A New ‘Deal’: Making America Respect Canada Again (MARCA)

Tony Battista & Christopher Coates

Firstly, congratulations to Mr. Trump on becoming the 47th President of the United States of America. Through the democratic process, President Trump has earned the privilege and responsibility to serve and lead the United States of America and its people, and to be a major global voice in these turbulent times.

As the world struggles through tectonic changes and challenges of all kinds, including ideological differences, threats on the economic and world order established after the Second World War, continuing war and strife, environmental strains, pandemics and potential pandemics, poverty, scarcity and abundance, and technological leaps – to name a few – more than ever the world needs strong, enlightened political leadership.

The USA and Canada are no exception to this need for leadership, and a compelling case can be made that our two countries can lead the way to a more harmonious, prosperous, and peaceful future. This is not the time to be squabbling and squandering a relationship that has truly been a lasting beacon in a troubled world.

The storied USA-Canada relationship can be explained through a ‘functional or interest based approach’ anchored on the following principles and realizations: despite the occasional, even serious, tiffs at the political top, we make things work because it is in our mutual interest. Geography has put us together, and our common history, willingness to get along, extensive family ties, and shared economic interests and values have created ‘deep ties that bind’, generating mutual respect, unprecedented wealth, and peace between our two great countries for well over two centuries (hockey competitions notwithstanding)!

Do we want to build on this? Do we want to give it away to uncertainty and instability? Or do we want to charter an even better bilateral relationship that considers Canadian and American national interests and those issues that need to be tackled together. These are the major questions for our two countries and our shared continent.

We argue that a ‘functional approach’ is the more pragmatic option to strengthen our bilateral relationship. It will not be easy because it takes hard work, real hard work – political, diplomatic, interpersonal, business to business, family ties – for this great bilateral relationship to continue growing. And as it does, it will likely evolve towards an integrated North American economic union that would allow us to manage better our shared continent, with its vast natural, industrial, technological, and human wealth. This can be done pragmatically, interest-based, and willingly, without threats of tariffs, economic force, or coercion.

A ‘functional approach’ is a testament to the quiet brilliance of our two countries navigating a complex world together—like an old married couple who bicker about chores (or hockey) but always have each other’s back when it matters most.

However, we need to be careful not to test the limits of this ‘functional approach’ with threats, emotional exchanges, and unhinged reactions – all happening now in one way or another. All this is exacerbated by political and diplomatic tensions, economic challenges, and perhaps ideological differences between our two countries, whether they are the result of coercion from the incoming US administration, or imposed by a Canadian government that needs to deal with the growing national debt and important national programs that have been neglected and/or marginalized for too long.

Perhaps both Canada and the USA, need to embrace a longer view and a new wave of leadership—pragmatic, visionary – who can look beyond tariffs and geopolitical tensions, and advance together the immense potential of a North America, with the continuation or advancement of our already integrated economies, while working to the functional/interest-based outcomes that make sense!

Also, if this debate remains mostly the subject of social media posts and interview headlines, neither Americans nor Canadians will be able to follow the rational path needed to avoid the situation spiralling even further. On the Canadian side, unity and political resolve are essential. Canada would benefit from a strong leader and team who can either get this off the front pages and out of every newscast, or at least engender sufficient confidence that it will be worked out. This also needs to happen with a high degree of honesty with Canadians, while pursuing pragmatic courses of action with our US brethren.

So, let us continue to embrace a ‘functional approach’ to make things work better for the USA and for Canada.

In the shorter term, however, there will be economic and social pain, and potential friction. Canadian unity is essential to address tough decisions that have been avoided for too long – on the economy, on foreign policy, on security and defence, on infrastructure and productivity, on border issues, and immigration – in favour of pursuing an agenda focussed on the environment and a socially-biased ideology and initiatives. To be sure, environmental programs and social progress are important and even critical, but they seem to have been pursued at the exclusion of, or at least prioritized over, other matters that have critical impact on Canada, including its economy and relations with close allies. A balance was absent, and that approach has taken Canadians a good distance down a path that is increasingly difficult to change, or recover from, as the needs become greater, the costs larger and the decisions more difficult.

And while the Canada-US relationship is perhaps the most pressing concern for Canadians, there are other strategic challenges that need to be considered as well. It is critical that Canadians appreciate the evolving geopolitical context – whether that might be Russia and Ukraine and the impact on our NATO and European allies, or maybe just as significantly the growing global impact of China. Hence, addressing Canada’s future relationship with the USA, must also take into consideration China’s (and others’) strategic aspirations. And maybe through the practical lenses of a ‘functional approach’, and concerns about potential adversaries’, Canada and the USA can advance their national interests, strengthen their bilateral relationship, and willingly work towards well integrated continental economies – perhaps not just economically, but as neighbours who work, trade, prosper, respect each other, and laugh together (but still fight tooth and nail on the ice).

Long live the vibrant, iconic, and future-focused USA-Canada relationship!

About the Authors

Christopher Coates was initially trained as a helicopter pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces, and retired as Lieutenant-General in 2021, after having served as Deputy Commander North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and as Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC). Christopher has worked at the strategic and operational levels in the USA, with NATO Allies, and in the Middle East. He currently resides in the Ottawa area.

Tony Battista initially joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a Private soldier (Military Police) and retired in 2014 as Colonel, after serving with the US Joint Forces Command, and as Canadian Defence Attaché to 10 countries. Tony was the Chief Executive Officer of the Conference of Defence Associations and the CDA Institute, IBM Client Executive for Defence, Intelligence and Police, and Senior Associate with Sandstone Group. He lives in the Ottawa area.

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