In 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by three North American countries — Canada, the United States and Mexico — becoming the first ever such quadrennial soccer celebration to be co-hosted by three nations.
Three friendly nations was the idea.
But contrast that inspiringly unified plan, hatched in 2017, with what happened Sunday when the NBA’s Toronto Raptors hosted the Los Angeles Clippers. Canadian fans at the Scotiabank Arena booed, and loudly, too, during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. The same lusty booing during “The Star-Spangled Banner” happened, too, at hockey arenas in Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary
Sure, sports fans boo at all kinds of things, and people. But not typically during the singing of national anthems. When the Canadian opprobrium comes in the context of Donald Trump’s tariff war, well, let’s just say the contrast with the idealism of 2017 is striking.
This page has stood for free international trade with a minimum of hindrance to open markets for as long as this page has existed. So it will come as no surprise to loyal readers that we are in opposition to the newly inaugurated president’s love of tariffs.
We oppose them while fully understanding that Trump intends them as a cudgel. To him, they are a threatening weapon by which to extract a bargain prior to their implementation, such as more of a commitment to what should be an international war on fentanyl or a stronger resolve when it comes to preventing persons from crossing the U.S. border without legal permission, even though in the latter case that responsibility for a secure border fundamentally rests in our view with the United States. Even as we were writing this editorial, a pausing “deal” was made with Mexico and then a pausing “deal” with Canada. Within another 30 days we’ll have to go through all this again. Trump has a long-standing flare for the theatrical with every final scene featuring credit for himself.
Still, we get Trump’s basic argument, as articulated by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, when he told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin during a recent interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that tariffs had their geopolitical uses: “If it’s a little inflationary, but it’s good for national security, so be it. I mean, get over it.”
We happen to think that Trump, and Dimon, have too limited a view of national security.
Tariffs, arguably, are merely taxes by another name, more palatable to the MAGA crew but ultimately paid by the American consumer when they purchase foreign-made goods. Fast retribution from the victim-nation is, of course, inevitable, as those in the kitchen well know, including the MAGA chefs.
But some folks seem to see only one side of the transaction, which makes tariffs easier to market, at least politically: a domestic parallel would be taxes on out-of-state travelers, always an easier yes vote in state legislatures or city councils on the belief that voters aren’t paying them. But they are when they go out of town. Or if they own a hotel.
Trump and his crew also forget, of course, that it’s actually in America’s interests to have economically strong partners in Canada and Mexico. The new president is selling tariffs with an America First label, but it’s a myopic and naive view of what that actually means. A healthy Mexico helps with the U.S. border issue. A prosperous Canada, too, means a better partner when it comes to national security, especially when it comes to such potential mutual worries as North Korea, China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. As every car salesman knows, when people have less money, or worry about instability, they buy fewer cars. American exporters need stronger markets to which to sell.
Maybe, just maybe, the U.S. market is strong enough to withstand what Dimon called “a little” inflation without a huge crisis, but this battle would be bad for Mexico and Canada; on that almost all economists agree. That’s actually bad for the U.S. for reasons that should be obvious to Trump. He may consider Justin Trudeau his ideological bete noire, but Trudeau is toast anyway and, well, the U.S. president should try negotiating with those nice people to our north.
The idea that Canadians, in any signifiant number, want to be the 51st member of the United States of America is laughable. Indeed, the likelihood of that occurring would have taken a major dive over this past weekend, were it not lying on the ocean bed already.
We’ve not discussed similar Trump threats against China in this editorial and there are good reasons for that. But when it comes to our friendly neighbors, it’s also worth noting (as few do) that Americans pay a personal price for this nonsense.
Many of us have friends and family in Canada and Mexico. We work and play together and, in our shared uncertain future, that bond may turn out to be more vital than we now are able to see.
Children will listen too. And moving friends to the enemy list with such reckless abandon will do nothing to mold future leaders able to take actions to remind the world that America stands for fairness and freedom.
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