Kelly McParland: Trade talks with Trump are pointless

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The latest arbitrary deadline to a gratuitous threat made by an untrustworthy president falls this week when Aug. 19 arrives and the U.S. does or does not introduce 50 per cent tariffs on a package of Canadian goods.

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The degree to which this seizes Mark Carney might be indicated by the fact the prime minister chose to spend a week vacationing in Italy rather than nibbling his nails as the minutes ticked down. Sure, his aides say he stayed in close contact with Ottawa, but anyone who’s spent any time in Italy knows that distant crises always seem somewhat less desperate when considered over a cappuccino while pondering a statue or two in a pleasant piazza.

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Italians tend to take a relaxed view of life thanks to their long history of ups and downs and knowledge that, whatever the disaster, life goes on. Empires, dictators, wars and calamities come and go; Italy is littered with the remnants of fallen worlds testifying to the foolishness humans can get up to, but also to the ability to recover from the madness of others.

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If any of this crossed Carney’s mind while he sought a break from his duties, he might also consider that the reputation of one of his predecessors benefits not from something he did, but something he didn’t do. When Jean Chrétien is being toasted by Liberals as a successful and well-remembered leader, his refusal to join the U.S. in its ill-fated crusade in Iraq is a leading reason.

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Canada preferred to be friends with the U.S. just as much then as it does now, but was sentient enough to understand that joining it in bad ideas and self-defeating ventures wasn’t a requirement. American President Donald Trump’s misguided tariff war is just such an example. Whatever the temporary pain, Canada would be far better off in the long run avoiding any sort of agreement that lets Washington claim the slightest victory in its attempt to bully concessions out of Ottawa.

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Better to walk away, let the White House do its worst and deal with the consequences. That will inevitably be the result under this administration in any case. Whatever piece of paper negotiators wave should a last-minute “deal” be reached won’t be worth the ink wasted on the signatures. As long as Trump is president the U.S. can’t be trusted to keep its word. A quick-fix tariff accord could be signed at breakfast and broken before lunch.

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Until its leadership changes, any agreement with the U.S. is a recipe for ongoing uncertainty. Even if Republicans suffer defeat in November’s mid-term elections, the president’s ability to sow confusion will remain considerable until 2028, and likely longer given the time it would take to re-establish America’s reputation as a reliable country.

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It’s difficult to know just where the current talks lie. Official pronouncements, strategic leaks and expert analysis are all over the map. Canadian negotiators Dominic LeBlanc and Janice Charette are reportedly hopeful agreement can be reached, but they’d have to say that or they’d be useless in their jobs, no matter how senseless U.S. demands might be. Nothing that comes from the mouth of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer gives cause to believe their hopes will be fulfilled.