If I were a speechwriter (but, then again, no), here are a few words I would write for our Prime Minister, or at least a Prime Minister that still had their elbows up and accepted what a candidate for the office boldly stated earlier this spring about the old relationship between Canada and the United States “based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over” and that we must “fundamentally reimagine our economy”. Whatever happened to that candidate, I wonder? We most definitely should’ve elected that one.
Anyways,
here’s what I’d write:
My fellow Canadians [old school, for sure, but loaded with the appropriate gravitas for the situation], as the August 1st deadline for a trade agreement between Canada and the United States nears, a deadline unilaterally and arbitrarily set by yet another capricious and unjustifiable tariff announcement levied against Canada by the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, in the midst of ongoing negotiations, I have concluded that no acceptable agreement between our two countries is possible at the moment. Or, at the least, no agreement that would be worth the paper it was signed on.
As you know, an existing trade agreement between our countries, along with our southern partner, Mexico, is already in place. CUSMA, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement signed in November 2018 by President Donald Trump during his first term in office. A trade deal President Trump immediately ripped up and abrogated upon his inauguration to a second term.
Despite our best efforts to appease and placate the President’s ever-shifting ultimatums and tantrums, $1.3 billion in increased border security between our two countries, for example, a firm pledge to increase Canada’s military spending to 5% of GDP in ten years, rescinding our Digital Services Tax upon his threat to cease all trade negotiations if we did not do so [might mention here that this demand of Trump’s is the demand of his oligarch supporters, but maybe too much?], agreeing to lumber quotas, despite these significant concessions on Canada’s part, done in the spirit of reciprocity and respect for a trading partner and close ally, we are still being told that any trade agreement going forward with this Administration, with President Donald Trump, will include tariffs on Canadian goods, products and services.
Concessions on our part, have only lead to further intransigence and demands on President Trump’s part. This is not the foundation for a fair and equitable trade deal. This is the approach of a schoolyard bully.
And Canada will not, cannot be bullied.
It is apparent to me now, in spite of my hopes that our long shared history of cooperation and friendship, mutual respect and common ground of understanding and beliefs, might serve as a cooperative backdrop to an equally beneficial and economically prosperous agreement, that such hopes as I dared to have going into these negotiations, were nothing more than wishful thinking. A trade deal, any sort of deal, with this President is meaningless. He is not a man who lives up to his word. [Both in public office and in private affairs. Too much?] While it pains me to say this to you tonight, my fellow Canadians, it must be said. President Donald J. Trump is not to be trusted.
Not only that,
the President of the United States is currently acting outside the law when it comes to his erratic levying of tariffs, not only tariffs levied on Canada, but tariffs levied on every country in the world, including all of America’s closest allies. Once, closest allies, I might add.
In May, the U.S Court of International Trade ruled the president’s use of tariffs to be unconstitutional, a ruling stayed for the moment, pending appeal, but a ruling against the impulsive use of tariffs nonetheless by the President of the United States.
So why should Canada sign a trade agreement that includes unconstitutional, illegitimate tariffs? Doesn’t that, in effect, sanction and accept illegality, lawlessness and a flagrant disregard of a rules-based international system of cooperation? By giving into what is nothing short of economic gangsterism [too much?] on the part of the leader of the free world, Canada, by signing a trade agreement with Donald Trump, would be joining the renegade ranks of nations flouting norms and trafficking [an Epstein nod] in global disorder.
Furthermore, any trade agreement with the United States at this juncture in history would enmesh Canada further into the web of antidemocratic measures now being conducted domestically within American borders. The establishment of concentration camps. [Yeah?] The rollback of constitutional rights and freedoms, especially for marginalized groups. Institutional attacks on universities, administrative and civil services, private media companies and even the judiciary. To pursue further economic and security integration with Donald Trump’s America would sully Canada’s own democratic reputation and standing.
Undoubtedly, walking away from any sort of trade agreement with the Trump Administration, will subject this country to some detrimental economic fallout. I need to honest about that. All of us, each and every Canadian, will experience varying degrees of economic pain or uneasiness. Sacrifices will have to be made by all of us, each and every Canadian. But, rest assured, the federal government will have your backs, all of you, each and every Canadian, in order to help us all make it through what will be turbulent times ahead, what are already turbulent times, through no fault of our own except for what turned out to be our misguided belief that we would always be dealing with an American nation that, far from perfect, but what nation truly is, would be fair-minded and unwavering in its commitment to a rules-based and cooperative international system.
But, as has been said, from every crisis comes opportunity.
Out from under this crisis, Canada and Canadians will emerge more self-reliant and self-sufficient, with a wider global perspective, greener [take that, energy super power!], stronger, and more unchained to a hegemonic power that’s turned hostile and inward looking. We will always be neighbours with the United States. Geography has dictated as much. But what had long been a solid bond of partnership and camaraderie has been frayed, if not irreparably, at least deliberately, by a malignant force that currently looks upon us, upon Canada, as little more than a place to exploit. No longer partners, but serfs and chattels.
To that, I say, Elbows Up!
Elbows Up, Canada!
And go fuck yourself, Donald Trump’s America! [Too much? You think?]
Thank you, and good night, my fellow Canadians.
