On Credit

Europe seems well aware that the current hyper performance
of the American economy is at the expense of a bulging deficit.
Not something that is supposed to happen...

https://www.nouvelobs.com/edito/20180905.OBS1846/economie-trump-s-offre-un-triomphe-a-credit.html

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There are different frameworks from which to view
the current position Canada is taking in the NAFTA talks.
One that has been ignored is the strictly partisan. Supply
management was a Liberal policy, NAFTA a Conservative one.
We are thus in a context where a Liberal government is
being asked to alter its achievements to safeguard those
of the Opposition, and they won't!!

The American team - shamelessly Republican - has moved to
taking digs at Canada, if faily innocuous ones. We have taken
advantage (yes, it did facilitate trade and create jobs), we are free-loading
on Defense (the real deal: we get to run deficits on their card), they don't
need us (we buy an awful lot of their stuff).

The American team has also  rid themselves - conveniently -
of all ecological considerations. This is the bad one. We shouldn't have
to say the two countries are natural trading partners, we should be able
to point out - if it is true - that our milk farms are humane. Milk isn't mittens:
it should be acceptable for Canada to produce fresh milk from local farms
as a matter of decision; there should be guidelines about where immediately
unneeded milk goes. Burberry UK has recently been put on notice it could no
longer burn its unsold garments to keep prices up. Milk is valuable in a
hungry world.

This negotiation process needs to mature.