If push comes to shove with Donald Trump, Canadians are ready

[Tennis]

Forever it seems, Canadians have had jitters about our relationship with the United States. Pierre Trudeau likened it to sleeping beside an elephant. “No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast…one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”

Watching Donald Trump run America—words like “friendly and even tempered” don’t come to mind. Words like “twitch and grunt” on the other hand, seem more than a little apt, even if they were originally meant in a gentle, metaphorical sense.

If President Trump were given free rein to do all that crosses his mind in aid of a Hire America/Buy American agenda, the consequences for Canada would be grave. And so you might think Canadians are waking up scared these days, if we’re even sleeping at all.

But something’s different.

Canadians seem calm despite Trump’s belligerent threats to settle scores with Canada. When Trump says Canadians are doing “disgusting things” to America, Canadians don’t believe him. But our reaction isn’t to get angry or holler insults back. Most Canadians are free traders. And we generally think we are fair traders too. Above all else, we try to be open minded and pragmatic about our interests. If we need to give on something meaningful to Americans, we want something in return. We’ve no appetite for capitulation.

Canadians see the U.S. as a great market, but not our only market. We know prosperity depends on selling what we mine, invent, make or grow all around the world. We’ve learned how to build relationships. We know the value of patience and fair minded negotiation. Canadians know how much we need to sell to the world, even if many Americans think serving global markets is a “nice to have,” not a “need to have”.

Prime Minister Trudeau will feel plenty of heat to limit economic harm to Canada from Trump protectionism. But he’ll also be pushed hard to stand up for Canada—and if all else fails, to retaliate.

Here again, something might be different today.

In the past, diplomacy seemed like the only logical path forward. It didn’t always work perfectly, but it worked. But in a world where aggression is the new normal, Canada may need a more aggressive approach than we’ve been willing to consider in the past.

It was striking to see New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, no friend of Donald Trump, endorse the President’s attack on Canada’s dairy policies. New York sells $12 billion worth of goods and services to Canada. Canadians visit New York more than five million times a year, spending $1.6 billion as tourists. If Senator Schumer feels no risk in taking a cheap shot at Canada, Canada must find a way to make him to think twice about that.

Florida matters in U.S. Presidential elections. It welcomes four million Canadian visits a year and about $5 billion in Canadian vacation spending. Did Trump Florida voters want him to poison the relationship with Canadians—over some $136 million in Canadian lumber that ends up in Florida construction?

And what of Wisconsin, supposedly the victim of Canada’s “disgusting” behaviour? Canada buys almost a third of what Wisconsin exports, more than $6.6 billion worth of goods and services to us. Just as a matter of business common sense, it shouldn’t feel risk-free to insult your biggest customer this way.

Trump spends a lot of time saying Americans should buy from Americans. He spends a lot of time saying the rest of the world should buy American too. Calling your biggest trading partner “disgusting” for taking lawful action to favour its domestic interests is—what’s a gentle word—hypocritical.

The other day I heard a commentator refer to a “Trump Doctrine,” arguing that the essence of the “doctrine” was unpredictability. To burnish what’s happening with such an impressive term has an “emperor’s clothes” feel to it. Sadly, on too many days, Trump seems unpredictable for sure—but unguided and unprincipled too.

http://www.macleans.ca/politics/otta...ans-are-ready/

We ready.
We calm.
Bring it on.

[Goat7]

Trump is a moron. Nobody should take him seriously. Hopefully impeached soon before he ruins everything.

[NED funded]

Canada subsidizes softwood lumber.

[Darththeo]

Trump is a moron. Nobody should take him seriously. Hopefully impeached soon before he ruins everything.

It just gets worse after him.

[Stanislav]

no one in canada hates trump, and we mostly dont even give a fuck about your elections.

look at the site with the other "articles" they got

"how will Trudeau deal with american problem" wut?


Location:You wish you lived here? dont speak for any Canadian person, you come off as a fake Canadian with something like that.

[Tennis]

^^ Lol Dude. There are 35 million plus Canadians. Don't put us all in a box.

[Zethras]

no one in canada hates trump, and we mostly dont even give a fuck about your elections.

look at the site with the other "articles" they got

"how will Trudeau deal with american problem" wut?


Location:You wish you lived here? dont speak for any Canadian person, you come off as a fake Canadian with something like that.

Tennisface feigns moral outrage on all kinds of things to satisfy his/her chronic narcissism.

[Tyrianth]

Canada subsidizes softwood lumber.

And the US subsidizes dairy. So what?

[Garnier Fructis]

If push comes to shove, just have Trudeau call Trump. He already backs off every time he has a conversation with a leader of another nation.

[Stanislav]

Tennisface feigns moral outrage on all kinds of things to satisfy his/her chronic narcissism.

the offtopic forums here are pretty crazy, i should stick to wow atleast the flame there isnt political.

[Cosmic Janitor]

^^ Lol Dude. There are 35 million plus Canadians. Don't put us all in a box.

I've got to admit, I never realized how insiginificant your population is.

[PersephoneDankles]

Speaking as a Canadian, I'm hoping that President Trump does try to renegotiate NAFTA.

For one thing, it wasn't great to begin with. But more importantly, he seems so bad at looking out for the best interests of America, a renegotiated deal will almost certainly be better for Canada. President Trump will most likely take a less favorable deal, just so he can claim he made a deal. It's not like his supporters will have any problems with that. Everybody wins.

Well, except Americans.

[Zethras]

I've got to admit, I never realized how insiginificant your population is.

A lot of our babies are eaten by moose during the rutting season.

[NED funded]

And the US subsidizes dairy. So what?

We are not the ones throttling out articles that say:

Most Canadians are free traders.

And then be outraged about being the target of duties.

[Cosmic Janitor]

A lot of our babies are eaten by moose during the rutting season.

I feared that they don't make in the spring to autum seasons when you can't drive over the lakes to reach distant communities. I'm relieved, but I still hope you have that figured out as well.

[bladeXcrasher]

and of all else fails, to retaliate

oh wow, what a laugh. Whats canada going to retsliate with, maple syrup embargo?

[Super Kami Dende]

No body messes with the Royal Canadian Mounted forces!

Eh!

- - - Updated - - -

If push comes to shove, just have Trudeau call Trump. He already backs off every time he has a conversation with a leader of another nation.

Because Trudeau is so intimidating

[PersephoneDankles]

oh wow, what a laugh. Whats canada going to retsliate with, maple syrup embargo?

I don't know if you're that up on Canada/US trade relations.

[Garnier Fructis]

Because Trudeau is so intimidating

Sorry, I misspoke. He already backed off after talking with Trudeau and Pena Nieto.

[Tyrianth]

We are not the ones throttling out articles that say:



And then be outraged about being the target of duties.

What's so surprising that someone in support of free trade is upset about tariffs?

And no, you just throw out articles about how horrible Canada is for some of their protectionist policies, while have a president that pretty much campaigned solely on protectionist policies.