Our commitment to NATO's Article 5 is unwavering, so we're working with our NATO allies, including the Nordic Baltic Gate, to further secure the alliance's northern and western flanks, including through Canada's unprecedented investments in over-the-horizon radar, in submarines, in aircraft and boots on the ground, boots on the ice.
—Prime Minister Mark Carney, Jan. 20, 2026, Davos address
“Unwavering,” eh? Hmm, let me consult my Canadian-to-English dictionary… aha! Turns out “unwavering” is Canadian for “underfunded by freeriding, Maple syrup-slurping cheapskates”: Canada hasn’t honored its 2% NATO defense spending agreement in nearly 40 years!
As we discussed yesterday:
At least since 2006, NATO defense ministers have “agreed to commit a minimum of 2% of their GDP to defence [sic] spending.” This means that all NATO countries needed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on military readiness…
The United States, of course, has always honored that commitment.
Let me remind you why we’re here: NATO isn’t a book club! It’s a military alliance. But we can’t deter aggressors if NATO members shirk their military commitments, because they think Uncle Sam will always protect them. That’s greedy, cowardly, and unfair.
[…]
Canada says all kinds of flowery things about the importance of alliances and the sanctity of NATO. According to Prime Minister Carney, Canada is a model NATO member that’s being bullied by bigger countries.
Oh, by the way, Canada also spends a paltry 1.5% of its GDP on defense.
Question: If NATO is so important, why won’t Canada pay its fair share?
We already know the answer to that question: Canada won’t pay its fair share because it would rather spend its tax dollars on feel-good social programs that only benefit Canadian citizens.
It’s quite literally the definition of selfishness.
But that’s been Canada’s M.O. for decades. Because 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the U.S. border, they’ve built their budget on the back of America’s military might. It’s freeriding writ large: Instead of paying their fair share, the Canadians shortchange the alliance and enrich themselves.
And then, while blanketed by America’s protection, Canada attacks the very country that keeps it safe.
Oh, by the way, our greedy neighbors to the north also have a vast landmass to protect. Should the Chinese ever decide to seize portions of it, Canada has no realistic way to stop ‘em on its own: China’s military budget is nearly TEN TIMES bigger than Canada’s — and the Chinese active military more than 32 TIMES larger!
But let’s be honest for once: Canada’s not actually planning to protect itself from invaders. Instead, Mark Carney expects his “allies” to save his (Canadian) bacon.
The same “allies” his country underfunds, underpays, and under-supports.
Canada has an active military of just 62,300 to protect a landmass that’s 3.8 million square miles wide. That’s 100% unfeasible. The utter absurdity of Canada’s “unwavering” NATO commitment is unmasked when you realize that the Canadian military is actually smaller than the militaries of Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Egypt, France, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
And Canada has the world’s second-largest country to protect!
But don’t worry, if Canada is ever invaded by the Dominican Republic, Canada has a (slight) edge: Despite Canada having a population of over 41 million and the Dominican Republic having a population of 11.5 million, the Canadian military has 5,500 more troops. (Way to go, Canada!)
Of course, tiny Dominican Republic doesn’t pose a threat to Canada — but Russia and China certainly do. Russia has historic claims to Canadian territory, and the same justification Putin used to reclaim Ukraine could, in theory, be applied to Canada.
Meanwhile, China is famished for natural resources. Between Russian sanctions, Iranian turmoil, and Venezuelan oil going offline, China needs what Canada has. China, after all, is the world’s #1 importer of both food and oil.
If America weren’t vigilantly standing guard, China could just roll in and take it.
But China doesn’t have to, because Canada welcomed the Chi-Coms in with open arms. Consider the recent headlines:
Foreign Policy: With Trade Deal, Canada Bets on China
Reuters: Canada’s Carney Aims to Lead New Global Trading Order Less Reliant on US
BBC: Canada’s Deal with China Signals It Is Serious about Shift from US
Toronto Star: Mark Carney’s China Trade Deal Marks Big Shift for Canada
ABC News: China Urges Canada to Break from US Influence as PM Carney Visits Beijing
Bloomberg: China Touts Canada as Strategic Partner as Trade Barriers Ease
CBC: Canada’s Relationship with China ‘More Predictable’ Than Relationship with US, PM Says
It’s a helluva strategy: While still relying on the American military for safety and security, Canada bashes America, shortchanges the NATO alliance, underfunds its own military, and invites China to set up shop in its own backyard.
Gosh, what’s the WORST that could happen?
Actually, Canada ought to already know the answer to that because the head of Canada’s spy agency told them point-blank in 2021:
From Reuters: China Poses Serious Strategic Threat to Canada, Says Canadian Spy Agency Head
China poses a serious strategic threat to Canada, both through attempts to steal secrets and a campaign to intimidate the Chinese community, the head of Canada's spy agency said on Tuesday in a rare public appearance.
The remarks by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault mark the second time in a few months that Ottawa — mired in a broad diplomatic and trade dispute with Beijing — has identified China as a problem actor.
Vigneault told an online forum that hostile activity by state actors seeking among other things to purloin business secrets and sensitive data "represents a significant danger to Canada's prosperity and sovereignty" and singled out China.
"The government of China ... is pursuing a strategy for geopolitical advantage on all fronts — economic, technological, political, and military — and using all elements of state power to carry out activities that are a direct threat to our national security and sovereignty," he said.
[…]
Vigneault also said China had used its Operation Fox Hunt — a search for what Beijing says are corrupt officials and executives who have fled abroad with their assets — to routinely threaten and intimidate political opponents in Canada.
"These activities ... cross the line by attempting to undermine our democratic processes or threaten our citizens in a covert and clandestine manner," he said.
Here in North America, carnie culture began in the 1930s with the traveling carnival. Chockfull of freaks, weirdos, and conmen, the carnies would drift from town to town — swindling the locals with crooked games and rigged contests — and leave before the authorities could do anything about it.
Fun fact: Today’s pro wrestling business owes its origins to the carnies. Strong man competitions and tough-man fights were some of the traveling carnival’s most popular attractions, and the carnies quickly learned that these “fights” were far more entertaining — and their talent less likely to get hurt — when the outcomes were predetermined.
Lots of pro wrestling’s slang — kayfabe, work, job, heat, mark, shoot — are directly derived from carnie culture.
But the carnies, freaks, and strong men weren’t the only ones who traveled with the carnival: There were also plenty of clowns.
Prime Minister Carney may be a mark, but he’s not smart enough to be a carnie.
With his big mouth and empty suit, this Carney is a clown.
One Last Thing: 2026 is a critical year for America First: It began with Mayor Mamdani declaring war on “rugged individualism” and will reach a crescendo with the midterm elections. Nothing less than the fate of the America First movement teeters in the balance.
Never before have the political battlelines been so clearly defined. Win or lose, 2026 will transform our country.
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