Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.
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Notes -
Nice.
I still see this is a serious conversation about an unserious scenario. I will update when we see what Trump actually does. Americans broadly don't harbor ill will or want to bully Canada. Does that matter? I think so. Americans don't really care about bullying Iraqis or Cubans. We probably can't escape the geopolitics of it all. Still, there are no irreconcilable differences between the two nations that suggest conflict is inevitable or desirable.
A mutually beneficial, if lopsided, security arrangement is fine and to be expected. Canada is not likely to keep complete sovereignty over all its territory, no. Poland, a nation of proud and jingoistic people, doesn't maintain complete sovereignty either. They invite America to violate their sovereignty with broad smiles and wide open arms. Isn't that the deal? What does a Canada not beholden to America look like? A Chinese satellite?
I don't know what the Pentagon or State Department is thinking in terms of long term strategy. Whether it has any influence on Trump's current rhetoric is another question. Canada's security capabilities and its willingness to maintain those are a real concern. There is a strategic deficit that Canada is well positioned to fill. Canada should be the Arctic guys on this side of the Atlantic. They probably are. Canada doesn't need a 400 ship navy to be a reliable and indispensable ally.
Seems like as the nice guy neighbor Canada should also be well positioned to have competent and useful intelligence agencies. A go-between that can offer to whisper sweet nothings into the super power's ears, thus gaining valuable access it can leverage. Why isn't that a thing? The Brits fill this role already?
I might feel the same way if I were a Canadian. As an American citizen I'd rather see Canada prosper than become a subservient territory. Rising tides and all that. Once the Canadian subreddit started speaking more candidly about immigration I began to have serious concerns. A United States of NAFTA would be kinda cool, but meh.
And, hey, at least you're not Mexico.
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