Victor Davis Hanson sharply criticized Canada’s political and economic direction during an exchange with Jack Fowler, arguing that Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing the country toward deeper economic problems while weakening its longstanding relationship with the United States.

Hanson and Fowler discussed Canada, U.S.-Canada relations and Carney’s approach to trade and China during a recent episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

Hanson began by criticizing Canada’s decision to join European countries boycotting certain Israeli products from the West Bank.

He questioned whether Canada would apply similar standards to other countries it accuses of human rights abuses.

“Canada announced that it's going along with the those EU countries that are boycotting Israel products,” Hanson said.

He cited Nigeria, Afghanistan, China and Cuba while questioning whether Canada would restrict commerce with those countries as well.

“Because you're not just picking out one particular country because it's A, Western, but B, especially and particular, it's Jewish,” Hanson said.

“I may be wrong.”

Hanson contrasted Canada’s current trajectory with its role during World War II, recalling its military contributions before the United States entered the conflict.

“We Americans like Canadians. We want them to be strong,” Hanson said.

“We remember World War II. Canada was ferrying convoys to Britain beginning in October of 1939.”

He argued that Canada once capitalized on its military strength and natural resources but later embraced policies resembling those of the European Union.

“They had the fifth largest navy in the world. They were superb fighters,” Hanson said.

“They had taken advantage of this treasure house of natural resources, and then they went full EU socialist with Trudeau and now Carney.”

Hanson said the disagreement between Canada and the United States is not fundamentally about President Donald Trump.

“The reason that we have this disagreement is not Donald Trump,” Hanson said.

“It's not he wants to rename Ontario or he wants to troll you and say Alberta should be the 51st state. It's not here. It's you.”

He pointed to Canada’s birth rate, euthanasia, immigration, defense spending and economic growth as signs of what he considers broader national problems.

“You have a birth rate of 1.25. 1.25,” Hanson said.

“5.5% of all the deaths last year in Canada were euthanasia.”

Hanson also claimed that 45% of Canada’s population either was born outside the country or has parents who were born elsewhere, and argued that the country has failed to sufficiently integrate that population.

“You have 45% of your population was either not born in Canada or as the or children of parents who were not born, and they're not being acculturated, assimilated, integrated,” Hanson said.

Energy policy was another major focus. Hanson argued that Canadian regulations make it easier for companies in Alberta to construct pipelines toward the United States than toward other Canadian provinces.

“It's easier for a Canadian company in Alberta to build a pipeline to the United States than it is to the other provinces, given your hyper green energy net-zero fantasies,” Hanson said.

He also accused Carney of pursuing a politically motivated trade strategy intended to pressure U.S. states with significant economic ties to Canada.

Hanson claimed Canada has maintained trade surpluses with the United States while benefiting from easier access to the American market and comparatively favorable travel arrangements for Canadians.

“Only you, maybe Bermuda, but it doesn't count, over and only you, Canada, can come in Canadians can come into this country for 6 months, 6 months without a visa,” Hanson said.

He described the economic relationship as “completely asymmetrical” and accused Canada of expecting the United States to support Canadian defense and economic interests while criticizing the American government.

Hanson then turned to China, arguing that Carney’s efforts to deepen ties with Beijing create a more serious problem for U.S.-Canada relations.

“But only you, only you allied with China,” Hanson said.

He claimed Canada has entered into visa, travel, cultural and military arrangements with China and argued that Chinese aluminum and steel could potentially be routed through Canada to avoid higher American tariffs.

“So you are aiding and empowering communist China,” Hanson said.

He warned that China would not treat Canada as an equal partner if Ottawa approached Beijing from a position of weakness.

“China does not interpret outreach from weak countries as magnanimity to be reciprocated,” Hanson said.

“China treats outreach from smaller, weaker countries as obsequiousness to be manipulated and leveraged for its own interests.”

Hanson said he was not motivated by hostility toward Canada itself.

“I'm not angry at Canada. I'm angry at the lies of the US media and the Canadian people falling for this cheap trick of Carney,” Hanson said.

Fowler responded that Canadian political opinion was not uniform, citing the trucker protests during former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

“Well, I'd say half the Canadian people, maybe, because we did see that trucker protest, and there was a great outpouring,” Fowler said.

“And despite America having no involvement in it, we saw what Trudeau and the and a real leftist regime will do to people. Break them, cancel their bank accounts, etc.”

Hanson then predicted severe economic consequences if the trade dispute continues, pointing to what he described as 41,000 jobs already lost.

“They lost 41,000 jobs when this thing on- was only seven days into it,” Hanson said.

He went further, predicting that Canada could lose 2 million jobs and enter a recession.

He also accused Carney of failing to explain why he walked away from a proposed agreement with the United States.

“That man, Carney, will not tell people in Canada why he walked out at the 11th hour and rejected this treaty,” Hanson said. “He hasn't said why. He won't allow his ministers to say why.”

Hanson argued that the underlying disputes involved Canada’s relationship with China and its treatment of American digital media companies.

He compared Canadians supporting Carney’s approach to “classical lemmings” being led toward economic danger.

“It seemed like the Canadians are the classical lemmings, and they're following this Pied Piper right over the cliff,” Hanson said.

“They're right at the brink or the precipice, and they've got to draw back because he's going to lead them into a free fall, and it's not going to be pretty.”

Fowler noted Canada’s geographic and cultural proximity to the United States.

“Well, Canadians won the lottery in one sense,” Fowler said.

“They're a a similar country to ours in culture, etc., and they're right next to the greatest economy in the in the history of the world.”

Hanson responded by contrasting the historical development of the United States and Canada, arguing that the American system has demonstrated a unique ability to generate economic and military power.

“We know that this system, for all of its rambunctiousness and volatility, is very, very unique in its ability to create goods and services, military, economic, fiscal power,” Hanson said.

He argued that America continues to attract entrepreneurs from around the world because of those opportunities.

“It draw- it siphons away every entrepreneurial person in the world to come here, and then we unleash them, and they don't go to Canada for that reason,” Hanson said.

Fowler jokingly replied, “Yeah, I'm going to Canada so my destiny can be fulfilled.”

Hanson closed with his own sarcastic response about Canadian social programs and immigration.

“I'm going to Canada so I can bring my whole family and get free health care, free housing, free food, and then call my Canadian host racist,” Hanson said.

“That's what they get, cuz we know that, cuz we get a lot of that.”

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