Let us Count the Ways

 I have been away from this blog for several weeks, recovering from some surgery, but my observations of what is going on in the world and Canada's place within it, have continued.

A recent article in the Globe and Mail (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-trump-tariff-trade-canada-changes-29-ways/), (thanks Andy) has referenced all the ways in which Trump's actions has affected our nation.

There is quite a mix of the good and bad in the "29 ways" Trump has changed us - but the bad, which is mostly economic and trade-related, will, eventually shift to the good if we stay the course that the current government has set for Canada going forward.

We have been far too reliant on the US - out of convenience and complacency. There is a whole wide world beyond our borders which, with some effort (and a whole lot of assistance that is available from Global Affairs Canada) can use what we have to offer. Resources, energy, agricultural goods as well as a myriad of specialized services and manufactured products are just a few examples what Canadians can offer foreign buyers. 

Admittedly we have structural problems to address - like productivity and incentivizing business investment in innovation and productivity improvements which will complicate the transition to global competitiveness and which will take time and money. But as an ancient Chinese proverb says: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".  We are starting to take those steps now, long overdue as they are now imperative under the current circumstances.

Trudeau, the boy in a man's job, put us behind the 8 ball. He was as shallow as the Missouri River - a mile wide and a foot deep. I said it from the beginning of his tenure. We were sucked in by celebrity and the idle thought that we needed a change from the Conservatives.

I think Prime Minister Carney understands everything we are facing given his scope of experience. Clearly, he has his work cut out for him. Poilievre does not understand anything other than craving for power. I have always said it does not take any brains to hang out a shingle that says "Professional Critic" - and our "leader" of the opposition is just that. I shudder to think what we would be doing if a career politician who has never had a real job took the reins. The NDP is mired in impracticality and the Bloc (and now the Alberta block heads) - are simply all in it for their own regions - without regard for the rest of the country. So much for Team Canada in this schnozzle.

We have a tough row to hoe but with some small wins, and a lot of perseverance,  gradually we can crawl out of this mess.

Moreover, if nothing else, Trump has solidified how different we are from America, its way of life, its core values, and its fundamental respect for how democratic institutions should work in governing a country. There are pockets of American sympathizers in Canada, who still think the United States is the promised land.  However, this star spangled group are misinformed at best and ignorant at worst (witness the "Freedumb" Convoy).

The challenges ahead are many and varied, but if we sustain the effort and do not descend into petty politics, we will be stronger and more resilient to the geopolitical chaos that swirls around us in the future.