Canada is free

Over the weekend, I had a new piece at Liberal Currents:

I have tried to emphasize to my American friends that, as much as some (fewer as time goes on) want to be able to make light of annexation/51st state talk, Canadians really are taking it seriously. Even if we could set aside all the assurances that trade war talk was just bluster or that the guardrails would hold when neither has been the case, the Trump administration keeps saying it.

Canada does not want to be part of the United States. We have never wanted to be part of the United States. That’s all that matters when it comes to whether or not Canada is really a sovereign country.

I link to an Evan Dyer piece above (click “taking”) about parallels between how the United States talks about Canada and how Russia talked about Ukraine before its invasion. My friend and co-author Tom Palmer pointed out to me yesterday that the invasion of Poland was also preceded by accusations that drugs were being manufactured in and exported from Poland.

I want people to take the defence of Canada’s sovereignty seriously. I also want to raise the alarm: What is under attack is the liberal international concept of respect for self-determination and sovereignty. Trump also has eyes for Greenland, Panama, and Gaza. Putin is already in a hot war for territorial expansion. China keeps its eyes on Taiwan. Simple sovereignty that doesn’t need justification or permission is also beleaguered by those uncomfortable with what they see as a flimsy national identity grounded in mere pluralism—those who wish for a defined national vision or explicit collective aspiration. I’ve argued against that idea before in a different context, and I hint at my disagreement in this new piece.

I also agree with Judith Shklar that, far from being a flimsy basis for national identity, committed liberal pluralism is a demanding commitment. It’s something liberals should take pride in cultivating and maintaining. But that’s an argument for another day.

Featured image is Child wearing Canada flag by Ksenia Makagonova

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btw, mine is not the first Liberal Currents piece defending Canada’s sovereignty. Read Katherine Alejandra Cross, too. And consider giving the outlet a follow, if you don’t already, or becoming a supporter.