Canadus

1. In terms of land area, Canada is larger than the US, yet it seems to be contented to assume a subsidiary role to its hegemonic neighbour. Anyway, the US can never tolerate any country to challenge its hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. It treats Canada as its front yard, and the Caribbean and South America as its backyard.

Despite its criticism of other countries for taking a "might is right" approach in foreign affairs, the US had engaged in many military interventions against neighbouring countries since its independence from the British Empire.

American hegemony, as mirrored by the declaration of the US Imperialist Monroe Doctrine in December 1823, is firmer than ever and will remain so for a long time to come. For instance, as recent as June last year (2018), a so-called "trade adviser" to Donald Trump even dared to call a foreign head of state "weak and dishonest".

"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," he said.

When can the Canadian giant wake up from its long slumber to overtake the US to be a leading power in the Western Hemisphere?

2. In view of this, I coin the term "canadus" to mean the following:

(a) A person who is unambitious and quite easily contented, or lives a quiet, unambitious life.

(b) A person who fails to live up to his potential to be the very best.

(c) A person or an entity (for example, a country) who plays second fiddle to someone or another entity.

3. The following sentences are examples of the use of the new term.

(i) To be a canadus to an office bully does not mean your job will be trouble-free.

(ii) To be a canadus to a regional hegemon does not mean that the country will be free from invasion.

(iii) Your parents will be greatly disappointed if you remain a canadus all your life, passing your time in eating, drinking, merrymaking and even taking marijuana every day.

(iv) Every man should not content to be a canadus but must aim to develop to his fullest potential.

https://data.mongabay.com/igapo/world_statistics_by_area.htm

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/10/politics/peter-navarro-justin-trudeau/index.html

https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-return-of-a-us-imperialist-monroe-doctrine/5659588

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine

https://www.thoughtco.com/monroe-doctrine-1773384

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_interventions_by_the_United_States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_Wars

https://www.encyclopedia.com/social...ent/military-affairs-nonnaval/united-states-8

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/american-hegemony-here-stay-13089

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/17/cannabis-becomes-legal-in-canada-marijuana

arcturus88 said:

Dear Reedak,

There is a real paradox in what you say here.

On the one hand you accuse the US of being too aggressive, mighty and powerful.

....then on the other hand, you put down Canada because they are not aggressive, mighty and powerful enough to overtake the US.




I hope this observation leaves you with a sublime sense of wonder at your own words.

Good day and God bless.

your sincerest confidant,
arcturus88

Click to expand...

My respected mentor and confidant,

1. From the historic struggles of Cuba against the US or Vietnam against China, we can see that it is the will power of the people, not the size of the country or population, that determines its resistance against a hegemon.

In my opinion, if the whole population of Cuba or Vietnam could be transferred to Canada, that country would rise up to challenge US hegemony.

Let us have a look at a poem by Vietnamese General Ly Thuong Kiet (1019–1105) who bragged about his country's military power that could defeat any invader "without mercy".

(Do you and your countrymen still remember America's humiliating defeat in the Vietnam War?)

2. According to https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-history-of-ancient-Vietnam

(Begin excerpts)
An attempt at invading the newly established Vietnamese Ly Dynasty was thwarted by General Ly Thuong Kiet (1019–1105 AD), who not only defeated the Song, but also invaded China for a short period at the town of Qinzhou, taking 50,000 marines with him.

Eventually after years of war, the Song gave up, and Kiet took the initiative to proclaim the first Vietnamese Declaration of Independence:

“Over the mountains and rivers of the South, lives the Southern Emperor,
As it says now and forever in the Book of Heavens,
That whoever dares to invade our land,
Will be defeated without mercy.” (End excerpts)

3. Perhaps somebody in Canada may emerge to pen a better "resistance poem" than the following "nursery rhyme".

“Over the mountains and rivers of the North, lives the Northern Government,
As it says now and forever in a Heavenly Statement,
That whoever dares to reserve a place in hell for the Northern Leader,
Will have to work forever as his toilet cleaner.”