Imagine if Donald Trump decided it was high time the National Hockey League changed its name to something that would make America great again.Goodbye NHL, hello AFHL — the America First Hockey League. The game would remain the same, for those who don’t mind star-spangled tweaks. A few more American flags here and there, the inevitable chants of “USA! USA! USA!” But otherwise no changes of deep significance. Canada’s world-leading hockey supply chain would continue apace, meeting close to half of the league’s playing needs. American fans, with 24 teams to Canada’s seven, would continue paying most of the freight, making multimillion-dollar superstars of kids from places like Cole Harbour, N.S., as they do now. But Canadians would still be screaming bloody murder over a grotesque, identity-stealing violation of sovereignty. Which is why it is such a good thing none of us ever cared in the least about the bloodlessly boring acronym NAFTA. Because in rebranding what is essentially the same trade deal we’ve had for decades with a new name, USMCA — notice how it puts America first and Canada last — Trump is walking away with the nativist-pleasing yet entirely meaningless fist-bump he was looking for.One can’t help but wonder what the White House Acronym Team rejected before stumbling upon the tongue-twisting USMCA. Did they ponder MUSCLE — Mexico-United-States-Canada-Leverage-Everything — in thrall with the imagined headlines, “Trump, flexes MUSCLE, axes NAFTA,” only to realize it puts the wrong country first?Read more: Justin Trudeau calls trade deal a win, promises compensation for dairy farmersHere’s what’s new in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada AgreementOpinion | Chantal Hébert: Trade agreement is unlikely to hurt Liberal fortunesIn surrendering on a rebranding that literally names America first, Canada and Mexico made a zero-sum call that cost literally nothing in re ...
|
