At the end of the year, when one door closes and another door opens, the majority of people will have one of two reactions. By example if 2024 was a good year, the response would be “I hope 2025 will be as good as 2024.” If 2024 was not a wonderful year, the response will be “I hope 2025 will be better than 2024.” Rarely have I heard “I hope 2025 won’t be worse than 2024.” That pessimism is the result of the fear of the unknown, or maybe the known.

Today is inauguration day in the U.S., when Americans swear into office and celebrate their newly elected president. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the ceremony, but a friend called to say the Proud Boys were joyously marching in D.C. in support of the President. I do wonder why the Klansmen weren’t there. I can only hope that Canadians will be as patriotic when battling the American Hun. In November 2024, when Trump became the President-elect, Canada and Mexico moaned. What fresh hell would befall us all now. It didn’t take long before the first salvo launched. Trump wanted Canada and Mexico to keep illegal immigrants and drugs from entering the US, otherwise he would impose crippling tariffs on each country.

What a joke. It is Canada that should be concerned about illegal immigrants coming into our country from the US and the flow of drugs and guns and other illegal weapons being smuggled into Canada. However, it is up to each country to control their own border. At the ports of entry our border control officers can screen out and refuse entry to people who do not qualify, and I suppose we could introduce the need for a Visa to enter Canada, which would pre-screen those seeking entry. But how do you effectively patrol 8,800 kilometres of uncontrolled border? (At this point, I would happily pay for a wall if it would keep the Americans out.) However, Canada showed its good faith and started searching for ways to improve border security. And that’s when Trump played his 51st State card.

Regardless of Canada’s efforts regarding the earlier demands, the tariffs were coming along with his plan to cripple Canada’s economy, making it vulnerable to an American take over. It’s a cheaper war to fight than the one Putin unleashed on Ukraine. According to economists , if the Americans impose tariffs on Canadian exports, Canada will be in a recession within the year. Trump wants to create economic chaos and hardship in Canada, to sow regional discontent by pitting the provinces and territories against one another. It’s like a game of Jenga, when you remove one piece of the structure the whole structure becomes less stable. It would seem Alberta might be the first piece targeted for removal.

Greedy Canadian millionaire Keven O’Leary has been collaborating with Trump for an economic union and joint passport between Canada and the US, I suspect because American millionaires pay less tax in the US than millionaires in Canada do. O’Leary reportedly plans to start an AI business in Alberta to sell its residents on the idea of a union with the US. And of course, our federal government will aid and abet that effort by starting its own battle with Alberta in threatening an export tax on their gas and oil, or an outright ban on the sale of Canadian gas and oil to the US, which would affect Saskatchewan as well. Why did the President-elect start the 51st state controversy? Because the Americans want our land, or more importantly, our abundant resources since they have pretty much polluted their own land and used up their own resources. And with the Colorado River drying up, seven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming) who are dependent on that river for water will be looking for a new source.

Canada has vast amounts of fresh water. We also have rare earth minerals, gas and oil, potash, uranium, lumber, and the list goes on. The icing on the cake is control of the Northwest Passage and developing shipping routes. But they do not really want the Canadian people. Americans see us as socialists, which in their mind means “communists.” We have government sponsored Medicare and cheaper pharmaceuticals, subsidized universities, gun control, enforced human rights laws, to name but a few amenities that Americans hold in distain. The stickler might be that our right-wing Conservative party would more closely aligned with the Democrats than the right wing MAGA Republicans. Nor do we have militias or paramilitary groups ready to try and overthrow the government. Okay, maybe that is debatable when I remember the Freedom Convoy that occupied Ottawa in 2022. I recently heard an American television personality indignantly sounding off that Canadians have insulted Americans by rudely rejecting the offer of joining their nation.

Dear God, they have millions of people already in the states who want to sign up to be American but who will deported. Oh right, they do not have land or resources the American government wants. So, what do we get by joining the US – and no, there will not be a merger of our constitution and theirs? It would be their constitution. And a joint passport would feature an eagle lining its aerie with a maple leaf to cushion its feathery butt. Our version of Medicare would be gone along with our social safety net programs, and big pharma will be filling the wallets of Republicans for delivering 40 million new payees into their coffers. Our kids would not be able to afford university, but those who do go will carry enormous debt for decades.

However, we would be able to strap on a holster and gun and professional development for our teachers would include training at a shooting range. Hmm, we would get to line up behind a demented bullying president, known to be a convicted felon, racist, grifter, pathological liar, misogynist, sexual predator, thief, insurrectionist, wannabe autocrat and all way round nasty guy, whose goal is to keep Americans happy at our expense. What will they do with Quebec? I suspect Quebec would get its wish to become a sovereign nation, albeit without equalization payments and government sponsored industry and programs. As Americans do not always honour agreements or treaties, our First Nations communities should not count on the protection of any government or court. The smart money says they should make Canada a protectorate of the US. A protectorate is when a strong state offers protection to a weaker state and in return gets partial control of that state. In this case, it would truly be extortion, as the only protection we need is from the US. The American “Don” truly conducts himself like a Mafia gangster.

Before being sworn into office he also threatened Greenland and Panama and makes it clear he will use military force against them, if necessary, to get what he wants. For more than a century Canada and the United States have enjoyed a good relationship, thanks to good leadership in both countries. That time has passed, and Canadians will have to stand strong for their country and protect the society generations of Canadians have built. It may mean short term pain for long term gain, but the alternative is forfeiting our democracy to an autocracy. We are a good people and have been good neighbours. We do not deserve to be bullied. Then again, maybe all my fretting and worrying is for not. Maybe this is all just Trump’s idea of a joke because, like the organ grinders of old, he likes to see the monkeys perform.

ehnatyshyn@gmail.com

– Elaine Hnatyshyn