The Canadian strategy, undertaken with vigor by the newly elected government of Mark Carney, has been clear in spirit at least: a polite “go f*** yourself.” After you’ve told America to f**** off, though, the real work starts. You have to figure out how to live without them.......


I’ve been shocked by how much needs to be done. Canada is like a beautiful mansion with huge chunks of the foundation missing. We don’t even have our own secret service, just an internal security apparatus. Our military would be comically unprepared for an American annexation. Large scale-changes to national life – becoming a nuclear power, undertaking a whole society defense – may be required to survive a neighbour who is backsliding into authoritarianism every week.
Under protection from America, under the assumption that its economy was globally dominant, Canada has never had to ask itself hard questions. Now we’re facing a pop quiz with terrifying consequences.




The decline of America leaves a psychological gap, too. America, for all its problems, was aspirational. It was easy to poke holes in its claims to exceptionalism, but it genuinely served millions of people, myself definitely included, as a beacon of freedom and openness. But I keep thinking of that line from No Country for Old Men, just before Anton Chigurh kills Carson Wells in a hotel: “If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?”


This Fourth of July, the world declares its independence from America | Stephen Marche | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/commentisfree/2025/jul/04/independence-day-america-decline)

We Americans thrive at being sneered at . From before our founding we were the world's outcasts .

Basically he's saying US go f****yourself ...but wait ..not yet ... we still need you .