0
0
I’m rooting for Canada! And on X, Instagram, TikTok, whatever (I’m too old to understand any of that stuff), I’ve become the number one fan and follower of my hero, Mark Carney.
Mark Carney, Prime Minister of our neighbor to the north, is a man known for restraint. His demeanor is calm and measured, dignified and diplomatic. And certainly in dealing with the histrionics of the madman to his south, you can be sure that he has encountered many circumstances where he has learned to bite his tongue, curse only under his breath, and smile politely even as his blood pressure was going through the roof.
But after protracted talks about trade and tariffs in which the US “negotiators,” (or more correctly, the US intimidators) kept on changing the rules and enlarging their demands, he finally threw his hands up and said to his advisors and constituents: For God sakes, that’s enough. You can push and demand and threaten only so long and so far, but at some point even a weaker rival has got to draw a line in the sand and stand his ground.
Although I’m certain that the words he muttered under his breath were just a bit stronger, in calling off the trade talks between the US and Canada, Carney, a distinguished economist, labeled the US demands “uneconomic” and “unfair.” He stated that the US had made a “miscalculation” and summarized the negotiations by telling the world, “In short, they asked too much and offered too little.”
Bravo, Mr. Carney!! I’m moving to Toronto and casting my vote for you. But more than that, I am urging other countries, large and small, powerful or not, to line up behind these Canucks. Buy their products, whether or not you need wood or auto parts, gobble up their oil and gas and their precious metals. Up the level of trade tenfold, to the benefit of their economy as well as yours.
People of the world, get drunk on Canadian whiskey, and for every bottle of maple syrup you purchase from Vermont, buy a second from Quebec. Sprinkle your french fries with vinegar (ugh), or even better, douse them in gravy and cheese curds and make poutine a national favorite. Go to every movie with Ryan Reynolds, our boy from Vancouver, and listen endlessly to Justin Bieber, the pride of Ontario. Buy season hockey tickets to the Winnipeg Jets and watch all 12 players on the field when the Montreal Alouettes play football. And, of course, dress your kids up in Mounties uniforms when Halloween comes around.
Canadians have always been known for their politeness, their gentle demeanor, even their tendency to say “I’m sorry” when they’d done nothing wrong. But the new Canada is taking a stand, is telling the world that bullies just want more when you endlessly give in to them. Let’s stand beside them, chant O Canada, and let the Trumps of the world know that there are limits. I urge you to announce clearly and loudly that we choose to toe the line with our neighbors to the North. Our heroes.
