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GELFAND’S WORLD - When the United States came under attack on September 11, 2001, our government relied on Canada to accept our aircraft and our people. The response by Canadians to our national trauma was heartfelt and massive. The response of Gander, Newfoundland was so wonderful that it has become the subject of legend. As Americans, we are sorry that our current government is not treating Canada in the same way, as it should.
I'm writing as one of the hundreds of millions of Americans who are friends with Canada and abhor the current insanity being displayed by our president. We don't understand why Donald Trump picked Canada to bully other than because it's there, and because his addled brain causes him to think that he can collect revenues through the use of tariffs. The Trump administration's excuse that fentanyl comes over the Canadian border is belied by the facts and is plainly stupid and dishonest.
The problem is that our system of government does not offer us a ready way to remove Trump in the way that a deranged prime minister would be quickly removed in a parliamentary democracy. This means that Trump can continue to do damage to Canada and to other traditional friends. He has continued to make threats, to flip-flop on those threats, and then to make them again. And by the way, this has happened within a context of similar attacks on important agencies within the United States, all in a blinding flurry of craziness.
Canada and its citizens have already responded by declaring boycotts against the purchase of American products. We as friends of Canada and supporters of fairness find that, as much as it pains us, we have to support your boycott. We see it as the necessary self-defense that is yours by right, and -- we sincerely hope -- an effective process that will ultimately convince the American government and its business leaders to reverse the attack. But we also see the boycott as the act of an ally. Donald Trump is a bully, and it is vitally important that all of us fight back. Please understand that the people of the United States are mostly victims of the Trump policies and the Trump bluster. We don't feel comfortable booing our own national anthem, but we are really sorry that the current behavior by the American government is justification enough for your people.
As friends of Canada and good Americans, we will continue to protest and to resist the acts of the Trump presidency, which have damaged and continue to damage our international relationship. And once again, our thanks to the people of Gander and other places in Canada who accepted our travelers at our time of greatest need.
Regards,
Bob Gelfand, Los, Angeles, California, USA
(Bob Gelfand writes on politics, science and culture for CityWatch in GELFAND'S WORLD. He can be reached at [email protected].)
