Trump Strikes Again
What the National Security Strategy means for Canada
Late last week the United States released their National Security Strategy document for 2025.
In many ways, given what we have seen from the Trump administration in the past ten months, it was unsurprising. It complains about how badly they have been treated, and how much they have done for everyone else in the past, and states that now they now plan to put America First.
There have been some (fairly mild) complaints from Europe, because there are comments that the US needs to help Europe “correct its current trajectory”, by eliminating immigration, refusing to extend the number of countries in NATO, and having the US as a major trading partner.
The Canadian news, however, has virtually ignored the release of the NSS, and said nothing about what it could mean for our country.
Canada is only mentioned by name once. However, in the section on the Western Hemisphere, the NSS says that “the United States must be preeminent in the Western Hemisphere as a condition of our security and prosperity”, and indicates that all other countries will be considered vassal states, allowed to trade only with them and under their terms. They will, they say “through various means” discourage any collaboration with others.
They plan to take what they want from critical supplies, and state in so many words that they are willing to use lethal force “to replace failed law enforcement”. Since they are already doing this to Venezuela, I see no reason not to believe them.
Donald Trump has already said multiple times that he wants to make Canada his “51st state”. While this document may not include that, it clearly indicates that the United States plans to attempt to take over the sovereignty of the entire western hemisphere.
With Canada, the plan is clearly to cripple us financially. Already the massive tariffs that Trump has added to steel, aluminum, automobiles and lumber have cost many jobs, but I believe his next move will be to pull out of CUSMA (or the USMCA, as it is known in the US). Then he will be able to add huge tariffs to not only a few items, but everything.
That will hurt us. In spite of all we are doing now, our deals with new countries and support for those who need it, it will hurt badly. But we cannot let him win. Canada is strong, and we can stand against the American financial war, but only if we stand together. The worst thing we can do with a bully like Trump is what a lot of people are doing – bow down to him, and show weakness. We are strong. We need to prove it.
Take Trump seriously. He doesn’t joke. But take yourself seriously, too. Keep your elbows up, and get ready. Team Canada has to win this one. We cannot allow the fascists to run the world.