These numbers are astounding:36 per cent of Canadians currently view the United States as a friend, compared to 60 per cent at the end of 2020 and 89 per cent in 2013, and that 27 per cent of Canadians presently view the U.S. as an enemy, a number that stood at 11 per cent in 2020 and as low as one per cent in 2013.
Notice that 1% figure regarding the US as an enemy in 2013, and 60% viewing it as a friend as late as 2020. When I say I was a lone voice screaming that we couldn’t trust America, I’m not exaggerating by much.
My position was half “America has never been trustworthy to anyone, and it ignores NAFTA rulings and destroyed our aviation industry” and half “countries have interests not friends.”
The moment it wasn’t in America’s perceived interest to be friends, it wouldn’t be, and empires are always implicitly enemies of their vassals, seeing them as useful tools, not friends.
But I want to emphasize how grateful I am to to Trump. If he had played along, given the appearance of friendship while slowly screwing Canada over, the way most recent administrations have, Canada would have gone along with it. If the past 45 years have taught us anything, it should be that people will tolerate a slowly eroding situation for ages, the metaphorical frogs in the slowly heating pot. (Frogs aren’t actually that stupid, not being humans.)
Canada spent the 90s and 00’s making nice with China, then reversed on a dime under US pressure, arresting the daughter of Huawei’s CEO for America and slapping 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Then came Trump with his talk of annexation and his lies about Fentanyl (the same lies being used against Venezuela, you’ll note. Trump is not very imaginative. One lie for all seasons.) The truth is that Canada is exactly the sort of trade partner that America should want: yes we have a surplus, but it’s because we sell oil and minerals to the US. In the far more important manufactured goods area, we’re net importers.
If we were to cut the US off from Canadian crude, multiple refineries would be shuttered and there wouldn’t be enough gasoline. (Ironically, Venezuela is the other big supplier of the sort of heavy crude these refineries are set up to use.) You don’t want it? You don’t have to buy it, it isn’t competing with US crude.
But lately Trump may have gone too far for even Canadian politicians, though to be fair, Canada has been far more resistant to tariff blackmail than almost any other country except China. Japan and the EU buckled far more easily.
Two important events: first Stellantis said it was going to move a factory to the US from Canada. Reshoring industry and all that. Canada and America’s auto industries have been integrated since World War II under the Auto Pact. This is why Canadian politicians were ready to hit China with that 100% EV tariff, they were protecting Canadian jobs since Chinese cars are half the price of American made ones.
Then, in response to Ontario Premier Rob Ford’s ad quoting Reagan as against tariffs, Trump slapped on another 10% tariff on Canadian goods, and stopped all trade talks.
Thank God for Trump. Canadian politicians want to capitulate, if they can get surrender terms that don’t amount to “you won’t be re-elected” and he keeps not letting them.
So word is that the Feds are considering ending the 100% tariff. Presumably the idea is to try for the same sort of deal Mexico got: assembly plants in Canada for Chinese EVs.
If we can’t have American car manufacturing jobs, why not Chinese? Bonus, happy consumers/voters when they can get better cars for half the price.
Trump just keeps giving, just not to anyone who voted for him who isn’t worth 7 figures. Canada should have been pivoting to China hard years ago, and now, thanks to Trump it may well happen.
I just hope that after Trump gets on his knees and begs Xi to let him off the China trade war hook, that he doesn’t let us off the hook and give Canadian pols a way to avoid the pivot.
All praise Trump. He’s a genocidal monster, has the attention span of a dementia patient and betrays anyone stupid enough to trust him who can’t afford to bribe him, but he may just save Canada yet.
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ibaien
“the same lies being used against Venezuela, you’ll note. Trump is not very imaginative. One lie for all seasons.”
democratic pols, being PMC ivy types, feel obliged to come up with 20 lies to earn their keep. trump shrewdly realized that one or two lies are plenty, and as any charlatan knows it’s so much easier to keep a simple narrative straight. especially in one’s sundown years…
someofparts
So if I emigrate to Canada I can has Chinese EV? hmmmm ……. lol
cc
Agreed. Trump is trying to move auto jobs in Canada back to the US (ex. Stellantis), so why not have Chinese car companies like BYD replace those departing jobs in Canada?
Drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EV’s that were imposed to grovel to the US, at the expense of our Canadian canola farmers.
Trump just made a deal with China to reduce some tariffs and restore US exports of soy to China, so why isn’t Carney also striking deals with China that are good for Canada?
Drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EV’s, invite BYD and others to invest in Canada – set up plants, possibly joint-ventures, in Canada, as Mexico more wisely did – and restore Canadian exports of canola to China.
Canadians would benefit from jobs, knowledge transfer, much more affordable, higher-quality electric vehicles, reduced noise and emissions pollution, and restore a critical and growing export market. Doug Ford and Ontario should stop clinging to the legacy auto jobs that are going away anyway: a) being forced back to the US b) from an industry and companies that are no longer competitive.
We need to try to reduce our trade dependence on the US, and falling for constant US manipulation to create Canadian hostility against China has only made us more dependent on the US.
Oh, and as part of the deal, Carney could easily promise to stop repeatedly sending our military warships and warplanes halfway around the world to trespass off the coast of China, right between it and its provincial island of Taiwan. That’s quite likely at the instigation of the US, which Canada’s compradors keep falling for, against the interests of Canadians. How much do all those military operations on the other side of the world cost Canadian taxpayers? How would we feel if a hostile foreign military repeatedly dallies just off our coasts? We are the belligerent aggressors, and whose interests do those provocations really serve?
spud
bill clintons nafta buddy brian mulroney, really helped to tie Canada to Americas hip, another way of putting it, tied Americas feverish grip to Canada’s throat.
Bombardier and Canada in general has paid a huge price.
then of course bill clinton then roped the world into the W.T.O., corporate run kangaroo courts, and the rest is history.
China would have risen no matter what. the difference is bill clinton and tony blair types, supercharged that rise, instead of a slow rise.
and when clinton destroyed the new deal, fair deal, Gatt, great society, and socialism we had that would allow us to compete against socialism, went right out the door, and here we are.
hope Canada can reverse this, i know we in America, cannot.
i hope that if you do get Chinese factories, that tomahawk missiles and f-35’s do not attack Ottawa.
Chris West
Shouldn’t Canada look to China to help out with a Southeast Corridor high-speed rail line, instead of wasting time on more car-centric development?
NR
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
– H.L. Mencken
Purple Library Guy
@ibaien Except Trump doesn’t bother keeping his narrative straight. He will tell different lies, even diametrically opposed lies, and just expect everyone to act as if the most current version is Gospel truth.
But yes, it’s very hard to get Canadian decision makers to break with the US, but Trump seems to be managing it, with some assists from his massive fathead of an ambassador.
Feral Finster
“Canadian politicians want to capitulate, if they can get surrender terms that don’t amount to “you won’t be re-elected” and he keeps not letting them.”
I suspect that Canadian politicians will run on an independence platform, then, once elected, grab their socks tightly whilst mumbling lame excuses. “Something something we have to do it because Ukraine!”
someofparts
NR – Hilarious and perfect. I’m a Mencken fan myself, but having such a perfect quote at your fingertips is cool. Thanks for sharing.s
Carborundum
I’d be a lot more thankful to Trump if I didn’t also believe that as we pivot they’re going to whine about how unfair it is that we’re not just bending over and start fucking with us even more outrageously to try and force us into compliance.
With time the polling numbers you’ve quoted at the top of piece are going to seem quaint – more and more of us are going to realize just how much contempt we should have for a populace that rolls over and shows its belly to third rate grifters like the Trumpists.
Curt Kastens
What do Canadians think of the United Kingdom? Do large numbers of Canadians think that the UK is an enemy? If not I would find that rather odd. If not why is that? Do many Canadians look to the Republic of Ireland as a model? If not why not?
NR
someofparts – Thanks. I wish it wasn’t so apt, but unfortunately it is.
Carborundum – I wish I could disagree with you but I can’t. I’d just warn against thinking it’s a uniquely American problem. There are plenty of other countries around the world going through something similar right now, if maybe not quite as bad. I hope Canada can avoid falling into that trap.
Purple Library Guy
@Curt Kastens: Wha?
Really, that’s so weird I can’t even figure out what line of flamebait you’re talking about.
cc
Curt Kastens – The majority of Canadians see the UK (and all the Anglo Five Eyes countries) as the good guys in the world. Our establishment media constantly makes sure of that, reinforced by Hollywood (ex. the long-running James Bond MI6-CIA good guys propaganda, Mission Impossible, etc.). Our elected representatives and other government officials each have to personally and solemnly swear an oath of allegiance to King Charles (or whoever the royalty of the UK happens to be) – and not to our constitution or Canadian citizens or to our country – so we lack real sovereignty and are a vassal state to the US/UK Anglo empire. But we like to think we have sovereignty, and one of our professional sports teams might win a big televised American tournament tonight and that will satisfy the sense of patriotism of most Canadians.
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Considering the cost of housing and lack of it in Canada, I guess Canadians can use Chinese EVs as a roof over their heads. China won’t ameliorate Canada’s problems which are legion.
The fact of the matter is, there is no world left for China to rule. It’s effectively tapped out. Well beyond peak and charging hard to empty. We’re in this together, like it or not. Refuge is extinct.
Ian Welsh
Probably get worse for a while. If they make the pivot, it’ll get better. But I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. My personal economy will suffer if the US keeps cratering.
Carborundum
The notion that we swear oaths to the British Sovereign is incorrect. The oath is to the Queen / King of Canada *as a personification of Canada* and is absolutely not an oath of personal allegiance, or allegiance to the UK.
Seeing what the typical ICE agent is doing and elected officials going along with down south, I don’t think I’d fetishize oaths to parchment overmuch.
Carborundum
Not, as they say, unrelated from Dave Pugliese: https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/canadian-military-wants-mobilization-plan-in-place-to-boost-reserves-to-400000-personnel
There are going to be some *very* entertaining phone calls in coming months / years with presumptive SuppRes members. I recall friends of mine having to metaphorically bash the door down in the mid- late-90s / early 00s to get the responsible office to *maybe* promise to update their details. “Peace dividend” or some such they said…
shagggz
@Carborundum: If that’s the case, then in what sense is Canada a “dominion”? Why is the governor general able to veto any legislative outcome, and on whose behalf is that (admittedly rarely) done?
Curt Kastens
Who appoints the King of Canada and what are his powers?
What is the legal definition of Libel in Canada? Does it resemble UK or US legal cutoms?
Is the Canadian defintion of LIbel important?
Carborundum
The GG does not have a veto power. In theory, they could try a pocket veto by failing to give Royal Assent to legislation, but this has never occurred. In the past the UK Parliament had the ability to do this (and more), but they haven’t done that for well over a century and haven’t had even the ability for quite some time now (late 30s, I think?). Legislatively, we don’t ask and they don’t tell. On looking at the popular references, it appears that Provincial bills can be reserved by LGs for resolution by the GG and Cabinet but that also apparently hasn’t happened for some time and would in any case by an internal-to-Canada matter. I have a vague memory that this may be mooted by some inter-governmental legislation, but I am way the heck out of my circle of competence so this may just be an idle brainfart on my part.
*If* a modern GG ever pulled anything like a veto it would be their last act in office. If it was because of reasons exterior to Canadian interests, it would be the end of the institution. This would happen with extreme rapidity and prejudice. (I personally would be there with my pitchfork – and I say that as someone who has a number of friends who work for the GG and has met a few of them and admired more.)
As near as I can tell the only modern significance of the term Dominion is that grumpy farts like me like to use the term to piss off the young’uns / remind them that we’re part of a long political tradition that: a) didn’t come into existence last Tuesday, and b) isn’t American / a republic or somesuch.
Kurt, I think technically the appointing authority would be “God” as interpreted by UK succession legislation (if I understand things correctly we follow their lead, meaning, for example, that we now don’t privilege the possession of a meat and two veg down there, etc.). In a very real way the King’s independent powers really boil down to “shut up and do what we tell you, or you’ll be the last one of these we have”. As personalities, they are very, very much along for the ride, not driving the car.
I have no idea what the differences are between Canadian and UK libel laws, particularly given that they made substantial changes in their libel regime 10 or 15 years ago.
Curt Kastens
Carborundum,
Ah I did not know that either Canada or the UK changed their outdated libel laws 15 years ago,
But I do recalj that back in the 1970s the Queens Representive forced new elections in Australia.
Your second to the last paragraph went over my head. I suspect that what you are saying is that the formal relationship between Canada and the UK has no practical consequences for either side in this relationship.
From my perspective the very concept of a head of state, in addition to a head of the government seems mighty suspicious. And if a head of state is actually a needed position in a country, it seems to me that the person holding the position should be chosen by the government, as it is in Germany. These questions make me wonder if the institution of constitutional monarchy does not hide some hidden lever of power. I know that there is not much evidence to support this suspicion. It is just that things clearly do not work as advertised pretty much anywhere in the world.
But maybe I am just getting old because i never considered these things until about 20 years ago. But ever since I was 8 I never understood why anyone would wnat to have anything to do with a monarchy, even a limited Constitutional Monarchy. All the customs surrounding the institution are just bat shit crazy.
shagggz
Curt Kastens, I think you’re right to highlight the existence of both a head of state and head of government as mighty sus. It has also been around 15-20 years since my formal education alerted me to the existence of the GG and the formal veto power they wield on behalf of the Crown. While I give Carborundum the benefit of the doubt for the facts he cites as superficially true, I think the deeper significance he dances around is that we “citizens” are trained to have a mindset of subjects, reflexively averting our mind’s eye from the fact of our subjugation because “it would never come to that.”