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Globe and Mail
02-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
The eye of the storm isn't the end of Trump's chaos
It is comforting, in times of chaos, to believe that things will return to normal. People tend to seize on hints that the worst is over. This is why stock markets surge every time U.S. President Donald Trump does something marginally reasonable. Reality check: while moments of peace offer welcome breathing space, they are no reason to ignore the bigger picture. Canada sustained a series of body-blows in March and April, as Mr. Trump repeatedly raised annexation and levied punitive tariffs. Although the current situation may seem calmer, that is only by comparison to chaos. The country still faces serious economic threats from south of the border. Letting down the national guard now would be to fall victim to 'normalcy bias.' This theory holds that people believe during abnormal times that normality will reassert itself, removing the urgency to act. A common internet meme illustrates this with a picture of a dog surrounded by flames and saying, 'this is fine.' Last week offers strong evidence all is not fine. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump made another attempt to strong-arm Canada into joining his dream of a continental missile defence system. On Wednesday, a court ruled the U.S. president had acted beyond his authority to levy many of his tariffs. Then, one day later, another court paused the effect of that ruling, pending an appeal. Then on Friday, Mr. Trump announced that he would double tariffs on steel and aluminum. These head-spinning twists are now a feature of U.S. politics and are another reminder of the need for Canada to pivot away from the United States. On an individual level, Canadians realize this. They are boycotting American travel and making a point to buy local products. They applauded as provincial liquor retailers removed U.S. wine and spirits. They fly the Maple Leaf everywhere and dream, even more than most years, about the Stanley Cup coming home to Canada. Politicians seem to grasp it as well. The recent election campaign was consumed with the question of how best to protect Canadian independence. Prime Minister Mark Carney told the House of Commons last week that it is 'the top priority of Canada's new government to establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States and to strengthen our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.' Mr. Carney is also pledging quick action to break down internal trade barriers, promising 'free trade across the nation' by July 1, and is seeking to join a European rearmament plan. These are positive developments. However, big decisions remain. Where to find the money to meet NATO's coming goal of defence spending equal to 5 per cent of GDP, and how best to allocate it so the country can face new threats. How to help the economy reorient more globally, instead of relying on proximity to the U.S. How to manage regional tensions that hurt Canada's ability to project a united front. None of this will be easy. It will require the country to make the hard choices to chart a new course, one that will take years or decades to emerge fully. Sacrifices will be necessary to ensure Canada remains strong and free. It will be harder to find the will to make those sacrifices if Mr. Trump's threats fade into background noise. Normalcy bias could lead Canadians to ignore his erratic behaviour. To be clear, it is not normal for a modern U.S. President to threaten to seize land from other countries. Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, believes Canadians should just get over it, that the idea of annexation is dead. The diplomat clearly does not speak for his boss and is being massively disingenuous when he says that Americans are insulted by Canada's reaction to Mr. Trump's threats. And those threats continue. The President said again last week that Canada could avoid paying to join a continental missile defence program by becoming a U.S. state. Ludicrously, he claimed on social media that Ottawa is 'considering the offer.' Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae rightly pointed out that, 'in another context this would be called a 'protection racket.'' Mr. Trump's threats will ebb and flow. Some days they will feel like a klaxon-blaring emergency while other days it will almost be possible to tune them out. But normalcy won't return on its own. Canadians have to make that happen, by keeping their elbows up and building a stronger country.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Putin spy ship is caught lurking near the Outer Hebrides during live drill on how to shoot down a Russian-style missile
A Russian warship has been caught spying on Britain's missile defences by the Royal Navy. Yuri Ivanov, one of Putin 's so-called research ships, was spotted lurking in waters off the Outer Hebrides during a live drill on how to shoot down a Russian-style missile. It is believed it was trying to watch the NATO exercise known as Formidable Shield, which involved the firing of a £1million Sea Viper missile at a target. The test, which involved HMS Dragon, one of the Navy's most powerful ships, was designed to simulate Moscow 's formidable hypersonic weapons. The Sea Viper obliterated the incoming missile - with the Navy hailing the live drill as a 'huge moment'. HMS Dragon, a Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer, then hunted down the Russian spy ship. It sent its Merlin helicopter up to collect information from above, until the Yuri Ivanov headed north back towards its home in the Arctic. Meanwhile on May 18, two other Navy ships - HMS Ledbury, HMS Hurworth - were sent out to monitor a Russian warship as it sailed through the Channel. Lieutenant Commander James Bradshaw, commanding officer of HMS Hurworth, said: 'Monitoring activity on the seas and seabed around the UK is one of the core roles of the Royal Navy's 2nd Mine-Countermeasures Squadron. 'This operation was all in a day's work for the ship's company who have shown great professionalism. 'We have kept a constant watch to ensure the security and integrity of the UK's critical sea-lanes.' Lieutenant Commander Craig Clark, commanding officer of HMS Ledbury, said: 'Escorting Russian vessels through UK waters is a vital demonstration of our unwavering commitment to national security. 'Whilst the Hunt-class is uniquely equipped for mine and sea-bed warfare, maritime security remains a crucial task that any Royal Navy warship is trained to undertake.' Wayne Slater, from HMS Hurworth, said: 'Driving the ship close to the Russian vessels has been a new experience for me as a helmsman. 'Everything has been safe and professional but we're all trained to make sure we can respond to any aggression or incident whenever non-allied warships are operating near UK waters.' Lieutenant Patrick Bingham, gunnery officer from HMS Hurworth, added: 'As a former merchant navy officer, I know how important freedom of the seas is to the lifeline of goods and raw materials upon which our economy depends. 'The Royal Navy has been a guardian of the freedom of the seas for centuries and I am privileged to have contributed to this mission.'
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Canada discusses joining US Golden Dome missile defence programme
The Canadian government said it is in talks with the US over joining its proposed "Golden Dome" missile defence system, aimed at countering "next-generation" aerial Minister Mark Carney's office said there are "active discussions" between Canada and the US on security, including on existing and new programmes like the Golden president Donald Trump unveiled the plan for the new missile defence system earlier on Tuesday, announcing an initial sum of $25bn (£18.7bn) to build it. He added Canada has expressed interest in are doubts from experts on how the US would deliver a comprehensive system and it is unclear how Canada would participate or how much it would pay. Canada's openness to joining the proposed Golden Dome system comes amid ongoing trade and security negotiations between the two countries, after Trump threatened steep tariffs on Canada and said it would be better off as a US galvanised a wave of national patriotism in Canada that ushered in a historic election win for Carney's Liberal government."Canadians gave the prime minister a strong mandate to negotiate a comprehensive new security and economic relationship with the United States," said Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for Carney."To that end, the prime minister and his ministers are having wide-ranging and constructive discussions with their American counterparts," she said. "These discussions naturally include strengthening NORAD and related initiatives such as the Golden Dome."But Ms Champoux added it is too early to say what Canada might pay into the programme, or how it would work for the on Tuesday, Trump said that Canada has expressed interest in being part of the Golden Dome."We'll be talking to them," the US president said. "They want to have protection also, so as usual, we help Canada."Trump said that the new Golden Dome defence missile programme would be operational by the end of his time in office, and that it would come with a price tag of $175bn. He added that he his administration is looking for Canada to "pay their fair share."Canada and the US already partner on the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD - a system that is responsible for aerospace and maritime surveillance, warning and defence of the region, and that can detect and shoot down cruise has been in place since 1958, and both countries in recent years have been engaged in discussions to modernise said the proposed Golden Dome is meant to target increasingly sophisticated aerial weapons, and will include space-based sensors and said the system would be "capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space".It is partly inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, which the country has used to intercept rockets and missiles since have expressed doubts on whether the US would be able to build a similarly comprehensive defence system, given its larger land mass. Shashank Joshi, defence editor at the Economist, told the BBC that one way the Golden Dome could work was by using thousands of satellites to spot and track missiles and then use interceptors in orbit to fire at the missiles as they take off and take them said the US military would take the plan seriously but it was unrealistic to think it would be completed during Trump's term, and the huge cost would suck up a large chunk of the US defence Congressional Budget Office has estimated the eventual price tag could be $542bn over 20 years, on the space-based parts of the system alone.
