A Socialist in Canada, Nov 10, 2016
Genuine conservatives, if there is such a thing, of the small ‘c’ variety in Canada and elsewhere are horrified by the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Three examples from yesterday’s conservative daily newspaper in Canada, The National Post, provide a very good overview of the election campaign and its outcome:
* The Trumpocalypse that destroyed conservatism, by Jonathan Kay, editor, The Walrus (print magazine in Canada), Nov 9, 2016 (reprinted in The National Post)
* The end of a bizarre, sordid campaign — and American politics will never be the same again, by Ruth Sherlock and Nick Allen, reprinted from The Telegraph (UK), Nov 8, 2016
* Before Trump trolled his way into the White House, he perfected the template in Palm Beach, by Chris Selley, columnist, The National Post, Nov 8, 2016
Meanwhile, Liberals of the large ‘L’ variety in Canada know their place in the imperialist pecking order. Within 24 hours of Trump’s election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has offered to “renegotiate” the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with his new U.S. overlord (Globe and Mail lead article, Nov 10, 2016). “The immediate effort to curry favour with the president-elect less than 24 hours after the U.S. vote is a significant move to develop a co-operative relationship with a leader who is Mr. Trudeau’s political opposite…”
Ottawa has just been through a bruising battle to win agreement from the 28 governments of the European Union for the (Canada Europe) Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). It’s the latest globalized capitalism investment agreement, paralleling the much larger Trans Pacific Partnership investment agreement.
‘Victory’ with CETA is far from assured as the deal must now go through some semblance of approval by the national legislatures of the EU member countries.
