Noteworthy: Will common sense prevail with Trump government?

By Bruce Penton on January 22, 2025.

Interesting to read that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce rolled out its ‘State of American business’ program the other day and it had three key items for the Trump government to consider.

One of them was of special interest to Canada, whose business leaders are shaking in their boots awaiting the 25-per-cent tariffs threatened by the new administration.

The U.S. Chamber’s wish list was short and sweet: 1. Roll backÂ Biden-era regulations; 2. Extend Trump’s tax cuts and incentives; and 3. Stay away from sweeping tariffs.

Will common sense prevail? Canada – and U.S. consumers, according to experts – hope so.

“I’m totally innocent, I did nothing wrong,” said Donald Trump Jan. 10 before a judge gave him an unconditional discharge in the Stormy Daniels $130,000 hush money case.

And I believe him. At least I believe that he believes he did nothing wrong, because in the sketchy world in which he travels, under-the-table payments, bribes and questionable tax-dodge tactics are the way things work. To actually follow the letter of the law, he probably believes, is for suckers.

Donald Trump’s inauguration moved indoors due to frigid (23F) temperatures, which likely means that when he comes to take over Canada, he’ll wait until June, when the weather is warmer. So we have a few months’ grace.

Still with Trump (is the world talking about anything else these days?), a reader who thinks I’m out to lunch with any critical comments on the new U.S. president says with assurance that Trump is only joking about taking over Canada. That I can believe.

My friend in an email accused me of sounding like “an American democrat,” which is a bad thing, I guess, because those American democrats (or Democrats) are continually assailing Trump. His message continued: “I guarantee you he will be a more honest friend to Canada than stupid Biden. Give the man a chance. He didn’t order any invasion of Canada from 2016-20.”

In a lengthy opinion piece in Saturday’s Globe and Mail, Thomas Homer-Dixon, executive director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University and professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo, said Trump is likely to become one of history’s most consequential figures – for a variety of reasons. One paragraph in particular resonated with me: “Mr. Trump, many of his advisers and a large slice of his followers, are contemptuous of expertise; they’re ill-informed about history and oblivious to scientific fact. But they’re nonetheless entirely persuaded of their brilliance. That’s a potentially deadly combination because genuine expertise still matters, a lot.”

â€¢ Short snappers: Statscan reports a population increase of about 100,000 people in Calgary in the 12-month period from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024, the fastest 12-month growth rate recorded in a Canadian city since 2001…. She’s getting lambasted across the country for her so-called anti-unity stand, but Alberta premier Danielle Smith is putting Alberta first by refusing to go along with the other premiers by saying she won’t cut off our province’s energy supply to the U.S. With the oil and gas industry so critical to our province’s wellbeing, what other choice did she have? â€¦ Retorted de facto Captain Canada, Ontario premier Doug Ford, on this trade matter: “I have a little different theory: Protect your jurisdiction but country comes first. Canada’s the priority.”â€¦ Elon Musk is getting almost as much publicity as Donald Trump as the new administration takes over. A New Yorker magazine feature by Barry Blitt had the following quote: “On January 20, 2025,Â the next leader of the United States – and of the free world – assumes power: “Also on that day: Donald Trump is sworn in.” â€¦ The oldest person in Canada died last week, and I knew her. Her name was Hazel Skuce but when I was an elementary school student in Brandon, Man., more than 60 years ago, she was Hazel Patmore. She was never my teacher, but she was a beloved member of the school staff. She died at the age of 108 and 331 days. â€¦ The best deal in Medicine Hat has to be the free library cards offered by the Medicine Hat Public Library. The cards open doors to dozens of programs – not to mention thousands of books – at the library. If you don’t have a card yet, it’s easy to get one. Stop in at the library, provide some photo ID, and you’ll be signed up quickly.