WE ARE CANADIAN!

PM, Trump continue sparring

The war of words between Ottawa and Washington that kicked off in Davos, Switzerland, continued again last Thursday. During a speech in Quebec City before the Liberal government’s cabinet retreat, Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to President Donald Trump’s claim that Canada only lives because of the United States.

“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney said.

Overall, Carney’s speech was political in tone, veering on campaign-like and took a strongly nationalistic tone. He spoke of the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City being soaked in blood during the pivotal 1759 battle and of the two great generals, Britain’s James Wolfe and France’s Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, who fought there for the future of British North America. He spoke of the coming together of two different cultures that had been at war and then the choices that were made that led to Canada.

“In a time of rising populism and ethnic nationalism, Canada can show how diversity can be a strength , not a weakness. In a time of democratic decline, we can show how rights can be protected and equal freedoms endure,” he said.

“In a time of rising walls and thickening borders, we can demonstrate how a country can be both open and secure, welcoming and strong, principled and powerful.”

Just as with last Tuesday’s speech in Davos, the subtext of the speech last Thursday was a critique of the Trump administration.

“The arc of history isn’t destined to be warped toward authoritarianism,” he said.

Since last Tuesday, Carney and the Trump administration have been exchanging words. Carney’s speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos is being applauded by progressive politicians and pundits because of its veiled criticism of the U.S. under Trump.

Carney told the well-heeled crowd that the powerful countries of the world have abandoned the rules-based order, and the whole thing was a facade anyway due to the abuses of powerful countries, that we should stop pretending and not mourn the end of this era.

“The powerful have their power. But we have something, too – the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality,” Carney said.

He never named reality, though; he never said Trump’s name or mentioned the U.S., but that was clearly the country he was critiquing.

“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us. By the  way, they should be grateful also, but they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. They should be grateful to us,” Trump said.

“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

It’s true Canada benefits greatly from our relationship with the U.S. , though the last year is clearly straining things. For the last several decades, Canada has refused to properly fund things like our military and national security, a decision that could only be made because of our proximity to the U.S.