WE THE UNDERSIGNED AMERICANS . . .

              . . . urge the newly elected and renewed U.S. Congress to promptly invite Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to address a joint session of Congress.  Such an invitation is long overdue and is, in current circumstances, especially timely and significant, promising to contribute to positive and needed improvement in relations between our countries.

Despite Canada being America’s neighbor, and the exceedingly close friendship and kinship of our two peoples, a Canadian prime minister has not addressed a joint session of Congress since 1988, over 38 years ago.  In that time, 66 other world leaders have been accorded this honor.  It is past time to remind both Americans and Canadians that our friendship is not taken for granted or, worse, neglected and denied.

Mr. Carney is an exceptional world leader.  Yet under the control of Donald Trump, the United States has treated Canada and Canadians with shabby disregard, weakening trust and reliability, and undermining commercial, social, and military relations.  Specifically, President Trump has articulated a hemispheric doctrine claiming half the world as within an American sphere of influence that must bend to serve American interests as he identifies those interests, and threatening Canada’s sovereignty by setting out the objective to make Canada the 51st state.  Mr. Trump has imposed tariffs, often unpredictably, undermining cross-border supply chains that have helped make both countries much more prosperous.  Mr. Trump himself renegotiated the NAFTA agreement in his first term, calling the revised agreement the best ever.  And Canada has abided by its terms ever since then.  Yet now Mr. Trump rants incessantly about Canada treating America badly for years.  Certain exports to Canada have suffered as Canadian consumers have responded with understandable anger.  Canadian tourism is down sharply.

Congress should now take an important first step to heal this pointless and destructive rift.  Inviting Mr. Carney to speak to Congress is a sign of the deep respect the American people have for Canada and Canadians.  Mr. Carney, in speaking directly to the American people, can explain the strong history of friendship and mutual support in defense and commerce between our countries which can be documented with endless profound examples, as well as the opportunities for well-aligned shared benefits in the future, including defense and access to the arctic.  These benefits are achieved through respectful consultations and collaboration, not unending threats and meanspirited insults.  He can also explain Canada’s current program to strengthen its military which involves sharply higher public spending.  

In the past, leaders on both sides of the border have understood that we never had a zero-sum relationship, but rather our countries were deeply integrated through mutual assent to support growing prosperity in both countries.  The malign Trumpian experiment in 19th century extractive imperialism, seeking vassal states around the world through intimidation, must end – and this end should start with our neighbor to the north.  Congress and the American people, in hearing directly from Mr. Carney, will help turn the page on the misfortune of the past two years.

==>  Canadians, please consider signing this parallel petition directed to PM Carney:  https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-mark-carney-should-request-a-joint-session-to-directly-address-us-congress