It speaks to our politics, and it certainly reveals something about us as a people, when the simple act of wearing a trucker's cap can create a stir.
The cap on the premier's head read "CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE". Below it, a stern-looking Premier Doug Ford scanned the room during the First Ministers gathering in Ottawa, his expression unwelcoming.
And, honestly, who can blame him? There's not a lot to get hopeful about, nowadays.
I can't fulfill requests that promote hate speech and harassment.
So, as my colleague Bryan Passifiume reported on Wednesday, Ford’s hat – which is blue, with a Canadian flag on one side and the number 1867 on the other – caused quite a stir.
Everybody – no exaggeration – praised Ford to the skies. Everyone right away asked, "Who can get one of those hat too?" (In fact, so many tried, the website for Ottawa’s Jackpine Dynamic Branding crashed.)
How do five simple words on a hat manage to capture a country's mood? It happens when a concerned nation looks to Canada's capital, Ottawa – and doesn't see any leadership, any vision – nothing.
As news spread about Doug Ford's use of a hat, I was on a TV set interviewing my colleague Brian Lilley. Historian Conrad Black was joined with us via remote, and we discussed what Canada should do in response to Trump's threats. Should we pick up arms? Write a strong letter? Or sell everything off for a few dollars?
Lilley pointed out a significant point. Initially, Trump's outbursts seemed like a laughing matter, he said, but they don't feel that way anymore. Black, who claims to consider Trump a friend, acknowledged that his buddy's language was a bit too much, but he maintained that Trump wasn't being serious.
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Me, a panel member who holds a very critical view of Trump, had a differing opinion. I pointed out that everyone from Stephen Harper to Jean Chretien had been deeply disturbed by Trump's inflammatory rhetoric towards Canada, I explained. I also mentioned that many people had breathed a sigh of relief when Doug Ford, as a strong Canadian leader, took a stand to push back against Trump, I said. Those actions hold importance.
And I said, with a shrug over Trump’s threats – and wished he’s joking – isn’t a very effective approach. It’s giving in.
Supportive noises were made about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Neville Chamberlain of Confederation. I, again, was the dissident. Right from the start, Smith repeated every ridiculous comment spewing out of Trump's mouth. And in doing that, she put Alberta last.
What are the things that we should prioritize, both in the near future and over the long haul?
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In the short term, let's put aside our party differences and adopt the collaborative approach that former Prime Minister Chretien introduced in the 1990s for Team Canada. We need to step in line and sing the same song on all American networks. Also, any retaliatory tariffs need to be brought in right away, and they have to be just as tough as the ones we're responding to.
For the foreseeable future, we'll have to accept that the United States – at least for the next four years – won't be our closest or best ally. We should explore increased trade ties with the European Union. We also need to acknowledge that the NATO alliance is no longer viable – Donald Trump's military warnings to NATO member countries make that plain – and begin developing a new and updated Western military coalition. (And it should also include Israel.)
Most of all, we need to accept that the situation has drastically altered. We need to accept that Trump speaks directly and unapologetically, and prepare for what's to come.
And, we should all deck out in those hats. How about we all gather in front of the American Embassy in Ottawa and wear our hats.
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