Listen Up! On the brink II | Commentary

It was not my intention to write about Donald Trump today. I felt I had said all that needed to be said about the threat he poses to Canada and much of the free world in my Listen Up article last week. But things move so quickly in this new era we are enduring.

This man rants about something every day, and almost every day, he threatens, flip-flops, and then threatens again. He is a master manipulator who is skilled at keeping the public and media spotlight almost exclusively on him and his perceived enemies off balance and very worried. 

People have tried for years to understand Donald Trump, what motivates him, and whether he is sane. Here is one description I saw recently.

“Driven by contracting demands of his situation, and being at the same time, like a juggler, under the necessity of keeping the public gaze on himself……by springing constant surprises – that is to say, under the necessity of arranging a coup d’etat in miniature every day,  (he) throws the whole bourgeois economy into confusion – produces anarchy in the name of order, while at the same time stripping the entire state machinery of its halo, profaning it and making it at once loathsome and ridiculous.”  

Oh, wait. That was not written about Donald Trump. It was written about Napoleon Bonaparte when he seized power in a coup d’etat on November 19, 1779, but if the shoe fits….. Who says that history does not repeat itself?

Last week, the Toronto Star published an editorial titled “Trump started this fight; we must unite and finish it.” The first few lines of the editorial conveyed the crux of the issue. 

“This was never about the border, in case that wasn’t already clear. It wasn’t about fentanyl or fairness or any other red herring of the week. It was about Donald Trump and a regime that envisions a world governed not by rules but by raw power.”

It is important, I believe, that Canadians see the bigger picture here. Donald Trump is using his assault on Canada’s sovereignty as leverage in a much bigger picture than border security and drugs. This makes negotiations with the United States much more difficult and worrisome because there are two parallel agendas being followed. 

Donald Trump has not been overly fond of Canada, especially Ontario, for a long time. I believe this stems from his loss of a bid to build a Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, when Mike Harris was Premier, and the failure of his Trump Hotel in Toronto. It is never his fault.

Trump’s thirst for revenge against Canada is real. He wants to hurt Canada. He wants our natural resources. He also wants to show that, like Russia and China, he, too, can wield and control real power beyond the borders of the United States. Hopefully, Congress will stop that in the long run, but we cannot count on them. 

That is why Canadian unity is so important right now.  We are at the centre of attempted world change, a significant and dangerous shift in the balance of world power. We cannot allow ourselves to be part of that.  

Today, we will know who the next Prime Minister of Canada is going to be. Justin Trudeau will be history, but little in his fractured tenure will overshadow his performance on his way out the door.

Trudeau deserves full marks for the way he has, in recent weeks, taken on the Trump Administration, taken real steps in uniting Canadians, and spoken effectively and passionately about the threats Canada faces. He has also met with our global allies to garner much-needed support. Diehards will give him no credit for that, but I will. He acted like a Prime Minister.  

By its nature, Canada is competitive within its ranks, provinces at times being wary of each other, reluctant to open trade barriers and often at odds with the federal government. While that may be a natural governance process, it is time to push the pause button.

It was refreshing to see that the Alberta premier has rejoined Team Canada in forcefully condemning Trump’s aggression and his proposed tariffs on Canada.

I was pleasantly surprised, too, to read this in the same Toronto Star Editorial that I referred to above:

“This paper has rarely been on the same page as Ontario Premier Doug Ford. We urged people to choose someone else in last week’s election. But we stand with him now as he seeks to defend the province.”

I never thought I would see this from the left-leaning Toronto Star, but it is a clear signal that unity in the face of unparalleled aggression and threat is far more important than any form of idealism or partisanship.

Premier Doug Ford has been criticized for being caught off-camera saying he supported Donald Trump. His attitude now is clearly one of complete disagreement and frustration. 

“I supported Trump getting elected, low taxes, small government. Boy, was I wrong.” I wonder how many people who supported Donald Trump now feel the same way? Whether we agree with him or not on other issues, we now have a premier who is on the frontline fighting for Canada. 

There has also been criticism of King Charles for not speaking out about the aggressive attacks by the Trump Administration on Canada. Monarchs in democratic societies are limited in what they can say publicly by the government. 

Sometimes, however, actions speak louder than words. The King, last week when inspecting a British Navy vessel, wore for all to see his Canadian military uniform, leaving no doubt in the only way he could, of where he stands. 

There are clear signs that many Canadians and their leaders are trying harder to bring a strong and unified approach to defending this country from an American president who appears to be more interested in inflicting pain on his friends than on America’s long-time enemies. 

However, much more needs to be done and we urgently need a strong federal government to lead this process.

There is a possibility that Canadians will be in an election before the end of this week. As far as I am concerned, the sooner the better. 

The ballot question, the most important issue, will be who can best lead the fight against Donald Trump and his MAGA Administration. We may all have an opinion on that now, but an election campaign is the best forum to really look at the leaders, assess what they say and how they would deal with the current critical issues related to our sovereignty.

Then we can decide who can best take on Donald Trump, not just based on their politics but rather on their ability to put Canada back on its feet and safe from external aggression. 

Hopefully, out of that process will come a capable leader with a strong mandate to unify Canadians, solidify relations with our allies, protect our sovereignty and push back on Donald Trump. 

 This may be our most important election in modern times. Canada is 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.

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