As a Generation X Canadian, I believe you have captured brilliantly what is happening not just between Canada and the US, but globally. However, I would add one thing that is also simultaneously at play here, in a very
important grass roots way. For over 80 years, Canada's relationship with the US was rather like two young best friends growing up together. However, along the way the US became increasingly more powerful and wealthy, and gradually became drunk in it's own love of self. It started bragging about itself constantly, using phrases like "American exceptionalism", began beating it's chest loudly everwhere it went, yelling at the top of it's lungs how it was better than everyone. It started acting like the schoolyard bully in many ways. And over time it started taking it's much quieter friend, Canada, for granted. It began treating it's loyal and longtime friend as "less than", began referring to it's other friends, like the UK, as it's closest friend, not Canada. When the World would step up to help the US in wars, during 911, etc. it was other countries the US always made sure it thanked, often leaving Canada's name out. Canadians became increasingly and painfully aware that the US took them for granted, that the US didn't even bother to know it's old friend. When Canadian Rick Mercer traveled the US filming the show "Talking to Americans", it became alarmingly clear the average American knew very little to nothing about Canada, some even remarkably unaware Canada had it's own Navy! This was a slap in the face and a wake up call to Canadians that while we educated ourselves about our old friend, the US, while we took the time to know who they were, that same effort felt unnecessary to Americans. We slowly woke up to the reality that our old friend didn't really value our friendship, that they felt in some ways our friendship was a "sure thing" they didn't need to nurture or work on maintaining. Canadians quietly watched while Americans bragged about themselves, acted like the World would be nothing without it, and slowly, over time, that friendship eroded to the point that Canadians felt betrayed, taken for granted, unappreciated, and disrespected. You are right when you said that Americans aren't understanding what is happening today isn't merely about Trump. Trump was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back". He said the quiet part out loud. The utter disrespect and lack of appreciation for the longtime friendship between Canada and the US that Canadians had been feeling for decades was made official, loudly and with verbal violence. This was the breaking point for Canadians as individuals. This was the moment WE no longer valued the friendship but turned our backs and moved on from it. We boycot not only US alcohol, but in our everyday grocery shopping we left US products on the shelves to slowly rot like the US did our friendship. That is how Canadians sent the message to our old friend that we had had enough. We would no longer be taken for granted, be mocked, be ignored and dismissed as unimportant. We would invest instead in relationships with other Countries who knew our value, who took the time to know us, see us, appreciate us and respect us. Your decades of bragadocious tirades, of drinking your own Koolaide about how the US was superior, untouchable, the years of disrespect shown to others, have ended in a painful reality check for every American. Your house of cards has tumbled and you are mired in shock that no one is coming to help you rebuild. Canadians don't hate Americans. We are hurt, disappointed and frankly angry. We know you were drunk on your own Koolaide. But here's your reality check......it's time to sober up. Your Government doesn't define who you are, the American people do. So if you don't like how you are being portrayed around the World, get off your asses, stop waiting for someone to save you, and save yourselves. Home of the brave? Prove it......to the World, but most importantly to yourselves.
Yes! Every word of this comment should be in every US newspaper, read on every US broadcast/podcast, spoken by every YouTuber/TikTok influencer. Brilliant. It sums up all the frustrations with the current narrative and situation. Thank you.
I for one, am so proud of Canada and Canadians for kicking my country, the U.S. to the curb.
We most definitely deserved their walking away from us and showing this awful elitist group of Americans running this country now, that we are not needed nor wanted.
Great summary of a major movement. I am hopeful that everyday Americans are smart enough to understand that the only power they have is through their wallet. The most secure systems in our economy should be our local ones. We outsourced our lives, including our souls, to corporations and elite leaders.
Outstanding. The destruction that Trump brought broke an illusion as well as the immediate damage it did. It only goes downhill from here for a long while. The illusion of American Exceptionalism has been shattered.
Seems like this was inspired by the recent WSJ article on the American Bourbon industry that made small mention of tariffs and shift of preferences. The WSJ seemed to be in denial about a major factor in the overstock of bourbon and why there is a 10 year inventory now.
Everything you say rings true - and I say this as a tRump-hating American who's always appreciated what a good friend Canada has been to my country for so long, and is deeply saddened at the abuse your country has had to endure since the Mango Mussolini began his second benighted term.
You're right - America can no longer be trusted to make a deal and stick to it, or keep its word, much less "do the right thing." Indeed, our current leadership is all but guaranteed to do the wrong thing, and whether this will turn around anytime soon -- 2026 or 2028 -- is an open question. The Republican Party here has become a force of evil, backed by a third of the population that seems to have lost its mind and a cohort of billionaire oligarchs who are determined to turn my country into New Gilead.
Is there any light at the end of this dark tunnel, or is that just an onrushing train? I don't know, but I think Canada will do just fine without us, although we won't do nearly as well without you ... and so it goes.
Besides, Jack Daniels has always been undrinkable swill.
Just for reference the LCBO has not reversed the policy and Doug Ford the premier of Ontario has said he’s waiting for Trump to remove illegal tariffs. So just for info it remains the case that you can’t buy American bourbon in Ontario and you have to brave ICE and the border to go buy any in New York or Michigan….
I just read that at two border crossings in British Columbia, American border agents are stopping every Canadian vehicle going INTO Canada claiming they were looking for contraband. They are searching cars from top to bottom. If Canadians weren’t already pissed off it just added fuel to the fire. US border towns are bleeding revenue from lost tax revenue, local businesses are closing and there’s been no explanation coming from the US as to why. In April crossing were down 52%.
Great post, Bryan. I'm reminded of Lisa Feldman Barrett's "How Emotions Are Made," plus Max Weber, with a dash of Gestalt thrown in. Seems like the press have none of these anchors
The argument that Canada killed bourbon ignores (1) the role that speculators played in the sourced spirit market (2) major disruption of distribution channels (RNDC leaving California) (3) an industry with a glut of new make and young bourbon and an aging customer base (4) rising costs of energy (5) glut of craft distillers. The industry was due for a correction. You’ll know when shit gets real bad and they’re selling Whistle Pig in glass pig shaped decanters.
As a Generation X Canadian, I believe you have captured brilliantly what is happening not just between Canada and the US, but globally. However, I would add one thing that is also simultaneously at play here, in a very
important grass roots way. For over 80 years, Canada's relationship with the US was rather like two young best friends growing up together. However, along the way the US became increasingly more powerful and wealthy, and gradually became drunk in it's own love of self. It started bragging about itself constantly, using phrases like "American exceptionalism", began beating it's chest loudly everwhere it went, yelling at the top of it's lungs how it was better than everyone. It started acting like the schoolyard bully in many ways. And over time it started taking it's much quieter friend, Canada, for granted. It began treating it's loyal and longtime friend as "less than", began referring to it's other friends, like the UK, as it's closest friend, not Canada. When the World would step up to help the US in wars, during 911, etc. it was other countries the US always made sure it thanked, often leaving Canada's name out. Canadians became increasingly and painfully aware that the US took them for granted, that the US didn't even bother to know it's old friend. When Canadian Rick Mercer traveled the US filming the show "Talking to Americans", it became alarmingly clear the average American knew very little to nothing about Canada, some even remarkably unaware Canada had it's own Navy! This was a slap in the face and a wake up call to Canadians that while we educated ourselves about our old friend, the US, while we took the time to know who they were, that same effort felt unnecessary to Americans. We slowly woke up to the reality that our old friend didn't really value our friendship, that they felt in some ways our friendship was a "sure thing" they didn't need to nurture or work on maintaining. Canadians quietly watched while Americans bragged about themselves, acted like the World would be nothing without it, and slowly, over time, that friendship eroded to the point that Canadians felt betrayed, taken for granted, unappreciated, and disrespected. You are right when you said that Americans aren't understanding what is happening today isn't merely about Trump. Trump was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back". He said the quiet part out loud. The utter disrespect and lack of appreciation for the longtime friendship between Canada and the US that Canadians had been feeling for decades was made official, loudly and with verbal violence. This was the breaking point for Canadians as individuals. This was the moment WE no longer valued the friendship but turned our backs and moved on from it. We boycot not only US alcohol, but in our everyday grocery shopping we left US products on the shelves to slowly rot like the US did our friendship. That is how Canadians sent the message to our old friend that we had had enough. We would no longer be taken for granted, be mocked, be ignored and dismissed as unimportant. We would invest instead in relationships with other Countries who knew our value, who took the time to know us, see us, appreciate us and respect us. Your decades of bragadocious tirades, of drinking your own Koolaide about how the US was superior, untouchable, the years of disrespect shown to others, have ended in a painful reality check for every American. Your house of cards has tumbled and you are mired in shock that no one is coming to help you rebuild. Canadians don't hate Americans. We are hurt, disappointed and frankly angry. We know you were drunk on your own Koolaide. But here's your reality check......it's time to sober up. Your Government doesn't define who you are, the American people do. So if you don't like how you are being portrayed around the World, get off your asses, stop waiting for someone to save you, and save yourselves. Home of the brave? Prove it......to the World, but most importantly to yourselves.
Yes! Every word of this comment should be in every US newspaper, read on every US broadcast/podcast, spoken by every YouTuber/TikTok influencer. Brilliant. It sums up all the frustrations with the current narrative and situation. Thank you.
Well said Burkee. You definitely captured what many of us Canadians think and feel about the USA. The comment deserves to be its own post on substack.
Right on target.
“It started bragging about itself constantly, using phrases like "American exceptionalism"
That Rush Limbaugh crap.
We’re fighting this regime here, and we appreciate your help from Canada!
I for one, am so proud of Canada and Canadians for kicking my country, the U.S. to the curb.
We most definitely deserved their walking away from us and showing this awful elitist group of Americans running this country now, that we are not needed nor wanted.
Great summary of a major movement. I am hopeful that everyday Americans are smart enough to understand that the only power they have is through their wallet. The most secure systems in our economy should be our local ones. We outsourced our lives, including our souls, to corporations and elite leaders.
Outstanding. The destruction that Trump brought broke an illusion as well as the immediate damage it did. It only goes downhill from here for a long while. The illusion of American Exceptionalism has been shattered.
Seems like this was inspired by the recent WSJ article on the American Bourbon industry that made small mention of tariffs and shift of preferences. The WSJ seemed to be in denial about a major factor in the overstock of bourbon and why there is a 10 year inventory now.
Everything you say rings true - and I say this as a tRump-hating American who's always appreciated what a good friend Canada has been to my country for so long, and is deeply saddened at the abuse your country has had to endure since the Mango Mussolini began his second benighted term.
You're right - America can no longer be trusted to make a deal and stick to it, or keep its word, much less "do the right thing." Indeed, our current leadership is all but guaranteed to do the wrong thing, and whether this will turn around anytime soon -- 2026 or 2028 -- is an open question. The Republican Party here has become a force of evil, backed by a third of the population that seems to have lost its mind and a cohort of billionaire oligarchs who are determined to turn my country into New Gilead.
Is there any light at the end of this dark tunnel, or is that just an onrushing train? I don't know, but I think Canada will do just fine without us, although we won't do nearly as well without you ... and so it goes.
Besides, Jack Daniels has always been undrinkable swill.
Just for reference the LCBO has not reversed the policy and Doug Ford the premier of Ontario has said he’s waiting for Trump to remove illegal tariffs. So just for info it remains the case that you can’t buy American bourbon in Ontario and you have to brave ICE and the border to go buy any in New York or Michigan….
I just read that at two border crossings in British Columbia, American border agents are stopping every Canadian vehicle going INTO Canada claiming they were looking for contraband. They are searching cars from top to bottom. If Canadians weren’t already pissed off it just added fuel to the fire. US border towns are bleeding revenue from lost tax revenue, local businesses are closing and there’s been no explanation coming from the US as to why. In April crossing were down 52%.
Great post, Bryan. I'm reminded of Lisa Feldman Barrett's "How Emotions Are Made," plus Max Weber, with a dash of Gestalt thrown in. Seems like the press have none of these anchors
The argument that Canada killed bourbon ignores (1) the role that speculators played in the sourced spirit market (2) major disruption of distribution channels (RNDC leaving California) (3) an industry with a glut of new make and young bourbon and an aging customer base (4) rising costs of energy (5) glut of craft distillers. The industry was due for a correction. You’ll know when shit gets real bad and they’re selling Whistle Pig in glass pig shaped decanters.
I already hit my bottom, thanks. That shit’s carcenogenic, too. Don’t miss it a bit. There, I wrote a spontaneous poem. You’re welcome!