Conrad Black writes in the National Post that Donald Trump will be popular and that Canada will adapt.
Donald Trump will be popular? He already is, among those whose worst prejudices he has appealed to: bigots, nationalists, mercantilists, corporatists, isolationists and collectivists of many other stripes. He represents the epitome of demagogues.
Trump’s presidential legacy is most likely to be a disastrous, historical turning point with capitalism getting the blame for the intellectual, political and economic failures of the future. The shameful conduct of both Canadian and American media, politicians, academics and ignorant entertainers will hasten the misconception.
It will be regrettable for Canada to “adapt”. Principled politics has rarely guided Canadian politicians and voters. Witness the example of Justin Trudeau’s election: our own version of the “hope and change” candidate.
Canadians followed the era of the Obama administration as a sort of desired Canadian-style development. Contrary to the view of Mr. Obama and the Air Canada advertising motto, the world does not need more Canada. Collectivism and the trending to Marxism while suppressing free speech through so-called human rights tribunals and “anti-Islamophobia” (whatever the hell that is) legislation is not something of which the world needs more.
There may be some short-term good to come from the Trump era but what it will be is difficult to imagine. The man is clearly dependent on the opinions of others for his self-esteem and little good can come from that. Any resistance he encounters as a consequence of the separation of powers and system of checks and balances may be taken as a personal affront. His hostile temperament and anti-intellectualism will result in much serious conflict, domestically and perhaps internationally.
I am reminded of Theodore Roosevelt and his “walk softly but carry a big stick” approach to international diplomacy, as well as his cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s domestic blunders that prolonged the Great Depression. Both were manifestations of how political power corrupts. Where the proper scope of government is violated, corruption is the rule rather than the exception.
©2017 Edward Podritske
Pod's Unit Perspective 
Well, hope springs eternal I guess. I may even share the indulgence from time to time.
Mr.Trump’s actions, or some of them, may have improved economic growth as a consequence. My concern with that is the possible illusory nature of a growth in GDP, since a component of the calculation is total government spending. Spending is the fundamental that needs to be addressed and Mr. Trump has not to my knowledge spoken seriously about that.
My favored trend would be movements toward economic freedom, such as complete repeal of much of the awful legislation from the Obama years, and complete dismantling of such agencies as the EPA, FDA and the FCC.
I do not disagree with Mr. Podritkse’s analysis of Trump, but I still hold out some hope that the good he does may outweigh the evil. Dismanteling O’BamaCare, taking apart Dodd-Frank, and many other measures put in place by O’Bama, could have a wonderful effect. The growth of the US economy has not risen above two percent for years. I am convinced that the main reason for that is that it has been smothered under a tidal wave of regulations and controls unprecedented in history. Assertive, independent entrepreneurs are unable to move. Trump has been promising to do a lot of good things, along with the bad things, and so far, the cabinet members he has chosen have the reputation of opposing the evil. I am looking on with my fingers crossed.