Canada flying in lockstep with the United States

 

Carney’s defence choices will deepen dependence and weaken sovereignty

During his campaign for prime minister, Mark Carney vowed that the era of “deepening integration” between the Canadian and US militaries was “over.” US President Donald Trump’s open disrespect for Canadians—and his promise to annex Canada through economic force—united the majority of the country against the US and drove Carney’s victory over far-right Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

The Carney government’s recent actions, however, including the near certain purchase of US-made F-35s, reveal his campaign promises for what they were: a calculated political rug pull.

Carney’s record as an orthodox neoliberal—and his hands-on role in US-led destabilization efforts against Venezuela while serving as governor of the Bank of England—should have tempered expectations that he would seek to reshape Canadian foreign policy or challenge American business elites. After the election, in fact, Carney released a list of his assets, showing investments in 567 organizations, 92 percent of them based in the US.

Rather than insulating Canada from an increasingly unpredictable White House, Carney’s policies appear to have reinforced Canadian alignment with the US in military, economic, and foreign policy matters. Diplomatically, meanwhile, Carney is full of praise for Trump, who last month reiterated his desire to annex Canada to the United States.

Carney’s “elbows down” approach was on full display during his October 8 visit to Washington. At a joint press conference with Trump, he offered unreserved praise for the president’s agenda, calling him a “transformative” leader and a peacemaker—even as Trump bombed civilian boats in the Caribbean with help from Canadian-supplied sensor systems. Carney also reaffirmed Ottawa’s backing for US-Israeli strikes against Iran, actions that were illegal and unprovoked.  (more...)

Canada flying in lockstep with the United States