It was a busy week with the inauguration of US President Trump and his renewed tariff threats, as well as the continued debate surrounding how best to react to those threats. Let’s breakdown exactly what happened and why it matters.
President Trump 2.0
US President Trump was inaugurated this week. In case you missed it:
Trump inauguration: 10 viral moments
Tariffs, deportations and ‘drill, baby, drill’: What to watch for as Trump returns
What Trump has done since returning to the White House
Beneath a veneer of calm, Trump’s inauguration holds warning signs for US democracy
Thankfully for Canada, Trump didn’t move forward with his tariff threats on day one. But that doesn’t mean he won’t do it. Get up-to-date on the most important issue facing Canada today:
Trump muses about slapping 25% tariffs on Canada Feb. 1
‘We don’t need them’: Trump’s latest swipe draws skepticism from Canadian leaders
Trudeau promises ‘very strong’ response as Trump renews tariffs threat against Canada
The Growing Divide
We discussed this extensively last week: Canadian premiers – specifically, Canadian Conservative premiers – can’t get on the same page about how best to handle Trump’s tariff threats.
Trump’s tariff threat divides Conservative politicians across Canada
Why the division? Well, so much of it comes down to whether Canada should include oil and gas in any export bans or retaliatory tariffs should Trump follow through with his threats. To better understand the issue, start here:
Cutting off oil is Canada’s nuclear option. What would it mean if it happens?
It’s a complex issue and it’s not just the politicians who are divided:
Danielle Smith turns her back on Canada at the worst possible time
The rest of Canada should stop vilifying Danielle Smith, and start listening to her
What about economists and former trade negotiators, you ask? Also divided!
Former trade negotiator says Alberta undermining Canada in tariff talks
Of all the takes on this critical issue, the most interesting might be this one from former Conservative leadership candidate Tasha Kheiriddin:
Will Captain Canada Please Stand Up?
Fight or Lay Pipe?
Speaking of division, pipeline fights defined our policy debates last decade, namely the Northern Gateway proposal, which aimed to transport bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to BC’s north coast and onward to Asian markets.
Activists argued that the risk of an oil spill on Canada’s west coast threatened to undo the progress made to protect an area rich in biodiversity and primary forests – the so-called Great Bear Rainforest. And BC Indigenous nations largely agreed. The result? The project died and the Trudeau government imposed a tanker ban throughout the waters of the Great Bear.
But guess what? What’s old is new again.
In recent weeks, Northern Gateway has been brought up by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, as well as Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, giving the project new life. Might the next decade also be defined by pipeline fights? Maybe!
Politics or economics? Revived Canada pipeline talks is ‘wishful thinking’: expert
The most interesting development in this saga isn’t the positions of Poilievre or Smith – they were always obvious – but rather the stance of the president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip:
B.C. First Nations leader reverses stance on Northern Gateway pipeline after Trump
Phillip speaks for elected band chiefs in BC and is a critical voice when it comes to issues of Indigenous rights and title in a province where few treaties have been signed. If Phillip supports Northern Gateway? That will go a long way towards reviving the pipeline project since his blessing, in many ways, is more meaningful than an Albertan premier’s demands or a future prime minister’s promises.
Still, Phillip won’t have the final word on the issue.
Why?
Well, it might be time to review Lesson Three. After all, the Coastal Gas Link dispute offers important lessons that might help us understand what comes next.
That Nazi Salute
Before we move on from the subject of division, we need to discuss Elon Musk’s hand gesture. Was it a Nazi salute? Well, let’s start here:
Nazi salute or ‘moment of enthusiasm’? Elon Musk’s gesture at Trump inauguration scrutinized
Musk’s response?
Musk responds to backlash over gesture at Trump rally
But that wasn’t his only response:
Elon Musk posts multiple Nazi-related ‘jokes’ after salute backlash
Let’s get up to speed on the history of the gesture:
What Elon Musk’s Salute Was All About
Is this story much ado about nothing, or something more sinister? Here are a few important takes:
Elon Musk jokes about Nazis after Netanyahu defends him as ‘great friend of Israel’
Musk’s straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists regardless of what he meant
‘The gesture speaks for itself’: Germans respond to Musk’s apparent Nazi salute
For a deeper dive into this story, we recommend CBC’s Front Burner podcast:
Elon Musk, Nazi accusations, and the ADL
Meanwhile, in Ottawa
The federal Liberals are inching closer to choosing a successor to Prime Minister Trudeau. The party now knows who is officially in the race. Sort of. Candidates still have to clear numerous hurdles before their names can be included on the final ballot. So, today’s list of candidates is more like an unofficial official list. Politics, eh?
Liberal leadership race: Who’s in and who’s out?
Why are there so many no-name candidates wanting to lead the party? Why would someone run for the leadership if they have no chance of winning? And who actually might win the thing? Don’t worry, we’re going to get into all of this in the next few weeks, but if you want a head start, read this:
An (annotated) Process Nerd timeline for the Liberal leadership race
Updates!
Several stories this week touched on themes you’ve been exploring in class and through your inquiry media, but none more important than this one:
Despite Biotech Efforts to Revive Species, Extinction Is Still Forever
Also check out these stories and how they relate to what you’ve been studying:
How Storytelling Fuels Innovation And Creativity In Leadership
The people fighting to get through to anti-science Americans: ‘It’s just talking to each other’
How lynx and wolf reintroductions to Britain could be shaped by preconceptions and psychology
B.C. has five years left to meet its 30×30 conservation target. Can it be done?
Ecotour grizzlies less likely to encounter conflict with humans
Final Thoughts
This week was divisive. In this country and around the world. It’s only going to get uglier. And it’s why this story, we think, is of particular importance:
Polarizing times call for Nietzsche’s practice of ‘passing by’
Whether we can or will move toward a healthier discourse is an open question. In fact, almost everything in our world today is an open question. In times of great uncertainty, how do we move forward? Well, it might be helpful to hear the opinions of a statistician:
How to navigate uncertainty in an unpredictable world
But that’s not the only opinion we need to hear. We think this essay by author and former Canadian politician Michael Ignatieff is a must-read for every Canadian:
Canada, Trump and the new world order
Have a great weekend. We’ll speak next week.