“Freedom is just one generation from extinction.” – Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States last November, I have tried not to be critical of his agenda for that country, even though I strongly disagree with some parts of it. He won an election there “fair and square” based primarily on illegal immigration and government waste.
People in the United States were willing to overlook or ignore Trump’s troubled history in favour of abating their anger and frustration over their view of current affairs. That is their right and that is democracy. We have no right to interfere with it.
However, that is where I draw the line.
In the very short time since his election, Donald Trump has managed to disrupt and disturb much of the Western world, including Canada, with false accusations, threats, and a rapid move toward a critical change in the traditional world order. He had no mandate for this and kept these cards very close to his chest until it was clear he was returning to power.
All of that is very much our business.
This past week or so alone, Donald Trump has twice openly proven his alliance with Russia, first by voting with them at the United Nations against a motion condemning Russia for their assault on Ukraine. Then again, a despicable and likely orchestrated gang-up attack on Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelenskyy by the President and by Vice President JD Vance, simply because Zelenskyy asked for a pledge of security for Ukraine from the United States in return for signing away a big chunk of their mineral rights.
In relation to that attack in the Oval Office, former astronaut and now Senator Mark Kelly quipped, “Trump just blew the Western Alliance.”
Trump is not only effectively supporting Russia in their assault on Ukraine, but he has also, this week, implicitly given the green light to China to annex Taiwan. As well this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that China and Russia “cannot be separated.” Therein lies the new alliance.
There can be little doubt now, in my view, that Trump (and possibly his vice president) is, in one form or another, a Russian asset. There can be NO doubt that through a number of actions since his inauguration, Donald Trump has thrown a huge wrench into the Western Alliance.
This current turbulence has prompted German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock to warn European nations that they should prepare for war against Russia.
No country in the Western Alliance can accurately predict what the Trump Government is going to do or whether it will live up to its NATO commitments. Trump was quick to accuse Zelenskyy of threatening a third world war by not bending to his knee when it is Trump himself who is the greatest threat to that horrific outcome.
Turning now to Canada, we will know in a few days how serious Trump is about imposing critical 25 percent tariffs on this country. It is certainly looking that way, although, with him, you never know until the button is actually pushed.
Clearly though, Donald Trump has his covetous eyes on Canada. He and JD Vance climbed all over Vladimir Zelenskyy for showing a perceived “lack of respect” for them, but have no hesitation in constantly disrespecting Canada, its sovereignty and its solvency. As well, they seem to believe there is nothing wrong with interfering with our elections here.
Donald Trump hurls childish insults at our leaders. It does not matter what political stripe they are; it is still wrong, and it is demeaning to Canada. It is not something any other country in the Western Alliance would do.
For more than a century and a half, the United States and Canada have been the best of friends, mutually helpful to each other. Now, Donald Trump and his United States Administration are suddenly our enemy. Their President is saying we don’t deserve to survive as a nation. Our world is upside down.
Trump: “Canada has ripped off the United States for too long. It is time to put a stop to it.”
Totally untrue, of course, but a self-belief as an excuse to take on Canada. Then there is one of Trump’s top advisors telling Trump that the Canadian/U.S. border should be redrawn. This, I believe, is based on an agreement signed by Great Britain and the United States establishing the borders between the U.S. and Canada in the early nineteen hundreds.
These are the kinds of excuses despotic leaders use to invade their neighbours.
Warren Kinsella, a Canadian journalist and commentator, put it bluntly when he said, “After watching Trump attack Zelenskyy today – after hearing him even attack Poilievre, anyone who believes Trump won’t come after us is dreaming in technicolour. He is the enemy.”
I don’t know how much more evidence some people in Canada need to believe that Donald Trump is determined to take over Canada one way or another. He has smoothed the way with new allies, who also have territorial ambitions, to ensure they will not stop him.
Only the United States Congress can stop Trump from his territorial ambitions, and right now, the majority of them are in his pocket. As well, there is every indication to believe that Trump will do whatever he wants, in spite of the Constitution or what Congress says. That is the scary part.
Donald Trump, his MAGA allies and his closest advisor Elon Musk, pose a clear and present danger to Canada. We don’t know what is going on behind the scenes here. We can only hope that no one is fooled about the Trump Administration’s attitude in relation to Canada.
Trump may not get everything he wants, but he will certainly try. We need to be ready for all contingencies, strengthening our allies, our military, and our trading partners, doing what we must do to defend Canada.
Although never before said in my lifetime, our freedom is at risk, and we must be prepared for some form of war.
We are definitely on the brink.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Further to above comment..Trump won 49.8% of the popular vote in 2024 election. (Council for Foreign Relations)
Elon Musk donated $288 million in 2025 to help Trump win election, final tally. (Washington Post, January 31, 2025..paper now owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos who also owns Amazon and now supports Trump )
How can anyone possibly consider Trump’s election to have been won fair and square?
Almost all the claims of what he would do if elected were based on lies and false spin, He won this election, helped by it being bought by a cabal of corporate billionaires, Republican gerrymandering of electoral districts and many other unfair, unethical and some illegal strategies. He came close but did not actually win the popular vote, winning more electoral seats.
Many struggling Americans who were conned into voting for him actually believed that Trump would lower food, housing and energy costs; they believed the negative lies he told about the positive steps, and recovering economy especially with job increases, infrastructure development etc. resulting from 4 short years of the Biden administration.
Or perhaps voters believed him when Trump claimed he had no idea what Project 2025 was and now every executive order he signed is listed in that plan. So many people are now suffering as a result. There’s nothing remotely fair about any of it.
Its not Trump we need to be worried about so much as the group of billionaires swirling around the sidelines and the far right authors of Project 2025 who want a completely different kind of authoritarian government for America, one that benefits the wealthy.
Listen to a recent interview on The Times Radio (U.K. Trump report) with John Bolton, Trump’s former ambassador to the U.N and strong supporter from the previous presidency, who knows Trump well.
Trump has no idea what he has even signed in some of those executive orders. Trump knows so little about the world,, how government works, about diplomacy, he doesn’t read any advisor’s reports.
He doesnt even understand how tariffs work, claiming Amerucans wont have to pay more, and doesnt care who they will hurt. He was the one who signed the free trade deal negotiated after Nafta, calling it “the very best deal”. Now he’s saying “who signed that terrible deal? That’s the worst deal ever”. The man is unhinged.
He lies about most everything. He doesnt care about people dying from a fentanyl overdose and probably doesnt even know that less than 1% (.02%) of the fentanyl that enters the U.S. comes Canada, most comes from China and Mexico. He just uses made up stuff like that as a dishonest distraction.
His superpower is lying bluster and being a bully in trying to get deals in his favour, including winning of an election There’s no such thing as compromise. How can any of this be called fair and square?
Bolton says Trump as he ages is noticeably “losing it.” Yes, he is the President, but now more like a head of state than actual head of government…leave that role to Elon Musk and others..
The threat to Canada comes from a wider group of billionaires that surround Trump, flatter him, and he does their bidding, although typically he is unpredictable, which adds to the threats to Canada. We are living in frightening times.
I feel this commentary is a continuation of the ‘Listen Up’ posted Feb.9/25. Maybe demonstrating a little more distress and concern. Things have deteriorated since then and ‘the donald’ has shown himself to be pretty much a Russian asset. putin must have some pretty damming audio and video from the times the President and his family worked in the Soviet Union and then Russia.
Commenting on the previous post, Brian Tapley wondered about the provinces actually working together. Not since 1867, but recently there has been talk. Progress!
Jonathan Wiebe wondered about a truck convoy to the White House in protest, but I think that was tongue
in cheek.
Norm Raynor puzzled as to whether a comment on the situation might have been forthcoming from our MPP. That certainly would have been newsworthy, but nothing I’ve heard has happened so far.
I commented that if we became the 51rst or more state (s), I was and still am pretty sure the old 50 would be more than happy to gobble up our water, timber, minerals and oil.
We have already had a Premier all set to incite constitutional conflict if she couldn’t trade oil as she wished. That decision may yet be made for her.
Also a Premier who was “100 % happy” ‘the donald’ won. Never considering that a politician might be prone to prevarication. Cue our own Green Belt fiasco. Events have seemingly altered that opinion. Damned upset he was when he realised he’s been lied to.
Another Premier I’m sure will invoke the “not withstanding clause” if he sees the papers of annexation are not delivered in French.
I don’t mean to be bitter, but I have lived long enough to see Canada sell of trade away our talents and resources. “Hewers of wood and drawers of water.” No long term plan, mostly just the quick buck.
What can save us. Not violence. We’re militarily insignificant. But as Hugh Holland says, maybe if the real Republican populace speaks up. All the people who voted for this *#&*@k and then got turfed for their effort. But more than likely it could be the stock market. That takes a hit and the rich may hurt a bit. What is their pain threshold? For how long?
For sure we disagree on some things Mr. Mackenzie, but on this we are of like mind. This is a lot to deal with and we are so ill prepared. We will have to hold on, try and hope.
But no mistake, we are in deep doodoo.
100% correct Hugh. I think.the white house fiasco was planed . Marjorie Greens reporter boy friend started it with criticism of Zolenski not wearing a suit. This was to get him upset.
Who wears T shirts baseball hats and bluejeans to press conferences at the Whitehouse ? You got it. Musk. So why is it okay for him but not Zelinski !!!
Time to get my drinking buddies together and do what we did in 1814.
The meeting in the Oval office with Trump and JD Vance was nothing short of school yard bullying but on a much larger scale. This distasteful berating of another human being is old school, inhumane and disgusting. Bulldozing through the meeting and not giving President Zelenskyy an opportunity to speak is an embarrassment to the American people. Surely to goodness there are Republicans who are shaking their heads and making a plan to get this clown out.
If history is correct Adolf Hitler was elected because the German people wanted change.
Donald Trump was elected president because the American people are desperate for change.
Trump is very friendly with China and Russia. Does NATO even matter anymore?
If you can’t destroy a country from outside influence, then you destroy it from within
with threats, insurrection and turning against your friends. Trump is doing just that!
Our policy is simple: We are not going to betray our friends, reward the enemies of freedom or permit fear to become American policy! Ronald Reagan. May God have mercy on us all! World war three?
Trump has truly lost it. Time for the real Republicans to step in.
Our democracy, our country, our Canada, is in imminent danger. This is frightening, heartbreaking, and true.
Hugh, I disagree with you that Trump won the election “fair and square.” I believe there was interference in the election. I guess I don’t like to think that so many Americans actually voted for this vile, despicable, heartless monster.
TO NOTE: Trump’s attack on Poilievre is a clever (I use the word loosely) attempt to make anti-Poilievre voters believe that Poilievre is not a Trumper. He is pro Trump – among other things. Apparently, Musk contributed to Poilievre’s campaign. That speaks volumes.
But in the end, we all should take a page from Zelenskyy’s playbook. He is compassionate, gracious, dedicated, loyal, diplomatic, and perseveres in the face of adversity. Be A Zelenskyy!
You couldn’t have said it better, Hugh. It’s time for Canada and Canadians to rise together—setting aside political bickering and resisting the influence of U.S. businesses, ethics, gameplays and ideologies that erode our identity. We must be prepared for all contingencies: purchase Canadian, starve out the huge US giant chainstore businesses tapping our local wealth and resources, strengthening our alliances, bolstering our military, reinforcing our trade partnerships, and doing whatever it takes to defend Canada!
I believe it is time to remove all publicly displayed American flags in our country starting with Huntsville.
After reading this article the Americans are definitely not our friends.
M Allen
Frighteningly true, Hugh.
If you had written these words even during Trump’s first term in office, I would have worried about your sanity or at the least, thought you’d fallen down some crazy, conspiracy rabbit hole.
No more: our freedom and the world’s democracy is at risk and we cannot pretend that it is otherwise.
The U.S. is now our enemy.