Just over two weeks ago on September 10th, a brief was released by Edward Alden in the Council on Foreign Relations;
“Canada Lays the Groundwork to Pivot Away from the United States”
https://www.cfr.org/expert-brief/canada-lays-groundwork-pivot-away-united-states
It outlined a new path that will swap deep security and economic ties with Washington for internal development and the creation or strengthening of relationships abroad.
The Canadian response to Donald J. Trumps attacks on the Canadian economy and threats in relation to Canadian sovereignty has forced Canada to reappraise its relationship and long-term interests vis-a-vis America’s aggression, economically, for now, — but more worrisome is the potential threat that the United States poses to Canada’s sovereignty in the future.
Canada is in the process of building a plan, and a long-term strategy, that will provide Canadians with sovereignty security, economic security and stronger partnerships and alliances and ties with European and Asian allies.
Canada has, since World War II build its trade policy and agreements based on the corridor along the U.S. – Canada border, for obvious reasons. This culminated with what Alden calls, “A Leap of Faith” which is exactly what Canada took in 1989 by entering into a free trade deal with the United States.
This resulted in Canada concentrating on North/South trade with the United States, at the expense of East/West trade between the Provinces and Territories within Canada, or greater trade with Asia and Europe.
The assumption was always that the relationship, history, trust in and of the interlocking nature of trade, commerce and the supply chains would essentially mean that breaking the trade system would not serve the interests or purposes of either nation.
In fact, the relationship had proved so profitable to both parties that it seemed an irrational thought.
All that changed on January 20th, 2025 with the arrival of Donald J. Trump.
And without reviewing the entirety of the last nine months, blow by blow; suffice to say that the United States has decided to destroy that relationship, irrevocably and forever.
Canada is now left to pivot Canada’s trade from a North-South orientation entirely to not just an East-West orientation, but to both domestically and internationally realign Canada’s trade. Canada is now seeking and signing new agreements with nations and markets further afield and offshore.
There are also some substantive benefits to these actions.
Canada must now do 50 years worth of infrastructure development to transition to this orientation. These mean massive reallocations of federal and private funding towards the development of new rail, road, pipelines and ports that will modernize, improve and provide access to new resources for export beyond Canada’s shores.
These also need to be not just East-West, but North, as climate change is making the Northwest Passage a viable and necessary part of Canada’s future exports.
Combined with a Buy Canadian imperative and policy to advance trade multilaterally and rapidly, it also behooves Canada to reevaluate Canada’s military relationship with the United States and develop a much stronger military capability as well as expanded partnerships with the E.U., and ASEAN nations.
For a middle-power with less than one eighth the manpower of its southern neighbour, this is no simple task where the economic reality is that the current administration within the United States is determined to damage and subjugate Canada’s economy to its interests in order to see Canada knuckle under to U.S. pressure and extort Canadian wealth.
Unfortunately for the United States, there is a complete underestimation of how Canadians view America’s threats and America’s attempted extortion in relation to undermining a sovereign Canada.
Canada will seek complete independence of action from the United States in every sphere of Canadian interests. From the economy to trade to military collaboration and alignment, Canada will strike its own plan.
And while Canada must walk a fine line in relation to its enmity of America, Canadians are incensed. So much so that Canadians demand that the current Liberal Government strategically realign itself with Europe and Asia.
So much so, that 80% of Canadians will no longer travel to, or buy American products.
Yes, Canada will pay a price for its temerity to ignore a kleptocratic America. But the price will be well worth the outcome in the decades to come.
American hegemony is collapsing, and with it, its capacity to influence.
When combined with the actions of a fascist America, it has lost any moral or ethical strength it once held.
Canada will leave America’s sphere of influence as a result.
As Edward Alden stated, “Carney has so far had strong public support in his efforts to deal with what he called last week, not a transition but a rupture” in Canada’s relationship with the United States.
For Prime Minister Carney, a brilliant strategist and economic mind, to succeed in what is quickly becoming Canada’s plan, it requires Canadians to accept some sacrifices. Mostly economic in nature, these sacrifices will enable Canada to build a Canada strong enough to not just compete, but consistently win in the international trade arena and create a democratically successful, strong, competitive and agile Canada globally, for the future.
We no longer fear America, for America has become a slave to autocracy, manipulation and the pathological lies of men and women whose self-interest and economic greed will ultimately lead to their failure and collapse.
Americans are too intelligent to allow kleptocrats and religious zealots the means to the dismantling of democracy in the United States without a fight. The fear is that the ‘fight’ may well become a real military national self-immolation within the United States as there is no middle ground, and no willingness to compromise, let alone collaborate.
The two sides are diametrically opposed and democracy or fascism stands to be the only outcome within the United States.
And Canadians will not tolerate or give quarter to fascism, hate, fear and retribution.
We will strengthen our capabilities, our economy our military and if it proves necessary, bring conscription back in order to protect Canada’s sovereignty and democracy.
We will not succumb to the same lunacy that currently has a hold on America.
We will not.
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