[a-priori]

We had free trade. The US has, in a very short period of time, squandered what was a highly profitable and mutually beneficial trading relationship.

There was already a sentiment of distrust in Canada about being so dependent on American goodwill. You can see this in the debates from the 1998 federal election (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyYjRmM7RDY) on the establishment of CUSFTA, the precursor to NAFTA and later CUSMA. Brian Turner (red tie in that video) argued that free trade in Canada would lead inevitably 'reduce' Canada to becoming a 'colony' of the United States. He lost the election, and the agreement went through. Here we are almost three decades later and, as Canadians see it, those fears are at risk of coming true.

I'm not sure that Americans really understand that this has permanently damaged the relationship between our countries. It's going to be a generation before there will be the political will in Canada to consider going back to something similar to NAFTA/CUSMA again. Even assuming the United States returns to open trade policies again, the question forever on everyone's mind will be "what if another Trump gets elected?".

[soperj]

You've mixed up the two debaters (Brian Mulroney and John Turner), and the year (1988).

[a-priori]

Ugh, yes you're right, I typed too fast and mixed things up. Thanks for the corrections.

[bdangubic]

it is 2025, nothing takes a generation any longer unless you are implying donny and his apostoles will rule america for a generation. otherwise new administration will repair this fairly quickly

[bryanlarsen]

A new administration can not promise that somebody like Donald Trump will never be elected again. That's what it would take to repair this relationship.