To Our American Neighbors

I remember, when I was young, how everyone around me was fascinated by our American neighbors! They said Americans made, created or invented just about everything there was, even the smallest object whether simple or complex. For us, this was one of the strengths that made America seem so mystical.

Notably, American cars, with their quality and durability, dominated the market that amazed us, although not everyone agreed on which of the big three U.S. car manufacturers was the best. What came out of Europe and Japan seemed, by contrast, to be lower-end and less effective. Take for example brands like Vauxhall, Renaud, Peugeot, Mazda, Datsun or Toyota, which were all considered products for those who couldn’t afford a great American car.

Being an amateur golfer, I recall as well that Japanese golf balls were utterly mediocre, traveling shorter distances than American ones like Spalding and Acushnet.

The Japanese appeared to have a certain strength in electronics, such as cameras, but that was all.

Then, during the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond, as we went through various crises over petroleum, finance, automobiles, property and more, little by little we realized that the quality of U.S. products was declining, mainly to the advantage of Europeans and the Japanese. Enough for me to remember how American cars suddenly became low-end and low-priced, of only passable quality and with ever lower resale value. More and more, Asian, European and Japanese products began replacing American ones and commanding attention.

As neighbors of this economic powerhouse, we have lived through a long series of disappointments due to its lack of consideration and its greed. Just think of the numerous trade wars such as the one over construction timber, and more recently over iron and aluminum or the Boeing-Bombardier conflict, all of which were incited by someone attempting to dictate rules that had been rejected so many times by international – and even American – courts.

It must also not be forgotten that American politicians have provoked a number of worrying situations. Who could forget the lies of a president who swore that a certain Arab leader possessed weapons of mass destruction, weapons that were never subsequently found, just to lead us into a war by their side? We likewise recall the images rigged to persuade us that Iraqis killed babies in Kuwaiti hospitals, another time America tried to drag us into one of its wars.

In the past two decades, we have seen a country with too many murders to count because guns are so accessible. Each time we have been told that the more Americans are armed, the safer they will be, all thanks to the Second Amendment.

But the cherry on top is your most recently elected president! I assure you that we find him interesting! Not because he’s intelligent or competent, but because he attracts so much attention. All of Canada wants to hear Donald Trump speak to hear what stupid, absurd or unbelievable thing he managed to say or do. He scorns most of his allies, admires dictators, governs according to how he feels, gets rid of his advisers, angers his enemies, and never stops offending his associates and the allied leaders who have remained loyal to your country.

Even if he has convinced you that he will make America great again, he has merely succeeded in making America great in the lows he sinks it to. Greed, lies, mismanagement, stupidity, horror, shame and more are for many Canadians, and certainly for many others worldwide, what the United States of America now represents. Alas, perhaps you’re proud of your country, but you’re the only ones who are. We no longer adore you at all, and our pride in being a land of peace, honesty, integrity and inclusion is definitely greater than yours.

What used to be called the American dream is now the American risk.