In June of 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s vulgar and hilarious animated collection “South Park” got here to the silver display screen.
“South Park: Greater, Longer & Uncut” adopted Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as they sneak into the R-rated movie “Asses of Hearth” starring fictional Canadian comedy duo “Terrance and Phillip.” Once they start swearing like their heroes within the film, an ethical panic sweeps the city, and finally ends with the U.S. declaring warfare on Canada.
The intelligent and sidesplitting track “Blame Canada” was the movie’s breakout second — it was even nominated for an Academy Award for Finest Unique Music on the 72nd Oscars.
As cruel because the assaults on our neighbors to the north have been, few took precise offense. That’s as a result of the U.S. and Canada have been longtime allies, companions, associates — the one motive the vanity labored was as a result of the concept of America turning on Canada was so absurd.
My, how instances have modified.
I used to be on Instagram earlier this week when an advert for Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation American Gin popped up. The feedback from Canadians have been brutal. (Nicely, brutal by Canadian requirements.)
From Marions.Work: “Whereas I/we [Canadian flag emoji] all love you Ryan, not shopping for American. They’re bullying us. We’re standing up, elbows up and shopping for [Canadian flag emoji.]”
From JessicaSawers: “When rump leaves and we are able to have American booze in Canada once more I’ll get some!”
From Ibbocanada: “It’s good to lose the American gin and make a Canadian one eh.”
It’s jarring and terribly unhappy to listen to our longtime associates speak about us this fashion. However who may blame them?
Whereas they have been minding their very own enterprise — a beloved and time-honored Canadian pastime — Donald Trump inexplicably and out of the blue determined to make enemies of our allies.
At a November dinner at Mar-A-Lago when Trump was president-elect, he reportedly joked with then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about annexing Canada, however Canadian officers brushed it off.
As Trump started repeating the road publicly, with elevated sincerity and decreased humor, it started to rattle cages, and issues solely received worse.
In a January information convention, Trump stated he may use “financial pressure” to amass the sovereign nation.
In a February name with Trudeau, Trump instructed him he didn’t consider that the 1908 treaty demarcating our borders was legitimate and was contemplating revising the boundary.
The administration reportedly began discussing eradicating Canada from an important intelligence sharing alliance.
Trump began referring to Canada on tv and in social media as “the 51st state” and demeaned Trudeau as its “governor.”
He talked about tearing up the Nice Lakes agreements that govern how we share bordering waterways.
He even started reviewing whether or not the U.S. would proceed army cooperation between the 2 international locations.
Lastly, there have been the tariffs.
In February, a 25% tariff on metal and aluminum merchandise. That price doubled to 50% in June.
In April, a 25% tariff on auto imports.
In July, a ten% enhance on Canadian items dubbed the “Fentanyl” tariff, a punishment for Canada’s alleged failure to curb drug trafficking on the border.
In August, a 50% tariff on semi-finished copper merchandise.
Canada responded with its personal retaliatory tariffs in opposition to Individuals.
As any economist not being paid by the Trump administration will inform you, nobody wins a commerce warfare, and the folks impacted most are tax payers and customers, who find yourself having to pay the upper costs handed down from tariffed items.
However the volatility between our two nations has had different deleterious penalties for our financial system.
A new report from NPR’s Joe Hernandez reveals the historic and vital toll this unjustified feud is having on tourism.
Paul Dame owns a golf resort in Plattsburgh, N.Y., which might sometimes draw quantity of summer time guests from Quebec or Ontario. Not anymore. “It’s powerful, as a result of we’ve developed this relationship with the cross-border financial system,” Dame says. “And now right here we’re, the rug getting pulled out from beneath us.”
Canadian residents made simply 1.7 million return journeys by automotive from the U.S. in July, a whopping 37% drop from the identical time final yr, in keeping with Statistics Canada. In accordance with U.S. information, Canadians made a bit greater than 7 million visits to the U.S. between January and Could, a 17% lower.
In 2024, Canada was the highest supply of worldwide vacationers in America, visits which generated $20.5 billion in spending and supported 140,000 U.S. jobs.
Apparently, that’s income and jobs Trump believes we are able to reside with out. However Individuals don’t really feel the identical manner about Canada as he does. A majority has constructive views of our neighbors — views they used to reciprocate.
Now, in keeping with a Pew ballot revealed in July, two-thirds of Canadians have an unfavorable view of America.
Not simply Trump, however America.
That’s completely heartbreaking.
S.E. Cupp is the host of “S.E. Cupp Unfiltered” on CNN.
