Nota Bene: I originally wrote this in July of last year but opted not to post it. I worried that I may have overstated the issue, that it may have been a bit hyperbolic. I now find that I probably was understating the situation. Back then, I was already seeing glimmerings of PM Mark Carney’s ability to lead our country but, of course, I had no idea than he would come to make my same argument at Davos. Perhaps I should have bought a lottery ticket ….

The current US president is convinced, as are many Americans, that the USA is an indispensable nation. America can do as it pleases and not fear any consequences. Arguably, this view is still widely shared both in the US and abroad. But is it true? Certainly, the liberal rules-based world order established by the US at Bretton Woods in 1944, made America both a world financial and political hegemon. No question. It is also true that many countries came to be complacent about their own economies and security because Uncle Sam would always be there as a security backstop. To be fair, it was by and large true. Yes, we Canadians were probably first in line as far as complacency and dependence on our southern neighbour. Over the decades, many have raised warning flags — and all were dismissed out of hand.

It is time to wake up and smell the coffee. The then Chancellor-Elect of Germany expressed it best almost a year ago on 23 Feb 2025. Frederick Merz said:

My absolute priority [as Chancellor] will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can achieve independence from the USA. I never thought I would have to say something like this … But after Donald Trump’s statements … it is clear that the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.

Germany is re-arming, and practically every country in the EU is following suit. France is talking about the possibility of putting nuclear missiles in Ukraine. Britain has promised troops if needed — not to fight, but for security. Poland is on track to making themselves one of the largest military powers on the continent. The trend is clear.

The Mafia boss sitting in The Mansion on Pennsylvania Ave (when he’s not overwhelmed with work on a golf course somewhere) has inadvertently caused practically all of the “free world” to turn against him. Anyone who would suggest that this is part of some grand plan to force NATO allies to spend more on defence should think again because grand plans require thinking beyond what you’ll wear tomorrow (hmmm, white shirt, red tie, blue suit …). There is no plan, grand, or otherwise.

It is true that practically all NATO countries are now upping their defence budgets but who’s supplying the weapons? The biggest arms producer in the world (the US)? No, the Europeans, Scandinavians, Brits and Koreans are talking to each other. How can this be? Don’t the western democracies need American weapons to keep their countries safe? Nope. Not so much. They all have robust arms industries and can meet each other’s demands for guns as well as butter. And they’re about to prove it.

America the indispensable nation? The dustbins of history are littered with “indispensable” nations …

As I said above, that was almost a year ago and all of the chaos, disruption and mayhem, including the kidnapping of a head of state (as unpopular as he may have been), the murder of two American citizens on the streets of an otherwise peaceful American city — by their own government — and the now evident decline in American stature around the globe have proven that my concerns were well founded. PM Carney has indeed demonstrated that he was correct when he told the world at Davos that we are in a unique situation. To quote from his speech: “Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”

Allow me to reframe what I stated above about “indispensable nations” for it may be true that nations act indispensably from time to time. Canada has done so now.