Real Politics in a Post-America World
Canada's First-Hand Experience
America isn’t to be trusted as a global partner anymore. Credibility has been ripped away by broken trade deals replaced by tariffs designed more to pit one country against another, instead of enriching America’s economy. This is a lesson learned in real time by Canada, and it’s an increasingly bitter one as the job losses pile up.
With the fracturing of the Canada-US economic relationship, comes decades of defense partnerships as well; because it’s a collective continent. NORAD, Afghanistan, World War II. Countless peacekeeping missions, and cooperative training missions. Where the United States went, Canada followed, as the good, cooperative ally.
Now Canada finds itself looking elsewhere for allies. The European Union is re-arming itself through a $1.25 trillion ReArm Europe plan. It aims to give member countries the ability to increase their defense budgets by 1.5% of their GDP without the expense counting towards their deficits, as well enlarging the European Investment Bank’s role in defense contracting, and creating avenues for private investment. Prime Minister Mark Carney has signaled that the country will sign on by July 1, in the hopes that it will reduce Canadian reliance on American procurement. It’s project that will directly provide military equipment to Ukraine, as they continue fighting against Russia. Canada has begun redefining its relationships with her allies.
You can never have too many allies, which appears to be one of the goals of the G7. In a news release posted tonight to the Prime Minister’s official website, Carney announces three priorities, the third of which is securing partnerships of the future. Invitations to President Vlodomyr Zelensky of Ukraine, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. It’s Modi’s invitation that has caused the most controversy due to his government’s alleged involvement in the murder of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as well as alleged acts of foreign interference in our elections.
America’s instability is starting to create a power vacuum, and there is safety in numbers. While, it isn’t ideal to have a figure like Modi at a G7 summit. Canada needs friends right now, and can’t be terribly picky of where they come from. New relationships take time. Welcome to the long game.