These are strange days in Canada. The incoming President of the United States has suddenly promised to slap a 25% tariff on cross-border trade—a tariff that has the potential to devastate the Canadian economy. Some suggest it could cost Canada a 3% hit to its economy and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. At the same time, he is openly mocking Canada’s Prime Minister, trolling the country by suggesting it voluntarily become America’s 51st state, and even stating he will deploy economic force to annex the country. As is so often the case with Donald Trump, it’s difficult to know the degree to which he is serious and the degree to which he is merely deploying negotiation tactics and shows of strength.
Either way, his flexes are hitting Canada especially hard right now because our Prime Minister has become so woefully weak and unpopular that he has been forced to announce his resignation. While he is still technically Prime Minister, he is the ultimate lame duck who no longer has the confidence of the people, the parliament, or even his own party. He is hardly in a position to meet strength with strength—a
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