Privatizing profits, socializing losses: Say hello to Justin Trudeau, the world’s newest oil executive.

“In case anyone wondered, this is how the world ends: with the cutest, progressivest, boybandiest leader in the world going fully in the tank for the oil industry”.

Trudeau has drawn a line in the sand that not even Harper would have dared draw. Alberta’s Redford conservatives were offered the same deal and said no. The word hypocrite doesn’t seem adequate here. The Prime Minister is counting on a war of attrition and activist fatigue. Hell, even I’m sick of even writing about this bullshit. Imagine what his purchase of the pipeline says to the people on the front lines? But then again, maybe this will be the flashpoint that finally lays bare the rotten promises of neoliberalism and ignites a new generation of activism.

I’ve seen a bunch of posts asking things like, What else could we have bought for $4.5 billion? Fix all drinking water on reserves. End homelessness. Create a national pharmacare program. Retrain oil sands workers into jobs in green energy and climate mitigation. Season 2 of Roseanne, lol. Keep in mind, however – and I hate to be the person to dampen your anger here – but owning the pipeline is actually plan B. We’re basically the nation equivalent of a house flipper.

Only we’re buying the old house. The new house is going to be way more expensive to build: Canada’s Dirty $20-Billion Pipeline Bailout.

Kinder Morgan, which could no longer afford the $7.4-billion project, took advantage of a bitumen republic that foolishly proclaimed an unneeded pipeline a matter of “national interest” without so much as a risk analysis or simple cost benefit report.

The only studies that say the Trans Mountain pipeline will make money for the Canadian economy are reports paid for by Kinder Morgan. Critics including Allan have described these biased reports as fraudulent.

What kind of a stupid nation buys a leaky pipeline from a bunch of good old Texas boys without doing any due diligence?

What kind of stupid nation? The kind that is built on settler colonial resource theft? The kind where a Minister of Indigenous Relations can tweet the following:

Moccasins come in pairs. We need both Environment and Economics. Our party is delivering both. https://t.co/nJTFUqkfOr

— Richard Feehan (@FeehanRichard) May 29, 2018

Hmm, what else comes in pairs? Land theft and broken promises? False dichotomies and cognitive bias? Corporate cronyism and electoral politics? Trudeau’s socks?

Whoever said “Like buying Blockbuster the year Netflix took off” deserves today’s prize for succinct analysis of Trudeau’s announcement the Canadian public has to buy #KinderMorgan‘s Enron-style boondoggle. (Quote is being circulated sans attribution) #bcpoli #cdnpoli #stopkm

— Lindsay Brown (@Lidsville) May 29, 2018

Indeed. I guess that makes us shareholders and Justin the CEO. When is the first shareholder meeting? To wit, Justin Trudeau joins long list of passionate environmentalists who own, operate oil pipelines.

Apparently, people love boondoggles. Apparently, we want to emulate the 100-year capitalist experiment that keeps Appalachia poor, sick, and stuck on coal. Apparently, people think $4.5 billion for $1.6 billion in assets is a good deal. Apparently, 78% of people do not support B.C.’s premier in his ongoing battle to stop the pipeline project. Apparently, we are the worst.

And while we’re buying out the criminal capitalists… B.C. government considers buyout of Sahotas’ single-room occupancy problem buildings. C’mon, why can’t we just take them? Seriously? Why aren’t these people in fucking prison?

Best praxis of the day:

Not all heroes wear capes.#vanre pic.twitter.com/Pz2ZJvdhzV

— Sweet Maple Booty ??, a div. of RuhRoh Capital LLC (@penultsquire) May 27, 2018

According to CBC Vancouver, the person with the counter protest is also a West Point Grey homeowner who supports this tax. What an absolute unit.

Heard man at anti-tax protest say he’s “never been political before.” That’s the thing about privilege – the system works in your favour most of the time and you can sit back and enjoy it and leave “politics” to others to worry about.

— Patti Bacchus (@pattibacchus) May 28, 2018

Oh, and the lady at the forefront of this protest, who was “insulted that those of us who have worked so hard are now being told that we have to make way for apparently the next generation” (because that is a bad thing?) may not even have to pay the $3 million homes school tax.

City of Vancouver finally moves to control speculation around proposed Broadway subway line. Wait, just now? Haven’t we known about this future boondoggle for decades?

I just remembered that this city was founded on speculation around rail lines, so I guess it’s par for the course…

Surrey LRT brought to life with new fly-through animation. “Altogether, the system will have 11 stations and an end-to-end travel time of 27 minutes – nearly identical to the existing 96 B-Line rapid bus service along the exact same route.” Wait, what? What is even the point? That makes absolutely zero sense. Heaven forbid we impede drivers any more than the bus does. Best Comment: “Real issues aside….. can we give a shout out to those who made the fly-through. Skip to 3:40. This fly-through was so accurate they even captured someone cursing at a compass vending machine”. – Paul Tolnai

Bonus: Astronomers name minor planet after Vancouver Island First Nation.