Whether he’s pressuring Ukraine for backpay or speculating about Greenland’s riches, when Donald Trump mentions critical minerals, he’s ultimately concerned with one thing and one thing only: defence.According to the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) definition of a “critical mineral,” that makes perfect sense. In concert with the USGS, the US government is clearly focused on how vulnerable supply chains of critical minerals affect their national security.You’d think, therefore, it would be the same for Canada, particularly after all this talk of the vulnerability of Canada’s Arctic. When it comes to critical minerals, shouldn’t defence be our primary focus? Nope..EDITORIAL: If Nenshi says the pornographic books are fine in school libraries, bring them to the mic.In a September 11 press release from Edmonton, Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote that Canada’s strategy was to, “ensure that our critical minerals industry can grow and that Canada and our global partners can benefit from our value chains for clean technologies and defence.”I guess we should be happy the word “defence” was squeezed in at all. How did Canada’s critical minerals become based on supplying clean technology to the world, one might ask?That’s all part of the game..You see, “critical mineral” is a bit of a “garbage can” of a term to begin with, because its definition has so many metals, minerals, and elements tossed into it. There are 50 critical minerals listed for the US, for example, and 53 for Canada (counting REEs and PGMs individually, see below)..Still more confusing, the term is defined differently in different countries and can change over time within the same country.The Liberals concocted Canada’s definition of critical minerals, which, unlike its US equivalent, doesn’t only focus on supply chain vulnerability and how it affects national security. Instead, they’ve created an ideological focus.The Liberals list copper, for instance, which Canada possesses in abundance, as a critical mineral. The US, in comparison, also possesses abundant copper resources, but doesn’t list it.The reason for the difference? .Canada’s official definition of a “critical mineral” reveals why. To be considered a critical mineral in Canada, a mineral must meet both of the following criteria: the supply chain is threatened and there is a reasonable chance of the mineral being produced by Canada.It must also meet one of the following criteria: either be essential to Canada’s economic or national security, or be required for the national transition to a sustainable low-carbon and digital economy, or position Canada as a sustainable and strategic partner within global supply chains.You’ll note how “national security” falls under a secondary list of possible criteria..BEN-AMI: Note to PM Carney: End the diplomatic virtue signaling, focus on the real problem.There’s an implication that a critical mineral must have a global supply chain vulnerability to be on Canada’s list. But shouldn’t critical minerals in Canada be only those minerals that could have their supply to (or within) Canada threatened?Another concern is that Canada must be a “sustainable” partner “within global supply chains.” This approach further subjugates Canada to the rules-based world order. This is not a policy for a sovereign Canada. It doesn’t demonstrate care for the West at all.Carney envisions Canada as a kind of resource piggy bank for the world. Assuming we get capital in return for our resources, in the upcoming “digital economy” that Carney is promoting, what will that ultimately leave us with in tangible assets? It seems like we will own nothing, but I doubt we’ll be happy..And while we have no clear idea where exactly Canada stands within Carney’s ideological leanings, what is clear is that he’s willing to play saviour to the EU, which like him clings to neo-liberalism, technocracy, and net zero ideology.Take Germany, for example, the biggest economy in the EU.German industry experienced an exacerbated threat from China this year. With Trump’s tariffs in place, Beijing has increased buying already monstrous quantities of scrap copper from the EU to replace its American purchases. They’re trying to corner the market on a resource that is 100% recyclable while retaining its physical and chemical properties. The result? Germany’s massive copper smelters are in danger of running out of raw material, and the EU’s economy is increasingly threatened.To the rescue, Mark Carney comes, lugging along Canada, the globe’s critical mineral piggy bank..FLETCHER: Orange Shirt Day guilt industry running out of control.After his visit with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in August, Carney highlighted a supply agreement between the German company Aurubis AG and Canada’s Troilus Gold Corp. to purchase Canadian copper concentrate for German processing. The pride of place for this deal with the Canadian government suggests prioritization of ideological concerns and the economic concerns of the world’s other nations over Canada’s autonomy and defence.The argument might not simply be one or the other, but while we sit atop massive resources in the West which can power Canada’s autonomy and help avoid a fiasco like Germany’s green energy crisis, are we prioritizing the right solutions?Oil and gas drive autonomy and defence in the here and now and will buck the globalists who continue to enforce net zero and put their national security and sovereignty at risk in the name of achieving a circular economy. Carney must choose, to some degree, to prioritize the defence of our nation and our sovereignty, even if he sees us as an oversized piggy bank. Once a piggy bank is broken, it can’t hold anything, especially large resources like Canada has. It will be plundered for all its riches.
