Trump's tariffs on Canada expose U.S. confidence crisis, analysts say

President Trump's latest tariffs on Canadian exports—imposed over wildfire smoke reaching U.S. air—reflect a deeper crisis of confidence in American institutions that extends far beyond trade disputes, according to analysis in The Tyee.

On the surface, the U.S. appears dominant: an economy worth north of $32 trillion, 10 times Canada's population, and the world's mightiest military. Yet those numbers mask structural problems. The U.S. carries a $40-trillion public sector debt showing no signs of shrinking, and the Pentagon's nearly trillion-dollar budget has forced it to beg Congress for additional billions to continue the Iran conflict.

While U.S. productivity is about 15 per cent higher than Canada's, and the U.S. has higher per capita income and lower unemployment, Americans themselves don't feel the benefit. Only 16 per cent of Americans consider their economic status good or excellent. Meanwhile, only the top 10 per cent of U.S. wage earners are doing better than their Canadian counterparts—average workers in Canada are actually doing better than their American peers. One-third of Canadians rate their economy as good or excellent, double the approval rating Americans give theirs.

Americans' discontent extends to democracy itself. Roughly seven in 10 are dissatisfied with how their democracy is operating. Only 29 per cent support Trump's war of choice in Iran; the rest are not shy about their disapproval. Soccer fans booed Trump when his face appeared on the Jumbotron at the FIFA World Cup final.

Gallup polling reported this month that "Americans' confidence in major U.S. institutions remains near the lowest level... in more than four decades, averaging less than 30 per cent for the fifth consecutive year." Global opinion has deteriorated further: Pew Research Center data shows that in 25 of 36 countries surveyed, respondents actually prefer China to the United States. The main reason cited is lack of confidence in Trump.

Rather than address his country's waning civic spirit and tarnished reputation, Trump has focused on bullying Canada—announcing 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports ranging from Christmas decorations to hockey sticks, citing pollution of U.S. air by wildfire smoke. "When your neighbour's house is on fire, you don't complain that they are hurting your air quality," the analysis notes. "You help douse the flames."