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Mark Carney invoked Canadian history Tuesday as he warned the tariff war with the United States will cause pain. Sadly, while he looked to legitimate examples from the 1890s related to trade with the United States, he didn’t look to recent history, which would show why China and the EU are not great alternatives.

LILLEY: Carney invokes history while eyeing China and EU to replace US Back to video

In the latest “Forward Guidance” video, Carney looked to the example of Sir John A. Macdonald and his National Policy and the threat of tariffs from American politician William McKinley. It’s interesting to see a Liberal prime minister invoke the name and the policies of Sir John A. after so many years of that party tearing him down.

In 1890, William McKinley, then just a Republican member of Congress, helped pass a bill that would increase tariffs on Canadian goods, and those from other countries, to as much as 50%. As Carney tells it, McKinley’s goal was to use tariffs to annex Canada.

“Does that sound familiar?” Carney quipped.

“McKinley’s 50% Tariff was meant to pressure us into dependence and eventually annexation by the United States,” Carney said. “In reality, it did the opposite. Rather than getting weaker, Canada grew stronger.”

Sir John A. Macdonald fought the 1891 election under the slogan, “The old........

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