TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE FOREVER?

There is a lot of misinformation about Canada at the moment. Canada has a trade surplus with the United States principally because it sells crude oil and other energy products to the United States at heavily discounted prices, which reduces prices for American consumers. This isn’t out of kindness, of course. The pipelines that were built in the past only went south (though that is finally changing), and the U.S. has the refineries to process Alberta’s heavy crude. As well, the unemployment rate in Canada is not 10%… it’s 6.4%… down from 6.5% in July.

The great thing about AI is that it is has never been easier to look up facts. All empires are about grabbing land and resources from other countries. American negotiators told Canada that if they wanted a deal with the U.S., they would need to pull back on the concessions made to French-speaking Quebec and align its global trade deals with American foreign policy. These were smart moves. In one go, the U.S. was testing the deepest waters… could it dictate Canadian domestic and foreign policy through economic means? In practical terms, this would mean an end to Canadian sovereignty; an independent country in name only. America has invaded Canada twice in attempts to conquer British North America. They failed both times. Trump says exactly what he is going to do. He told the world he intends to add Canada to the U.S. via economic war… not troops on the ground. I have spoken with a number of U.S. voters who do not care what happens to Canada. Their living standards have dropped, and it is more convenient to blame a foreign country than America’s leaders. All of this is in stark contrast to the greatest generation, who built a new world based upon the sovereignty of the nation state!

I would tell those Americans quick to blame Canada for their troubles that the U.S. GDP per Capita is $94,430, which is about 56% higher than Canada’s $60,300. In 1980, the two countries sat at 99% parity. By simple monetary stats, America has dramatically outperformed Canada. I know none of these facts will matter to friends and family who think Trump is a hero. But for those who do care, it would appear Mark Carney understands that a bully only responds to strength. Let’s see if he has what it takes to increase the wealth of Canadians as well as protect their sovereignty. Increasing the wealth of one’s citizens is the only true way of improving security and unity.