An Undeniably Abusive Relationship

 

It should be clear to most Canadians by now that we are in a pernicious, abusive relationship with the United States. And as often occurs in such relationships, we go through a period, sometimes protracted, when we seek peace with the abuser, either justifying their abuse or going to great lengths to try to placate and appease them. All studies in such relationships suggest those are losing strategies; healing can only begin when we both acknowledge the abuse and, as much as possible, minimize our contact with the partner that so despises us.

Commendably, Prime Minister Mark Carney has expended considerable effort into widening our support network of new trading partners, efforts that will bear much fruit in the future. However, in many ways we are still in the denial/appeasement stages of our relationship with America, as I have written many times on this blog - caving to American demands on the Gordie Howe Bridge (which Carney misrepresented to the public), ditching the digital services tax, not filing complaints over unfair trading practices and widespread violations of CUSMA, etc. This behaviour, despite earning nothing but more abuse and more demands from an implacable Trump, suggest that it is well past time we started showing some national self-respect. 

Political Science professor Blayne Haggart says it is also time to wake up from the delusions some may be still labouring under, the hope that somehow we can get our relationship with the U.S. back on track. Indeed, he calls Carney's approach "magical thinking."

The Carney government, and groups like the Business Council of Canada, have consistently sought some kind of agreement with Trump’s United States. Proposals and plans for deeper economic, energy and security integration have been mooted under titles “Fortress Am-Can” and “Fortress North America.” Trump’s latest outrage doesn’t seem to have changed Carney’s approach. Initial reports are that, in response to Trump’s tariffs, Carney plans to “intensify” trade negotiations with Trump.

Unfortunately for Canadians, these strategies are an example of cargo-cult policy-making, imported from a world that no longer exists. They’re designed for a world in which the United States could be trusted to keep its word and to respect Canadian sovereignty. In such a liberal-international world, trade agreements are a normal way of regulating sovereign economic relations, with at least the potential for creating win-win situations.

There can be little question in most citizens' minds that the days of peacefully co-existing with the southern behemoth are over. According to Professor Haggart, it is time for Carney to realize that fact.

First, if Trump can’t be trusted, then it is literally impossible for any trade agreement to provide the “certainty” that Carney and so many business leaders desire.

In other words, it makes no sense to renegotiate the USMCA, an agreement that Trump has arbitrarily violated, in order to keep Trump from arbitrarily attacking the Canadian economy. Any agreement would bind only Canada, not the United States, while any concessions would only lead to more demands.

Second, Canadians and Canadian businesses have to get used to uncertainty. The old relationship is dead. A country with two-party system in which one party is openly authoritarian, that elected Trump twice, cannot credibly commit to long-term international agreements.

These are hard truths that our politicos are finding difficulty in accepting,  but accept them they must:

It’s a political fight with an authoritarian country that seeks to dominate and subjugate Canada. Tariffs are the weapon, not the game.

Trump’s new tariffs expose, once again, the folly of pursuing deeper integration with an authoritarian United States. Concessions — what less-kind observers would call appeasement — buy you nothing. Integration with an untrustworthy, authoritarian partner invites only vassalization. What’s more, it’s likely to overwhelm Carney’s other nation-building policies, because the only sure way to increase Canadian autonomy from the United States is to stop integrating with the United States.

This magical thinking — the refusal to acknowledge the reality implied by Trump’s authoritarian nature — has allowed Carney to pretend that his approach will deliver autonomy at a relatively low cost, while avoiding a realistic discussion about alternatives and the cost of policies that could actually deliver autonomy.

While solutions may be hard to find, Haggart suggests they could begin with a Royal Commision into how best to navigate the future to ensure our autonomy from the U.S. I don't know what might come out of such a commission, but I do know that we cannot continue on our present course. Too much of our sovereignty has already been compromised. Like any other victim of an abusive relationship, we must now take strong measures to break free from the abuser.

 

UPDATED: For Those Who Think We Have No Power

When I watched this video, I couldn't help but think about the woman I wrote about yesterday. According to her, we are such a small market that anything we do to retaliate in this current conflict with the U.S. has no impact.

She couldn't be more wrong:

The video also amply demonstrates how many regular people are negatively affected by Trump's tariff madness. I guess he would regard them only as collateral damage in a battle for a greater good. I'll leave readers to figure out what that greater good could be.

UPDATE: Charlie Angus has emerged as a very, very strong voice for Canada as it battles the madness seizing the U.S. If you have time, please consider watching this video in which he warns us against travelling to that benighted country:

"We Used To Be The Best Of Friends"

There is no shortage of songs in response to the aggression from our southern neighbours. This, in my view, is one of the best, by Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy. I only take issue with his last line. (That ship, for me, has sailed.)

Standing Resolute

Amidst the talk of annexing Canada, the premiers marched to Washington to meet with White House officials. Afterwards,. James Blair, Trump's deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, had this to say:

Blair posted on social media that his meeting with the premiers was "pleasant" but also said he "never agreed that Canada would not be the 51st state."

"We only agreed to share Premier Eby's comments," Blair wrote.

How about either or both of these as an answer to Mr. Trump and his acolytes? 

H/t Moudakis

Or, put another way:

Common Cause

It has been said that were aliens to declare war on us, we would put aside all of our petty differences and unite. Not sure about the rest of the world, but that certainly appears to be the case in Canada.

Those who read this blog on a regular basis will know that I am no Pollyanna. We should all be very worried about the tariff war that Trump is now waging against our country. Yet despite my deeply cynical outlook about most things, I am feeling heartened in these early days by our initial responses to the grave threat the tyrant poses. And I am seeing and feeling something that has been largely absent for a long time: real Canadian pride.

Part of that pride is being reflected in the purchases we make. There is a growing appetite for buying Canadian over American goods. Consider this report from Vancouver Island:

Although I am not able to reproduce it, check out this response from the other end of the country. Here are a few of the comments made by shoppers in Nova Scotia:

Mike MacDonald said he intended to read labels at the grocery store so he knew where everything came from.

"I think that like everybody in Canada, we're probably gonna look at buying Canadian, try to shop more local and do what you can that way," he said. 

 "I love it!," said Heidi Rast. "I think it's great. I like my local breweries. So, support your local pubs, your local breweries. I'm game for that. I think a strong response is the right response."  

"Bring it on, slap even more tariffs!" said Anne Leydon. "We got to play tough. We can't back down to somebody trying to push us around. And I'm hoping that … we all stick together as Canadians."

I am certainly prepared to make the necessary adjustments. This morning, for example, I found that my two favourite cereals are products of the U.S. When my supply runs out, I will be buying Canadian alternatives. But where do we find the alternatives? I am finding this site to be very useful. You can search both by category and location, a process that can empower all of us to do our part in the battle we are all called upon to participate in. If you live in Ontario, you might want to check out this site.

I'll close out this post with an excerpt from today's bracing Star editorial, one that reminds all of us of both the role and the responsibilities we have in this war:

[Trump's] trying to bully us — and how we and other like-minded, similarly threatened countries respond will shape the direction of the world in the years to come.

Power has always mattered. But Trump represents power unconstrained by legal or moral guardrails. He believes there is no place for a country such as ours, a middle power that has often been a leader and beneficiary of the rules-based liberal international order, wielding our soft power to change the world, or at least nudge it in a better direction. He sees no value in the peace and order our constitution guarantees. Now the question is whether our commitment to these values and to our shared citizenship eclipses the differences we have become so focused on.

In the days since Trump confirmed his tariffs, we have seen glimmers of hope, an outpouring of something like patriotism, a decidedly un-Canadian sentiment. We have seen leaders from across the political spectrum — Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper alike — call for unity. We have seen businesses support retaliatory measures and call on governments to support furloughed workers, knowing these will come at a cost. Many citizens have been quick to take matters into their own hands, signing petitions, vowing to boycott American goods and to change travel plans. Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford have both projected resolve and strength, taking strategic and targeted countermeasures, as they should.

These Canadians understand what all of us must now grasp: No one has ever won by appeasing a bully. No one has ever won by negotiating with a knife to their throat. But again and again, battles have been won by those who were counted out, who had no right to survive, never mind thrive, but did because they found strength in each other and a shared commitment to ideals and together did the hard work necessary to overcome. It has never been harder to band together despite our differences, and never more important.

Well, just one more thing to add here.

Well, maybe one one more:

‪Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁‬ ‪@minibubbly.bsky.social‬

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1hDon't pokle the bear.

Don’t poke the bear 🍁🇨🇦