No one knows; it’s just too early to tell.
But the fact that it’s even possible to ask the question speaks to how fast and fully Donald Trump has grabbed and bent the levers of American executive, legislative, judicial and military power to his will. Not to mention how he’s already exercised his unquenchable revenge on his enemies.
So did Hitler, but he was slower.
After the Second World War, with its 50 million deaths and the extermination of 6 million Jews, an industry grew up asking: “Why did the Jews just walk to their doom?” “Why did they not resist?” Books were written dissecting that question, and recently more books, arguing that the Jews did, in fact, resist.
One thing is undeniable: as Jeffrey Sachs told the European Parliament last week: “To be an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.”
The US Marines have a saying: “No better friend; no worse enemy.”
But if you’re a Canadian these days, America feels more like “No worse friend, no better enemy.”
By “better” of course I mean the Marines can simply walk across our undefended border and capture Canada, likely faster than the 35 days it took the Nazis to overwhelm Poland, the 18 days to capture Belgium, and the 7 days to take Holland.
Some of my right-wing friends have upbraided me for even connecting America’s Republicans with Germany’s Nazis. I’ll be the first to admit they aren’t the same. But their leaders share the same impulses and in both cases that leader has trained a group of smart, focused, determined and ruthless lieutenants to do his bidding.
Last week I attended a gathering of Canadian business leaders (I’m not one; I was an observer.) We broke for lunch and the conversation among half a dozen of them, all charter members of the Canadian establishment, serious people discussing serious issues, began to unpack the odds of Canada being invaded sometime during the next four years. The big question was not, would it happen?… but from which direction would it come? From the south via the Americans? … Or from the north via the Russians? I was shocked to even hear this. Clearly, they weren’t.
We’re still just in Month Two of a 48-month regime. The Democrats are leaderless and in disarray. There is ‘resistance’, but it is amorphous and without energy or direction. It’s as if 100 million Americans are looking for someone else not just to lead the opposition, but to follow the leader.
Here in Canada, an oddly emboldened Justin Trudeau and a newly empowered Doug Ford have fired our first volleys and 40 million Canadians are waiting to see if the response will be reasoned or enraged.
A number of media reports speak both fearfully and proudly that we will soon live in an age of “mob rule”, with its images of people marching in the streets, holding torches and baseball bats, beating anyone in their way. But that doesn’t really ring true, even in our fantasies.
What does ring true is “mob rule” as in “Mafia Rule.”
On February 28, Donald Trump and JD Vance squeezed Ukraine’s president, live from the Oval Room, into a tight extortion ring: give us all your minerals and maybe we’ll defend you. But likely not. Then just four days later Volodymyr Zelenskyy confessed: “Our meeting in Washington, MN at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right.”
Clearly, America made Ukraine an offer it couldn’t refuse.
So perhaps Canada’s first act of self-defence is to learn as much as we can about our foe, and read up on what the rules of the Mafia actually are. A quick scan of some of them suggests what they lack in majesty they more than make up in clarity.
We’ve got a nice country here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.
Meanwhile…
1. Our Ice Age. We are puddy tats when it comes to snow — and ice – because growing up in no Canadian city is as brisk as this. Nor is working in one. Nor playing hockey, it seems.
2. So that’s why the leaves fall in the fall. Everything we learned is wrong. And how dogs can arrange ducks by colour. And Albertan dogs get their own private bus for their day in the country. And some people don’t look like their dogs, but their art. And we can all learn lots from a wolfpack.
3. A heaping plate of Koerner Hall. The “temple of tone” on Bloor St. announced its 2025-26 classical and jazz season with headliners Renée Fleming, Andras Schiff, Isabel Byrakdarian, Jan Lisiecki, Gabriela Montero, Artuo O’Farrill, Kurt Elling, and Charlie Hunter – and more.
We heard Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson at Koerner last month and he was not just incredible, but indelible. So too was his interview with Tom Power on CBC Radio.
4. The Cost of Living Extremely Well Index. This is a real index published each year by Forbes. “From thoroughbred horses and Steinway pianos to caviar and opera tickets, here’s how much more expensive it’s gotten to live like a billionaire.”
Speaking of the très riche, Kelly Willis’s podcast series Serious Coin is fascinating and oddly practical.
5. How to downgrade your life. Getting off social media is like detoxing from drugs. But it can be worth it. In other tech news, here’s how to identify fake photos, how to brush your teeth with your razor, guess what city you’re in, then explore the world. Finally, you can use ultra-low-tech to make paper airplanes that will impress your friends.
6. Out-of-this-world women. The all-female astronaut crew, plus the female Captain, Commander (Cdr) Teri Share, of the HMCS Margaret Brooke, now sailing in Antarctica. Plus Mavis Gallant (or at least her story about a newcomer who falls in love with Canada) in The Walrus.
Plus, a couple of interesting origin stories.
7. Les pièces de résistance. A real general retires from a surreal president. Meryl Streep counters Trump calling her ‘over-rated’. In 2016. Mitch McConnell explains Ukraine to the President. Nathan Gardels extends Michael Ignatieff’sargumentthat Trump’s end-game is dividing the world into three power blocs. Rachel Maddow melts media chill. And a last word here to President Trump, whose minions tabled a bill in Congress to call Greenland Red, White and Blueland.
8. Reading and writing and riffmatic. More on The New Yorker’s 100th anniversary.Plus, I beg you, Robert Caro, just finish the book. Plus the 17 best math blogs for you and your kids.
9. Getting better at life. 17 life sentences. Why do I spend weeks avoiding tasks that will take me 10 minutes to do? How to walk in the city. The 10 commandments of a con artist, and an unfortunate naming accident.
Speaking of better, there was no better actor than Gene Hackman. Here’s his method. And more.
10. Last call for your most brilliant 100 words. The deadline for submitting your true live event is 11:59:59 p.m. on Saturday, March 8. Check the rules here. We will post the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in next week’s March 15 blog.