“I have one love — Canada. One purpose — Canada’s greatness. One aim — Canadian unity from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”.,.— John Diefenbaker.In the wake of the disastrous mishandling of the freedom convoy by the misguided and stumbling government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — a man who is totally out of his league, in dealing with this, or any other crisis — a friend of mine posed an interesting question..He asked: “Would Canada be better off with a dictator, or, should it become a republic, or, would the West be better off as part of the United States?”.In other words, has the time come to look toward the future and choose a new direction? Whatever we have now is not working — in fact, it’s tearing the country apart..Canada with a dictator wouldn’t be a big stretch, because basically we already have one!.The only thing missing from Justin’s disastrous six-year reign is he hasn’t declared himself Canada’s leader for life, as his counterparts in China and Russia have done..In his arrogant, over-bearing mind, it seems he knows better than all of us, so is it really that far-fetched? .Like a dictator, Trudeau has shamed and derided those who openly challenge him as racist, misogynist and other nasty names..Labels which have shocked liberal political commentators, such as Bill Maher, and right-wing FOX television types too, such as Tucker Carlson..In his panic, he has invoked emergency powers without proper cause or justification, raising human rights concerns..Good, hard working Canadians, waving Canadian flags and chanting freedom, for crissakes. Women and children, with signs..Every other dictator in history has done much the same — exaggerating political rivals with cheap and tawdry labels to diminish and isolate them. .Anything and everything to quash the revolt..And then letting the dogs loose, such as the ongoing witch hunt led by liberal attack dog Chrystia Freeland, into donations made to the convoy online..How dare you, Martha and Henry, support a cause on GoFundMe! You must be a Nazi flag waver! Freeze their accounts!.To quote the great Rex Murphy: “Is it really that hard for politicians to acknowledge the majority of people who went all the way to Ottawa are just decent folks?”.Rather than actually leaving his bunker and facing the issue head on, as his dad, Pierre Trudeau might have done, Jr. has chosen to add fuel to the fire with his ultra stupidity..It should be noted Justin met with Black Lives Matter protesters, and even took a knee and bowed his head in dramatic, virtue-signalling fashion. It made for a good photo op..This is a man who cares more about his green image in the history books than Canada’s future or its economic stability..Much like Roman Emperor Nero, he’s fiddling on his laptop in the Cottage of Parliament while Canada burns. Pathetic..No, a dictatorship is not the answer. Besides, the US would not look kindly on it and just stage a CIA coup, planting their guy in power like they do everywhere else..So how about becoming a republic?.According to an Angus Reid survey published in December, more than 50% say Canada should not remain a constitutional monarchy indefinitely, while one-quarter say it should, Global News reported..The same poll also suggests as long as Queen Elizabeth II continues to reign, 55% of Canadians support continuing to recognize her as the official head of state..However, that support has declined over the years..In an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News in March 2021, two in three Canadians, or 66% of respondents, said the Queen and the Royal Family should not have any formal role in Canadian society, as they are “simply celebrities and nothing more.”.I would tend to disagree with that. .For one big reason — our historical connection with the Queen, and the so-called royals, separates us nicely from our American friends..Also, I like that tradition, and I would not want to lose it, even if Alberta were to go its own way politically..I know there are a lot of royal haters out there, but I’m not one of them..I grew up in a Catholic school, where a big map — showing the British empire in red — hung on the wall. .We stood by our desks and proudly sang, “O Canada” every morning … it was ingrained into us. I’m a child of that world..Which leads us to the last option. Should any Canadian province, Alberta in particular, toss everything and join the United States?.Let’s face it, Uncle Sam has tolerated us, and our liberal ways, for decades. .Case in point, Canada was one of only two countries in the Americas that did not sever relations with Cuba (other than Mexico) after the Cuban Revolution in 1959..During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker refused to put Canadian troops on alert, and deliberated for several days over raising military awareness to DEFCON 3 as President John F. Kennedy had requested. .JFK wanted to station nuclear weapons in Canada. .“Dief the Chief” said he would acquire them if Canadian sovereignty and civilian control were guaranteed, and then only after exhausting attempts at global disarmament..A slap in America’s face that did not go over well..And then there are some experts who say it’s all about water, fresh water. .That eventually America will just take us over, grabbing our water, our natural gas and crude oil, our mineral resources and anything else they want..According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Canada is a country of unbelievable water wealth. .It boasts more than 20% of the world’s fresh water and the flow of rain, spring water and snow-melt that courses through its waterways represents 7% of the planet’s renewable water supply — all to satisfy the needs of just .5% of the world’s population. .That probably won’t happen in my lifetime, but in the future, who knows?.Should the western provinces just make the move to join the United States? Leave the Confederation and the Laurentian elites to figure it out on their own?.Other than Ontario and Quebec — the political powerhouses that run the show — the rest of us are just bystanders to an ongoing transfer-payment disaster..I ask you, while our culture and economy is very different, is there any reason why we shouldn’t? Some even say it’s inevitable..We share more than just the world’s longest border. We also share the same values, lifestyles and aspirations..According to Politico.com, put together the US and Canada would be a colossus, with an economy larger than the European Union’s — larger than that of China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea combined. .Wow … think about that for a minute. Think of what it would do for the future of your children, and grandchildren..So why have a border at all? .Is it time to do what the Europeans have done, despite centuries of warfare, and eliminate this artificial boundary?.Move toward a currency union, both countries running on the US dollar?.More radically, Politico.com suggests the US and Canada could merge into a single nation-state or an EU-style partnership, with certain powers allocated to a central governing body while others stay with each country’s own ruling structures..Then again, do we want America’s radical divisiveness and problems? The rampant commercialism, as Pierre Trudeau once called it..I honestly don’t know if we want to go there. Maybe all we really need is a new deal under Confederation. .But that sure as hell isn’t going to happen with the current administration in Ottawa, which appears to be doing more to demolish Canada than save it..Canada remains a ship without a capable captain or a sturdy rudder. Sailing into rough, uncertain waters..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. He has worked in the media for decades, including as an editor for the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun. He also wrote extensively on military and security issues for the Asia Times in Hong Kong. PTacitus27@gmail.com
“I have one love — Canada. One purpose — Canada’s greatness. One aim — Canadian unity from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”.,.— John Diefenbaker.In the wake of the disastrous mishandling of the freedom convoy by the misguided and stumbling government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — a man who is totally out of his league, in dealing with this, or any other crisis — a friend of mine posed an interesting question..He asked: “Would Canada be better off with a dictator, or, should it become a republic, or, would the West be better off as part of the United States?”.In other words, has the time come to look toward the future and choose a new direction? Whatever we have now is not working — in fact, it’s tearing the country apart..Canada with a dictator wouldn’t be a big stretch, because basically we already have one!.The only thing missing from Justin’s disastrous six-year reign is he hasn’t declared himself Canada’s leader for life, as his counterparts in China and Russia have done..In his arrogant, over-bearing mind, it seems he knows better than all of us, so is it really that far-fetched? .Like a dictator, Trudeau has shamed and derided those who openly challenge him as racist, misogynist and other nasty names..Labels which have shocked liberal political commentators, such as Bill Maher, and right-wing FOX television types too, such as Tucker Carlson..In his panic, he has invoked emergency powers without proper cause or justification, raising human rights concerns..Good, hard working Canadians, waving Canadian flags and chanting freedom, for crissakes. Women and children, with signs..Every other dictator in history has done much the same — exaggerating political rivals with cheap and tawdry labels to diminish and isolate them. .Anything and everything to quash the revolt..And then letting the dogs loose, such as the ongoing witch hunt led by liberal attack dog Chrystia Freeland, into donations made to the convoy online..How dare you, Martha and Henry, support a cause on GoFundMe! You must be a Nazi flag waver! Freeze their accounts!.To quote the great Rex Murphy: “Is it really that hard for politicians to acknowledge the majority of people who went all the way to Ottawa are just decent folks?”.Rather than actually leaving his bunker and facing the issue head on, as his dad, Pierre Trudeau might have done, Jr. has chosen to add fuel to the fire with his ultra stupidity..It should be noted Justin met with Black Lives Matter protesters, and even took a knee and bowed his head in dramatic, virtue-signalling fashion. It made for a good photo op..This is a man who cares more about his green image in the history books than Canada’s future or its economic stability..Much like Roman Emperor Nero, he’s fiddling on his laptop in the Cottage of Parliament while Canada burns. Pathetic..No, a dictatorship is not the answer. Besides, the US would not look kindly on it and just stage a CIA coup, planting their guy in power like they do everywhere else..So how about becoming a republic?.According to an Angus Reid survey published in December, more than 50% say Canada should not remain a constitutional monarchy indefinitely, while one-quarter say it should, Global News reported..The same poll also suggests as long as Queen Elizabeth II continues to reign, 55% of Canadians support continuing to recognize her as the official head of state..However, that support has declined over the years..In an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News in March 2021, two in three Canadians, or 66% of respondents, said the Queen and the Royal Family should not have any formal role in Canadian society, as they are “simply celebrities and nothing more.”.I would tend to disagree with that. .For one big reason — our historical connection with the Queen, and the so-called royals, separates us nicely from our American friends..Also, I like that tradition, and I would not want to lose it, even if Alberta were to go its own way politically..I know there are a lot of royal haters out there, but I’m not one of them..I grew up in a Catholic school, where a big map — showing the British empire in red — hung on the wall. .We stood by our desks and proudly sang, “O Canada” every morning … it was ingrained into us. I’m a child of that world..Which leads us to the last option. Should any Canadian province, Alberta in particular, toss everything and join the United States?.Let’s face it, Uncle Sam has tolerated us, and our liberal ways, for decades. .Case in point, Canada was one of only two countries in the Americas that did not sever relations with Cuba (other than Mexico) after the Cuban Revolution in 1959..During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker refused to put Canadian troops on alert, and deliberated for several days over raising military awareness to DEFCON 3 as President John F. Kennedy had requested. .JFK wanted to station nuclear weapons in Canada. .“Dief the Chief” said he would acquire them if Canadian sovereignty and civilian control were guaranteed, and then only after exhausting attempts at global disarmament..A slap in America’s face that did not go over well..And then there are some experts who say it’s all about water, fresh water. .That eventually America will just take us over, grabbing our water, our natural gas and crude oil, our mineral resources and anything else they want..According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Canada is a country of unbelievable water wealth. .It boasts more than 20% of the world’s fresh water and the flow of rain, spring water and snow-melt that courses through its waterways represents 7% of the planet’s renewable water supply — all to satisfy the needs of just .5% of the world’s population. .That probably won’t happen in my lifetime, but in the future, who knows?.Should the western provinces just make the move to join the United States? Leave the Confederation and the Laurentian elites to figure it out on their own?.Other than Ontario and Quebec — the political powerhouses that run the show — the rest of us are just bystanders to an ongoing transfer-payment disaster..I ask you, while our culture and economy is very different, is there any reason why we shouldn’t? Some even say it’s inevitable..We share more than just the world’s longest border. We also share the same values, lifestyles and aspirations..According to Politico.com, put together the US and Canada would be a colossus, with an economy larger than the European Union’s — larger than that of China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea combined. .Wow … think about that for a minute. Think of what it would do for the future of your children, and grandchildren..So why have a border at all? .Is it time to do what the Europeans have done, despite centuries of warfare, and eliminate this artificial boundary?.Move toward a currency union, both countries running on the US dollar?.More radically, Politico.com suggests the US and Canada could merge into a single nation-state or an EU-style partnership, with certain powers allocated to a central governing body while others stay with each country’s own ruling structures..Then again, do we want America’s radical divisiveness and problems? The rampant commercialism, as Pierre Trudeau once called it..I honestly don’t know if we want to go there. Maybe all we really need is a new deal under Confederation. .But that sure as hell isn’t going to happen with the current administration in Ottawa, which appears to be doing more to demolish Canada than save it..Canada remains a ship without a capable captain or a sturdy rudder. Sailing into rough, uncertain waters..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. He has worked in the media for decades, including as an editor for the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun. He also wrote extensively on military and security issues for the Asia Times in Hong Kong. PTacitus27@gmail.com
