During the pandemic I mentioned to a former neighbor that I owned a home in a foreign country. When I told him where he responded with unexpected vehemence that "Canada isn't a foreign country!" I didn't know what to say at the time, but I gather from reading about our current trade dispute that a lack of knowledge about our most important trading partner is widespread. I shall try to provide some perspective on our northern neighbor for the readers of this blog.
I did not make it to France this year, opting to return to Québec for my annual French fix. After reading lots of ahistorical articles I decided to summarize in a couple of short blogs why Canada is different in important ways despite a common language and shared roots in at least part of the country. I also hope to demonstrate how the history of Canada creates internal trade conflicts that makes access to American markets uniquely important for the management of Canadian domestic politics. Lastly, I shall endeavor to explain why we must adopt the viewpoint of the losing sides of two great historical events if we wish to understand Canada and our relations with the Canadian people.
My former neighbor is in good company. Despite their brilliance and erudition, the Founders failed miserably at understanding Québec, which led us into military follies that still resonate in Canada. Judging from recent speeches, the current prime minister could brush up on Canadian history as well. I shall leave it to readers to judge my own ability to make sense of a very important issue that has economic and financial consequences for all of us.
I expect to take some nifty photos too.