Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 04:23

Canada border plan no victory for Trump

THE EDITOR: The announcement of Canada’s $1.3 billion (Canadian dollars) border security plan has been lauded as a victory for new US President Donald Trump. However, upon closer examination it becomes clear that this so-called triumph is less ground-breaking than it appears. The Canadian government had already committed to many of these measures long before Trump’s recent announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico. The new border plan, unveiled by Canadian ministers on December 17, 2024, over one month before Trump took office, outlines five pillars aimed at strengthening border security and curbing the flow of fentanyl and other drugs. They include investments in new law enforcement tools, operational co-ordination, and information sharing. Importantly, these steps were already part of a larger strategy to improve Canada’s immigration and economic systems, independent of US pressure. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement reinforces this. Canada’s commitments to appoint a fentanyl czar, label cartels as terrorists, and launch a Canada-US joint strike force are framed as collaborative measures, not capitulations. Trudeau also noted significant investments in personnel and intelligence – measures that align with Canada’s long-term border strategy rather than being reactive to demands from the US. While the US president may tout this as a win for his administration, the reality is more nuanced. Canada’s proactive approach to border security reflects its own priorities, not a submission to US threats. The temporary pause on tariffs appears to be a political concession on the part of the US rather than evidence of a strong-armed negotiation victory. The fact that Canadian leaders quickly figured out Trump’s Achilles' heel and signalled their intention to target red states with their tariffs, and calls for boycotts, may have also played a part, since this would have led to higher prices for Trump voters, after he promised them the opposite. After speaking with Canadian friends, there is no doubt in my mind that even though the tension has subsided somewhat because of the one-month moratorium on tariffs between the two countries, Canadians will continue a more covert war, not just because of the threats of increased tariffs, but because of the disrespect they felt with the rhetoric from Trump of the US making Canada the 51st state. They will avoid buying American and generally doing business with their closest neighbours. If there is one thing that history has taught us, it is that there is nothing more potent in war than a united force defending its sovereignty. And although it was an eternity ago for most Americans, the quagmire that was the Vietnam War, on which many successful films were based, cannot be ignored in times like this. This is why it seems that the US president’s victory is more illusion than substance, and his actions may have put his citizens in a war that they may not lose, but neither can they win. TIM TEEMAL St James The post Canada border plan no victory for Trump appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.