#TrudeauEulogies

There are times when being Prime Minister of Canada merely because your father was Prime Minister of Canada proves unrewarding. For Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the occasion of the death of his father's friend, the Cuban Communist dictator, Fidel Castro, has proved to be one such time. Remaining loyal to his father's friend, and indeed his own friend, Justin Trudeau said, among other things:

It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest-serving president... [a] larger than life [personality]... a legendary revolutionary and orator... I know my father was very proud to call him a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Fidel when my father passed away. It was also a real honour to meet his three sons and his brother, President Raúl Castro, during my recent visit to Cuba. On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and many, many supporters of Mr. Castro. We join the people of Cuba today in mourning the loss of this remarkable leader....

The reaction has been brutal. "The Trudeau family’s bonds with the Castro family" wrote Terry Glavin in Mcleans Magazine, "now seem somehow unhygienic. Greasy, even. Definitely not cool." "Whether or not Trudeau saw any of this coming," Glavin continued:

he didn’t appear to notice that he was delivering a speech to La Francophonie delegates in Madagascar that emphasized justice for lesbian, gay and transgender people, while from the other side of his mouth he was praising the legacy of a caudillo who spent the first decade of his rule rounding up gay people for “re-education” in labour camps.

And now the mockery has gone global via Twitter.

Popular themes include:

Osama Bin Laden was certainly a controversial figure, but his contribution to airport security is unparalleled.#TrudeauEulogies

While a controversial figure, Robespierre led France w/ a clear vision & firm resolve while others were losing their heads #trudeaueulogies

 Although flawed Hitler was a vegetarian who loved animals, was a contributor to the arts & proud advocate for Germany. #trudeaueulogies

And thousands more.

That Trudeau lauded Castro not merely as an individual with whom his family has long been on friendliest terms, but as a "remarkable leader" i.e., the leader of a Communist dictatorship that has kept Cuba poverty-stricken and isolated from the world for more than 50 years is a blunder so astonishing as to remind one of that comment of a recent aspirant to the US Presidency: "We are led by very stupid people."