Gordon L. Weil
You know it when you see it.
Donald Trump does.
He sees it in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister
Mark Carney and German Chancellor Friedrich
Merz. He does not see it in Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or former Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau. When he sees it, his quick take
on a leader influences his policy toward that person’s nation.
It’s called gravitas. That’s a term from ancient Rome. If a person has it, they are thought to be
serious, substantial and dignified. Their
gravitas gains them respect and enhances their ability to lead. That respect benefits their countries and the
aura of leadership gives them the ability to govern effectively.
Americans seem to place little value on it, preferring to see
a president as a pal. Look at Gerry
(Gerald Ford), Jimmy (James Carter), Bill (William Clinton), Al (Albert Gore),
and Joe (Joseph Biden). Trump might aspire to gravitas. He may appear as a plain-speaking
guy, but he enjoys a big military parade with its multiple salutes.
Carney recently made it clear that a leader with gravitas is
essential if a nation wants to be taken seriously by the U.S., China or Russia.
“If you are not at the table,” he said, “you’re on the menu.” See Zelenskyy at the White House.
The effect can be found in the serious trade negotiations between
the U.S. and China, the U.K. and Canada, while the rest of the world is in the
waiting room. Its absence can be seen in
the way Trump treats Ukraine.
Carney has given Canada a new image, one immune from Trump’s
ridiculous and offensive claim that it should be the 51st American state. With his respected standing, extensive
international experience and proximity to the U.S., he has been able to express
clearly how Canada and others see the U.S. and to act on his conclusions.
He laid it out recently.
Here is his view,
which is a clear statement reflecting the sentiment of leaders of other countries
as well.
The U.S. played a “predominant role” in the world after the
collapse of the Soviet Union. It exercised
a “gravitational pull” on Canada. “Today,
that predominance is a thing of the past.”
“Now, the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony,
charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contribution to
our collective security,” he stated.
A key word for Carney is “reliable.” You could always count on America, especially
as the protector of international rules-based order. That has changed. Canada now finds itself in
an “age of disorder” and feels threatened by “a new imperialism.”
Like a substantial investor, Canada will seek to diversify. This does not mean abandoning its close relationship
with the U.S., which is an asset for both countries. But by diversifying, Canada can reduce the
risk that Washington will set Canadian national policy. The same formula is true for Britain, France
and Germany.
“We’re far too reliant on the United States,” Carney said. “We
can no longer send three-quarters of our defense capital spending to America.” His country is now seeking to form a new
relationship with Rearm Europe, a multinational effort to expand non-American
military production.
He asserts that “the world’s trade routes, allegiances,
energy systems and even intelligence itself are being rewired.” Canada will seek “a new international set of
partnerships” and “deeper alliances with stable democracies.” The clear implication is that he questions whether
the U.S. is a “stable” democracy.
Carney recognizes that his new policy, involving stepped up
defense spending, will impose a cost on the country. He has already shown himself to be more aware
of the economic interests of Canadian provinces to promote accelerated growth and
a stronger economy beyond what Trudeau’s utopian agenda would have permitted.
His view is increasingly the common view of countries from
Estonia to Australia. Trump’s vision of nations
orbiting the U.S., not so much for American domination as for its enrichment,
is leading other countries to reassess their relationship with the U.S. and to
form “a new international set of partnerships.”
Nowhere is this better illustrated than in today’s crisis
points in Europe and the Middle East. American
interests, influenced by its relationships with Russia and Israel, do not align
with those of Canada or Europe, which may see themselves as targets. Trump’s easy claims to Canada or Greenland
reveal the gap with countries that have been threatened or invaded.
“When we stand up for territorial integrity, whether it is
in Ukraine or West Bank and Gaza, we are standing up for the territorial
integrity of the Canadian Arctic,” he said.
Perhaps one positive result of the Trump’s pressure on trade
and territory is that Canada and Europe are being forced to accept their own
responsibility for a stable and reliable world order.
