Kanada braucht eine neue beste Freundin

David Frum: “Trump’s attacks on long-standing allies of the U.S., and particularly his aggression against Canada, are encouraging countries to distance themselves from American power … America has yet to appreciate the diplomatic transformation wrought by the second Trump administration. At a press conference on October 15 to condemn Chinese export controls on rare-earth metals and industrial magnets, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke on behalf of the U.S.’and our allies.’ But those ‘allies’ are slipping away, wary of a U.S. that now seems far more unpredictable than Beijing, if not yet quite as malign.

“… Canada cannot so easily pivot away [from the U.S.]. Yet Canadian politicians, even in the more U.S.-minded Conservative Party, are trying out a more anti-American message. The Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, whose MAGA-style rhetoric is believed to have cost him the federal election in April, is now criticizing the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney for losing the ‘tug of war for auto jobs’ to Trump. The Carney government, in turn, is seeking more economic partners in Asia.

“Despite its proximity to the U.S., Canada does have ways to hit back. The country can slap export taxes on products such as aluminum, nickel, potash, and electricity from Ontario and Quebec, which the U.S. could not easily source from elsewhere. Canada can also aggressively poach U.S. talent, hiring scientists who feel sidelined or disrespected, or who simply do not wish to see an immigrant spouse or parent confined to one of Trump’s cells. This is not an unreasonable fear: About 150 Canadians, including two toddlers, spent time in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention from January through July.

“A cycle of mutual retaliation serves no one. Donald Trump’s unprovoked and unceasing aggressions against Canada warn an astonished and worried world of the limits of diplomacy with such an irrational player. There is clearly little value in compromise with an ally who has become so dangerously mercurial.”

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