CHELSEA, QUE.—Rage, fear, contempt: an incomplete list, but it captures this country’s overall reaction to United States President Donald Trump, easily the most aggressively-ignorant, narcissistic, emotionally-damaged bully to lead that country in living memory. 

It is our misfortune to live right next door, although no corner of the globe has escaped Trump’s towering need to humiliate, intimidate, and dominate.

So we loathe him, we can’t stand the sound of his voice—although we are careful to exempt American friends, relatives, and allies from our fury—but what do we do? How do you defend against a bully as powerful and remorseless?

Access to microprocessor knees restores independence and eases pressure on the Canadian healthcare system

Fight, flatter, disregard, or finesse? 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford offers the populist—and probably most popular—prescription: push back. “If he continues to bully us, we can’t back down. You have to stand up to bullies in the schoolyard, or they’ll take your lunch money.” Last week, Ford hinted at withholding unspecified energy exports to the U.S.: “We could dismantle the U.S. if we wanted to … they need to feel the pain, rather than us constantly feeling the pain.”

When you recall Trump’s furious reaction to Ford’s World Series ad last year—the one that quoted then-president Ronald Reagan praising free trade—putting tariffs on our oil exports (which would not pass muster with Alberta, obviously), or turning off the lights in New York City could provoke the notoriously unstable genius to close the St. Lawrence Seaway, occupy Newfoundland, even force the Blue Jays out of Major League Baseball.

On the other hand, would Trump’s response amount to anything more than a few scary headlines, foot-stomping tantrums, and frankly ludicrous threats? We are supposed to be punished, somehow, for the recent wildfires fuelled by climate change, caused by the carbon emissions that are one of America’s biggest global exports. 

In January, we........

© The Hill Times