It’s easy to get lost in the tariff forest and lose sight of the cultural trees these days. For instance, American lefty comic Bill Maher used his show to lampoon the Oscars’ tribal-recognition piety. (“’I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again—either give the land back or shut the f*** up!’). In the past this impertinence would have meant instant excommunication from the Woke culture. But “made man” Maher remains employed.

As DEI wanes around the U.S. this sort of apostasy is becoming more commonplace in America. For many voters a weight has been lifted since Donald Trump exposed the Left’s vanities in the 2024 election.

But with the Liberals’ selection of Mark Carney as their new leader, it’s certain Woke mafia will remain firmly in place in Canada. Example: a conservative politician in BC was canned by his own party for having the temerity to admit that the $20 million directed from government turned up no residential school murder victims in a B.C. graveyard. Which is an undeniable fact, but irritating to David Eby’s designated victims groups.

A nervous Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has made noises about ending DEI and de-fanging the media’s gotcha industry. But with Trump now diverting Canadians’ focus from the Liberals decade-long failure to doing O Canada donuts in the parking lot the chances are slim that PP does a DOGE purge like the one down south to free Canadians from the progressive mania.

While the Trump is putting paid to the American Woke circus— he’s gutting the EPA as we speak— a Mark Carney Canada will keep the Trudeau scold culture going full-bore. Judging by his disastrous turn at the Bank of England from 2013-2020  (by the time he left, UK inflation spiked up to a peak of 11.1 per cent compared to 5.2 per cent in France, or eight per cent in Italy that means heavy doses of climate hysteria, DEI observance, unchecked immigration and printing money for pet projects.

Former UK PM Liz Truss is more succinct. She says that Mark Carney’s mangling of her economy with zero emissions and a busy printing press will not be good for Canada. Carney is trying to divert from his radical resumé, saying America must show Canada “respect” before he deals with them. Carney may be new to this Canada thing, but he might want to know that his predecessor recently chided Americans for yet again not electing a woman president. And he secretly counselled Zelenskyy to embarrass Trump’s peace deal in the Oval Office. And he mocked Trump about Canada defeating the U.S. in hockey.  Respect? Sock it to me.

But this skirmishing hides the real story. Why are 43 percent of 18-36 male CDNs telling pollsters they would accept U.S. citizenship if they were guaranteed full rights and financial protections? While these young men may appreciate Canada they’re not motivated by the Boomer nostalgia for the Canada of 1967-2000 that is powering the current patriotic spasm. The pivotal cultural battle against DEI will likely be fought among the under-40 demographic brought up with political correctness— but now souring on its stultifying effect on their earning power.

Why? In the National Post climate expert Bjorn Lomborg has a guess after Carney’s wild accusation that Poilievre would “allow the world to burn”. “Nearly half of young Canadians believe we’re doomed because of climate change. No wonder. They’ve grown up bombarded both by footage of natural disasters, and by activists’ claims that climate change is making the planet unliveable. The flood of disaster porn is terrifying our kids and skewing our perception, and that can only lead to bad climate policy..”

Millennials also experience the futile struggle to afford a home while Canada’s bureaucrats announce $272 million to Bangladesh for 1) Intersectional Democratic Spaces 2) Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Education 3) Community Resilience through Locally-led Inclusive Adaptation. Say what?

There is also fear that the former captain of the United Nations’ global net-zero carbon emissions will destroy the financial prospects for under-40s by clinging to CO2 hysteria when the world wants Canada’s fossil fuels. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Monday that with new pipelines, her province could increase exports to the U.S. by two million barrels a day. Carney is dead-set against it.

While the Media Party is not talking much about them the fight for these younger minds will come down to the debate. Which leader will move under 40s to vote for them? They’re not as moved by patriotic O Canadas citing the 1972 Summit Series or Terry Fox. Will they choose Banker Carney, who takes his climate policy cues from an teenaged Swedish psychiatric patient, or from PP, the apple-munching Pit Bull?

It’s time that Canada’s aging elite ceded a greater voice in the national debate. They need an intervention of the type Trump is now performing on Canadians addicted to sitting in first class but paying economy. He brought them into a room with the chairs and levelled with them about getting the free stuff they assumed was their right. Defence, security, trade, medical access. He’s the first president to do this in half a century.

And like all people addicted, CDN Boomers don’t want the truth. They want performance theatre, T-shirts and hockey games. They blame Trump for their predicament, caught between grim realities. Will they take the 12 steps? Or will their kids have to tell them the facts as they escort them to the home?

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster. His new book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed Hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org. You can see all his books at brucedowbigginbooks.ca.

“An aged man is but a paltry thing,

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

For every tatter in its mortal dress”.  W.B. Yeats

In geezer news this past week 39-year-old Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals— who suffered a broken fibula in November— is at this writing within nine goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for  most regular-season goals (894) in a career. However you feel about Ovechkin’s friendship with Putin, there is an inevitability about his relentless pursuit of the record.

Meanwhile, QB Aaron Rodgers is in search off a new perch after the New York Jets told him to scram. With available spots with the Rams, Raiders and Jets off the table, where will he land? It’s a short list the may begin and end with the Giants. Still, there are plenty who believe that he still has the juice to succeed in the right spot.

And after 25 years and $85M in prize money Novak Djokovic keeps going on the ATP circuit. He’s still got a reasonable shot at one of the 2025 majors in what seems like a farewell tour for the 37-year old. As we wrote last November they’re part of a turn-back-the-clock cohort of athletes challenging some time-honoured assumptions about age limits.

“Damn that Tom Brady. Because of the now-retired NFL GOAT it is widely believed that an athlete in his 40s can still triumph over younger men. That a good diet, plenty of sleep and keen desire can sustain you against twenty-two year olds. It ain’t so.

Those needing a reminder of what nature intends for athletes pushing their 40s— and later— got a sobering reminder the past while. First on the docket was Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight champion and a man who inspired fear the way Taylor Swift inspires teenage girls and vapid prime ministers.

In an effort to shake his aging fist at time, the 58-year-old Tyson agreed to fight 27-year-old media-influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Tyson has been through a lot since his days when opponents barely lasted a minute in the ring with him. He lost his crown, married actress Robin Givens and had what was clearly a breakdown both physically and mentally.

In recent years he’s re-invented himself by playing Mike Tyson in movies (his tiger is stolen by a dentist in The Hangover) and on Broadway. He’s evolved into some sort of Cormac McCarthy sage, unflinching in the face of his mortality. Here he talks to a very young interviewer about his legacy and his wish to have no part of one. His precise words were, “”I don’t believe in the word ‘legacy.’ I think that’s another word for ego. Legacy doesn’t mean nothing. That’s just some word everybody grabbed on to.”

So the decision to take on Paul, who has only a dozen pro fights, in a Netflix special drew a lot of curiosity. With his facial tattoo and still-impressive physique he made many believe he could summon up enough to defeat a showboating Paul (El Gallo) who played the heel in the run-up.

Then Tyson had an ulcer flareup. Which caused him to lose half the blood in his body. The fight was delayed from July to November 15 at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Videos of Tyson training seemed to show that, even after the medical issues, he could still deliver enough firepower to make the fight credible. For good measure, Tyson slapped Paul during the weigh-in. Just like the old days.

On fight night sixty-five million tuned in. But the Tyson of old was now old Tyson. He had little to offer, and, by fight’s end, Paul was toying with Tyson. The unanimous decision was a forgone conclusion. Even in defeat Tyson declared himself satisfied having shown his family and himself he could credibly train for a fight after his medical problems.

But the big winner was Father Time

The Big Guy is also wining in his bet with legendary QB Aaron Rodgers who vowed in 2022 to make the Green Bay Packers regret letting him go in favour of Jordan Love. Rodgers, who’s almost as quixotic as Tyson, signed with the New York Jets who felt themselves only a QB away from a playoff berth or even a trip to the Super Bowl.

That dream lasted just four plays into the Jets first game of 2023. The elusive, rifle-armed Rodgers sat pathetically on the turf, his season done with a torn achilles tendon and the Jets hopes delayed for a year. During his convalescence there were rumours of an early comeback. None came.

This September the expectations were palpable for Rodgers, now 40, to finally lead their Jets to success. It took only a few games to note that, while he could still throw a great football, Rodgers could not move as he once had in the pocket. He was sacked pitilessly by opponents. The rival Buffalo Bills pounded the Jets, leaving them far behind the the AFC East standings.

At which point Rodgers’ enigmatic personality become the story in the catty New York press. As first the coach, Robert Saleh, and then the GM, Joe Douglas, were fired. Stories emerged that Rodgers was calling the shots with ownership. Fans turned on him. Finally the Jets made the internal decision to cut ties with Rodgers at season’s end.

Will someone sign this version of Rodgers for 2025? Sure. And Joe Biden will regain his faculties. Rodgers’ hopes to “not go gentle into that good night” will not be his call.

At least there was one great athlete accepting the encroachment of 40. Rafael Nadal wound up his brilliant career at the Davis Cup after winning 22 Grand Slam tournaments. “I don’t have the chance to be competitive the way I like to be competitive,” he said in a news conference. “My body is not able to give me the possibility.”

The now-retired Roger Federer, who saw his lead over Nadal in Grand Slams go from 6-12 to 20-22, summed up Nadal.  “You beat me — a lot. More than I managed to beat you… You challenged me in ways no one else could.” You could also say he got out while the getting was good. For that, Rafa, clap hands and sing.”

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster  A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada’s top television sports broadcaster, his new book Deal With It: The Trades That Stunned The NHL And Changed hockey is now available on Amazon. Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History, his previous book with his son Evan, was voted the seventh-best professional hockey book of all time by bookauthority.org . His 2004 book Money Players was voted sixth best on the same list, and is available via brucedowbigginbooks.ca.