Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson,

Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian

politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first

Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics.

Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the

politics of "Doing It My Way"-the politics of going my way or being left behind.

Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and

far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far

more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus

Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine

intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man

virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and

moods of his powerful baronial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian

colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes

upon them.

Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre-

leadership days, Trudeau's love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King

would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality:

each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate

conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim

he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill.

This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeau's

first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no

leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat

for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot

tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this country's

history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to

him; ironically, in the process, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding

him a homosexual too.

P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the

populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat

warrior "doing it my way" is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them;

like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like

the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For

Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude;