Dear Editor,

Here we go again after 160 years, the Americans using trade and tariffs to soften up Canada for a takeover or at least that's how I am interpreting President-elect Trump's recent pronouncements about a 25% tariff on Canadian exports to the United States.

Let's get some historic and economic perspective on his utterings because the man obviously never studied history or failed miserably at it.

Canada exists because we Canadians rejected the American Revolution. They invaded us in 1775 and we routed them decisively. When the rebels won the war over 100,000 Loyalists left their comfortable life in the 13 colonies and moved north to start over again. They were later followed by at least another 100,000 "Late Loyalists".

They invaded us again in 1812 and we again sent them packing, winning practically all of the land battles. (The only land battle the Americans want to remember is New Orleans which was fought after the Peace Treaty of Ghent.) They lost the War of 1812, a war they started, and they were the ones suing for peace by late 1814.

They tried again after their Civil War by cancelling the Reciprocity Treaty thinking that would drive us to ask to be admitted to their Union fulfilling their dream of Manifest Destiny. Thank Heavens we had John A. Macdonald who countered their move with the creation of a transcontinental Dominion with a railway to connect us to trade with Asia and Europe. Even so A Representative Banks from Minnesota had the cheek to introduce a Bill into the American Congress to annex all of British North America.

On the economic side the United States does not "subsidize" Canada with a trade deficit of approximately $50 billion (NOT the $100 billion he claims). The trade deficit results from their need for our resources which they get good trade for their dollars. Our failure to match that by purchasing their products lies more with their manufacturing decline, lagging investments and poor worker productivity. We need our governments to make this case boldly even if they have to make Trump eat his words.

I, for one, have no desire to be an American. Even if it means dressing in rags and living on a 100 Mile Diet I will remain a Canadian.

Yours truly,

Delbert Doll

Courtenay.