United States President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated his obvious need to make Canada a 51st American state, sharing a latest social media put up about Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary’s assist of the concept.
Trump was roundly mocked for his newest trolling of Canada, however his obvious fixation is harmful at a time when the nation’s Liberal authorities, lengthy weakened, is in disarray following the shock resignation of Chrystia Freeland as finance minister and deputy prime minister.
In actual fact, in her December resignation letter, Freeland positioned the nation’s response to Trump on the coronary heart of her critique of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Among the many many broadsides delivered to her former boss, the truth that Canada is ill-prepared to face the dire new risk of Trump’s second time period was a recurring theme.
Trump wasted no time inserting himself into Canada’s inside affairs, calling Freeland “toxic” and persevering with his working gag of referring to Trudeau because the governor of an American state somewhat than the chief of a sovereign nation.
The assaults have gotten routine, with Trump suggesting in one other put up that Canadians would “save massively on taxes and military protection” because the 51st state.
Financial and democratic decline
Whoever turns into prime minister within the weeks or months to return must work out methods to cope with Trump — and the existential risk he poses to Canada — in a way more efficient method than the Liberals have beneath Trudeau.
Trump is flagrantly disrespecting Canadian independence and, together with it, Canadian id. He’s brazenly difficult the very concept of Canadian sovereignty. Canada should reply accordingly.
It may be exhausting to totally perceive the character and the extent of threats posed by somebody so keen to flaunt revered political and diplomatic conventions. His annexation threats create a continuing set of multifaceted challenges to Canada’s financial prosperity, democratic norms and sovereignty.
The financial dimension of his risk to Canada is now well-known. Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian exports to the U.S. are going to be extremely pricey to each international locations, given the combination of their economies. However given the dimensions disparity between the 2 international locations, the influence might be larger in Canada.
The democratic risk can also be clear. Trump has proven he regards democracy not as a vital algorithm and norms, however as a set of obstacles to beat.
He’s unable to confess defeat and even graciously settle for victory.
Violent protesters loyal to Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
(AP Photograph/John Minchillo)
His revenge tour has begun, with lawsuits in opposition to media retailers and even in opposition to a pollster whose knowledge recommended Democrat Kamala Harris was pulling forward throughout the late days of the U.S. election marketing campaign.
As soon as again within the White Home, Trump has promised to make use of public establishments to punish opponents. A partisan U.S. Supreme Courtroom determination final yr ensures that even when his personal actions are prison, he’ll stay immune from prosecution.
Trump’s disrespect of democratic establishments is corrosive and contagious. Throughout his first time period, consultants sounded alarm bells about how he was linked to democratic decline all over the world. If the U.S. president can brazenly problem democratic norms, in spite of everything, what’s to cease different would-be demagogues from doing the identical?
A second Trump administration is prone to proceed such tendencies, and his willingness to intervene in Canadian politics is already inflicting shock waves north of the border.
A risk to Canadian sovereignty
Trump’s actions have repeatedly recommended he has no respect for these he views as powerless — and proper now Canada suits the invoice. He’s made it a working joke that Canada just isn’t an actual nation, however simply one other American state. Nervously laughing off this risk doesn’t minimize it as a response.
Canada has to date acted in a way that makes it appear as if Trump has a degree. Slightly than pushing again by defending Canada’s robust document in managing its a part of the border relationship, the federal government instantly promised greater than $1 billion in new border spending. Canada’s leaders have didn’t name out Trump’s threats because the bluster of a bully.
Within the face of Trump’s tariff threats, Trudeau made a shock journey to Florida to pay his respects to the president-elect and plead Canada’s case, somewhat than observing the conventional protocol and ready for a proper post-inauguration state go to. This made Trudeau seem extra like a supplicant than a visiting head of presidency.
It’s useful on this scenario to think about Trump as a schoolyard bully demanding another person do his homework — on this case, defend America’s borders. Such bullying doesn’t finish while you give in to the bully, however solely when it turns into clear you gained’t.
Border safety is a core perform of any state, and a duty of any American president. Trump’s demand that others do it for him is each an indication of weak spot and an try to create a scapegoat ought to his efforts fail.
As with all bully, if you happen to promise to do the work for him, you’ll simply encourage further torment. So when Trudeau promised to do extra in change for an finish to the bullying, he acquired a kick within the pants for his efforts as Trump started to taunt him about being the governor of the 51st American state.
The world is watching how Canada responds to the bully. If Canada hopes to benefit from the respect of its friends, it should present a willingness to battle for itself, its prosperity and its values. It should defend its sovereignty from those that refuse to respect it, and act assertively to take care of Canadian prosperity. That might imply a commerce warfare.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and president-elect Donald Trump at a latest dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
(X/@JustinTrudeau)
Energy imbalance
For greater than a century, Canada and the U.S. have discovered methods to co-operate and prosper aspect by aspect even though the U.S. is a way more highly effective nation. They’ve constructed alliances and agreements based on shared norms, values and customs as a part of a deep and multifaceted relationship.
None of that historical past appears to matter to Trump, and now American energy seemingly issues greater than Canadian sovereignty. This energy imbalance is all of the extra acute given Canada’s dependence on the American economic system and American navy may.
However Canada just isn’t powerless. Dependency works each methods, and the deep integration of the 2 international locations’ economies makes the U.S. weak as properly. Shutting off energy exports, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggests, is one plan of action that may have an instantaneous and important detrimental impact on the American economic system. Ditto for petroleum. Vitality is energy in additional methods than one.
The U.S. consumes tens of millions of barrels of Canadian petroleum every single day, and a tax on that gasoline could be inflationary and finally unpopular with American voters.
Different international locations stand to lose if the U.S. will get away with disrespecting Canadian sovereignty as properly. If Trump refuses to respect Canadian sovereignty, no nation is secure. Panama and Denmark can already attest to that.
Discovering methods to creatively push again in opposition to such calls for ought to be an crucial for any nation that values its independence, and Canada must work with such allies.
Trump will quickly be U.S. president once more. However he’s not and shouldn’t be handled because the president of Canada. Whoever leads Canada within the months to return has instruments at their disposal to defend Canadian sovereignty, and so they should be ready to make use of them.
