The news that Canada and the European Union are considering an “associate status” for the decidedly not European country suggests that efforts at moving beyond US hegemony are under way. Whether such an arrangement would benefit Canada, the EU, both or neither is separate from the directional soundness of the effort: trying to leave the US behind, or at least minimizing contact with it, is a good idea.
Trump responded to the news by declaring that the US would consider a new Canada-EU relationship a “hostile act” and threatened to cut off trade with Europe. This reaction is a masterclass in proving the wrong point – and another instance of foolish tactics. By protesting too much, Trump betrays that he does care a great deal. Unwise. Unsound. Pathetic.
We can’t ignore the stupidity of the Trump administration and its true believers, but nor should we assume it’s a new, inevitable normal. Ultimately, there are more people who want a return to a saner world than there are those who wish to live in idiocy; we should band together and do the work to get ourselves there. Thankfully, that work has already begun.