The strong do what they want. The weak suffer what they must.
The Sunday Essay ☕️
Imagine someone sitting in a dark room. They’re comfortable, unaware of their surroundings—until someone flips on the light. Suddenly, they see cockroaches crawling all over the floor. Instead of dealing with the infestation, they scream at the person who turned on the light, demanding they turn it back off, as if that will make the cockroaches disappear.
Donald Trump has turned a light on for Canadians. And we don’t like what we see.
Most people that I talk to are focused on the cockroaches. They understand it is not a foreign leader's job to give us good deals. It is our job to arrive at the negotiating table in a position of strength, and get a great deal for ourselves.
Not everyone feels that way.
I understand. It is easier to point the finger at the man who turned on the light, demand he shut us back into our blissful ignorance, and sleepwalk for another ten years.
But show me a Canadian who thinks Donald Trump is the enemy, and I’ll show you a Canadian who’s had their head in the sand for the last decade.
America is stronger than Canada. And yes, they will use that strength to their advantage in trade deals.
Show me someone who thinks it’s unacceptable for a powerful country to leverage its position over a weaker one, and I’ll show you someone who has never studied history.
Canada has a villain, but it’s not Trump—it’s the same villain we’ve had for the last ten years.
If you’re outraged about the threat of tariffs, demanding fairness, tell me—where was your outrage when Germany’s Chancellor arrived at our door, asking to buy our natural gas, and we turned him away because we “couldn’t make a business case” for selling a resource we have in abundance? Where was your outrage when the Prime Minister of Japan asked the same, only to be met with the same refusal?
Where was your outrage when we systematically dismantled every energy project that could have diversified our customer base? Or when we wasted the advantage of having the longest coastline in the world, spanning three oceans, with limitless potential for deep-water ports and global trade—choosing instead to focus on gender language in government documents?
If you weren’t outraged then, spare us the outrage now.
I believe most of the tariff talk is theatrics. As I mentioned in last week's essay, I think much of it is hypocrisy, and I don’t see any historic evidence of tariffs achieving their goals over the long term.
But I do believe that the American President is doing his job - he is going to bat for Americans.
It might be hard for Canadians, at this moment in history, to understand that some elected leaders go to bat for their electorate.
So again, I understand the confusion.
And no, if you think I’ve been lulled into some fallacy of altruistic politics, I haven’t. President Trump will go to bat for Americans, and is going to make himself and his family unfathomably rich in the process.
Days before taking office, the president and his family began selling $TRUMP and $MELANIA crypto tokens. The market cap of $TRUMP quickly climbed to nearly $15 billion.
Melania Trump has been seeking a buyer for a documentary about her transition back to first lady.
Both Netflix and Apple declined to make offers.
Disney offered $14 million.
But after a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in December, Jeff Bezos agreed to buy the documentary for… $40 million - the most Amazon has ever paid for a documentary… and nearly 3X the competing bid?
Why?
Amazon said it was because her husband is the President they were “excited to share this truly unique story.”
Melania's cut of the $40 million: 70%.
Donald Trump Jr. has also been capitalizing.
PublicSquare Holdings recently appointed him as a board member and consultant - with a healthy stock position and a $42,000 monthly “advisory fee.”
Why?
His Dad is the President .“He’s got really good insights to different types of investors”, the team at PublicSquare stated.
Drone manufacturer Unusual Machines named Don Jr. an adviser on Nov. 27. The firm’s shares skyrocketed 249% over the next two days, earning Don Jr $1.6 million in 24 hours.
Don Jr is a drone expert?
“He definitely understands this segment.” (And his Dad is the President)
It goes on; Don Jr is collecting board seats like Trudeau collects pronouns:
“As a longstanding advocate for media accountability, Donald Trump Jr. was a natural fit…”
“Don’s passion and leadership within the shooting sports industry offer important expertise at the board level….”
This kid does it all.
I could keep going, but you get it. Do I think that’s right?
No. I think it is deplorable.
But it doesn’t matter what I think. There is how I wished the world worked, and how it really does.
Example: Are the tariff threats really about drugs at the border?
Let me ask you: Is America's voracious appetite for narcotics a new thing?
They can and have blamed Colombia, Mexico, China, Canada,… etc., but as long as there is limitless demand, someone will supply.
I have a question: Who controls the flow of traffic moving south at the Canadian / American border…
Answer: The same country that controls the northbound traffic at the American / Mexican border.
So, if illicit substances are entering America in unacceptable numbers… can you spot the common denominator?
The ironic part is the American government's history of protecting the suppliers of drugs they claim to be at war with. The CIA’s complicity in the South American cocaine or the Afghan opium trade is no longer a guarded secret.
Will we read about their involvement with fentanyl at some point in the future?
The smart money says yes.
So the CIA sells heroin, and the President is in it to get rich. If you don’t believe that, then I understand why you think Justin Trudeau is in it for the windmills.
I can’t help you.
What's the point, Jay?
It’s Time to Clean House.
Instead of yelling at the man who turned the light on, let’s deal with the real problem.
Step one
Acknowledge that we have a problem. Acknowledge that Canada has squandered economic opportunities, kneecapped its own industries, and allowed political distractions to take precedence over national prosperity.
Step two
Demand leadership that prioritizes Canada’s strength—not just in slogans, but in action. We need leaders who will build infrastructure, expand our trade partnerships, and ensure that Canada is never again in a position where it has to beg for fair treatment at the negotiation table.
Step three
Stop being afraid of hard truths. The world is competitive. The strong do what they want, and the weak suffer what they must. Our only option is to make sure we are strong.
Donald Trump could be the best thing that has ever happened to Canadians, if, we are willing to take accountability for our situation, and change it.
I teach my kids this lesson as often as possible. The direction of their lives is their responsibility.
Pointing the finger does us no good.
The light is on. The question is: are we finally ready to do something about it?
Have an epic Sunday,
Jay
If you can’t beat them join them.
Interesting article as always, Jay. I admit I don't know lots about Canada other than you are loaded with natural resources, so not selling your natural resources leaves you with what? I know you have some manufacturing, but certainly not enough to absorb all those displaced by the shutdown of deals with Germany and Japan. Also, to be fair, and this is in most countries who primarily have two main political parties, the politicians aren't really working for the common man. Nor will they ever again. At least in the American Congress, we have one politician, Congressman (Representative) Thomas Massie. He does his absolute best to make the Congress adhere to the Constitution and votes against all foreign aid. Unfortunately, he is one out of 400+.
I agree with you on the Fentanyl and CIA all the way. Besides, if you are stupid enough to try drugs, even without Fentanyl, there were always risks of other ingredients, super high potency, etc. Answer is simple; don't do drugs. I was never tempted; I was crazy enough without drugs to totally mess me up.
I wish Canada well. I hope Trump's silliness about the 51st State is soon forgotten.