 |
| JFK |
"Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies."
- John F. Kennedy on the relationship between Canada and the United States, in the Canadian House of Commons, May 17, 1961
 |
| Trump |
- Donald Trump, Truth Social, December 10, 2024
John F. Kennedy knew who his friends and allies were. Donald Trump shows nothing but contempt for America's northern neighbour. The disrespect that he shows Canada's prime minister is appalling. It is absolutely disgraceful. It seems that Trump is friendlier and more respectful to dictators such as Putin and Kim Jung-Un than the leader of a democratic country like Canada. Has Trump ever mocked a dictator?
I would dearly like to ignore Donald Trump. Unfortunately, he is going to be in our faces for another four years or more (if he suspends elections). At any rate, Trump seems hellbent on imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on all products coming to the United States from Canada and Mexico. This will have a devasting affect on the economies of America's closest neighbours that could upend North American trade and supply chains.
It is possible that Trump's real goal is a 5 per cent or 10 per cent tariff. This may just be a ploy so that when he eventually reduces the 25 per cent, Canada and Mexico will be relieved and grateful that he is softening his position, that he is willing to compromise. It could all be trickery and deception.
Trump wrote his post about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Trudeau declared that Canada is prepared to respond to Trump's tariff threat. By the way, I must comment on the name of the platform where Trump posts his ravings. It is called Truth Social, which sounds like something out of George Orwell's 1984. I've learned that anything called "truth" is usually propaganda. "Pravda" was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Pravda" means truth.
Trudeau isn't the only leader who spoke of retaliation against the tariffs. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that her government would retaliate if Trump followed through with his 25 per cent across-the board tariff. She claimed that retaliation by Mexico could kill 400,000 U.S. jobs and drive up prices for American consumers. During a press conference, Sheinbaum said, "If there are U.S. tariffs, Mexico would also raise tariffs."
 |
| Trudeau |
 |
| Sheinbaum |
Trump's protective tariffs will lead to a trade war in which nobody wins. Do we never learn from history. In 1927, the League of Nations' World Economic Conference met in Geneva, Switzerland. The League concluded its final report with the words "that the time has come to put an end to tariffs, and to move in the opposite direction." However, many of the delegates' did not move in the opposite direction. They paid debts and reparations by imposing tariffs on goods. In 1928, France was the first to do so by passing a new tariff and quota system.
In 1930, Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which raised import duties. Smoot-Hawley was designed to protect American businesses and farmers. Instead, it added considerable strain to the economic climate of the Great Depression. It backfired and worsened the misery of the Depression.
Herbert Hoover lost the 1932 election to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In 1932, unlike 2024, Americans chose optimism for the future. Roosevelt's presidential campaign song was "Happy Day are Here Again." On November 5th, 2024, voters rejected Kamala Harris's vision of America. They chose Trump's chaos and dystopian vision instead. They decided to go back rather than ahead, and they returned a convicted criminal to the White House.
Archie Bunker was wrong when he sang "Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again." The United States could really use a man like FDR again. Instead of FDR and Eleanor, America has Donald and Melania. Sad!
- Joanne
No comments:
Post a Comment