WE’RE NOT YOUR BEST DEAL, MR TRUMP
In the spirit of good neighbourliness, I would like to take this opportunity to caution U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that his “great idea!!!” of making Canada the “51st state” isn’t even a good idea, because, frankly sir, we’d be more trouble than we’re worth.
The “Truth Social” post in which you claimed “Many Canadians” (how many is many?) want to be absorbed into what you call “America” included: “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year?”
Is that an assertion or a question? If it’s a true statement, in 2025 please send my share as a cashier’s cheque.
Your post also promised we would “…save massively on taxes and military protection.”
Canadians (justifiably) bitch about taxes so often it qualifies as a national nervous tic. Your tax cuts are only for the mega-rich, however, and so few of us fit that category, the rest of us would bitch you to nervous breakdown level.
As for “military protection”, the only nation that has ever tried to invade Canada is the U.S., which Thomas Jefferson said would entail “a mere matter of marching.”
As we delight in pointing out whenever possible, the “marching” ended up being why our mutual 5,5625 mile border is where it is, and the White House is white. (See: War of 1812–14).
MANNERS VS MUSCLE
If you still think we’re wimps, bear in mind our national sport is hockey, in which the unwritten rule is that when you fight for the puck in the corner, elbows come out.
That explains why Ontario Premier (that’s what we call our equivalent of your governors, by the way) Doug Ford reacted to your threat of 25 percent tariffs by suggesting that his province, which provides energy to several border states, could “turn off the lights” for 1.5 million American households.
It’s hardly a polite rejoinder, which is one of several reasons why it won’t happen, although it does have a certain visceral appeal.
You wouldn’t like our passive-aggressive adroitness either. For example, when then President Richard Nixon called then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau an “asshole”, our current Canadian PM Justin’s father replied: “I’ve been called worse things by better people.”
We’ve got our share of ill-informed. ill-mannered, raucous, wingnut voters, too. But we only tolerate them if they obey the law.
Does that strike an ominous chord?
Some commentators have suggested you’re finding it amusing to try to contribute to replacing Liberal left-winger Justin with right-wing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre as what you called Canada’s “Governor”. (We call that “political interference in our democratic process”, by the way.)
Anyway, you don’t have to bother.
Trudeau will be out on his ear if not before, then certainly when his current term expires. That’s not just because he deserves to go (which he does ), or we all adore Poilievre (which we don’t),
The Canadian electorate tend to replace the ruling party every few terms as a matter of course. It’s our democratic way of keeping them from getting too cocky and thinking they can get away with ignoring our day-to-day concerns if it suits their party agenda.
I seriously doubt your collection of true believers and fawning, spineless toadies in Congress would appreciate that kind of attitude being annexed into your version of democracy.
We’d also have a hard time fitting in.
For instance, as badly as our universal health care system needs revamping, we wouldn’t happily swap it for what a former American health insurance behemoth spokesman described as “the uncomfortable truth” that in the U.S. heath insurance system, “shareholders, not patient outcomes, tend to drive decisions at for-profit health insurance companies.”
VALUE FOR MONEY
Canadians are used to election campaigns that last a month or so at most, under laws that restrict individual contributions to parties, candidates and leaders to $1,750 (approx. U.S.$1,400).
That doesn’t mean we don’t end up with occasional corruption. charlatans and wastes of space in Parliament.
But, among other ethical benefits, it frees legislators from the threats and ravings of adolescent development level billionaires like Elon Musk, “bounding in and out of meetings, sitting in on phone calls, weighing résumés and traveling to Washington as Trump’s unofficial co-president.”
Do you really want to let our kind of ethos slip into your system, Mr Trump?
As far as I know, no Canadian political figure or office-seeker has described this country as “a disaster”, or a“s***hole”, and what is happening in it “disgusting”, all of which you have routinely applied to your nation.
However, Canada was number five in a recent list of the top countries in the world for quality of life. The U.S. ranked 22nd.
So, flattering though it is to be invited to help on your quest to MAGA, I think we’ll take fifth place over being your “51st state”.
It’ll be better for both our sakes. Really.
Sorry, eh?
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8 thoughts on “WE’RE NOT YOUR BEST DEAL, MR TRUMP”
And a very festive year end to you too!
And you and yours
Firstly, as you point out, buying products is not a subsidy. Secondly, Canada, as a US state would dwarf all 50 others combined and Donald Trump doesn’t like being dwarfed. Thirdly, Canadians would tilt the US political balance left, something else he doesn’t like. What he’d actually like is Alberta and he’s probing.
He’s got two chance…ZERO and SFA
full disclosure…
i have a friend who has an uncle whose nephew
works at mar-a-lago…aka musk-a-lago…
he reports the annexation move is in full force…
it began when trump was told that melania said
young trudeau was “cute” and had good hair…
well, off with his well-coiffed head then…
trump is very upset because Canadians are known for being friendly and good-natured…
these are characteristics of weakness in
trumplandia…
he doesn’t understand his neighbor’s aversion
to violence, particularly the political kind…
he likes the idea of a nation that stretches far
beyond “sea to shining sea” and instead runs
from Nome to Key West…
Don Junior says MAGA means My Annexation
Grows America…
and co-president musk is pushing Ronald McDonald as Nutrition Czar, he has been heard
asking “who the hell is this Tim Horton guy?…
beware the creep of Trump…yes, seal the borders to keep his legions out…
they touch Timmies at their peril
Well done Allen!
Thanks John