Canada has long been hailed as the conscience of the world. We have not always succeeded and we have not always been perfect, but Canadians have a unique sense of perseverance, a quiet dedication that tomorrow can be better. In just a few days, the inauguration of Donald Trump will usher in a new world order, and with it a new era of Canadian obligation and responsibility.
The blessing and curse of being America’s northern neighbour is that we are profoundly affected by their presence. Economically, politically, socially, culturally: we are not the same but we are not that different, either. What affects America affects us. Our “special relationship” alliance allows Canada, in a normal political era, to interact and at times influence American policy. Even when our leaders disagree on issues like Keystone XL, the overarching desire for friendly compromise wins out over individual policy disagreements. But these are far from normal political times.
Trump’s political platform is anger, his policy plans fragmented, and his administration notably white, almost entirely male, and comprised of the one per cent elite. The political ideology of Trump is a far cry from that of Canada. Trudeau announced that 50 per cent of his cabinet would be comprised of female MPs—Trump said he grabbed women “by the pussy.”
Perhaps the election of Trump would be comprehensible if such ideologies were confined to our southern ally. Instead, across the Western world, the neoliberal order is buckling under the weight of anti-establishment, populist movements threatened by globalization and immigration. In Britain, there was Brexit; in France, there was Marie Le Pen; and in Germany, the far-right movement is gaining support under the Alternative for Germany party. The American election result was not a fluke, but a symptom of a larger movement flashing across the Western world.
This leaves Canada in a terribly awkward position. When our allies turn to rhetoric that challenges our fundamental beliefs, when trade agreements that have aided our economy for decades are reduced to pieces of paper, when a popular president is replaced by a man few respect—what is Canada to do? Trudeau wisely shuffled his cabinet to grapple with the next four years of US-Canada relations; he’s expressed a willingness to re-negotiate the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement and quietly put the Trans-Pacific Partnership to bed. But that’s not enough.
Canada must stand up. We must emphasize the small differences that make us who we are. A man I once interviewed told me Canada was a temple of human life. Imprisoned in Egypt and tortured for his Christian beliefs, he now resides in Toronto.
“I know that Canada is the temple of immigrants,” he said. “Canada is the temple of human life. I know Canada is the conscience of our world.” So that’s what we do. When Trump mocks a disabled reporter, we vote a physically disabled man into our parliament. When European nations close their doors to Syrian refugees, we let them in. When Americans lose their healthcare coverage because congress shamefully began dismantling Obamacare in the dead of night, our system must serve as an example of what socialized healthcare can be. When Trump berates peaceful opposition to his leadership, we watch a sobbing woman confront Trudeau about the carbon tax raising her hydro bills to unaffordable levels—and we see him respond empathetically and without anger. We work to improve our faults, of which there are many, but we do not and cannot hide our achievements
Canada has always tried its best to be good. Now, we must try to be better.
– Photo by Trevor Swann
