Prime Minister Mark Carney announced this week that Canada would formally recognize a Palestinian state in September. Immediately, U.S. president Donald Trump responded that Carney’s decision would make a deal with Canada “very hard.” His commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, called Carney’s two-state decision “tone deaf.”Then Trump hiked tariffs on Canada to 35 per cent.Why would Carney do such a thing when Canada’s economic future is at stake? The economic well-being of every Canadian will be negatively impacted by Carney’s rash decision. Even if Carney had chosen to support Hamas, why would he do such a thing immediately before Trump’s Aug. 1 tariff deadline?But the scarier question is this: Is Carney tone deaf and incompetent, or does he know exactly what he is doing — in which case, his real agenda has very little to do with the economic well-being of Canadians?.The Palestinian statehood issue is pure political virtue signalling by Carney. Canada has almost zero influence in international affairs since Justin Trudeau’s clown-like entrance onto the world stage. While Canada was once a respected middle power, having distinguished itself in the war years, we are now basically considered either irrelevant or a joke. So Carney’s “brave” pontification about a “two-state solution” amounts to little more than empty words.The fact of the matter is that a two-state solution is impossible under current conditions. Gaza was given to the Palestinians by Israel to govern as they liked. Israel’s intention was precisely the “two states living side by side in peace” that Carney, Macron and Starmer now say they seek. Instead, in 2006, the Palestinians elected Hamas — a death cult dedicated to driving Israelis into the sea. Is Carney really serious about forcing Israel to live “side by side in peace” with people who want them dead?Is he that incompetent — or does he have an agenda that has little to do with peace in the Middle East?.Carney has made other decisions recently that also make one wonder whether he knows what he’s doing — or, if he does, whether those reasons have anything to do with protecting the economic well-being of Canadians.His decision to hang on to Canada’s supply management system — a cartel that costs every Canadian family $500 per year — would be another reason to wonder. Is he simply incompetent, or is he dedicated to an agenda that runs directly counter to the economic interests of average Canadians? That system benefits fewer than 10,000 privileged families at the expense of ordinary consumers. It is also deeply offensive to American trade negotiators, who see it for what it is: a protectionist, communist-style cartel..GIESBRECHT: Why Canadians pay $500 a year protecting millionaire farmers.If Carney wanted to stick his thumb in Trump’s eye, he could do nothing more effective than insult both Israel and America with his infantile two-state musings, while doubling down on a Stalinist supply management system.But that’s exactly what he is doing..Great Britain made a deal with Trump. So did Japan, South Korea, Europe and others. Meanwhile, Carney is passing legislation to cement supply management in place permanently, while proclaiming a fantasy two-state solution involving a Palestinian population whose elected leadership still wants Jews driven into the sea.What’s going on? Is he deliberately playing fast and loose with Canadian jobs and our standard of living?Or is he simply in over his head?Is Carney incompetent — or does he have an agenda we don’t understand… an agenda that has little to do with protecting the economic well-being of Canadians.The concern is that we will find out the answers to these questions only after the damage has been done…
