Canada and Mexico are finally showing some guts after many decades of willing servitude to the US empire. Trump’s crazy threats of Mutually Assured Destruction for all sides have finally awakened some noise, if not some action. The clip features the premier of Newfoundland who has the right idea. This is a chance for Canada to take back the identity and pride that it abandoned. Cuba and Persia had to make the same decision when we sanctioned them for the crime of being countries we wanted to sanction. Both found new export markets and enhanced their own best skills.
Canada already has plenty of trade with China, probably too much. It has been increasing trade with Commonwealth partners India and Australia, and could cultivate them more strongly. Unfortunately Canada slavishly copies US hatred of Russia, so it has essentially zero trade. Vancouver to Vladivostok is a nice direct route, and now that Canada has a specific reason to disobey the Master Of The Universe, it could reopen to Russia.
Before 1965 Canada was more independent, as I’ve discussed often in the auto industry. Canadian divisions of US companies used local materials and local workers and local suppliers, and sold a variety of cars to Canadians. They had a direct feedback loop with their OWN customers and workers. After the 1965 trade deal, and even worse after NAFTA, Canadian plants are indistinguishable from US plants. All make the same cars, all sell in both countries. There’s no room for PRIDE in Canada.
Mexican and Brazilian divisions of US companies were even more creative, designing and making some cars with very little connection to the US originals.
Remains to be seen if the noise will lead to productive strategic responses, but at least the noise is promising.
Polistra's Mill 