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Trump and Canada

Turning on the television, radio or opening a news app on a smartphone, there seems to be nothing else talked about other than U.S. President Donald’s Trump’s threat to put a 25% import tariff on Canadian goods (entering the U.S.).

There is speculation about why he is doing that and a lot of deliberation about how Canada should respond.

To the first point, why is Trump threatening Canada? I haven’t heard any reasonable explanation. (He) has said our borders aren’t tight enough, that Canada isn’t doing enough to control the border and stop the flow of illegal immigrants and fentanyl from Canada into the U.S. Is there any Canadian who seriously believes Trump would be bothered by those minor problems?

He has more pressing issues to deal with. So why is he acting like he is? There can only be two reasons.

One is, from the bottom of his heart, he dislikes our prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Trump has no respect for Trudeau. During his first presidency he said publicly our prime mister was weak and two-faced. And he was serious.

Trump wants Trudeau replaced by a non-“woke,” non-left leaning, non-progressive and non-gender ideologically blinded prime minister, who takes his responsibility on the world stage as a dutiful NATO member.

The second reason Trump threatens Canada with tariffs is I am sure he wants Canadians to wake up and that is exactly what he has achieved. Canadians are in full panic mode.

When it comes to how Canada should respond, I have heard a lot of astonishing proposals from politicians and Canadians. Trudeau said we will fight back united. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said we will fight back, dollar for dollar. B.C. Premier David Eby suggested B.C. residents do the right thing and boycott American products.

Where has rational thinking gone? Have we forgotten what diplomacy means, building and maintaining relationships? Canadians used to be smart and reasonable people. Canada has become the tiny mouse that shows its teeth against the big cat. The U.S. doesn’t need Canada. The U.S. is still by far the largest economy in the world. Canada needs the U.S. and our survival is at stake. What happens if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin lay his hands on Canada’s arctic north? That isn’t an imaginary threat.

So, what should Canadians do? First and foremost, reactivate our Parliament. It should be back in operation as soon as possible. Canada deserves a functioning Parliament, where (the government) operates under its watching eye. That is true democracy.

Currently, our prime minister, supported by his cabinet ministers, acts completely on his own without any (parliamentary) checks and balances. That is dangerously close to a one-man-show, or in other words, a “dictatorship” or communism. Isn’t that what our prime minister wants wants? Have we forgotten the openly declared his admiration for the “basic dictatorship” in China?

In line with national polls, Canadians deserve an election as our (federal government) has lost the support of the NDP and Trudeau knows his government won’t survive a vote of non confidence.

Canada will most likely choose a Conservative government later this year. (I think) such a new government will first and for all refresh our heavily damaged relationship with the U.S. Just like Trump fights for more respect for his country, for fair contributions to NATO and for recognition of the two genders, a new government in Canada, based on what Canadians want, will fight for international recognition and respect by delivering common sense governance of this country.

Ronald Ratgers, Kelowna



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