UPDATED: A Repository Of Wisdom

I read a letter to the editor the other day to the effect that policy-makers would be wise to consult the op-ed pages for inspiration. Good journals offer repositories of wisdom, and we could do far worse than consider their perspectives and advice.

Here are three letters from today's Star that amply illustrate the above:

America has always preached from the bully pulpit

Canada won’t back down, will scale up retaliation against Trump’s tariffs as needed, government says, Feb. 2

It truly boggles my mind to now see politicians of all stripes, decision makers, businesses and many Canadians are belatedly stepping on the Canada First bandwagon, now that Donald Trump coughed, metaphorically.

Where were you when it was downright evident for decades past that America was and is a selfish and self-centred bully that does everything and anything to suit herself and her interests only, the world be damned?

You were all sleepwalking, singing the praises about our southern neighbour, visiting the country on a regular basis, patronizing their businesses, rather than shopping locally, to save a few pennies. A little jolt by a bully has now awakened you all.

All our interests, economically and otherwise, were put into the giant’s basket for sheer laziness on the part of politicians and businesses instead of large-scale diversifying to other countries years ago. Not a single automobile is made of 100 per cent Canadian parts. Why? Relying too much on our “friends” to the south?

I told you so, I can now say. I am not being a hypocrite, as I have not visited the United States since 2000, do not own property there, do not buy a return trip by air to another country via America, do not cross the border to shop.

I have consciously been patronizing local businesses and Canadian goods exclusively, as best I can.

Aquil Ali, Toronto

Canada must stand its ground in the face of aggression

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must choose whether he should follow the course of Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill.

For the survival of Canadians, and of people throughout the world, I hope he chooses the latter.

Canadians can lead the world to show the American would-be dictator that no matter the economic hardship or individual sacrifice, Canadians will stand together, stand strong and wield their sword to protect their homes and rights.

Millions of Americans are with you.

Jeff C. Tavares, Greenwood, Indiana

Hit Trump where it hurts: the wallet

Well, Ding Dong Don got his desired result and has everyone running around in a tizzy.

It’s obvious diplomacy doesn’t work with him but firmness, discomfort, fear of strong negotiators like Chrystia Freeland, pushback from his base, other oligarchs and organized, unrelenting vocal protest groups do.

Canadians haven’t been this united in a long time and seem to be embracing the boycott principle.

This is an excellent strategy, as long as we don’t weaken.

I am 85 and have travelled all 50 states, many times, since the age of nine and have always found the citizens to be kind and generous. I will not travel across the border until sanity is restored in Washington.

My plan is to contact newspaper editors, chambers of commerce, travel associations, politicians and any other organization with a vested interest in restoring sanity and let them know what non-American car, machine or product I purchased. I would also supply the cost of my latest travel to a non-U.S. country.

Sad to say, but the only thing worthy of respect in Trump’s world is money. So if the bottom line deteriorates, he will respond.

He’s a coward. Stand up to him.

John Russell, Fonthill, Ont.

Given the outpouring of patriotic fervour and new consumer boycotts of American goods and travel, we can only hope the momentum continues to build and unites all of us in the face of a common foe.

UPDATE: Now a word from Charlie Angus:

My Thought For The Day

Theocracy - The U.S. Version

For those who like to get their religion from the wholly deranged, there's Paula White, Trump's 'spiritual' adviser:

‪Republicans Against Trumpism‬ ‪@rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social‬

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8h

“To say no to President Trump would be to say no to God.” Meet televangelist Paula White, who Donald Trump just appointed to lead the White House ‘Faith Office.’ This is not normal.

Then there is Trump's Make God Great Again efforts:

Where is the smiting Yahweh when we need Him?

Two Things Proud Canadians Can Do

As I wrote in my previous post, there are very heartening signs of a deep resurgence in Canadian national pride. Consumer boycotts of American products, the purchasing of Canadian products and the booing of American national anthems are burt three signs of this growing fervour.

But in some ways, those actions are merely the low-hanging fruit. To be truly and deeply patriot, we need more than loud and flagrant gestures. We need both knowledge and democratic participation.

Americans are great at the superficial - mouthing nonsensical and reflexive statements like, "My country, right or wrong," comes easily to those who would rather react that participate meaningfully in their society. Talk, as the saying goes, is cheap. but in the American example we see the high price to be paid for substituting loud braying for quiet contemplation: the likes of Donald Trump and his marauders who are systematically dismantling the laws, customs and traditions of American government. Consider the following, especially how easily the always glib Speaker of the House Mike Johnson turns legislative authority into a Trump rubber stamp and a virtue:

I won't waste my time or yours in analysing his discourse, but one can imagine that the timbre of his voice and the 'conviction' with which he speaks would convince the majority of his listeners that an American takeover of Gaza would find favour with the entire world.

So if we are truly patriotic Canadians, how do we inoculate ourselves against a plague of pervasive, low-level thinking while at the same time bolstering Canadian products? I would suggest a subscription to a reputable Canadian newspaper. While I know many are rightfully dubious of the MSM, they still offer our best hope for informative reporting, reporting that is crucial to a healthy, functioning democracy. We have national papers like The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, both of which have some excellent columnists. Both papers have digital editions that are reasonably priced, and both, ahem, are Canadian products.  For an international perspective, I highly recommend The Guardian which, I believe, still requires no subscription.

The knowledge gained by reading widely cannot be underestimated, and the power conferred can be immense. Which brings me to my next and final point. If we indeed want to be proud and powerful Canadians, we need to vote. While our voices may not carry the day, a strong presence at the ballot box sends a strong message to our would-be leaders: we are present and engaged, and we are watching. 

There are two pending elections. In Ontario, voters will go to the polls to elect a provincial government on February 27. Only apathy and ignorance will allow the majority return of the grossly incompetent Doug Ford regime. And federally, it is likely we will be voting in early Spring. Will we allow ourselves to be bamboozled by the aphoristic and shallow PP, or will be we demand something more?

An uncertain future awaits us. As proud Canadians, we have a number of roads ahead of us. The routes we choose will have an immediate and lasting impact on all of us.

More Heartening Signs

One of the best and most heartening things emerging from our current conflict with the United States is a very powerful resurgence of national pride. The realization of how precious our national heritage is is spurring increasing numbers of Canadians to buy Canadian, forgo travel to the U.S. and rediscover the beauty and pleasures of our own country.

My sense is that the deep wound by the Americans that we collectively feel will not be easily assuaged or massaged. Our resentment and feelings of betrayal, I think, will be long lasting. Here are some comments from readers of The Globe and Mail.

“My partner and I have decided to stop all travel to the U.S. (even for layovers) and avoid all American products. This includes Amazon, Netflix, and American clothing brands. We will support Mexican and European products and treat it as a new opportunity to explore Canadian options that we might otherwise have not discovered. We will treat this as an opportunity to grow our pride in what it means to be Canadian. I hope trade barriers will be removed between provinces so we can explore Canadian products from other fellow Canadians (i.e., Manitoban or B.C. beer in Quebec please)!” – Matthew Parent

“Bought some books and did not go through Amazon but rather got them in Canada. We are getting new windows and are definitely not buying the American option but Canadian instead. I certainly won’t be vacationing or visiting the U.S. either. As for groceries, I am lucky to have a wonderful local grocery called Marilu’s Market here in Burlington which I shop at and they sell a lot of Canadian products also. I will actively look to reject American goods.” – Lynn Crosby

This whole fiasco has broken my relationship with the U.S. in a permanent fashion. I will buy Canadian for everything possible. Where it isn’t possible, I will chose any other nation over U.S.-made goods. I would like to see more Made in Canada signs in the grocery stores. Toilet paper and paper products will come from Canada, cosmetics will come from Canada or Europe. Shampoo will come from Canada, as will hand soap. My children’s clothes and shoes will be harder but I am determined to make as big of an impact as I possibly can. A 30-day reprieve of the tariffs will do nothing to change my resolve.” – Andrea Cochrane

“No more - ever: Jack Daniels, California Zinfandel, Buicks, John Deere, Arizona trips, American produce. And that’s just the start. Americans are no longer our friends – they’re barely even our allies.” – Dave Jorgensen

Our tourist dollars represent 11% of the U.S. market. Canadians spent over $20 billion there last year. Many are changing their travel plans, and let there be no doubt, forgoing travel patronage of the U.S. is going to cost the Americans.

“This morning we cancelled our May 8-17 trip to Palm Springs. Will visit the Canadian Rockies in Kananaskis and Banff instead.” – Tom Becker

“Cancelled a much anticipated trip to Arizona and rerouted it to Toronto (in March!). Not super keen on funding the U.S. in the short- or the long-term.” – Jay Jackson

“My shoes will never touch American soil again no matter how this resolves. Our American friends are appalled at how Trump has denegraded Canada and said they agree with our anger. They will be coming up here for visits, instead. He has permanently burned the friendship tie we had.” – Tony Flynn

“For more than 25 years, every spring, this motley crew of Kirkland Lakers (and a few others before us) have come together at Byrncliff, a modest golf resort near Buffalo. There, we traded jokes, drank a few bevvies, played poker and made every attempt to break 100 on the links (most of us being unsuccessful). Yesterday we informed the course that we were canceling our reservations slated for May. We just couldn’t stomach the thought of spending our money in TrumpLandia. We are Canadians first and always.We estimate it will cost the resort at least US$10,000.” – Rick Doyon

“I’d rather eat turnips and kale rather than put up with this bullying. Even now that they’ve paused it for 30 days, the fact that they think they can threaten us like this is intolerable. Forget oranges unless they come from Spain. Same with garlic. Or we do without things, fine! I’ve always tried to make sure my personal care products are made in Canada (thank you Green Beaver!). Our cars have always been made in Europe (where are the Canadian cars!?). We toyed with the idea of a Tesla. But never now. They want an economic war? Forget fentanyl, that’s just a red herring; they want our water, our oil and wheat, our minerals, they want Arctic drilling. They’re not stopping. Neither am I. Neither are most people I know. It feels like we’re moving into a wartime economy, that’s fine. We can manage and we will. It’s our fault for allowing ourselves to become so intertwined. It’s going to be very painful to disengage but we can.” – Linda Gustafson

In the days, weeks and years to come, it is incumbent upon all of us to reconsider both our relationship with the U.S. and what we can do to bolster the land that we love.

Before You Vote

 If you live in Ontario, you will know that on February 27 we have the opportunity to participate in a wholly unnecessary election. It was called by Premier Doug Ford to exploit his Captain Canada persona, insistent that he can only deal with Trump's threats with a strong, new mandate. (We are to ignore the fact, of course, that Trump does not deal in subnational jurisdictions, and that Ford has a strong majority government already.)

As well, he knows that a mid-winter election almost guarantees a low, perhaps record low, turnout, and opposition parties that have not even nominated candidates in all ridings.

Of the contempt he is showing to the citizens of Ontario I will not even speak. However, an informed vote means having as much information as possible. Hopefully, the following sheds light on both the duplicity and the character of Ford:

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 🍁🇨🇦