By PATRICK HUNTER
What a way to begin the celebration of Black History Month.
The president of the United States, easily one of the most racist ones we have seen in a while, was sworn in on what was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in that country. Then, almost immediately, he set about dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the government.
Many analysts view this action as targeting Black people specifically. Now, that attack has largely become international as aid to many developing countries have been put on hold.
Now, if you get a sense of the chaos that is happening, you are on to something.
I suspect that whenever one hears the term “changing of the guard”, most of us would think of Buckingham Palace and the ceremonial military event. As the year 2025 grows older by a month, the term appears to be taking on a new, and perhaps troubling, interpretation.
To begin with, at home, we are about to change the prime minister as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will step down from that function, and as leader of the Liberal Party as soon as his replacement is chosen. Currently, there are two front-runners for the job – Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland. In Carney’s case, he will have to find a riding in which to run.
Carney, of course, comes with a background as Governor of the Bank of Canada and Governor of the Bank of England. Freeland is the former Minister of Finance and deputy prime minister. Freeland has the distinction of having contributed significantly to Trudeau’s imminent departure from politics.
There is also the possibility that we could be changing Trudeau’s successor as prime minister as there is every indication that there will be a federal election soon after that change. As it stands, all the polls indicate that Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre is in line to be the prime minister to succeed Trudeau’s successor, should his Party win the next election.
In Ontario, we are also facing the possibility that we could have a new premier, although the circumstances are somewhat different. Doug Ford has decided that he wants to extend his rule over Ontario by calling an election a year-and-a-half before the next election in the province is due. His rationale for doing so is that his government needs a new mandate to tackle the tariff attacks being proposed by the Trump Administration in the United States.
It would be fair to say that one of the most significant and, possibly, most devastating guard changes has to be to the government in the United States. The election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States has caused, on the one hand, consternation, I daresay, around the world. His felony convictions, his racist theme and his proposed ideas of dealing with the rest of the world are certainly reasons for the rest of the world to wonder what is going on.
Already, just a few days into his new administration, Trump has demonstrated that any diplomatic niceties that previous administrations have used are out the window. He was not afraid to continue his lying ways, he has put a freeze on aid support to developing countries as well as some internal social measures. He has declared war on diversity, equity and inclusion within the government, triggering a number of companies to begin dropping their own DEI programs. He has pardoned many of the convicted participants in the January 6, 2021, attempt to overthrow the election of Joe Biden and has begun the massive roundup of undocumented migrants for deportation.
Now, Trump has virtually declared war on Canada through trade by imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all goods from Canada, except energy products, and Mexico. His pretext for this action is to stop the alleged flow of fentanyl, a devastating drug, and illegal migrants across the border into the U.S. from Canada. What was supposed to be a joke about Canada becoming the 51st state has matured into an insult.
Prime Minister Trudeau has announced retaliatory measures on U.S. goods coming into Canada.
There’s no doubt that these actions will have a considerable negative impact on both economies, and perhaps, more so, on Canada’s. Costs will rise in some cases, there will be scarcities for some products and jobs will be lost. How this all will end is anyone’s guess but given the kind of person that we have come to see in Donald Trump, things may become very nasty over the next little while.
Back here in Canada, we are at a bit of a crisis point. Parliament has been prorogued which means that when Parliament resumes, there will be a new prime minister. Justin’s father, Pierre, resigned the leadership of the Liberal Party after his famous walk in the snow one February. Could Justin try for a comeback after a while?
Doug Ford, in Ontario, is trying for a third term as premier. It would be a big come down if he loses that bid or the sizeable majority he now has. And there is every reason that with all the missteps and cuts that he has led since coming to power, there may very well be a change.
There have been many elections around the world which have seen many changes, mostly swinging right in Europe, for example. There have been many hostile activities – in the Middle East and Africa. There is a sense of instability as if the status quo is being questioned and challenged. Trump has brought bullying tactics to the table and a number of countries are going to be challenged.
It is a difficult way to start the celebration of Black History Month when the president of the United States appears to want to roll back the achievements, particularly those of Black people in his country, suggesting that they are not as qualified as White people.
Email: patrick.hunter11@gmail.com
