Newly discussed tariffs: will they help Canada, or hurt us?

BY STEVEN KASZAB

Many attempts have been made to unite North America into one singular, socio-political, economic powerhouse.

A contemporary version of the Monroe Doctrine may be at play in Donald Trump’s Washington DC Playhouse, as President Trump makes assertions about: Canada, Panama, Greenland and Mexico, offering to acquire one or all of these nations in time. Some are strategic property like Greenland and Panama, yet others fall into a mindset based upon historic imperatives. President Trump has said “Borders between Canada and America are just imaginary lines, nothing more,” and he is right about that.

Threats of tariff placement against Mexico and Canada are acts strategically made to not polarize one nation from the other, but to bring them closer together. Canada and Mexico need America’s economic might, the trillions of dollars that flow between these nations with one hand shaking the other. Yet there are artificial boundaries that are costing continental business trillions of dollars in: tariffs-taxes, time lost in border transport, costs of border security, employment of many thousands of guards and a forever growing border land bureaucracy. As one singular citizenry, so called Canadians and Mexicans become Americans able to flow in any direction domestically and achieve employment where it can be found.

Tariffs can be used as a tool that both threatens and also calls upon others to negotiate, and view America’s vision in a new way with eyes wide open. For China, a tariff can be viewed as a sledgehammer, but to Canada and Mexico tariffs can bring the two parties into a problem-solving situation. Ultimately Canada and then Mexico must realize that history shows their nationhood will progress towards joining the American Union. If America wants to end the drug wars, they need to wipe out the Mexican Cartels, something they cannot presently do. The need for: freshwater, energy and natural resource supply place Canada within America’s acquisitional sights.

Tariffs applied to Chinese products is a totally different story. North American business leaders have realized that through their business dealings with China they have created an archenemy, a nation controlled by The Chinese Communist Party whose main goal for almost a hundred years has been to grow China’s economy so well that eventually they will surpass American economic achievements and win the still going Cold War. America discovered massive amounts of natural gas and other energy sources within its borders. Adding Canadian energy sources would make America entirely energy self-sufficient. Also, the development of electric vehicles technology is a growing concern domestically.

A continental strategy will offer better protection from America’s rivals, China and Russia. American security in its entirety can be made more efficient by joining America’s northern and southern allies into one nation, one amazing power block that most other superpowers will admire and fear. Having someone like President Trump suggest such a union is actually quite brilliant, as the man is known to be flamboyant, outspoken and strangely perceptive.