My Thoughts

Have you observed the significant transformations that have occurred in the United States since Barack Obama’s election in 2008? The nation has undergone a profound shift, affecting various aspects such as politics, economy, society, culture, and media.

Since Donald Trump’s presidency, Canadians have exhibited a certain level of condescension towards him, perceiving him as a mere figure of amusement. However, he has also become an integral component of the identity politics that have dominated the national discourse in Canada since 2015.

Regrettably, Canada finds itself in a precarious situation, grappling with both internal and external challenges. Many Canadians are struggling with their cultural identity as it undergoes a process of erasure rather than comprehension. Moreover, our closest ally, the United States, has diminished its perception of Canada as a friend and partner, viewing it more as a source of concern.

On a global scale, the situation is even more perplexing. More conservative policies are gaining traction, leading to the adoption of different views on social, cultural, and political issues.

Canada is currently in a state of political upheaval and a vacuum of leadership at a critical juncture when the United States and the world are adopting more assertive policies.

Historically, Canada was a prominent economic force, but its status has diminished in recent years. Excessive regulation of its resources and private sector has eroded its credibility and moral authority. Notably, Canada is not pulling its weight within NATO, and its frequent lecturing of other nations has alienated its former allies.

The nation is deeply divided, and a sense of self has been lost. Consider the Prime Minister’s recent response when asked about the identity of Canadians: “NOT AMERICAN’S.” This statement not only insulted Americans but also Canadians themselves.

As a proud Canadian, I am deeply rooted in my heritage. My family has Irish and English roots, and we arrived in Canada prior to Confederation. Both branches of my family (Meecham/McCleary) fought and sacrificed (died) at Vimy Ridge, a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. In our own way, we contributed to the development of our communities and our country.

However, I am currently being labeled as a settler, a colonist, accused of genocide, and labeled as racist. Furthermore, I am disregarded due to my gender and race. This identity politics division is precisely what we need to overcome.

In hockey, goalies study the top scorers, the formidable threats. They learn their tendencies and movements, such as the forward who consistently moves to their right or aims for the top of the net.

With Trump’s rhetoric disseminating across the media, Canadians feel confident and resort to belittling and demeaning him and his policies. However, it is important to remember that he was elected with a clear majority. He holds the authority of the President, Senate, and Congress. Many Americans, despite their disdain for him, voted for him nonetheless.

While I do not hold personal respect for Trump, I acknowledge the mandate he has received from the public. I also recognize the power he will wield.

Calling him derogatory terms, posting memes about Trumpistan, or lecturing him or Americans about their politics, culture, or societal norms will not be effective in facilitating negotiations. 

Canada is about to enter an economic war.   In a recent interview, Canada’s former Ambassador to the United States stated that Canada is not prepared for the challenges that will emerge after January 20th.  We lack the leadership, cohesiveness, and most importantly, we don’t have the economic reserves to weather the storm about to hit.  

There is an old saying in communications.  It takes two sides/people to have a debate.  The more loud and rancorous the debate, the more people become involved, listen, engage, and most importantly, take sides.  

At the outset of a debate, one party has a position they want to unveil, push, and build support from a broader range of interests.  Sometimes the position is outrageous and without facts, but the objective is to get attention and start the discussion.  

If the other side says nothing and doesn’t engage, the provocateur needs to talk louder and become even more outrageous.  The challenge again is not to respond. 

Yet what has occurred so far, publicly and with some of our elected representatives, is to go to our standard move of smugness and attempt to demean or belittle.  At this point in time, you are playing your opponent’s game and engaging in the debate. 

Another key is sometimes not to engage directly with what can be defined as the tip of the spear.  As I said, you respect Trump not as a person but rather the position and power he wields. However, behind him, that power is not solid; it is not all moving with him in the same direction at the same time.  In short, this is the nature of the US Constitution and Federal and State rights, power, and responsibility.  Add into this the dispersed nature of the US economy.  

Lastly, while Trump won the election, it does not mean every US citizen, elected representative, and State is with him on every issue, nor are they willing to go to the wall. 

This is why during the first Trump Presidency, Canada took a targeted approach to certain industries, states, sectors in terms of communication, our own threats, and most importantly, providing information and explanation of shared interests and how new laws, policies, and trade limitations with either impact them or cause penalties enacted by Canada.  

Canada needs an election desperately.  First, it will resolve the issue of leadership and provide economic direction; it will also give mandate and authority.  It will untie the hands of the Federal Government and walk into trade and economic negotiations not only with the US but other nations with the authority of the people.   Lastly, it will give the government authority to respond to threats with our own trade restrictions.

At this point in time, the leadership gap is being filled by the Council of Provincial and Territorial Leaders.

Rather than taking the bait of every social media post by the President, Canada needs to get its house in order, put in place the leadership, and develop a strategy of negotiation. 

Friendships erode and change over time; in part, it is you, and part is your friend.  You develop new interests, life priorities; your circle of friends grows, and new ones may become more important.  At the same time, there are potentially things you have done, said, or ignored which have impacted that friendship.  Sometimes friendships need to be renewed, invested in, particularly to find new common ground and shared interests.

To be blunt, the Canada our friends and allies once knew is not longer.  They to have changed and in combination, they no longer know who we are or were as friends.  Sadly, many Canadians, don't know who we are as a nation. 

While the US is Canada’s single largest trading partner (and vice versa), we need to diversify and get back out into the world and rework/rebuild those old friendships and trade partners and build new ones.  We need to stop lecturing. 

We need an inventory of our assets, those things that others need, that they can’t find elsewhere, or are of better quality or more affordable.  Whether knowledge, skills, infrastructure, manufacturing, and most importantly, resources.  We need to know what things our partners absolutely need to run the engine of their economies and future.  

If Canada is struggling with the question of who we are and what our place is in the world, it is likely the rest of the world is in the same place.  Sadly, we don’t have a story to tell, one that Canadians themselves believe in. What is clear is the Canada they once knew is gone. 

I started off saying the US has changed. The average citizen and most elected leaders don’t know much about us; in part, they have other things on their minds.

Rather than going to our standard play of smugness, we need to have a discussion with the rest of America behind the front line of the President.

We need to talk about the benefits of trade; our families are intertwined through marriage, friendships, and more.  We need to tell them about how we have fought for and defended the US: WWI, WW2, Korea, Vietnam.  Our efforts on 9/11 and every other crisis they have faced as we have stepped up.  We need to talk about today how we are helping in California and more. We need to educate them on the things we do and provide that make their lives better: energy, food, resources, and knowledge.  We need to educate, not humiliate. 

To be very honest, Canada needs a communications and rebranding.  We need to acknowledge our failings, including our commitment to NATO, regaining our role as Peace Keeper in difficult areas, border security, and more.  There need to be concrete actions that can be seen and touched. 

We need that Super Bowl Ad that within 30 secs defines who we are and why we are an important neighbour.  We need a conversation with America, the people on the ground.

Is Canada broken?  A topic of debate and division.  Here is what I see when I look through the eyes of my daughter.  She will never own a home (modest or otherwise).  Yet those who do have one will see the asset rise in value, and the people who live in it will object to every measure to build new housing of any sort:  NIMBYISM.  

We have hit a tax wall; the solution to every problem, locally, provincially, and federally, is more taxes and fees.  She works in the private sector, while the public sector demands more raises, more job security, more vacation, more pension, more time off, and less time in the office.  

Crime in total may be down slightly, but that is in total, with violent crime up, not to mention car thefts.  Most importantly, there are no consequences; we are more concerned about the rights of the criminal than the victim.

We have activist courts, particularly the Supreme Court, who are now overriding laws and policies of a duly elected government.  It seems the individual rights prevail.  

Increasingly government is telling us what to think and say. 

We have foreign interference in our elections; morally, we didn’t care that over 100 churches were burned to the ground in the last 5 years.  We have seen anti-semitism like never before. We have violent acts, demonstrations that bring cultural wars and worse to our shores.  We have the abuse of our immigration system, including open floodgates. 

Immigration is critical; it brings richness, cultural diversity, but it comes with accepting and respecting Canadian values, laws, and culture. It is part of equality, nothing more.

We need to run government like we do our own personal or household budget.  Somewhere along the line, interest groups, industry, social advocates, and the public believe there are unlimited funds for every pet project and need.  They love to spend other people’s money, not their own.  So tax someone else but not them.  As Thatcher said, people love to spend other people’s money until there is none left.  Canada's bank account is in over draft and our credit cards are maxed out.

We have to make some very hard choices.   Canada suffers from a plague of cognitive dissonance.  

I will give you one example to demonstrate how embedded it is in our culture.  Kids in school held a series of climate protests and demanded Oakville declare a climate emergency.  They did walkouts.  Yet photographs show them on their phones, fully charged up before they hit the streets, containing all sorts of mined rare minerals.  Every morning, school parking lots and nearby streets are clogged with ideally cars dropping off and picking up their kids.  All rather than walk to school or taking transit or school buses.  Even those who take the school bus get driven to the stop.  The disconnect by those simple behaviours and their protest about climate change speaks volumes about the cognitive dissonance the is imbedded in our public discourse, politics and government policy.

Each Canadian will have a different take on the question.  The only way we can get to having the discussion is to have an election.  It is time to let the people speak; it is time for government at all levels to listen closely.  It is time for government to reconnect with life in Canada and the challenges, not to follow an ideological agenda. 

Maybe it is time to press the RESET button and regain, recapture the real sense of what being a Canadian means.  We need an end to identity politics