There is a view that the election of Donald Trump will mean Canada becomes “roadkill” in the new U.S. president’s campaign to build jobs in the United States.
“Trump’s political goal is to deliver jobs to Americans. … He’s not targeting Canadians, but, nonetheless, we’re going to be roadkill,” was the chilling assessment from Ian Lee, associate professor at the Carleton University Sprott School of Business.
However, an unintended consequence of a Trump presidency could well be the rebirth of Canada as a nation.
It’s possible that Donald Trump will be more cautious as president than he was as a candidate. Nevertheless, his promise to deal with unfair Chinese trade practices, veto the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, and renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would radically alter the global economy. Even the threat has altered the global economic agenda; nationalism and protectionism are on the rise.
These developments should be a wake-up call for Canadians, for we have been sleepwalking into an over-dependency on the United States. It is coming back to haunt us.
