By Chris Houston
Newspaper headlines will tell you that Canada is in a “Trade War” with the U.S. I hate framing things that are not war as war. The rhetoric of war normalizes it and we absolutely don’t need any more of that. We’re in a trade dispute. Canada was at war with the U.S. during the 1812 war, since then, we’ve been in a state of economic integration. We exist as national besties, in a state of cozy-peace. Perhaps too cozy.
The recent tariffs threat has been paused since Justin Trudeau promised to bolster border security, restating plans already announced in December. Trump has already redefined his complaints about Canada, citing complaints about banking and energy.
The focus on illicit drugs was never credible. Drugs flow into Canada from the U.S., while any drugs flowing into the U.S. represent less than one percent of that which goes in via their southern border with Mexico.
Non-wars
Canada is engaged in actual war efforts alongside the U.S., for example, both nations provide military training in Ukraine. Another example of being in a war alongside America was Canada’s decision to join the American-led invasion of Afghanistan. Initially described as an effort to destroy al-Qaeda, the narrative shifted towards ousting the Taliban. The Taliban govern Afghanistan, war was a failure, and has been described by legal scholars as illegal.
The War in Afghanistan was the start of an ongoing campaign started by George W. Bush in 2001, and described as the “War on terror.” The campaign has been widely criticized, it has no clearly defined enemy – terror is an act, not a group. When Maryland University’s Global Terrorism Database stopped publishing updates in 2020, it documented terrorism-related deaths above the 2001 level. In 2024, the Global Peace Index report noted that “Peacefulness has declined year-on-year for 12 of the last 16 years.”
Another poorly named American campaign is the 40-year-long “War on drugs.” That too is failing, according to a 2024 report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Disagreement and dialogue
Disagreement between neighbors and countries is normal. Disagreements are best resolved by dialogue. Last week, responding to American tariffs imposed on Canadian exports, Justin Trudeau lamented that he has been trying to meet President Trump since his inauguration.
If Trump wishes to boost American manufacturing, that is his prerogative and perhaps a sensible objective. Moving things across the world is costly in terms of money and the environment. That said, importing things from Canada is easy. Perhaps Canada should also increase manufacturing capacity. There are many ways for governments to do so, including government support to boost manufacturing capacity.
I hope that Canada does ramp-up local manufacturing. It disappoints me that we manufacture things like weapon systems, rather than things we need in Canada. In 2014, Dorchester, Ont. company Armatec announced plans to test armored vehicles near Benoir Lake, Haliburton County. Armatec abandoned their plans after local residents learned the equipment was not for Canadian forces, but destined for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition is a belligerent in the Yemen Civil War, and supported by Canada and the U.S. Saudi Arabia has been accused of war crimes by Human Rights Watch for its activities in the war.
The trouble with Trump
Trump, like many people who shift from business to politics, treats everything like a zero-sum game. While corporate success tends to be about winning against competitors, national leaders must try to find solutions that work for a wide variety of groups.
An extra problem with Trump is that he seems more focused on making his opponents lose, than he is on winning. He seems driven by revenge and pettiness. Frequently defining people as “losers,” he is a bully, a man void of nuance or care, fueled by anger and impulse. The world needs better leadership.
Canadian identity
Perhaps Canada has placed too much emphasis on economic integration with America. Perhaps Canada’s tendency to cozy-up to the U.S. has cost us our sense of identity and we have become a mere echo of the U.S. It’s not a good country to echo.
I hope Canada develops stronger relationships with other trading partners. I hope that Canada rediscovers our identity. We are, or were, frequently seen by those far away as a peaceful nation. The national brand doesn’t match the reality that includes the colonial foundation of Canada, military alliances with the U.S., and our military support for Israel’s war in Gaza. That said, Canada has historically done a lot to advance global peacefulness. In recent years, that has diminished while our proximity to the U.S. positions has increased.
So, I long for a future with more international collaboration and dialogue. I dream of a Canada that promotes peace and a world where leaders prioritize dialogue. Until then, let’s not frame this economic upheaval as a war. Let’s not normalize war. The world doesn’t need more wars. It needs more peace.
Chris Houston, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is the President of the Canadian Peace Museum non-profit organization.
