Looking Back in Anger - Shawn's Sense with Shawn Loughlin

While we are now well served to listen to our unexpected new leader Mike Myers and keep our Canadian elbows up as we fight for our sovereignty, way of life, economy and general wellbeing, there is, at the same time, a fair bit of criticism being thrown around. People whose hindsight is 20/20 or, even better yet, kind of clairvoyant have been quick to criticize companies and even fellow Canadians as we all do our best to navigate this new world created for us.

 

As the intertwined economic landscape of North America - especially relationships between companies that transcend the border between Canada and the United States - has been laid bare, there has been plenty of armchair-quarterbacking on social media and in traditional media from those on both sides of the border, but largely in Canada, who have been critical of companies that diversified their interests. Canadians, understandably, are mad, defensive and nervous about what the future holds, so it makes sense that they would lash out. But this, as the kids say, ain’t it.

 

For decades, our two economies worked seamlessly with one another. As a consumer, I would always seek out something made in Canada, but would regard something that was made in the U.S. as second-best to that. I thought it was the most down-home alternative to something being made abroad in a country in which, to be frank, you knew why what you were buying was so cheap and it was, frankly again, on the back of someone who was not be treated very well on the job.

 

Companies would have locations on both sides of the border, providing their services far and wide without anyone blinking an eye. If I saw that a Canadian company had locations in the U.S., I’d often be proud of that company, spreading its wings and singing Canada’s in the U.S. Now, however, things have changed. A Canadian company with U.S. locations or a company that works hand-in-hand with an American partner for, say, ingredients or parts or anything else is being viewed as a traitor. Those factories should have always been built in Canada. Those parts should have always been manufactured in Canada. Those jobs should have always been Canadian jobs. 

 

It’s easy to say that now, of course, knowing what we know now, but, not too many years ago, it was seen as doing smart business. So, when I hear Pierre Poilievre blaming the last 10 years of Liberal rule for making the country so dependent on the American economy - a total load; I’m telling you, he’d blame Liberals for a rainy day if his supporters were stupid enough to believe him and hold newly-printed “Stop the Rain” signs - it sounds quite hollow. Seemingly, we all should have predicted many years ago that the guy firing Dennis Rodman on The Celebrity Apprentice might become president one day and, upon being elected for a second time, he would throw the global economy into chaos. Furthermore, in the 1980s when he was busy playing with his G.I. Joes, a young Justin Trudeau should have been informed that this situation, coming over the horizon, was his fault.

Or at least it would be.

 

These opinions are akin to shaming a friend after he gets divorced for trusting his wife too much; dropping “I told you so” on a friend who was too forthcoming with another friend. 

 

While the new reality is real and the waters uncharted, backtracking and blaming others for conducting business in a fully-integrated economy is far from fair criticism. Unless, that is, you’re willing to take back your vacations to Florida or all that orange juice you drank as a kid. Get real and move forward.