Conservative commentator George Will once said that Canada is known internationally for its “extraordinary” common sense. So it should come as no surprise that many of us are simultaneously looking around nervously, sensing an increasingly hostile and volatile country as Canada begins to plan ahead to protect itself… from us, or more specifically, from the threats looming arise from our situation.
A brief synopsis from CBC News:
“The United States is and will remain our closest ally, but it could also become a source of threat and instability,” says a newly released report by a task force of former national security advisers and former directors of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service ( CSIS) , former deputy ministers, former ambassadors and academics. Members of the group have advised both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
And of course, Canadians had no need to do this “both sides,” even though Canada itself has a relatively small far-right movement that is pointing the finger squarely at Trump, Fox News, and a lack of trust in U.S. democratic institutions. Indeed, one of the most important concerns is collaboration between Canada’s smaller but increasingly hostile far-right and the more established, mature, and powerful American movement. If the extreme right (which is increasingly just “the right”) begins to organize violent campaigns in the US, the Canadian report believes there will be a spillover to Canada.
Canadian security experts pointed to the trucker convoy as a tangible example of a foreign threat, albeit unconventional in that it did not result from government action:
“This may not have constituted foreign interference in the traditional sense, as it was not the result of actions by a foreign government. But it arguably posed a greater threat to Canadian democracy than the actions of any state other than the United States,” the report said.
“It will be a major challenge for our national security and intelligence agencies to monitor this threat as it emanates from the same country that is by far our greatest source of intelligence.”
Her report also notes that it’s bloody difficult to coordinate with the US government when the polarization of the United States is so severe that the American security officer on the other end of the line might sympathize with the right-wing campaign. In addition, given that the two countries share much of the infrastructure (electricity grids, water systems, etc.), there is a concern that an all-American attack will inevitably spill over into Canada.
Notably absent from the report?
What to do when the border is flooded with searching Americans refuge start crossing the border, legally or illegally.
How do we know it’s a problem when it isnotin the report? As many of us with dual citizenship have already made our plans for the first time, we encounter a huge intersection being taken over by vigilante “security patrols” in the neighborhood. We take our loved ones and rush back to a relatively healthy and sustainable democracy. And many Americans will remember vacationing or doing business in Canada and the other social environment. If we thought about it, they thought about it. But they’re damn sure they won’t give any indication of what they’re planning, let alone acknowledge that they’re planning a potential crisis for an international public who may be the very people they need to sort out, people going home return, versus people who want to join forces.
After all, they are internationally known for their common sense.
Jason Miciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, columnist, author and lawyer. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teens and college days in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. Today he enjoys life as a single father to a young girl and writes on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves making his flower pots, cooking, and dabbling in scientific philosophy, religion, and the non-mathematical principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please do not hesitate to contact us for lectures or other concerns.
