The banter between left and right has been endless. Since the announcement of Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary, the media has been a nonstop barrage of political outcry.

I’ve seen a lot of people lay it all out on the line over Facebook. I see people stick to their guns to the bitter end. I see other people who should never own guns. With every good intention in the world, Canadians continue to be some of the nicest people on earth. However, in light of recent events, it would be foolish not to consider where we stand in the wake of American democracy. If you can even

call it that. With that said, I present to you a guide of why it might not be a bad idea to give a shit about all of this.

All politics aside, let’s begin by acknowledging that Canada isn’t exactly the foremost superpower in military strength. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we’d be fine outside of the veil of American protection, especially considering the poor state our own armed forces. I don’t mean to monger fear, It’s just important to understand our personal capabilities as a sovereign nation. Without the force of NATO behind us, how do we find out the extent of our own power? I won’t argue that NATO is either this or that. It’s more important to objectively understand how we feel about Trump poised against it. Wanting to pull out of the organization, Trump’s criticisms of NATO recognize a toll of financial burden. As well it’s inability to serve with a justifiable purpose.

We should just see how this can be a point of leverage against us if there was ever an instant our natural resources were in danger. With growing pipeline infrastructure. An increasing market for our resources, extending as far as east Asia, puts us in a vulnerable position to have our land exploited. The Standing Rock pipeline debate shows us the controversies of American corporatism. We can see to the extent of which corporate greed can be weighed against the constitutional rights of those marginalized by the deal. How then should we rest easy knowing our highly sought after plethora of land and resource is not in the hands of some globalized corporate giant?

Finally, let’s not forget what it means to maintain Canadian identity among the changing political landscape. After all, we define ourselves by the differences we have from the United States. Whether you agree with Trump’s policies or not we are still accountable for the due diligence of being Canadian.