This past week, too much of our political speech has slid from protected political speech to straight up treason. With our independence under threat, we must wake up from our childish slumber, protected first by Mother Britain, who’s since moved on, and now our American dad has gotten into the pill bottles and is believing everything he reads on Truth Social. It’s time for us to grow up.
Like most Canadians, I was relieved when Prime Minister Carney took a hard line with President Trump. Demanding that the United States treat our country and its leaders with, if not actual respect, at least the show of respect, helps smooth over the cracks and potholes that appear in diplomatic relations.
At least, it did in the days when diplomacy meant embassies and ministers, not Twitter and social media influencers.
But it’s clear that the drive towards the annexation of Canada is underway. The arbitrary and reality-unmoored trade war the United States began with Canada and Mexico has now spread to the world; and it is already causing massive economic damage here and in the U.S. The difference is, we didn’t vote for this chaos and there’s nothing we can do to prevent it, except to disengage from our currently demented neighbour until further notice.
Mr. Trump shared a video with Americans saying that he crashed the stock market on purpose, forcing his supporters to choose between their retirement savings and their increasingly cult-like worship of their leader.
While a majority will reject poverty imposed by a narcissistic billionaire, enough will follow along that soon we’ll have a significant number of Americans ready to direct their anger at whatever target the President decides.
It would be foolish to think Canada is not on that target list.
While a majority will reject poverty imposed by a narcissistic billionaire, enough will follow along that soon we’ll have a significant number of Americans ready to direct their anger at whatever target the President decides.
It would be foolish to think Canada is not on that target list.
That’s why the recent comments by Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, and former Reform Party leader, Preston Manning, crossed a line. Premier Smith is acting like one of the “useful idiots;” a term that Lenin invented to describe Westerners who helped the Soviet cause against their own best interests. Every trip to the United States she takes, every statement she makes musing about a referendum – a referendum this year – on Alberta leaving Confederation, and every offer that she considers from the United States, weakens our country and its position with Washington.
Mr. Manning joined the Quisling caucus, blackmailing voters outside of the West by saying they would be responsible for the breakup of the country if we don’t elect a Conservative government on April 28th. Excuse me? This needs to stop. After years of calling out the left for their endless demands that whatever hurt their feelings be made illegal, the right is showing Canada that political snowflakes are like their real-life equivalent in a Canadian February: they’re everywhere.
It's bizarre that this must be said, but democracy means you get a say, not that you get what you want. And democracy works best when people put aside their personal perspectives and feelings and think about their family, their town, their province or territory, and their country: who will be the best, for the most of us?
The political right has spent years railing against group identities and grievances. So why, suddenly, is tearing down a statue unacceptable, but the wants of certain people from a region are so important that it justifies tearing down our country? It’s all part of our current toddler politics, where what the vocal few wants overwhelms what everyone needs.
Enough of this.
Canada is more than Conservative voters from Alberta, and its more than left-wing protestors who think that committing crimes today somehow atones for past sins.
If we can’t draw a line in the snow and say, no, our country’s integrity and independence are more important than my feelings about a pipeline, or a statue, we’re forgetting that having a country where those conversations can even take place is a miracle we all share.
If we can’t draw a line in the snow and say, no, our country’s integrity and independence are more important than my feelings about a pipeline, or a statue, we’re forgetting that having a country where those conversations can even take place is a miracle we all share.
As we face threats within and without, we need to take a clear stand against those ready to tear our common house down in a tantrum. We need to remember the sacrifices regular people made, in generations past, to win us all the right to participate in public life. And we need start acting to protect that inheritance and reject those who tear down our history, or who would tear down our country.
I’m here for Canada, with all its flaws, and am ready to debate with anyone about how to make our country stronger. But when you say this country can’t be redeemed, you’ve crossed that line.
It’s time for all Canadians to decide: do we stand with our country, or not?
There will be consequences, either way.
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