- Reaction score
- 6,178
- Points
- 1,090
These do not even register in geopolitical/strategic terms. Not important in the least. A spat over who can sell what technology where and two Canadians arrested on trumped up charges? And stirring up some minor (in the grand scheme of things) domestic protests? Charles de Gaul did more damage with "Vive le Quebec libre" and France is our ally. We had worse fights with Spain over fish who is also an ally.They already have and already are. The Huawei debacle comes to mind. Same with the high amount of Troll Factory disinformation that was being pumped into the Freedom Convoy...
We like to assume we don't matter. Our geography and our geology say otherwise. We hold the majority of fresh water in the world, we have some of the largest deposits of uranium and cobalt, as well as lithium. There is still a lot of oil left in the tar sands that will be valuable in manufacturing, even if we aren't fueling cars with it. Even then, shipping routes to Europe are cheaper through the NW Passage than going around. China has already stated desire for route access to what they say is "International waters."
We're only as isolated as we like to assume we are. Others don't play by the same rules.
Yes, geography says otherwise. Which is why we don't matter for these hostile power fantasies. Why try Canada when you can get everything you want from Africa? We are not in anyone sights and likely never will be. Geography is the only thing that matters in geopolitics.
The NWP is much more expensive and a longer trip than the NEP. Which is also ice-free more often. And even if Canada lost "sovereignty" over the NWP is that a tectonic disaster or will things just carry on like they always have. The only reason we claim it as internal waters is so we can control environmental and SAR policy. If it's an international straight it doesn't change too much from a usage perspective, as long as you carry on with peaceful transit. By the time the NWP is ice-free anyways the arctic ocean will be to, and that's an even faster trip completely outside someones juristiction.
We don't live where Ukraine does. Ukraine always had an external threat for their entire history. The fact they were unable to deal with it because they were a borderline failed state doesn't mean they didn't know it was there. Geography again. Our only external threat is our best friend, which we would lose a war too in about 5min. The rest, they have their own problems to deal with that are far more pressing than boring otherside of the world Canada.So we're Ukraine's for a little bit... until they were revealed to be external. China and Russia have learned how to conduct a kind of asymmetrical warfare we haven't: extortion, exploitation, and "make it look like someone else did it..."