The Trumpeter is cacophonous to even his friendly neighbour
Realtor / reality television character in a presidential suit
This long famous character even before his first term in the White House, started out with a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. 3 years after graduating, he became president of family's real estate business in 1971. The family business became well known in 1978 with the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel, next to New York's Grand Central Terminal. Financing was arranged by his father - $400M city property tax abatement and a $70M construction loan jointly obtained with Hyatt. It reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Shortly thereafter, he obtained rights to develop the (in?)famous Trump Tower. Among many other features, it was the HQ of his business empire and presidential campaign into the new millennium. That was just the beginning of the prominence he gained from Reaganomics. In 1984 (nothing to do with George Orwell), Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino. Holiday Corporation aided with financing and management to start with, and Trump bought them out of the slightly unprofitable venture in 1986, one year after he bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel which was renamed Trump Castle. Towards the end of the Reagan era, he used a loan from a consortium of 16 banks (!) to acquire the Plaza Hotel. He also bought a third Atlantic City venue in 1988, the Trump Taj Mahal which was financed with $675M in junk bonds for the total purchase and development price of $1.1B. In 1991 and 1992, all of his 80s ventures filed for bankruptcy protection.
Having been lent $4B by 70 banks before the corporate bankruptcies, most of them then took to avoiding him like the plague. That was when he formed All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp with his siblings. Without any offices and funneling funds to pay suppliers with added markups, profited from by gaining state approval for increasing rents from rent-stabilized units led to allegations of that being a shell company. The remainder of the 90s saw similar financial jiggery-pokery, including defaulting on over $3B of bank loans, selling most of his interest in a tract in Lincoln Square to Asian investors. Furthermore, in 1995, he founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, which became the holding company for the Taj Mahal and Trump Castle. In 1996, he acquired and renovated 40 Wall Street (vacant 71-story skyscraper) which was rebranded as the Trump Building. While the Taj Mahal and Castle went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving him owning just 10% of them, he soldiered on to his final major construction project - the 92-story mixed-use Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. He declared it to be 'worthless' on his 2008 tax return, prompting the IRS to investigate him.
Personal and business assets were expendable and aided to keep him afloat, such as flogging the Trump Shuttle airline and megayacht, Trump Princess. Since the mildly disguised hotel/casinos flopped, his notoriety has been a successful cash cow. Publicity away from business headlines came from hosting the reality TV show The Apprentice. His fame escalated even higher due to the catchphrase "you're fired." During that tenure, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as producer of Miss Universe and Miss USA. However, NBC and Univision dropped these pageants in 2015 because of comments about Mexican immigrants. The Trump Organization had previously licensed the Trump name for a wide variety of products which had led to more than 50 licensing deals, dwindling to just 2.
The Hotels, Casinos, TV hosting, their resultant bankruptcies and 4,000+ state/federal legal actions somehow ended up with him in the Oval Office. Twice.
Tariffied
While he (almost) never speaks softly, tariffs function as Trump's big stick. In order to gain certain concessions, executive orders to apply tariffs or implied threats have at least been partially successful. A "fentanyl tsar" in Canada and stronger borders both north and south don't necessarily deal with his main gripe of (perceived) trade deficits with either Canada or Mexico. He may use them again, even though there could be diminishing returns brought about by his borderline obsession with them. In his own words, tariffs are more than just a tool, they are 'beautiful' multipurpose instruments that could be a permanent source of revenue which could tackle that other despised deficit of his - the US budget deficit.
Will this vision of a new global trade order which is more America-focused ever be realized, regardless of the collateral damage to his own economy? Will his partners and potential adversaries just take it all lying down? Retaliatory tariffs were agreed to by the two leading candidates to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister, leader of the opposition Pierre Poilievre, and all of Canada's provincial premiers. Therefore, Trump has managed to achieve the impossible: unanimous consent across Canada's disparate political spectrum. Concurrently, many Canadians are sharing lists of US products to boycott.
If push comes to Trumpian shove, Canadian policymakers could custom design counter-tariffs to undercut the commitment to keep consumer costs low for Americans and his slight favouritism for the 34 US states which have Canada as their primary export destination. Even without such countermeasures from America's northern neighbour, the 25% import tariff would cost the typical US household $1200 per month, according to Yale University's Budget Lab. Would The Donald follow through with it, shooting himself in his political foot?
Shopaholic 2: the presidential version
At the same time as tax increases – a tariff is a form of tax – a new presidential form of his pre-presidential self has crystallized. Nations as real estate is the new paradigm created, using his former realtor guise. As president of the world's largest economy, bankruptcies and legal actions are less likely, at least partially.
The latest episode in Trump's fetish for territorial expansion is a continuation of the plan/desire to purchase Greenland, as described in "Greenland: not Trumpian and only partially Danish," in January. Congressman Earl Carter recently introduced a bill authorizing the US to acquire Greenland and then rename it Red, White, and Blueland. It would be most advisable for someone to approach the Congressman, subtly sniff him, and ask, "have you taken anything?"
There has also been further escalation of the hostile takeover of the Panama canal. Originally a French concession which was constructed under Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson, the canal and the Canal Zone were administered by the United States, much to the ongoing contentiousness of the Panamanians. This was eventually solved with a treaty between Omar Torrijos and the late President Carter in 1977.
Outdoing even himself for surreality, planet Trump seems to believe that the very bloody region of Israel, Gaza, could be transformed into the "Riviera of the Middle East". The residents would be in international communities, and although there won't be "boots on the ground", US troops haven't been ruled out entirely. The previous permanent resettlement of Gazans is now a "temporary relocation." Despite claiming "everybody loves it", there has been the inevitable overreaction that this would amount to ethnic cleansing and rebukes that this could breed "new suffering and hatred". Even if this happens, and that's a big if, polls show that most Americans are strongly against what would amount to a new entanglement in a conflict zone. It would run counter to Trump's campaign assertion to end "ridiculous wars" and prevent others from starting them, which would befit the old jibe about the US being the "world policeman."
Moreover, expanding US territory peacefully is his actual obsession, much to the chagrin of the USA's friendly anglophone/francophone northern neighbour.
A long history of unwanted attention
The US Declaration of Independence precedes the enactment of the Constitution Act, the foundation of the Canadian state, by 91 years. The duplex of former British colonies largely get on well, even with a Canadian accent being mistaken for an American accent being mildly irritating to the average Canuck. It could simultaneously be a source of mildly smug amusement to the average Yank.
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This mindset could be underpinning Trump's call for Canada to become the "51st state." While this could be his means for taunting the thankfully soon-to-be-ex Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, it is possible that The Donald may be fantasizing about the US doubling in size. The tariff threat-weapon may be firing blanks, as it is unknown what kind of strength Trumps "economic force" could entail, but it hasn't gone unanswered. Trumps errant assumption is that Canada may take it lying down and transmogrify into America's metaphoric doormat.
While the US has a more dynamic economy than Canada, at least during the Lost Decade of Trudeau, American pop culture is dominant and most Canadians are defensively "not American".
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The cross-border perception about Trump's "51st state" blather is vaguely similar. 1/3 of Canadians take Trump seriously, while 2/3 of Americans have paid little attention. Other parts of the cross-border study by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute reveal that 3/4 of Americans both view Canada positively and also that becoming the 51st state should be Canadians' sole decision. Presently, 90% of Canadians are firmly against it, and the perception of the US as a threat is triple what it was 2 years ago.
Cross-border trouble has gone beyond snide remarks and frowns several times. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 decided all boundaries of the US, including the northern border with British North America - Canada's pre-confederation title. The rest of the entire border was finalized by the Treaty of 1818. This was highly necessary because of the War of 1812 which was fought along the 1783 border of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, the Great Lakes and also in the Atlantic ocean.
The most significant feature of this 2 year war was the involvement of the Shawnee chief and warrior Tecumseh. The warriors he recruited played a significant part in the capture of Detroit in August 1812.
That was one of many battles in which his major role was in Canada's defense, before he ended up being killed in the Battle of the Thames in 1813. The war formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. At the peace talks opened in Ghent, Belgium, American diplomats apparently decided not to present demands of the 4th US President James Madison to end impressment, a form of forced recruitment to the military. One key suggestion of President Madison, especially in the context of 221 years thereafter, was that Britain turn Canada over to the United States. This was also not mentioned during the talks.
The Treaty of Ghent restored the prewar borders. American-held areas of Upper Canada (today's Ontario) were returned to British control, while significant parts of Michigan and Maine were returned to the United States. The following decades had several treaties which further settled boundary disputes. This led to the border becoming demilitarized, thus it is largely identical to what it had been prewar, with some minor differences such as the cross border bridge downstream from the Niagara Falls between Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario having the official title Peace Bridge.
The War of 1812 is interpreted differently on both sides of the border, subject to a measure of nationalistic mythology ever since the Treaty of Ghent. It has long been a forgotten war in Britain, mainly due to longer term preoccupation with defeating Napoleon Bonaparte. Given how the border was not changed by the war at all, it could classified as a draw. Self-perception of victory is one thing that Americans and Canadians have in common, obviously in their own favour so it could even be a matter of agreeing to disagree.
President Madison once declared the war to have been a complete American victory. That measure of unjustified pride was reflected by an editorial in the Niles' Register in 1816 with the claim that the Americans "did virtually dictate the Treaty of Ghent to the British." Trump-style claims seem to predate The Donald by 2 centuries.
Americans who don't believe that putting on a show of confidence would allow them to prevail in the next negotiation or conflict don't view the War of 1812 with such patriotic blinkers. A minority even considered the war to have been a defeat and an act of folly by President Madison, openly wondering why the Treaty of Ghent changed little or nothing. More recently, American academic and history professor Donald R. Hickey said, "by my count, we lost the War of 1812 and we lost Vietnam. That's not the widely held opinion in the United States about the War of 1812. The common view is that the war ended in a draw." A Congressman of that period, George Troup, phrased his possible viewpoint of it being a draw optimistically in that the Treaty of Ghent was "the glorious termination of the most glorious war ever waged by the people."
Canadians on the other hand, see it in a positive light in that a successful defence prevented an American victory. Regular units of the British army were effectively supplemented by Canadian militias, especially by Tecumseh's ingenious tactics. While a small majority of Canadians view the war as a Canadian victory or draw and many aren't sure about it, most view it as one of the key features which established Canadian identity. A militarily inconclusive war that became a stalemate, neither side wanted to continue as the main causes for it disappeared. This also applies to the notorious burning of Washington. Better diplomacy in the first place could have avoided all of it, and the same should apply today in terms of the Trumpian "economic force."
The 8,891km (5,525 mile) border is shared by 8 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, and 13 of 50 US states. Physically unchanged since the War of 1812, there have been a few operational changes brought about by 9/11 which were also used to enable restricted border traffic during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Some unique and mildly eccentric features of the border remain, known as a pene-exclave. Defined as "parts of the territory of one country that can be approached conveniently — in particular by wheeled traffic — only through the territory of another country."
Boundary Marker No 1 is something of an antique in Point Roberts, Washington. Access is either through entirely American waters, or via land is only possible through Canada. It is one of many quasi-symptoms of UK-US border negotiations or disputes. Does Trump have his eye on this and other Canadian-American border anomalies? Other exclaves are:
•The western section of the Akwesasne reserve which is in Quebec. To its north: St. Lawrence River. To the east and south: St. Regis River of New York state, over which one must drive to access other parts of Canada.
•Campobello Island, New Brunswick: no road connection to the rest of Canada. Reaching mainland Canada by car without crossing, then re-crossing the border is only possible during summer by taking 2 separate ferries. Year round, the only means to leave the island is via the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge to Lubec, Maine.
•New Brunswick and Maine have a minute dispute about Macias Seal Island and North Rock, near the maritime boundary of the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy. The island and surrounding waters were claimed by the US and Great Britain (now Canada). Despite being small (550x250 metres or 20 acres), it is in the middle of a valuable shipping route. It is occupied by a Canadian lighthouse, originally built by the British in 1832, and only visited by the Canadian Cost Guard. Claimed by the US and visited by US tour boats, the area is patrolled by both the Canadian and the US Coast Guard. The unresolved maritime boundary has two features: sovereignty of the island and the actual location of the maritime boundary taking into account who is the rightful owner of the island. How should this dispute be resolved? The primary local residents deserve and should be granted absolute autonomy!
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| Are these puffins Canadian or American? |
There is a maritime dispute near the Pacific coast as well. In 1977, both the US and Canada declared fishing zones at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Washington state and British Columbia) using a slightly different method to define an equidistant water boundary, so the disputed area is 51.5 km2 (19.9 square miles).
Even in the arctic, there are two disputes. In the Beaufort Sea, Canada prefers to extend the land boundary between Yukon province and Alaska, while the US prefers it to be equidistant from the coastline. This means that there is a disputed area of about 21,440 km2 /8,280 square miles. The origin is the treaty of Saint Petersburg between Russia and Great Britain in 1825, predating both the founding of Canada and Alaska's sale to the US by 42 years. This could have an unconventional influence over The Donald. On the Pacific coast where Alaska borders British Columbia, there are 2 areas of the sea leading to the Dixon Entrance which both claim. Where does the line which defines territorial waters go exactly? Originally defined by the 1903 Alaska Boundary Treaty and subsequent arbitration, the US does not recognize it. They view it as subject to international marine law despite not having ratified the Law of Sea Treaty (UNCLOS). Effectively, a non-signatory can claim anything it wants to claim.
Much of the above in terms of the sea, except the puffin home on Macias Seal Island are part of the Northwest Passage (NWP), a sea lane through the Artic Ocean between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It's near the northern coast of North America, and goes around various islands which are physically separate from mainland Canada. As per UNCLOS, Canada classifies the waters in this Canadian Arctic Archipelago in Canadian Internal Waters, giving Canada the right to bar transit through them. However, the US claims that these waters are an international strait, where foreign vessels have the right of transit passage. These concepts are in UNCLOS, which has never been ratified by the US - all 13 versions of it since 1958 (!). During the Reagan era, the Polar Sea Controversy was an American icebreaker passing through the NWP without requesting permission as the waters are an international strait. In 1988, Canada and the US signed the Arctic Cooperation Agreement formalizing that all US Coast Guard and Navy vessels that are researching would require Canada's permission to pass through.
However, troublemaking from Canada's southern neighbour didn't stop entirely. Unannounced passage of US nuclear submarines through Canadian Arctic waters was discovered in 2005. To reinforce its sovereignty, establishment of more deep-water ports in the far North was announced in 2007. Via a press release, the then-prime minister Stephen Harper stated that Canada intended to defend its sovereignty because Canada's Arctic, "is central to our national identity as a northern nation. It represents the tremendous potential of our future." Whereas patriotism justifies negotiating international treaties, it seems that the US has a pre-Donald history of selective reading, whereby patriotism justifies looking the other way when it comes to inconvenient treaties, or even inconvenient facts.
Occasionally uneasy relations soon to become 'uneasier'?
There is indeed a pre-Trumpian and a potential post-Trumpian habit of improvised selective reading and selective memory when it comes to behaving as a consistently honest broker.
Satire has produced a volumetric wealth of nicknames, stretching far beyond The Donald from the era of The Apprentice. A clever pun surfaced quite recently - Trumpster - mainly referring to those who voted for him and are still proudly vehement supporters. Of the many definitions in Urban Dictionary, the most striking and also accurate are:
•A member of a cult who believes Trump can do no wrong.
•An anti-social narcissist.
•A receptacle that gladly regurgitates the trash and bullshit expelled by Donald Trump.
•An ill-informed person who clings to a false narrative despite overwhelming facts to the contrary.
•An ill-informed person who clings to a false narrative despite overwhelming facts to the contrary.
From the era of flares and platform shoes when he started in real estate, little has changed from the pre-presidential era when it comes to his honesty being questionable. This continued into his first term, aggravated between that and the second with the failed attempt to make them consecutive terms through inciting a riot/rebellion. So far, the second term has seen Donald John Trump using tariffs as a blunt weapon, unaware or maybe indifferent to how counterproductive they could be.
While certainly not trying to recreate history, the 45th and 47th President could be a reincarnation of the 4th President, James Madison. Is he trying to correct some kind of mistake from 1814? Or will he recreate the errant mindset 221 years after President Madison declared the 1812 War to have been a complete victory? Maybe some officials will even omit some instructions or suggestions, just like at the Treaty of Ghent talks. Better diplomacy should also take place today regarding the "economic force", thereby avoiding becoming Madison II –– causing damage while not changing the facts on the ground.
There are some eccentric anomalies along the 8.9 thousand kilometre / 5.5 thousand mile border, so do the neighbours continue to deal with these, or is the entire border irrelevant to the still non-signatory to the Law of Sea Treaty, and will unfounded claims continue? While there is bizarreness of the Greenland, Panama and Gaza triumvirate, the backstory of Alaska could well be in the subconscious of P45/47. Alaska was purchased from Russia in March 1867 for $7.2M (now $153M), and was handed over in October. This could be viewed as a precedent, despite Greenland's different status to what used to be Russian America.
That wouldn't apply to the desired hostile takeover of Canada, which became a sovereign nation in between the Alaska purchase and handover. The current territorial disputes are about very little or next to nothing, however the current President does not wish to solve them, but to make the border disappear. While his predecessor's pipedreams about equality and the environment undid the economic progress of the first Trump presidency, the second Trump presidency could reverse the economic counterproductivity of Joe Biden. However, the 51st state dream is metaphorically expressed at megaphone volume which could even be audible to the Macias Seal Island puffins.
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