Canada: Go Ahead, Threaten Us. See How That Works Out
No, Really, I’m Begging You
Trump exaggerates. A lot. He does it so much that Salena Zito wrote in The Atlantic that: "The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally."
This is good advice and yet when Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and until the country clamped down on drugs, particularly fentanyl, and migrants crossing the border, the press and politicians in Canada lost their minds. Ontario Premier Doug Ford went so far as to threaten to cut off energy supplies to the U.S. in response.
“We will go to the full extent depending how far this goes. We will go to the extent of cutting off their energy, going down to Michigan, going down to New York State, and over to Wisconsin”.
It didn’t help matters when a few weeks later Trump reportedly told Trudeau that if Canada “couldn’t afford to pay a potential tariff, it should consider becoming the 51st state.” He followed this up with a post on Truth Social:
Former Deputy Prime Minister Jean Charest had this to say:
My advice? Try breathing into a paper bag
Canadians should stop overreacting. First, Canada isn’t joining the US and despite what some on X would have you think, Kevin O’Leary does not have the power to negotiate a merger.
I’m no fan of blanket tariffs, but as I’ve written in the past, they are often used as negotiating strategies, and given Trump's desire to play hard-ball, this is likely what is behind the threat. In fact, it’s almost exactly what he did during his first term when he slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum, threatened tariffs on auto exports, and called Trudeau "very dishonest and weak."
Of course, there is always the possibility that he’s serious. After all, he did say the following:
“This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular, Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!”
However, what if he does it? Well, before we give him the collective finger let’s put a different spin on this. Trump wants the Canadian government to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking both of which are primarily run by organized crime. Shouldn’t we want this too?
Both drugs and illegal immigration are problems that Canada needs to address. According to James Cooke, a member of the RCMP's Organized Crime Unit, organized crime groups started making more fentanyl in Canada following a halt in oversee production in 2019. That was 5 years ago. Not only is it still happening but it’s harming Canadian society. Even Trudeau’s government admits this referring to it as a “public health crisis” on a government website.
The illegal immigration issue appears minor in comparison especially given that the numbers crossing into the US from Canada pale in comparison to those entering from Mexico. However absolute numbers paint an incomplete picture. According to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “over 1,200 terror suspects on their ‘Watchlist’ attempting to cross from Canada in just 4 years.” Given that no system is perfect some are likely getting through, and the numbers are likely higher. Not to put too fine a point on it, but those are terrorists living in Canada. How did they get here? We have the Liberals’ lax approach to immigration to thank for it.
Trump’s concerns are justified but are threats and insults really needed? Aside from annoying Canadians of all stripes what has Trump accomplished? Quite a lot as it turns out. In response to the tariff threats Canada’s minister of finance, Dominic LeBlanc, has “promised to implement a set of sweeping new security measures along the country's US border, including strengthened surveillance and a joint "strike force" to target transnational organized crime,” a move that will include devoting $13 billion to law enforcement. LeBlanc claims the new effort “will secure our border against the flow of illegal drugs and irregular migration while ensuring the free flow of people and goods that are at the core of North America's prosperity.”
This remains to be seen, but it is a necessary step given that “Inspector Angela Kemp of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), a joint force targeting organized crime that includes the RCMP and local police forces” has stated that “all police associations across Canada are suffering from a lack of resources right now.”
Given the long and friendly relationship between Canada and the US, it’s not surprising that many Canadians are upset by the threats and insults. However, let's direct our anger where it belongs: the Trudeau Liberals. Had our government been doing its job, the underlying problems would not exist. Canadians should be angry, but they should be angry that it’s taken a threat by a foreign leader to get the Trudeau government to do its job.
It is almost impossible to imagine that Trudeau will be the Prime Minister a year from now as the polls show the Liberals headed to a historic defeat. I am cautiously optimistic that Pierre Poilievre, his likely replacement, will take steps to remedy so many of the wrong-headed policies that the Liberals have implemented in the last decade.
However, as Franklin D. Roosevelt is alleged to have said, “if you put your trust in politicians, you’re destined to be disappointed.” Poilievre is a career politician and so I’m worried that once in office he will do what all politicians do, prioritize keeping power over improving the lives of the citizenry. What Canada really needs is a little of what the US is likely to get in the next 4 years, a leader who is unafraid to ruffle feathers and is not worried about his political future.
I hear you’re free in 2028 Donald. What do you say?
Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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