Coping with Trump
Our federal and provincial governments cannot simply turn their backs on the United States for the duration of the current U.S. presidency
In last week’s Political Insights column (“Competence, moral judgement and mental stability questions dog Trump’s presidency,” Cape Breton Post, Sept. 7) my friend and colleague Jim Guy provided us with a frightening look at Donald Trump and his presidency.
As Jim noted, the man has become widely known for his “flawed moral judgement,” for being a “pathological liar,” for behaving in such a way as to lead many to question his “rational capacity to perform his duties” and for presiding over a White House now seen as being “malignant.”
Trump’s presidency poses all sorts of questions to both Americans and those of us affected by what happens in the United States, as to how to cope with the reality of Donald Trump the president.
From a purely Canadian perspective, how should we deal with this president and his White House?
I know of many people who have told me that they have already made personal commitments not to travel to the United States so long as he is in power and to consciously seek to buy as few goods as possible stamped “Made in America.”
Our federal and provincial governments, however, cannot simply turn their backs on the United States for the duration of the Trump years. Like it or not the United States is our biggest trading partner and we are in the NAFTA. The Canadian economy is deeply intertwined with that of the United States and our economic well-being is contingent on a close trading relationship with our American neighbours.
In light of these realities the Canadian federal government, in a working alliance with all provincial governments, has shown great wisdom in entering into the re-negotiations of the NAFTA agreement while also reaching out to state governors and leading members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. The American constitution (thankfully now) divides power amongst a host of governmental actors, meaning President Trump has far less power than he probably thinks he has.
Any fundamental changes to NAFTA will require the support of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, and these legislators will be influenced by what they hear from state governors. The more Canadian diplomats and federal ministers can inform these American officials of the deep importance of the Canadian-American trading relationship, the better chance we have of having the NAFTA renegotiations result in an improvement to this agreement for all parties.
But this does not mean that Canada should see our economic future as being wholly contingent upon the United States. As Trump maligns and slanders this trade deal his behaviour should encourage Canadian federal and provincial governments, and Canadian businesses to enhance and diversify our trading relationships with other countries. Seeking to maintain free and fair trade with the United States does not preclude us from promoting good trade deals with the rest of the world. We have a free trade agreement with the European Union and we should work to increase a two-way flow of trade across the Atlantic.
Likewise we should be deepening our trade relations with the Asia-Pacific world, not only with Japan and China, but also with the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
And as Trump’s America becomes less inviting to immigrants, Canada should be more inviting. Trump’s move to cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, throwing into jeopardy the ability of some 800,000 persons (brought into the United States illegally by their parents) to remain in the United States, presents a great opportunity for Canada.
“Like it or not the United States is our biggest trading partner …”
We have always been an immigrant country, with strong immigration flows vital to our demographic and economic wellbeing. If many people covered by DACA face deportation from the United States, we should throw out the welcome mat for them. America’s loss will be our gain.