“Even when Trump moves on, another Trump will eventually come along.
asserted
Trump → move → ?
That is why it is better to truly break free and become independent, even if it means suffering for a while.”
asserted
it → break → while
It’s a sentiment that has become ubiquitous among Canadians over the past year.
asserted
that → ’ → year
It has bubbled up in coffeeshop chatter, in flags springing up on front lawns and in “elbows up” stickers slapped on car bumpers.
asserted
It → bubble → bumpers
The version of it above was voiced by a regular Canadian, one who could well be your neighbour, as part of a nationwide consultation conducted by Global Canada.
uncertain
who → voice → Canada
This spring, the think-tank — which calls for greater international co-operation and is advised by a cross-partisan group of experts — ran a massive poll that asked some 7,500 Canadians to provide their opinions on the future of our trading relationship with the United States, oil and gas exports, immigration, defence spending, international diplomacy, foreign aid and much more.
asserted
that → call → States
It then brought together a representative sample of more than 400 Canadians, organized into small groups, that convened twice this summer.
asserted
that → bring → groups
I sat in on some of their deliberations in June, and I was struck by just how sympatico their views were.
asserted
views → sit → June
Without prompting, Canadians were well-versed on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
asserted
Canadians → verse → challenges
They argued and bickered (civilly) and mostly found themselves on the same page — and they seemed as surprised by this as I was.
asserted
I → argue → this
While Canada has been riven by polarization in recent decades, we can all sense the shift: my inbox is full of readers who, even when they disagree with me, appear to be unified in their sense that we are living through a moment of enormous change.
asserted
we → rive → change
Global Canada’s broad survey puts real data behind those vibes.
asserted
survey → put → vibes
Its polling showed that, even before negotiations blew up in August, two-thirds of Canadians wanted to reorient our trading relationship away from the U.S., and barely a third believed Canada should make “significant concessions” to get a deal.
asserted
Canada → show → deal
This feeling was expressed plenty in the smaller focus groups.
asserted
feeling → express → groups
“Personally, I just don’t like getting pushed around,” said one Canadian.
asserted
Canadian → like → ?
“I don’t like the fact that we have to take tariffs for no reason.”
asserted
we → like → reason
Recalibrating away from America is an easy one, but Canadians seem unified across a variety of once-thorny issues, too.
asserted
Canadians → recalibrate → issues
They believe we should spend more on defence, exploit our oil and gas resources to sell to the world and extend our military presence to the Arctic — and their beliefs cut across political ideologies.
asserted
beliefs → believe → ideologies
But because Global Canada dug deeper on those topics, we got some useful nuance.
asserted
we → dig → nuance
Around the table, Canadians were deeply concerned about the environment, worried about spending finite resources and steadfast that Indigenous sovereignty couldn’t be ignored.
asserted
sovereignty → concern → resources
The hours-long conversations, held across dozens of online chatrooms, also show that many Canadians are feeling bullish about their country’s prospects — perhaps even more so than the prime minister is.
asserted
minister → hold → prospects
Well before Mark Carney’s recent visit to Strasbourg, where the idea of Canada becoming an “associate member” of the European Union was floated, Canadians were excited to forge better relations with the bloc.
asserted
Canadians → become → bloc
But their desire to engage with the wider world didn’t end in Europe: discussion participants rattled off several places they want Canada to engage with.
asserted
Canada → engage → places
This renewed appetite for globalism wasn’t limited just to Canadians’ views on commerce and trade relationships.
asserted
appetite → renew → commerce
Overwhelming majorities of those polled said they want Canada to get more engaged at the United Nations and World Health Organization, too.
asserted
Canada → poll → Nations
They also oppose cuts to global health and international aid, and they believe our country should do more to prioritize human rights and environmental standards abroad.
asserted
country → oppose → rights
When the roundtables discussed these topics, their opinions further solidified.
asserted
opinions → discuss → topics
“I think it’s a great idea for Canada to be getting involved in coalitions of middle powers,” one Canadian said.
asserted
Canadian → think → powers
But, they cautioned, “that doesn’t mean we have to give up on trying to help reform the UN and the WHO.”
asserted
we → caution → UN
This part maps on well to where the prime minister is at these days.
asserted
minister → map → where
But it also indicates where he’s considerably offside.
asserted
he → indicate → ?
Since coming into office, Carney has slashed Canada’s international development budget by nearly $3 billion.
asserted
Carney → come → billion
He has sometimes alluded to the possibility of reinforcing those multilateral institutions, but little has come of it.
asserted
little → allude → it
Around the table, the idea that Canada should retreat inward, fixing internal problems before sailing around the world in search of friends and allies, certainly came up.
asserted
Canada → retreat → friends
But the deliberations show that Canadians increasingly see internationalism as a complement to the task of improving lives at home.
asserted
Canadians → show → home
“No one can achieve economic development by turning inward,” one astute observer remarked.
asserted
observer → achieve → development
Concerns about expanding relations with authoritarian China or with India, responsible for at least one assassination on Canadian soil, were generally shared in the conversations, but they were tempered by a pervasive pragmatism.
asserted
they → expand → pragmatism
“Good economics, good prosperity brings democracy, educates people,” one participant said.
asserted
participant → bring → people
Politicians and policymakers of all stripes should be poring over this data — all of which is freely available online.
asserted
all → pore → which
For one, these in-depth and thoughtful discussions fly in the face of received wisdom in Ottawa that Canadians do not care about foreign policy.
asserted
Canadians → fly → policy
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
