Raise your hand if you have ever heard of Erika McEntarfer? I doubt if there are more than a handful that can do that. Yet, with all the stories in the news this week about tariffs and chaos in the United States, the abrupt dismissal of this woman by President Donald Trump, barely mentioned, puts the cherry on the cake and leaves no doubt that he intends to rule by fiat with little or no intention of respecting either the truth, the facts or the Constitution when it does not suit his despotic agenda.
Until a few days ago, Erika McEntarfer was Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an important American economic institution that has traditionally acted at arm’s length from government, providing statistical information about employment in that country. Her report, published late last week, showed weaker-than-expected job data that increased concern about the Trump administration’s tariff policies.
The Report indicated that in May and June, employment was down by 288,000 jobs. Donald Trump didn’t like that. It spoke against his mantra of American prosperity assured by his tariff strategy. He claimed the job figures were “rigged” to make him look bad.
And so, Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer. Those job numbers were not what he wanted, so he simply decided they were wrong and that he knew better than any statistical analysis. Just shoot the messenger, so to speak, politicize economic data, substitute data more to your liking, and don’t give a damn about its accuracy. A simple act of revisionism, which is far too common these days.
Why is this so important? It is because controlling the narrative, manipulating the facts to reflect the government’s agenda and allowing only information that suits that agenda to become public knowledge is one of the last nails in the coffin of a democratic society. Truth and transparency is out the window and propaganda takes its place.
As things stand, Donald Trump can pretty well do what he wants. Thanks to a packed Supreme Court he has immunity from prosecution for actions he takes while President. As well, Congress is impotent, shirking its own duty related to the balance of power and allowing Trump to do his own thing.
George Will, a prominent American journalist and pundit, said, “A constitutional enumerated power of Congress is to regulate trade with foreign nations. Congress, in its absent-minded way, has now become a spectator of government.” (Rather than part of it.)
I agree with that. Congress has allowed President Trump to usurp Congressional authority. There are no longer the meaningful checks and balances that are contemplated in the Constitution of the United States. That is not only potentially terrifying but is also yet another indication of a totalitarian regime, right on our doorstep.
As well, it is a regime that specializes in revenge politics. Anyone in the United States who is disliked by Donald Trump has little reason to feel safe. Striking fear in his perceived enemies, or people who just disagree with him, or those who get in his way, is all fair game to Trump, and one he frankly enjoys. It also allows him to deflect public discourse away from issues that really matter and replace them with the intrigue of public thrashings, threats, character assassinations, and sex scandals that constantly flow from him.
I have often wondered if Donald Trump’s attitude toward Canada, harsher and unbending than his dealings with other countries, is also based on revenge because he lost his bid some years ago to build a Casino in Niagara Falls, Canada, and as usual, went on to blame everyone but himself.
All of the above is to say that given the reality of what is now the regime in the United States, led by Donald Trump, Canadians and their government need to ask themselves whether any kind of effective dialogue or negotiations with our once-friendly neighbour to the south is at all achievable. I have come to the conclusion that it is not.
It remains my belief that Donald Trump wants Canada to negotiate with the United States on our knees, and we simply can never allow that to happen.
A recent letter to the Editor in the Globe and Mail read in part, “Canada should take all concessions off the table. It’s time to be tough against a tyrant.”
I tend to agree with that, although I am not sure what the timing should be. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been remarkably silent about where things stand now with the United States. Is that because he sees the prospect of a fair resolution between Canada and the United States? One should certainly hope so, but we need to know that soon. We are not living in normal times, and a window for pivoting away from dominating American trade policies and sovereignty threats is closing.
While I will not comment, at least at this time, on the issue of a two-state solution in the Middle East, I do question the announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney, in the middle of trade negotiations with the Trump Administration, that Canada is taking a position on that issue that is different than the United States. That simply poked the bear and handed Donald Trump another tool in his arsenal against Canada.
I wonder, therefore, if Mark Carney dealt with that issue because he has lost faith in Canada’s ability to get a fair deal from the United States, so why delay Canada’s position on the Middle East? If that is the case, then one must ask why he is not being more forthright with Canadians about what the next steps relative to our relationship with the Trump administration and our plans to move on should be.
It is fortunate that since Trump’s threats to Canada have begun to kick in, the federal government and the provinces have come together with a single voice in a manner that has long been lacking. Some progress has been made. But that is not enough. Canadians can be a tough bunch, and it may be time to start showing that. If we cannot get a fair deal from the United States that respects Canada, it is definitely time to move on.
On that matter, it is also time for Prime Minister Carney to tell Canadians what the reality of our relationship with the United States means now, and what plans there are, difficult as they may be, to strike a different path.
Canadians have a right and a need to know.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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Doug Ford also poked the bear and enraged Trump by increasing hydro rates to the US. That lasted one day but Trump will remember for months.
Doug needs to butt out.
And let the adult diplomats deal with Trump. Instead of a childish hothead.
Once again, I find myself in agreement.