Canada must meet a threat to democracy

Does the Trudeau government fully comprehend the dangers posed by U.S. President Donald Trump?

While many in Canada understandably might be preoccupied by the potentially negative fallout posed for this country’s own economy by Trump’s protectionist trade and economic policies, such concerns are not the sole danger.

A much graver concern is that Trump is not solely a threat to trade and economic relations between the U.S. and other nations, including Canada, but more importantly, he and those around him are a direct threat to democracy and human rights in the U.S.

And if that reality continues to be ignored, in the United States and other democracies, the forces that have brought the authoritarian Trump to power will undermine democracy in the world’s most powerful nation. That grim reality will have serious consequences for the entire international community, with few countries exempted from the fallout.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet colleagues face a difficult challenge in dealing with Trump, as they prepare for the leaders’ first face-to-face meeting, which is scheduled for Monday.

Trump’s recent action unilaterally banning entry into the U.S. by citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries created shock waves throughout the world, with thousands of individuals and families suddenly blocked from entering the U.S. or forced to be immediately deported, including even those with valid American visas.

(In an unprecedented move on Feb. 8, Trump strongly criticized a Washington state judge for suspending his travel restrictions, claiming the court’s suspension decision was political.)

Trump’s dubious action so soon after assuming power is a clear warning of the danger he represents, not just for his countrymen, but also for other countries.

While many governments might prefer to believe such controversial actions by Trump should not be overdramatized, such confidence is naïve.

The sombre reality is that Trump does not play by the same rules as others.

Those familiar with the rise of Russia’s Vladimir Putin have already warned that Trump adopted many of the tactics used by Putin to win power, both presenting themselves as wellintentioned outsiders committed to ending the disastrous rule of small, self-serving elites and promising to restore their countries’ economic strength and international standing.

Both also have systematically denounced their country’s media for allegedly trying to undermine and block their so-called reforms and good intentions, thus weakening the media’s credibility and ability to present an accurate understanding of what’s happening and what it might mean for their countries’ democracy.

In fact, Putin’s efforts to silence the media in Russia have been very effective, essentially permitting him to impose his will on the Russian people. Several dissidents who dared to question Putin have been imprisoned and one prominent critic, Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, a lethal substance allegedly administered by the Russian intelligence service.

Trump has publicly stated his own admiration for Putin on several occasions, something that should concern the American people.

In Trump’s present case, whereas U.S. governments have generally pursued policies that expand international trade, Trump has announced he will pursue an “America First” policy on trade and other matters.

This will please those Americans, especially workers in the Rust Belt states, who believe the U.S. economy has been seriously harmed by such relative openness to world trade.

However, any serious measures to restrict traditional trade with the U.S. could undermine international trade at a time when such trade is increasingly vulnerable, including for much of the European Union.

Trump has already threatened to impose a surtax on imports from other countries, especially Mexico. (He has even threatened Japanese automobile giant Toyota for establishing factories in Mexico.)

Threats by Trump have serious implications for Canada as well, including the current NAFTA trade arrangement between Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

It could have potential implications for agreements like the Canada-U.S. agreement on trans-boundary environmental relations.

While Trump’s trade actions are a concern for many countries, his scarcely concealed contempt for authentic democratic practices and his questionable use of presidential power to impose his authoritarian views and policies on American society should concern not just Americans but also the international community.