It is easy to point at the Americans and the negative effects they have incurred from abandoning their treaty commitments. We see the boycotts and the burning of Teslas lots and the protests and feel the anger felt by people all over the world. We can see this because we are the wronged party, and this crystalizes the transgression being made by basing tariffs on obvious lies.

But can we look at the mirror and say that we are fundamentally smarter? Because Canada has signed on to climate treaties such as the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, and while progress has been made we are lagging behind significantly on our goals.

Three months ago, polls indicated that Canadians were ready to elect the CPC into power, with their stated primary objective being to “axe the tax” and replace it with… nothing. They said they would not withdraw from Paris commitments, but this was an obvious lie. The CPC propaganda successfully poisoned public sentiment in Canada against our effective market-based tool to manage emissions – the so called “carbon tax” – to the point where even the centre and left had to admit it was politically untenable.

Today, thanks to a remarkable series of events that very few if any predicted, the landscape looks very different. With the Americans threatening to invade us and doing extremely stupid and self-destructive actions, even some conservative-minded voters have taken a closer look at the CPC and have re-evaluated their choices based on what they see.

Despite being forced to kill the “carbon tax”, Mark Carney will implement a new system of directly levying the primary industrial emitters. And to no one’s surprise, the MAGA PP and his CPC and the treasonous Danielle Smith are opposing this vociferously as well. But we will do it anyhow, both because it’s the right thing to do but also because we must in order to establish that we have honour and we are reliable.

Let’s pause and reflect on what they want. PP and DS and their MAGA goons want Canada – in this time of international crisis – to fully abandon our agreements made with the very same countries that we are going to depend on for trade and defense in this new post-American era. They want zero restrictions, no caps or levies or controls of any kind. What they want to do is no less stupid than are the Americans who threw sand in their faces by putting Trump in office. Because if they get their ways this will lead to our further isolation.

So I reject the hypothesis that we Canadians are so smart and they are so dumb. We were willing to jump off the same cliff, and the only reason we aren’t right now is that an unchained chaos monkey with a fresh coat of orange spraypaint can’t stop threatening to invade our country every other day. Had Harris won, it would be our country going rogue and isolating itself from the world by violating our obligations.

So this is our chance, Canada, and we’d better fucking seize it. This election is happening soon and we must reject the CPC. Canada must honour our commitments and stand side-by-side with the partners who will be the backbone for our new economy as we forge new alliances and strengthen old ones.

For that to happen Canadians need to act, to volunteer and participate in the political process like we’ve never done before. To get out of our comfort zones, to get out there and convince each and everyone who isn’t paying attention to soundly get out the ballot box and reject the stupidity and help forge this new future we are going to build. We’re going to win, because we have to win, and because you’re going to help me.

Elbows up