So, who is looking out for Canada now? We hear a lot of words, yet it appears that even a diminishing of perceived worry over climate change and deforestation in comparison to our country’s slowing economy, housing, security, migration and the ways we can defend ourselves through collaboration with friendly neighbours remains unaddressed.
As always, the USA has plans to protect the Western Hemisphere one way or another for a variety of reasons. The idea that Canada could possibly ever lessen our ties with the USA is beyond illogical. Our joint engagement for both security and prosperity are necessary in a rapidly dangerous and changing world. We are integrated with the USA in a variety of ways, but whose side are we really on?
While we have a small population comparatively to the size of our country, we share the longest unsecured friendly border and trade a wide variety of raw materials with the USA, including metals and minerals in exchange for our security. In the face of any conflict, we are, without question, reliant on the USA for both safety and defence. Recently, that seems to have been forgotten and, at times, shamefully buried in negative commentary about our USA neighbours on various world stages and in our news sources.
The utmost importance of our relationship with the USA lies in our ability to fall under their safety umbrella, while knowing that despite all the rhetoric, they are our best chance for safety against unfriendly adversaries. However, this does not mean we should neglect our committed five per cent contribution to our own safety.
What seemed to have gone unnoticed by us was that Venezuela has been borrowing billions of dollars from China to cover their plummeting oil production under Maduro, who also was being supplied armaments from Iran. Venezuela, in turn, transformed into a huge base of operations for Iran armaments, drug trafficking and money laundering. None of this escaped the watchful eyes of President Trump and his defense team. Particularly when it appeared the drug trade was now flowing through Venezuela while the USA was preoccupied, failing to notice North America was being surrounded by enemies from the south.
In addition, when the USA noted talks were occurring between Russia and China on the Arctic, President Trump began talks with Greenland and Canada on sharing costs of a Golden Dome over North America to include Greenland and the Arctic. The lack of resolution on tariffs certainly haven’t helped our relationship with the USA. During canola tariff discussions with China, PM Carney made a surprising commitment to open ongoing trade relations with China.
Along with ongoing attacks on Israel by Iran proxies and many years of chants of ‘Death to America and Israel,’recent intel revealing the killing of thousands of their own people for daring to protest their treatment has ignited “Epic Fury.” This has led to a joint action between the USA and Israel aimed at disarming Iran. Unfortunately, PM Carney has changed his stance more than once. Initially, he supported the need for the USA and Israel to act, then followed with a confusing day-later criticism of the USA for not seeking approval from Canada.
A year later most Canadians still do not know where we stand in the world, much less in Canada. It is time for some answers!