On Tuesday, Canada’s prime minister delivered an impactful speech at Davos.

The next day, at the same forum, Donald Trump proved, at least for the near future, that the United States is more of a threat than an ally to any democracy, including Canada. Trump criticized Carney, saying Canada “lives because of the United States” and should be grateful for its security.

Amidst Trump’s threats of annexation of Greenland and Canada, Carney announced a new approach to our foreign policy, saying “we can build something better, stronger, and more just.”

Carney is not wrong. Yes, we need to understand the world as it is. Yes, Canada must defend our sovereignty. Yes, we must build a better, stronger, and more just world. And yes, there has been a rupture in the world order.

But what Carney did not say, and should, is how Canada contributed to that rupture, and that rebuilding on the same foundation we have broken will not produce a different outcome.

The rules-based international order broke because we did not uphold it.

It broke as states like Canada failed to defend universal human rights and international law, choosing the comfort of elites over the rights of people and profit over principle.

It broke as we turned a blind eye to the rise of authoritarian leaders and movements that undermine democracy, including at home.

It broke as we signed trade deals without human rights provisions. Deals that protected corporate profits while workers, Indigenous communities, and civilians paid the........

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