The Face Of Pragmatism

The trade deal that Mark Carney just made with China has elicited a wide range of reactions. There are those who are exultant, such as Scott Moe for what it does for canola exports, and there are others who are predicting doom. The auto industry fears it is the death knell for the Canadian car industry (although it is hard to fathom why the importation of 49,000 Chinese EVs would have such an effect). Captain Canada (a.k.a, Ontario Premier Doug Ford) is thundering against it. And PP is doing his usual posturing about Chinese security threats and how the government has betrayed Canada. However, from where I sit, the deal makes eminent sense.

Carney, embracing pragmatic politics, said this: 

We take the world as it is – not as we wish it to be.”

Which, of course, means recognizing that the United States is no longer a reliable trading partner, a view bolstered this week by Trump's proclamation that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada, and that he isn't even thinking about the CUSMA deal. Those who still hold out strong hopes for a renewal of that agreement are, in my view, indulging in magical thinking, and it is an abandonment of that thinking which, I believe, informed Carney's bold move with China. 

The world of realpolitik is not a pretty one. It involves a recognition that ideology can take a country only so far, and in the face of external factors far beyond one's control, it is better to put one's head down and move forward, in this case making deals with countries that don't share our values. Indeed, it can be argued that is exactly what we are doing in our efforts to maintain our trading relationship with the U.S., but given its volatile, insane leadership, the Americans represent diminishing returns.

I am glad Carney has finally understood that appeasing the mad king is pointless. However, the road ahead is still fraught with possible pitfalls. Even though Trump has given his initial 'approval' of Canada making a deal with China, one wonders whether that reaction will change in the coming days. Already, U.S. trade Jamieson Greer sounded an ominous note:

“I think it’s problematic for Canada,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC Friday morning. “There’s a reason why we don’t sell a lot of Chinese cars in the United States. It’s because we have tariffs to protect American auto workers and Americans from those vehicles.”

One is reminded of Trump's initial dismissal of Doug Ford's anti-tariff ad in the U.S., only to replace it with anger and the termination of sectoral talks with our country. Similarly, it seems likely that whoever is the current Trump "whisperer" will tell him that his initial response was wrong; after all, the deal might encourage other 'vassal states' to go their own way in trade. The Empire cannot encourage such independent thinking.

Nonetheless, the risk is well-worth taking, in my view, and this is the first time I have felt some pride in our prime minister. The scales have fallen from his eyes, and he is conducting himself in a way I suspect the majority of Canadians will applaud.

A Message For Amerika

Theo Moudakis captures Canadian pride and resoluteness here.

As if to drive home the fact that we are not Amerika's vassal, Carney has made this decision:

Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the G7 summit, which will be held in June in Kananaskis, in a sign of solidarity as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year.

The invitation was extended on Sunday when Carney spoke to Zelenskyy by phone, days after Carney was sworn in as prime minister .

It isn’t uncommon for non-member countries to be invited. The summit usually has 16 tables, and in 2023, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and South Korea attended talks in Japan.

The gesture to invite Ukraine comes as the country has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire in exchange for the lifting of U.S. military aid restrictions following a fiery meeting between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump.

At a time when countries seem increasingly timid for fear of offending Don Trump, it is refreshing and invigorating to see our Prime Minister setting his own course. 

Who To Choose?

While I and many others consider the possibility of a Mark Carney-led Liberal Party, there are some obvious hurdles. While his appearance on The Daily Show, which I wrote about yesterday, may help, according to Leland Cecco, 76% of Canadians in an Abacus poll could not identify him.

But that may change, if letter writers and pundits are any indication of things political. The Star's Linda McQuaig has this to say about Carney:

Among possible contenders for the Liberal leadership, Carney seems the best bet to take on the menacing Donald Trump. Carney is smart, unflappable and has experience dealing with foolish loudmouths. His international stature as a respected former governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada might even intimidate the ignorant American bully. 

Unlike conventional central bankers, Carney used his influence to push hard for climate action, serving as UN Special Envoy for Climate and Finance, and pressuring financial interests to divest from fossil fuels. Carney has also condemned “staggering wealth inequalities,” and criticized Canada’s corporate elite for sitting on “dead money” rather than investing its enormous profits in Canada.

Carney ... has actually stood up to the establishment; in 2019, he enraged then-president Trump by advocating scrapping the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency — a reform that would threaten U.S. global economic and political dominance.

Carney has never held elected office (whereas Poilievre has done nothing but hold elected office). So Carney will be compared to political novice Michael Ignatieff, who was crushed in the 2011 federal election. But Ignatieff was a pompous lightweight (he publicly insisted it was George W. Bush’s deep commitment to democracy that motivated him to invade Iraq). Carney is no such fool. 

Letters to the editor reflect some thoughts on Carney after his Daily Show appearance:

When a former central banker walks onto The Daily Show and actually kills it, you’d think we’d celebrate. Instead, critics such as Tonda McCharles dismiss Mark Carney’s viral moment as a low-risk no-show. 

Let’s be clear: comedy is a high-wire act, especially for someone eyeing the Prime Minister’s Office. One awkward pause, one failed joke, and you’re a cringeworthy meme, immortalized on the internet as a loser’s punchline. Given that Carney is a banker fighting the stuffed-suit stereotype, his appearance with Jon Stewart was a revelation. An economist with a spreadsheet mindset stepped into the arena of comedy — and somehow walked away having won the audience’s approval. That’s a big deal.

While Trudeau prorogued and Poilievre complained, Carney showed up with actual substance wrapped in wit. He demonstrated a depth of economic knowledge that went beyond the tax-cut talking points conservatives recycle every election, but without putting everyone to sleep. He framed climate change as a solvable crisis without sounding like a doomsday prophet. And he managed to be progressive without merely parroting a script. That’s leadership without the usual political theatre.

The cynics can sneer all they want. Carney has shown us that maybe, just maybe, the current Canadian political race has been altered. Perhaps Poilievre is no longer a sure thing: progressive Canadian voters now have a real chance to avoid political disaster.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

Mark Carney and Jon Stewart appeared to have so much fun sparring about the Canada-U.S. relationship this week on The Daily Show. When asked what he thought about the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state, Carney told Stewart, “You’re attractive, but we’re not moving in with you. It’s not you; it’s us.”

Carney was funny, humble, well-spoken and knowledgeable about Canadian affairs and politics. He displayed his skills as an economist and banker, and I believe he would be the perfect prime minister to deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s massive tariffs. Carney was the governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and helped get the United Kingdom through Brexit as governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

It was wonderful to see two men so quick on their feet!

Ellie McCaig, Kitchener

Will any of this make a difference in the next federal election? Your guess is as good as mine, but my suspicion is that the predicted decimation of the Liberal Party may be mitigated by a leader who stands in sharp contrast to the shrill, dour, aphoristic and repetitive PP,  a man who seems to take pleasure in cutting down our country, not unlike the shrill schoolmarm who, by accident, receives an invitation to a party and casts a very wet blanket over all the festivities.

I Was Impressed

While you have probably heard of Mark Carney's appearance on The Daily Show, his performance with Jon Stewart both surprised and impressed me. He was loose, funny and, most unexpectedly, engaging. Now I certainly realize that celebrity without cerebration is popular amongst those allergic to critical thinking, it appears that with Carney, you might get both.

Would he be a more effective Liberal leader than Chrystia Freeland? I have no idea, and the fact that he has no direct political experience and has never held elected office weighs heavily on me. I'll just have to see how things develop, but offering such a contrast to the dour, humourless PP definitely works in his favour.

The following video is about 19 minutes long, and few likely have the time to watch it. But dip into it for a few minutes and see what you think.

You can watch the entire interview here.

Mark Carney Speaks On The Consequences Of Unbridled Capitalism

Mark Carney said the following to a group of the world's elites last week:

"Just like any revolution eats its children," Carney told the audience of global power brokers, "unchecked market fundamentalism can devour the social capital essential for the long-term dynamism of capitalism itself."

"All ideologies are prone to extremes. Capitalism loses its sense of moderation when the belief in the power of the market enters the realm of faith."

It's rather gratifying to think of certain groups and individuals with their knickers in a twist, isn't it?