Canadians need to look in the mirror as we are not off the hook with Trump.
The election of Donald Trump earlier this month was an immense shock for many. In the wake of the results, uncertainty seems to be the word on everyone’s mind. But are we really uncertain?
Clearly this is not the outcome people were assuming, and one thing that is for certain is that polls may have lost all their reliability this time around. Even major outlets like CNN touted pollsters with near perfect histories as practically assuring a Harris victory.
These types of predictions echo those of the 2016 election, in which a win on the Democratic ticket seemed ensured. All those who followed the elections were totally blindsided by the sheer inaccuracy of the polls compared to the results, especially those based in the North, who can only watch in shock and horror as these things play out.
Regardless of how uncertain we were of the results, we need to acknowledge the reality that the character of American culture has shifted toward favouring Donald Trump. Now, Canadians need to be aware of how this will affect our own lives and politics. There will be no honeymoon phase.
Here in Canada, Donald Trump’s policy proposals, for example, his proposed tariffs on all foreign imports, including those from Canada, could, if not resolved, take a major toll on our industries and economy.
The Canadian natural resources industry, the bulwark of the Canadian economy, is already showing signs of concern.
One study from Oxford Economics proposes that such tariffs, in the years to come, could lead to greater inflation and uncertainty in non-oil and gas natural resources like lumber.
Knowing the potential effects of a second Trump presidency is key to navigating the challenges ahead.
Of course, many Canadians and Americans are not only concerned about the economic ramifications for our nation but the political and social implications as well.
Donald Trump marks an undoubtedly historic shift in the American character. Not only does this election mark a second victory, it also is the first time Trump has won an electoral victory after the Jan. 6 riots, an event that scarred his last presidency. Trump’s promises during the election campaign this time around have been the most overtly fascistic, promising mass deportation of immigrants and threatening political opponents.
These reflect America’s appetite for radical social and economic change, fueled by hopes that swift anti-establishment policies will disrupt the status quo and lead to better lives.
Trump’s rhetoric scapegoats immigrants for society’s problems and blames a fabricated invisible enemy for the many ills of American society. Many Canadians will point at these issues and label them as phenomena exclusive to American society. It is often framed that Canadian society, oh so mythologically polite and timid in its character, is completely incapable of such problematic actions.
This, beyond a mild eye-rolling analysis of Canadian and American culture, would be a mistaken characterization. Canadian society has proven more than capable of echoing “Trumpism” and could very well adopt that kind of Trumpian thinking.
Canadian politics have already begun to shift towards a Trumpian character in the form of scapegoating immigrants, and populist culture war issues are taking centre stage in various provinces across the country. It would not be surprising if soon these Trump-like issues take the spotlight in federal politics as well.
To be clear, it is doubtful that Canada’s major political parties, the NDP, Liberals or even the Conservatives, will have a sudden turn to Trumpism in the coming weeks and months, but the process isn’t as unlikely as many would like to assume.
Canada’s Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre has teetered between favouring Trumpian style populist conduct and outright opposing Trumpian policies. This makes Poilievre an interesting character in the coming days of Canadian politics, as one of the greatest strengths Canada may have in resisting the near fascist politics of right-wing populism just may be figures like Poilievre.
Right-wing opposition to Trump in Canada has yet to become a silent voice, as it has become in the U.S., and watching the character of the Conservative party will be necessary in the coming years as a likely revival of Trumpism comes to Canada.
This doesn’t unburden the left in Canada, as the NDP and especially the Liberals, should learn from the campaigns of the Democrats in the United States, and acknowledge that solely being in opposition to Trump is not the election winner they wish it to be.
The strategy adopted by the Democrats in the past three elections evidently does not have a great track record, and if the left wants success in the future, it is time to adopt alternative policies that can combat right-wing populism with equivalent fire.
Trump’s popularity as a figure is growing in Canada, and this fact should not go unnoticed. During the previous Trump term, an effectively Trumpian party was established in Canada in the form of the People’s Party of Canada, and now with approval ratings rising for Trump, it is not unlikely that these ideologies return stronger than before.
A second Trump term in America effectively starts a countdown in Canada to an unknown date when our politics begin to follow the same course. The key question for Canadians now is how receptive we will be when a candidate of similar calibre comes and how we will act now to ensure that Trump’s rhetoric does not become prevalent in Canada.
