BOOTS NOT SUITS
Canada is heading today for elections and "Boots not suits" is one of the slogans of the Conservative party led by Pierre Poilievre.
After a decade of Liberal Party, you can feel Canadians wants a change.
The Liberal Party represents all the "good vibes" of mainstream politics. The "we need to do the right thing" mentality and the global consensus on Environmentalism, Globalism and Progressivism. Everything an European like me can agree on.
But the surprising part of this is that many Canadians are turning back to all these ideals because the feel it comes at a cost they cannot longer afford.
Most interestingly, the change is being pushed by young Canadians that even though they believe in these "good stuff" ideas, they also aspire to have a prosperous life and prosperous future for themselves. And the problem is that young Canadians feel they cannot afford to leave in their own country anymore.
Many Canadians will show up today to vote 1) to be able to make use of their country resources, 2) to demand more investments on themselves and 3) to lift from their shoulders the heavy weight of moral politics.
If you think Canada elections don't affect you, think twice.
Canadians have always cared about the world, but after watching their neighbour put themselves first, they’re shifting focus to themselves too. And this is a domino effect—as more countries prioritise themselves, others will follow.
What this means for Nordics and Europe (among many many things) is:
- Less good vibes in general. It will be less of "doing the right thing" and more of "doing what is right for me".
- Less global trade, output, income and wealth creation as more countries will produce local and buy local.
- Less country interdependencies, which will increase the chances of global conflicts ("Where there is trade, there are not bullets" idea, but the other way around)
- A global race for the control of natural resources, specially in disputed areas such as the Arctic and international oceans, as countries will need to ensure self sufficiency.
It is in the latter where Nordics should be more aware. The "entente cordiale" among Arctic neighbours to protect our natural heritage is coming to an end. And the Nordics will now have to manage neighbours more assertive in their rights to explore, exploit, and claim their share of the Arctic.
