Summary
Diesel and Discord deliver a panoramic, deeply reported chronicle of Canada's 2022 Freedom Convoy, tracing how a protest against vaccine mandates snowballed into a national crisis that froze trade, tested civil liberties, and redefined what "freedom" means in a modern democracy. Robert George Cruise's narrative moves from the first rumble of diesel engines on Highway 417 to the invocation of the Emergencies Act, weaving together personal profiles, legal drama, economic shockwaves, and a meditation on unity and dissent.
Overview
In February 2022, thousands of trucks and pickup rigs converged on Ottawa, their drivers emboldened by online fundraising and united behind a rallying cry of "freedom." What began as a stance against cross-border vaccine mandates morphed into a weeks-long occupation of Parliament Hill and surrounding streets. Engines idled day and night, air horns shattered the winter stillness, and makeshift camps—complete with barbecues, bouncy castles, and bonfires—created an almost carnival atmosphere under the city's Gothic skyline. As crowds grew, symbols of far-right extremism began to surface alongside Canadian flags, exposing fractures in the movement's unity and sowing fear among residents kept awake by ceaseless honking.
Central Figures
Cruise brings to life the personalities at the heart of the convoy. Prairie-hardened trucker Jack "Dogbone" Ducharme emerges as the protest's everyman voice, his CB-radio quips offering both levity and insight. Tamara Lich, whose GoFundMe campaign raised millions, became a polarising figure whose leadership galvanised supporters and drew fierce criticism alike. On the political front, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers face an unprecedented predicament. At the same time, Ottawa Police Superintendent Ray Sutherland and other law enforcement chiefs navigate the tension between maintaining order and respecting civil liberties. Their decisions—many made in real time under intense pressure—drive the narrative toward its dramatic climax.
Political and Social Impact
As blockades spread to key border crossings, notably the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, global supply chains ground to a halt. Auto plants paused production, factories sat idle, and international partners—from the White House to trade associations—pressed Canada's government for swift resolution. Domestically, the convoy fractured political parties, toppling the federal Conservative leadership amid bitter infighting. On February 14, 2022, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history, granting federal authorities extraordinary powers to freeze bank accounts, prohibit public assemblies in designated zones, and deploy police reinforcements. The move quelled the occupation within days but ignited ongoing debates over the balance between security and individual rights.
Narrative Style and Themes
Shipwrecked between reportage and lyricism, Cruise's prose captures the surreal juxtaposition of festival-like camaraderie and simmering menace. He embeds leaked documents, courtroom transcripts, and social media artefacts alongside vivid vignettes—children playing hockey on snow-packed streets, protesters singing folk songs beside idling semis, and officers in riot gear methodically dismantling blockades. Major themes include the power of digital fundraising, the role of misinformation in fueling populist rage, and the fragility of national cohesion when identity politics collide with public health imperatives. Rather than drawing simple moral binaries, Cruise invites readers to reckon with the grey areas where ideology, desperation, and hope intersect.
Conclusion
Diesel and Discord is more than a blow-by-blow account of a single protest; it is a meditation on democracy under strain. Through the convoy's rise and fall, Cruise probes fundamental questions: How do we define "freedom" when individual rights impinge on collective welfare? What is the price of an order when dissent turns disruptive? And how might the lessons of Ottawa's frozen streets inform the way we navigate future crises, pandemic-fueled or otherwise? Set for an official release on July 4, 2025, this book promises to be a definitive resource for historians, political scientists, and any reader eager to understand how engines of discord can reshape a nation's course.
1147736842
Diesel and Discord deliver a panoramic, deeply reported chronicle of Canada's 2022 Freedom Convoy, tracing how a protest against vaccine mandates snowballed into a national crisis that froze trade, tested civil liberties, and redefined what "freedom" means in a modern democracy. Robert George Cruise's narrative moves from the first rumble of diesel engines on Highway 417 to the invocation of the Emergencies Act, weaving together personal profiles, legal drama, economic shockwaves, and a meditation on unity and dissent.
Overview
In February 2022, thousands of trucks and pickup rigs converged on Ottawa, their drivers emboldened by online fundraising and united behind a rallying cry of "freedom." What began as a stance against cross-border vaccine mandates morphed into a weeks-long occupation of Parliament Hill and surrounding streets. Engines idled day and night, air horns shattered the winter stillness, and makeshift camps—complete with barbecues, bouncy castles, and bonfires—created an almost carnival atmosphere under the city's Gothic skyline. As crowds grew, symbols of far-right extremism began to surface alongside Canadian flags, exposing fractures in the movement's unity and sowing fear among residents kept awake by ceaseless honking.
Central Figures
Cruise brings to life the personalities at the heart of the convoy. Prairie-hardened trucker Jack "Dogbone" Ducharme emerges as the protest's everyman voice, his CB-radio quips offering both levity and insight. Tamara Lich, whose GoFundMe campaign raised millions, became a polarising figure whose leadership galvanised supporters and drew fierce criticism alike. On the political front, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers face an unprecedented predicament. At the same time, Ottawa Police Superintendent Ray Sutherland and other law enforcement chiefs navigate the tension between maintaining order and respecting civil liberties. Their decisions—many made in real time under intense pressure—drive the narrative toward its dramatic climax.
Political and Social Impact
As blockades spread to key border crossings, notably the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, global supply chains ground to a halt. Auto plants paused production, factories sat idle, and international partners—from the White House to trade associations—pressed Canada's government for swift resolution. Domestically, the convoy fractured political parties, toppling the federal Conservative leadership amid bitter infighting. On February 14, 2022, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history, granting federal authorities extraordinary powers to freeze bank accounts, prohibit public assemblies in designated zones, and deploy police reinforcements. The move quelled the occupation within days but ignited ongoing debates over the balance between security and individual rights.
Narrative Style and Themes
Shipwrecked between reportage and lyricism, Cruise's prose captures the surreal juxtaposition of festival-like camaraderie and simmering menace. He embeds leaked documents, courtroom transcripts, and social media artefacts alongside vivid vignettes—children playing hockey on snow-packed streets, protesters singing folk songs beside idling semis, and officers in riot gear methodically dismantling blockades. Major themes include the power of digital fundraising, the role of misinformation in fueling populist rage, and the fragility of national cohesion when identity politics collide with public health imperatives. Rather than drawing simple moral binaries, Cruise invites readers to reckon with the grey areas where ideology, desperation, and hope intersect.
Conclusion
Diesel and Discord is more than a blow-by-blow account of a single protest; it is a meditation on democracy under strain. Through the convoy's rise and fall, Cruise probes fundamental questions: How do we define "freedom" when individual rights impinge on collective welfare? What is the price of an order when dissent turns disruptive? And how might the lessons of Ottawa's frozen streets inform the way we navigate future crises, pandemic-fueled or otherwise? Set for an official release on July 4, 2025, this book promises to be a definitive resource for historians, political scientists, and any reader eager to understand how engines of discord can reshape a nation's course.
Diesel and Discord: The Populist Uprising that Shook Canada's Pandemic Politics
Summary
Diesel and Discord deliver a panoramic, deeply reported chronicle of Canada's 2022 Freedom Convoy, tracing how a protest against vaccine mandates snowballed into a national crisis that froze trade, tested civil liberties, and redefined what "freedom" means in a modern democracy. Robert George Cruise's narrative moves from the first rumble of diesel engines on Highway 417 to the invocation of the Emergencies Act, weaving together personal profiles, legal drama, economic shockwaves, and a meditation on unity and dissent.
Overview
In February 2022, thousands of trucks and pickup rigs converged on Ottawa, their drivers emboldened by online fundraising and united behind a rallying cry of "freedom." What began as a stance against cross-border vaccine mandates morphed into a weeks-long occupation of Parliament Hill and surrounding streets. Engines idled day and night, air horns shattered the winter stillness, and makeshift camps—complete with barbecues, bouncy castles, and bonfires—created an almost carnival atmosphere under the city's Gothic skyline. As crowds grew, symbols of far-right extremism began to surface alongside Canadian flags, exposing fractures in the movement's unity and sowing fear among residents kept awake by ceaseless honking.
Central Figures
Cruise brings to life the personalities at the heart of the convoy. Prairie-hardened trucker Jack "Dogbone" Ducharme emerges as the protest's everyman voice, his CB-radio quips offering both levity and insight. Tamara Lich, whose GoFundMe campaign raised millions, became a polarising figure whose leadership galvanised supporters and drew fierce criticism alike. On the political front, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers face an unprecedented predicament. At the same time, Ottawa Police Superintendent Ray Sutherland and other law enforcement chiefs navigate the tension between maintaining order and respecting civil liberties. Their decisions—many made in real time under intense pressure—drive the narrative toward its dramatic climax.
Political and Social Impact
As blockades spread to key border crossings, notably the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, global supply chains ground to a halt. Auto plants paused production, factories sat idle, and international partners—from the White House to trade associations—pressed Canada's government for swift resolution. Domestically, the convoy fractured political parties, toppling the federal Conservative leadership amid bitter infighting. On February 14, 2022, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history, granting federal authorities extraordinary powers to freeze bank accounts, prohibit public assemblies in designated zones, and deploy police reinforcements. The move quelled the occupation within days but ignited ongoing debates over the balance between security and individual rights.
Narrative Style and Themes
Shipwrecked between reportage and lyricism, Cruise's prose captures the surreal juxtaposition of festival-like camaraderie and simmering menace. He embeds leaked documents, courtroom transcripts, and social media artefacts alongside vivid vignettes—children playing hockey on snow-packed streets, protesters singing folk songs beside idling semis, and officers in riot gear methodically dismantling blockades. Major themes include the power of digital fundraising, the role of misinformation in fueling populist rage, and the fragility of national cohesion when identity politics collide with public health imperatives. Rather than drawing simple moral binaries, Cruise invites readers to reckon with the grey areas where ideology, desperation, and hope intersect.
Conclusion
Diesel and Discord is more than a blow-by-blow account of a single protest; it is a meditation on democracy under strain. Through the convoy's rise and fall, Cruise probes fundamental questions: How do we define "freedom" when individual rights impinge on collective welfare? What is the price of an order when dissent turns disruptive? And how might the lessons of Ottawa's frozen streets inform the way we navigate future crises, pandemic-fueled or otherwise? Set for an official release on July 4, 2025, this book promises to be a definitive resource for historians, political scientists, and any reader eager to understand how engines of discord can reshape a nation's course.
Diesel and Discord deliver a panoramic, deeply reported chronicle of Canada's 2022 Freedom Convoy, tracing how a protest against vaccine mandates snowballed into a national crisis that froze trade, tested civil liberties, and redefined what "freedom" means in a modern democracy. Robert George Cruise's narrative moves from the first rumble of diesel engines on Highway 417 to the invocation of the Emergencies Act, weaving together personal profiles, legal drama, economic shockwaves, and a meditation on unity and dissent.
Overview
In February 2022, thousands of trucks and pickup rigs converged on Ottawa, their drivers emboldened by online fundraising and united behind a rallying cry of "freedom." What began as a stance against cross-border vaccine mandates morphed into a weeks-long occupation of Parliament Hill and surrounding streets. Engines idled day and night, air horns shattered the winter stillness, and makeshift camps—complete with barbecues, bouncy castles, and bonfires—created an almost carnival atmosphere under the city's Gothic skyline. As crowds grew, symbols of far-right extremism began to surface alongside Canadian flags, exposing fractures in the movement's unity and sowing fear among residents kept awake by ceaseless honking.
Central Figures
Cruise brings to life the personalities at the heart of the convoy. Prairie-hardened trucker Jack "Dogbone" Ducharme emerges as the protest's everyman voice, his CB-radio quips offering both levity and insight. Tamara Lich, whose GoFundMe campaign raised millions, became a polarising figure whose leadership galvanised supporters and drew fierce criticism alike. On the political front, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers face an unprecedented predicament. At the same time, Ottawa Police Superintendent Ray Sutherland and other law enforcement chiefs navigate the tension between maintaining order and respecting civil liberties. Their decisions—many made in real time under intense pressure—drive the narrative toward its dramatic climax.
Political and Social Impact
As blockades spread to key border crossings, notably the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, global supply chains ground to a halt. Auto plants paused production, factories sat idle, and international partners—from the White House to trade associations—pressed Canada's government for swift resolution. Domestically, the convoy fractured political parties, toppling the federal Conservative leadership amid bitter infighting. On February 14, 2022, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history, granting federal authorities extraordinary powers to freeze bank accounts, prohibit public assemblies in designated zones, and deploy police reinforcements. The move quelled the occupation within days but ignited ongoing debates over the balance between security and individual rights.
Narrative Style and Themes
Shipwrecked between reportage and lyricism, Cruise's prose captures the surreal juxtaposition of festival-like camaraderie and simmering menace. He embeds leaked documents, courtroom transcripts, and social media artefacts alongside vivid vignettes—children playing hockey on snow-packed streets, protesters singing folk songs beside idling semis, and officers in riot gear methodically dismantling blockades. Major themes include the power of digital fundraising, the role of misinformation in fueling populist rage, and the fragility of national cohesion when identity politics collide with public health imperatives. Rather than drawing simple moral binaries, Cruise invites readers to reckon with the grey areas where ideology, desperation, and hope intersect.
Conclusion
Diesel and Discord is more than a blow-by-blow account of a single protest; it is a meditation on democracy under strain. Through the convoy's rise and fall, Cruise probes fundamental questions: How do we define "freedom" when individual rights impinge on collective welfare? What is the price of an order when dissent turns disruptive? And how might the lessons of Ottawa's frozen streets inform the way we navigate future crises, pandemic-fueled or otherwise? Set for an official release on July 4, 2025, this book promises to be a definitive resource for historians, political scientists, and any reader eager to understand how engines of discord can reshape a nation's course.
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Diesel and Discord: The Populist Uprising that Shook Canada's Pandemic Politics
Diesel and Discord: The Populist Uprising that Shook Canada's Pandemic Politics
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940184380223 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Adler Seal Publishing |
| Publication date: | 07/04/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 822 KB |
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