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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCanada is having a moment -- and the world is finally paying attention
It's a best-of-times, worst-of-times scenario for Canada on the global stage.
To get the bad out of the way, its most important ally the United States has grown increasingly antagonistic, with renewed tariff threats and talk of annexation coming from the White House. On the upside, Canada is signaling it can stand more firmly on its own. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has identified a "rupture" in North American integration and is moving his country in a more self-sufficient direction both economically and politically. There's a recognition that Canada and the US will always be deeply intertwined Americans aren't suddenly going to stop watching "Heated Rivalry" or "Schitt's Creek," and the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't going to stop traveling south of the border but some level of unwinding may now be unavoidable.
"Every country has to take care of itself," says Tony Stillo, director of Canada Economics at Oxford Economics, "and Canada's putting Canada first."
In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Carney struck a determined, defiant tone toward the US and a decades-old rules-based international order that, in his view, is now falling apart. "Canadians know that our old comfortable assumptions that our geography and alliance memberships automatically conferred prosperity and security that assumption is no longer valid," he said. In turn, he's made the choice to take on "the world as it is, not wait around for a world we wish it to be."
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/canada-having-moment-mdash-world-093301571.html
Heckuva job Trumpy
Spazito
(55,302 posts)Last edited Mon Feb 2, 2026, 09:05 PM - Edit history (1)
Canadians are looking both within and beyond our border to other countries to replace that which has become completely unreliable. trump thinks our relationship with the US is one of necessity whereas it has been one more of convenience, a convenience that no longer serves us well. Those on the right read our politeness and courtesy as a sign of weakness and that is a grave mistake on their part, we know they are signs of strength.
My heart goes out to those Americans who are suffering from this horrid administration and it's sycophants due to no fault of their own. Sadly, I don't know if we will ever see the relationship Canada and the US had ever totally mend even when trump and his putrid administration are long gone.
Edited to correct a spelling error.
North Coast Lawyer
(245 posts)When I lived in Alberta most of our neighbors were Ukrainians who rebuilt lives on the Canadian prairie their parents having escaped Stalin's USSR -- that should tell you something about toughness.
Spazito
(55,302 posts)IcyPeas
(25,141 posts)Some want to take up Trump's offer to join the USA?
North Coast Lawyer
(245 posts)Alberta has had a few conservative wackos who want to secede from Canada since at least the 1970s. They were a small minority then. They're a small minority now.
Cha
(317,670 posts)So Many of Us Appreciate your Brilliant, Strong PM, Mark Carney, especially in these Times of Fascism Overtaking America, and Democracy Resisting and Fighting BACK.
💔☮️🌺🌻🕯️🕊️💜
Spazito
(55,302 posts)I firmly believe Mark Carney is the right person for this time in Canada's history. I wasn't sure how he would be given his background in economics, I was concerned he would focus too much on that but, given the current circumstances, his expertise in that area is exactly what we need as we pivot as a country.
We might well have had a trump-like Prime Minister, conservative Pierre Poilievre, as his poll numbers were very high before the last federal election and, ironically, it is due to trump's crazy threats against Canada that we have Mark Carney instead.
We could have been where you are had we ended up with PP so I know how close we came and still could end up that way if the wrong person is voted in.
Cha
(317,670 posts)of the history on PM Mark Carney, about how high that other person's poll numbers were... and then the Traitor to the USA got in, Changing Everything.
Canada is so Lucky thus far.. ... and We and the Democracy Loving World Are Cheering for Canada, Greenland, Denmark, NATO,, et al!
ETA~ I wanted to post this before in another Post but Our electricity went Off at that moment.
PM Mark Carney from the OP...
Spazito
(55,302 posts)a country we can work to repair our friendship with and to see trump and his sycophants gone. No one, outside of the Magats, want this schism between our two countries continue and grow.
Johnny2X2X
(23,817 posts)Then 4 years of them getting more and more concerned with a 4 year reprieve with Biden. Then when it looked like Trump could win again they all started messaging me, I told them it will be worse than you can imagine for Canada and that Trump will want to take over their country. They cannot believe I was right.
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(13,387 posts)FakeNoose
(40,649 posts)He looked down the road and saw what was happening, and he realized he didn't want to deal with Chump AGAIN. Can't say I blame him.
Mark Carney doesn't have the same baggage and he's being firm with Chump and not taking any shit. I can respect that and I hope we'll be able to mend our fences with Canada when this is all over with.
I love Carney's chutzpah!
He's doing it with solid determination.
He's going all over the told and making deals, including China for EV's.
He's not waiting. And I think he will bring in more countries that will help with Canadian trade as well as us being able to help with other countries.
He's kind of doing a quiet economic blackout towards america.
For me, Carney is the right man for the job at the right time.
Keep them elbows up! This isn't over
Chicagogrl1
(624 posts)That the majority of Americans love their country & their people 😢 and we are living in a magat snowglobe nightmare
Our anger is not toward individual Americans, putting aside the Magats, the ferocious anger is directed toward the trump putrid administration and it's sycophants. Because of the current power trump has, we have to protect our economy, our very territory by moving away from what was once a wonderful friendship and convenient relationship.
Cha
(317,670 posts)MustLoveBeagles
(15,125 posts)Cha
(317,670 posts)Canadian PM having a chance to help save the World's Democracy?
Aloha, Beagles~ 💔☮️🌺🌻🕯️🕊️💜