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Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada delivered a stark speech in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, prompting global political and corporate leaders in the audience to rise from their seats for a rare standing ovation. He described the end of the era underpinned by United States hegemony, calling the current phase “a rupture.” He never mentioned President Trump by name, but his reference was clear: “Every day we’re reminded that we live in an era of great-power rivalry,” Mr. Carney said. “That the rules-based order is fading. That the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must.”
And he warned, “The middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
He would know. Mr. Trump started his second presidential term making claims on Canada as the 51st state and threatening Canada’s previous leader, Justin Trudeau, whom Mr. Trump publicly derided, with unilaterally scrapping agreements that have governed the relationship between the neighboring countries for over a century.
Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada, which is one of America’s two top trading partners along with Mexico, that are crippling some of Canada’s key economic sectors, such as autos, steel, aluminum and lumber. Mr. Trump’s allies, particularly Steve Bannon, have talked about the benefits of the United States’ annexing Canada to access its vast Arctic and natural resources, including critical minerals and rare earths.
Mr. Carney chastised other leaders too, many of whom would have been following his speech in Davos, for not standing up for their interests. “There is a strong tendency for countries to go along to get along,” he said. “To accommodate. To avoid trouble. To hope that compliance will buy safety. It won’t.”
Mr. Carney made clear he is choosing a different path. He wrote his own speech, which is a departure since speeches of this magnitude are usually prepared by high-level staff members with the leader’s input. It highlighted the Canadian prime minister’s motives for flexing his rhetorical muscle on the Davos stage: Canada’s economic and, perhaps literal, survival. Mr. Carney spoke not long after Mr. Trump had posted an altered image on social media that featured a map of American flags superimposed over both Canada and the United States, as well as Greenland.
Canada’s integration with the United States runs deep across its economy, defense and culture. The position of the country in the ongoing Greenland crisis is a little distinct to that of the European powers finding themselves in Mr. Trump's cross hairs, even if they are all NATO allies. The two nations have a joint command for North American air defense. This week aircraft from both countries are at an American air base in Greenland as part of a regular training exercise that the joint air command said had been approved by Denmark. This is a situation that would rapidly grow very difficult for Canada should the United States choose to militarily involve itself in Greenland.
© 2015 Mutual Fund Observer. All rights reserved.
© 2015 Mutual Fund Observer. All rights reserved. Powered by Vanilla
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Here is the full, official transcript.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/o-canada