Lord forbid we actually take more than a few minutes to examine a world leader’s judgement.
Examining a politician’s serious shortcomings is not the same as expecting human perfection.
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You’re right. I’m thinking, an apology doesn’t actually require a tacked-on excusing quality.
Most people get into the most trouble in that space between, “What I did was wrong.” and “I did it because…”.
That’s where people start to sound like they’re rationalizing their actions, or ducking their agency.
Most people even skip the first sentence.
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Yes, I know all that. But that wasn’t what I was saying, and you know that.
Also, I’m not trying to defend him being in blackface. I’m not trying to defend blackface, period. I’m saying that he didn’t say he “didn’t know better so yeah it doesn’t count”. At least in my interpretation his statement means that he owned up to being an ignorant prick doing a shitty thing at that period of his life, and is apologizing for it. Is it enough? Does he really mean it? Maybe, maybe not, but at this point I’m not sure what else can be reasonably expected of him. (“Not be an ignorant prick doing shitty things” - sure, but in any case he can’t exactly change the past.)
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…no? He admitted that what he did was racist, even though in his ignorance he didn’t consider it as such at the time. He admitted that he should have known better. I don’t see how this is trying to excuse his behavior. I’m no fan of this guy and the photos and videos are disgusting, but also I don’t see where he’s trying to downplay the severity of what he did.
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Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said anything about expecting human perfection. You did. My point is that we are all fallible humans, politicians included. I don’t think anyone reasonable really thinks Trudeau is a racist, and that’s the point.
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Right? All this! Just apologize! That’s all!!! Stop pretending that there is some mitigating excuse that can make it right. Just admit you fucked up and deal with the consequences… why is that so hard?
As you note, it was weak, and as @tuhu notes, it’s still excusing it.
Hence, the problem with his apology…
Possibly listen to the people hurt by this?
I don’t know how “I was young and stupid” is an excuse. Yes, he came from a privileged background, but he somehow managed to get through HS and college, with literally NO idea this was wrong? I don’t buy it.
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Maybe stop assuming that;
A) You can read my mind. (I assure you; You can’t.)
B) That you are communicating as clearly and effectively as you seem to think you are.
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“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” Bertrand Russell
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There’s an idea! And do you speak for them then? Cause all the offended white people in this thread isn’t very convincing…I’m willing to bet most people of colour (outside the world of toxic university call-out culture) care one bit.
Well I am not running for public office much less THE PUBLIC OFFICE OF A NATION.
Yeah I have done some stupid costumes I regret upon reflection in the past and there may or may not be pictures but none where I would have thought black/brown face would be good for the realism as the props were more than enough.
He wants to hold high office then he needs to be held to a higher standards.
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They don’t need to, “hypocrisy” will be the charge. I think the SNC Lavalin affair is in the same category. Does anyone think the Conservatives would not have done the same?
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“I shouldn’t have done that. I should have known better and I didn’t. I’m really sorry.”
What strikes me is how simple, how easy it is to make an apology that’s much better than 90% of the corporate and government not-really-apologies we’re all accustomed to hearing.
I don’t know enough about Trudeau to guess how much he means it. But something I’ve learned from the last couple years of American leadership is: The performative dimension of leadership matters, far more than I ever thought.
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The Green Party also wants to (somehow) regulate social media and force everyone to use “verifiable identities” - which will be just AWESOME for marginalized groups who use social media to find community, share experiences and coping strategies and advocate for better lives and who already have to live in fear of being doxed. Fear no more, the Greens will do it for you.
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The Green Party is not ready to govern. I hope that as they become more popular they gradually become more ready to govern and that they at some point have to clean house of the misogynists.
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Well, that would explain why fools keep misquoting the words of historical figures. You should doubt yourself more!
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At this point I’d say they have a vocal eco-fascist wing.
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It has always been the policy of the Middle Ground Both Sides Centralist But Not Too Centralist Party (The MGBSCbntCP) to have both a fascist and a non-fascist at every meeting, for balance. /s
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Yeah, that was bad. Honestly, his handling of that is why I am pissed off and disappointed, but not surprised by this.
Wilson-Raybould is badass. I give her full credit for not caving to a bad boss and doing the right thing, even though it cost her.
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Because the equation should be serious of offence PLUS Intention behind offense PLUS recency of offense. Poor character is not an individual event; rather, it is a continuum, one that evolves over time and is demonstrated by repeated actions, not individual errors. Note: Error, not crimes; if you kill someone, that should be a stain on your record. .
The fact that, frankly, these photos were ignored for 18 years and then resurface prior to an election is some Nixon-era nonsense, and a great demonstration of why this is a joke; if it was so career-ending an offense, the person with photographic proof would have brought it up when Trudeau was a mere MP, or even before.
Fairness in Media, or in Ethics, is not the same as carrying water for bad-faith actors.
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