In the Shadows of Resignation and Annexation
The resignation of the Prime Minister is one of those moments that highlights how polarized we’ve become. For my non-Canadian readers, it’s worth noting that Canada’s political system differs significantly from that of the United States. We do not directly elect a Prime Minister, nor does anyone run specifically for that role. Instead, Canadians vote for Members of Parliament (MPs) in their local ridings, and the leader of the party with the most seats typically becomes Prime Minister. This means that a Prime Minister’s resignation, while impactful, does not carry the same weight or sense of crisis as a sitting President stepping down in the U.S.
I’ll admit, it’s been a while since I last supported Justin Trudeau with my vote. His policies haven’t aligned with my vision for the future of Canada, and I feel he failed on some of his campaign promises that were important to me, such as electoral reform. But let’s be real, he doesn’t deserve the tidal wave of vitriol that seems to flood every corner of the Internet.
It’s not just genuine criticism anymore; it’s this toxic ecosystem of bot-driven narratives and low-effort insults from people who wouldn’t know policy if it hit them in the face. The man’s not perfect, but he’s also not the cartoon villain so many are determined to make him out to be. Let’s hold people accountable for their actions, not for the caricature the Internet decides to draw that day.
On the other side of the border (and the realm of reason), we have President-elect Trump and his laughable-yet-somehow-still-dangerous musings about annexing Canada into the 51st state.
Where do I even start? As a Canadian, I can confidently say that the overwhelming majority of us are not remotely interested in joining the United States. Zero. Nada. And it’s not just patriotism talking; it’s the facts.
We’ve got universal health care. Strong social assistance programs. A higher quality of life ranking. Better education systems. Why would we trade all of that for a privatized health care system that can bankrupt you for needing basic medical care? For a society plagued by mass shootings and gun violence? For a political system that seems to prioritize corporate interests over its citizens? It’s like being offered the chance to downgrade your home in exchange for living in a fireworks warehouse with faulty wiring.
And even if, by some wild stretch of imagination, this annexation fever dream gained traction, has anyone told Trump how redistribution of House seats works? Adding Canada would mean existing states lose seats. Not to mention, Canada leans far more to the left politically than most of the U.S. Does Trump really want to add millions of liberal voters to his electorate? It’s a spectacular miscalculation, as absurd in its premise as it is offensive to anyone with a basic grasp of history.
And then there’s Greenland and the Panama Canal. Trump recently mentioned, on record no less, that he wouldn’t rule out using military force to annex these territories.
Greenland belongs to Denmark, and unless I missed a major rewrite of international law, an attack on Denmark is an attack on NATO. Let’s pause for effect: attacking a NATO country would obligate every other member to respond militarily. That includes the U.S.’s closest allies. This isn’t strategic thinking; it’s geopolitical self-sabotage with a side order of delusion.
Greenland and the Panama Canal are not strategic chess pieces for the taking. They are sovereign territories with their own complexities, histories, and people. Threatening them isn’t just reckless; it’s the kind of hubris that lights the fuse on global conflict. And this from a man who claims to want to end wars? The irony would be funny if it weren’t so dangerous.
In these turbulent times, it’s tempting to tune out, to let the absurdity wash over you and become background noise. But we can’t afford that.
History will judge how we responded to moments like these, and I, for one, hope it will show we didn’t let the loudest voices drown out the most rational ones. For Canada, and for the world, our identity, values, and sovereignty are not up for negotiation, no matter how loud or persistent the rhetoric becomes.