A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

On Copying Andy Dixon & Welcoming The Trump Family To Vancouver

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by Sean Orr | ‘Props’ to my man: The most chilling image from the Trudeau-Trump visit. It’s like blackface for women presidents – a patronizing slap in the face by the patriarchy and I totally would have glossed over it. Via Macleans: “Trudeau has long used the ‘feminist’ mantle as his political currency. What we witnessed in Washington was him exhausting it. And this photograph provides proof.”

If Trudeau is fake feminist, then Vancouver is fake-progressive: Trump family to attend Vancouver Trump Tower grand opening this month. And while it may seem that we are the ones conflating private interests with politics, trust me, it’s not. That the building has become a symbol of fascism seems obvious. Not so obvious perhaps is the very real conflict of interest it represents: Trump’s Canada venture and the Malaysia connection.

Like some of Mr Trump’s other properties, the Vancouver development raises the risk of violating the emoluments clause in the US constitution prohibiting elected officials from receiving benefits from foreign governments. The hotel also invites scrutiny of his business partners such as the elder Mr Tiah, who was convicted of providing a false report to the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

Mr Tiah represents part of a wave of foreign investment in Vancouver that residents say is changing the dynamics of their city. The number of non-resident unoccupied units reached 25,502 in Vancouver in 2016, up from 12,335 in 1996, according to a new study by Andy Yan, director of the city programme at the local Simon Fraser University.

The juxtaposition of the new wave of Lamborghini-driving youth with the progressive culture of the city shows the “absurdity” of the amount of foreign capital that has flooded the city, he said.

Of course, that juxtaposition is nothing new. It was there as we struggled to become a “world class city” with big parties like Expo and the Winter Olympics. It has existed as long as glitzy Yaletown has bordered the DTES where so many women have gone missing or been murdered (Thousands join Women’s Memorial March in Vancouver).

So yes, let us Welcome the Trump Family to Vancouver, but let’s not simply project our own insecurities on this symbol. Because… Hundreds rally against motion calling on Canadian government to condemn Islamophobia because they say it hurts free speech. Sure, bill M-30 may be largely symbolic, but hate crimes against muslims have doubled between 2012 and 2015. Nobody is taking away your right to condemn religion, you precious little snowflakes. Once again – and I can’t believe I have to even say this – hate speech is not free speech.

That conservatives would stir up this divisive and fake frenzy around the word “Islamaphobia” is disgusting. These are the people using free speech as a smokescreen for hate: Iqra Khalid, Liberal MP, Reads Threats Received Over Anti-Islamophobia Motion.

If you think this kind of thinking needs a platform so we can best tackle it, you’re delusional: Bill Maher Shows Us Why You Can’t Platform Fascists. These people are bonkers. Only two weeks after the deadly mosque shooting in Quebec, these people actually thought it was a good idea show up at a Toronto mosque and call for ban on Islam as Muslims pray inside.

And they aren’t the fringe: 1 in 4 Canadians want Trump-style travel ban, poll suggests.

But hey, why stop at racism, they are also classist! Conservative MPs laugh at Amarjeet Sohi’s past as city bus driver.

This is why I think we need a new left internationalism. Fascism is a cancer that knows no borders: Leitch surges in latest Mainstreet Tory leadership poll.

But it’s not just to fight fascism. It’s to fight for our survival: Unless It Changes, Capitalism Will Starve Humanity By 2050.

But don’t take it from me, or Forbes, take it from this little guy:

But we can’t be all that bad, right? I mean, just look at our friendly Mounties helping asylum-seeking family through snow after run-in with U.S. border patrol. Much heartwarming! Not shown of course is the photo where the Mounties cuffed them. Not shown is that due to our Safe Third Country Agreement, they’re being shipped right back to the US.

And speaking of police: Remove the police from the Vancouver Pride Parade. As far as I’m concerned, Pride should be inclusive to people but not necessarily occupations. My friend Christopher Langmuir says it better: “Police is not an identity. Trans and native and black are. The police regularly and systemically oppress and harass those groups, even today. They aren’t a force for good, they are a problematic institution that protest tries to change”.

Art of the day: Imposter or Originator: The Bizarre Story of Andy Dixon and John Holcomb.

Bonus: Community Thrift & Vintage opens new store on West Hastings.

On Ken Sim’s So-Called “Swagger” and ABC’S Class War

Sean Orr is back from his hiatus with a rundown of the local headlines that have been running on a ticker tape through his mind over the past six months...

On Post-Election Recuperation, Platform Paradoxes and Refund Communities

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds irony in "safety, affordability, and sustainability", and shouts out a bunch of amazing local organizations working on the frontlines.

On Running for City Council, Playing Whack-a-Mole with Homelessness, and the Public Washroom Deficit

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr finds a park ranger with a grudge, a gross misuse of air quotes and Tripadvisor slander.

On Living in a City Preoccupied with Street Cleaning, Chandeliers, and Campaigns Against the Homeless

In his latest read of the local news headlines, Sean Orr hones in on the recent Langley shootings, and the ongoing criminalizing and dehumanizing of the homeless population.