“Perceptions,” by Gerry Warner

Op-Ed Commentary

Any thoughts you have that US President Donald Trump isn’t serious about his plans to annex Canada to the US should be abandoned after several belligerent comments Trump made last week in what was obviously a presidential meltdown. Only a fool would deny Trump’s malevolent intent to turn the Great White North into a giant colossus that would stand triumphally over the Northern Hemisphere looking for another weak-kneed country to swallow.

If you think I’m kidding, consider this.

Trump has said he wants Greenland and it doesn’t end there. With climate change fast erupting and the Northwest Passage becoming free of ice, Trump has made it perfectly clear the US intends to bully its way to the front of the line in a race for the treasure chest of valuable minerals emerging from the melting ice. It doesn’t seem to cross his mind that a tundra thaw is accompanying the sea ice melt and between the two of them it will release an onslaught of greenhouse gases to further pollute our already polluted atmosphere which is dangerously saturated with carbon dioxide pollutants now.

Yes, Virgina there is a plan behind Trump’s machinations and that plan will aggrandize the wealth and military might of what’s already the richest and most powerful empire on the planet. That’s why he’s taken such a keen interest in Canada, something no other American president has done before. If you’re not losing sleep at night over this you might as well go back to playing pickle ball.

In a crowded White House press conference March 25, Trump made his feelings about Canada perfectly clear: “Canada has been a very nasty negotiator against the United States. They have tariffs against us of up to 400%. . .  but nobody ever talks about that . . . and remember with Canada we don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need anything from Canada and yet it costs us $200 a billion a year to keep Canada afloat. So, when I say Canada should be a state, I really mean that.”

Trump didn’t provide any details about his allegations except to repeat his oft- repeated intent to make Canada the 51^st state.

Then he went berserk again over a televised province of Ontario ad pointing out that his political hero, Ronald Reagan, was vehemently opposed to trade tariffs.  “Over the long run, such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer,” . . .  said the still popular former conservative president. “American jobs and growth are at stake.”  Upon hearing this, Trump had another melt down and cancelled all future tariff negotiations with Canada.

But now is the time to get serious folks.

Condemn me for writing so often about the bloated bully across the border but he’s after our resources – be they oil, aluminum, lithium, soft wood lumber and even water. And if we continue to dither about him coveting our valuable resources, he’s going to get them like a hungry bear gobbling up honey. Make that a Grizzly Bear! Despite this, many Canadians continue to be blasé about Trump’s dangerous aspirations. It’s so easy for them to make excuses for tolerating Trump.

However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is a glorious exception to the many Canucks acting like wimps towards Trump. Ford called the $75 million advertisement paid for by the Ontario government “probably the best ad I’ve ever seen” and said he’s sure the ad will also be loved by millions of Canadians including some American Republicans too.

Now, I’m not normally a supporter of Doug Ford, but I think the Ontario premier hit the proverbial nail on the head with this one and I can’t help but wonder how many other Canadians feel the same. I hope it’s in the millions because otherwise the Great White North is heading towards a very dark place.

Gerry Warner is a retired journalist, who is not afraid to take a contrary position.

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