Those who want Canada to remain dependent on the U.S. are taking a “heads I win, tails you lose” approach. We must reject that.
I’ve noticed pro-annexation and pro-Trump types putting forth an interesting argument as of late.
When the Canadian Government does something to protect Canada from our overdependence on the U.S. (such as seeking deeper trade and military ties with the European Union), they attack the government for ‘provoking’ the U.S.
When the government concedes to the U.S., they attack the government as weak.
The one constant is that they never admit that this trade chaos is a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ignore and violate the trade deal he signed with Canada and Mexico in his first term, nor do they acknowledge that Trump’s annexation threats have justifiably pushed Canadians to want to reduce our dependence on the U.S.
In their minds, Canada is always to blame.
This attitude must be rejected.
Ultimately, Canada is a sovereign nation, and we must act like one.
If we want to pursue closer trade and military ties with the European Union, that is our business, not anyone else’s.
And to truly make Canada a stronger and more resilient nation, we must diversify beyond the U.S. The U.S. has proven to be far less reliable and far more transactional than we thought, and they have serious problems that are only likely to escalate in the medium term, including political division, surging debt, and a growing hostility to science and free expression.
In this environment, Canada needs to both expand our domestic resilience (producing more military equipment here at home, for example) and find like-minded partners. The EU is such a partner, made up of democratic nations that have significant economic potential and a lower overall debt burden than the U.S. Other partners like Japan and South Korea come to mind.
Above all else, these are Canada’s decisions to make, not America’s. We don’t need to ask for permission; instead, we need to act decisively to protect our future as a sovereign nation.
Spencer Fernando
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