Canada: Play The Long Game Against Trump

When Canada decided it will recognize the state of Palestine, U.S. President Donald Trump said that would make it more difficult to get a trade deal with this country.

Then he promptly slapped a 35-per-cent tariff on Canada before his own self-imposed deadline.

What do tariffs have to do with Palestinian statehood? Nothing.

What do they have to do with the loose wiring in Trump’s mind? Everything.

Trump’s tariffs are unrelated to reviving dead industries south of the border. In fact in the long run, they’ll just serve to make what’s left of those sectors even less efficient. Competition breeds efficiency. Tariffs do the opposite. Sooner or later, U.S. industry won’t be able to compete on a world stage without tariffs. And that’s how you get the decline of the U.S. empire. The rest of the non- and low-tariff world will out-compete U.S. industry, and other facets of society, even more than it does now.

U.S. industry is even less efficient than its Canadian counterpart let alone Vietnam and China. For example, the U.S. can’t compete with Canada in steel production. Amazing. Thus the tariffs.

The long and the short of it is that Trump loves power. He has no idea what to do with it once he gets it, but he loves power. Tariffs are a way to push around the rest of the world and satisfy Trump’s ridiculous and dangerous preoccupation with power. The world should look out.

And in particular, Trump doesn’t like Canada … probably more than any other country.

Why?

Because Canada stands for most of things Trump hates. Canada is a rich nation where film-makers and car-builders can make their products at a lower cost than in most of the U.S. It believes in peace, order and good government. Trump doesn’t seem to believe in any of those three qualities. We have universal health care and something of a social safety net. Trump doesn’t like that.

And frankly, Canada is a more successful society than the U.S. How would you like to drive in a country where some states allow handguns in the glove-compartment? Road rage? Look out. It goes on. Take away the climate and the U.S. ability to innovate, where would you rather live?

Trump loves chaos and disorder so he can take advantage of it. Is it right? No. Right and Trump are two very different things.

So Trump uses outrageous tariffs to abuse Canada. If not tariffs, it will be something else.

Canada is and should continue to play the long game. Wait until the U.S. courts strike down the tariffs as unconstitutional. Or when the Democrats control Congress and take back its jurisdiction over tariffs. That could happen as early as about a year-and-a-half. Wait the guy out.

And it will get worse for Trump. You can’t alienate business, many voters, the Constitution and the legal system without dire consequences. Trump’s own foibles, which are many, his lawlessness and his ability to garner huge numbers of enemies will result in personal disaster. It’s just a matter of time. How will that misfortune come? Who knows. There are so many ways and so many opponents.

That’s not that Canadians should not stand on guard for thee. If not tariffs, it will be something else. And sign a tariff deal with Trump and the next day he will break it. It’s just how his odd and troubled mind works.

So play the long game. Wait him out. His impatience will cause him to make mistakes. Take your time. Time is on Canada’s side. Use it.

And let’s not allow this crisis to pass without using it for the good.

Free trade has been lucrative for Canada but the time for free trade is over. The sooner we acknowledge that, the better we can deal with it.

It’s time for Canada to grow up. We’re on our own now. We once had the protection of Britain and then the United States. That’s over.

It’s time we make our declaration of independence from the United States. The U.S. doesn’t want what Canadians believe in any more.

Ken Gray

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