It seems a bit rich for our Prime Minister to be moaning
about Donald Trump’s premise for imposing tariffs on imports
of Canadian steel and aluminum to the U.S.
First of all, it’s clear that tariffs are nothing but trouble. In the
years since WWII, the Western world has devoted considerable
time and energy in successfully engineering a trading system that
is relatively well oiled. It has resulted in the greatest improvement
in living standards in human history. Life expectancy has risen significantly,
poverty has been reduced incredibly, knowledge has
grown and global conflict has declined.
Trump’s arrival has upset that apple cart for domestic partisan
reasons, which has irked the commercial and political world
outside the U.S.
Among the offended is Trudeau. His opposition was especially
dramatic when he reacted to Trump’s decision to slap import
tariffs on Canadian metal products for “national security” reasons.
He was offended that we would be seen as a national security
threat.
This is the same PM who just nixed a deal between a Canadian
construction company and a Chinese firm looking to enter the
Canadian market. And for the same reason: national security.
BY PAUL MARTIN, MARTIN CHARLTON COMMUNICATIONS
THE BOTTOM LINE
This foreign company might get critical information on Toronto’s
transit system or our infrastructure.
So national security can work for him with our No. 2 trading
partner, but not with America with its No. 3 trading partner,
Canada? Does it matter that American companies and government
agencies have access to all manner of sensitive Canadian information?
No doubt, someone in our national government uses
a product supplied by a U.S.-based technology company such as
Microsoft, Intel or Apple, and has access to government email. Or
they might actually learn a thing or two about our military when
they supply us with guns and fighter aircraft or lend us uniforms.
Add to this the fact that China has embarked on the world’s
most significant infrastructure development programs called
“One Belt, One Road” and that one of their big companies wanted
to establish a beach head in Canada that would have, no doubt,
given us a leg up on being a player in that multi-trillion dollar
global project. And we responded by insulting them with the exact
words we found so offensive when Trump used them.
China says it wants Canada while the Americans are presently
kicking us, and our national government chooses the bully over the
friendly overture. And adopts the language of the bully in doing so.
Trudeau’s
Response to
American Tariffs
QDXJW / 123RF STOCK PHOTO
60 Think BIG | Quarter 3 2018 | saskheavy.ca
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