis]

6. It was actually taken off the books after the October Crisis

The original law was, to put it lightly, unsubtle - if it was implemented it was full martial law nationwide. There were some abuses at the time as a few loyal mayors and similar types of officials went on ridiculous power trips over it.

The Emergencies Act that replaced it lets whoever's implementing it actually specify what's going on by determining an area to which it applies and the extent of the restrictions/regulations which apply to that area. An example of that would be local authorities using it to impose a curfew for a couple of days after Hurricane Juan smacked Halifax, which is obviously a little different from tanks in the streets in wholly unrelated parts of the country.

The actual WMA was only used three times, and the first two were the world wars.