Xiaoming Guo 郭晓明
A:
It is sad that Canada has become a vassal to the US. But it’s never too late to wake up. Canadian nationalism is a response to the Trump attack. It is for Canadian sovereignty and dignity. This is just a beginning. It is not finished yet. Detaching from the US will take a long time and is not easy.
Fundamentally, Canadians have to change their mentality. Canadians should regain their moral integrity and the value of the rule of law. For a long time, Canadians have blindly supported whatever the US does or says without exercising moral or legal judgment. This situation, or the world order, is unsustainable. When the injustice is put upon Canada, it becomes a rapture.
Take, for example, the Meng Wanzhou incident. It broke international law to arrest Meng Wanzhou. It was wrong, but Canada did it just because the US wanted. Now, Canada tastes the bitterness of the so-called rule-based order. The so-called rule-based order is the US doing whatever it wants overiding international laws.
Carney should be the leader of the alliance of the middle powers. If Carney is successful, he can save Europe and Canada. But if Carney just wants the same old rule-based order without the US, it will fail. The alliance of the middle powers has to resume its moral integrity and embrace the UN Charter. Or Canada and Europe are just on the menu, and the US, Russia, and China are at the table. Carney can succeed by cooperating with Russia and China to uphold international law.
The rupture of the world order indicates that the US-led like-minded alliance failed. Using Canada to replace the US will not save the like-minded alliance. The alliance of the middle powers has to change its mind and view all countries as equal. The alliance of white supremacy is gone for good. Don’t expect the white domination of the world to continue without the US. Do the math. It is impossible. This is not the 19th century. 10% of the white population cannot dominate the world.
Continuing the hostility towards China will not save Canada from the US hostility. The fundamental logic is wrong.
Canadian nationalism is emotional. After the emotional response, there should be a cold-minded reason to reassess what Canadians want to be and what Canada should be. A win-win cooperation with China is the only way out. We cannot bet on taking advantage of the conflict between the US and China.
Canada wants to be friendly with the US. That is the correct strategy because of the geography. But for the friendship with the US to provoke China, like arresting Weng Wanzhou, is the wrong strategy. Being friendly with the US without sacrificing moral integrity, sovereignty, and dignity is the correct strategy. Being friendly with the US without infringing on China’s sovereignty and provoking China’s dignity is a moral integrity. Canada will have a brighter future by bridging the US and China, reducing the conflict and confrontation between the two countries.
Wanting a more peaceful and more stable world is in the interest of Canada. An alliance of middle powers cannot dominate the world. The best outcome is that the alliance of middle powers, Canada+Europe+Japan+South Korea, becomes the fourth pole in the multipolar world order besides the US, Russia, and China. To achieve that, a fair and just world governance based on international law is indispensable. Mutual respect among the US, the middle-power alliance, Russia, and China should be the diplomatic principle.
