Future of U.S. and Canada
January 3, 2025
This is a New Year’s bonus for subscribers: My lengthy conversation about the U.S. and Canada's past, present, and future with Canadian author, journalist, and political analyst Philippe Lebrecque. It was posted on YouTube in response to Trump’s “51st state” insult. Here it is (double click):
I respect the idea of a U.S. Canada merger (custom or complete). I also agrée it should not include Mexico. And maybe a merger with Canada would return some humanity to the U.S. The U.S. is suffering I think because it has become property centric/profit centric. The U.S. rule of law protects property first (the god is business). I think the gun violence in the U.S. is a result of everything being commodified. I think the rule of law needs to protect people first. Certain “common” goods like essential foods, housing, healthcare, education should be shielded from speculation for the good of people. Business is not the answer to everything. I resent the movement to a single paradigm of profit and loss, of speculation. When universities think of themselves as a business and when K-12 education becomes privatized and for sale (and that’s where the U.S. is headed), you have a broken society. A merger with Canada can’t be just “the art of the deal.” “Have I got a deal for you!” It has got to benefit people. I do not agree that as long as something is good for business it will turn out well.
Your interview was excellent - thanks for sharing it with us.