Oh, Canada!

We are so effing sorry, the USA

Photo by on

There’s a lazy lie that keeps popping up in certain corners of American politics – the idea that Canada is somehow leeching off the United States. That while we’re out here working, fighting, and footing the global bill, our polite northern neighbor is just sipping maple lattes under a government-funded healthcare plan we supposedly subsidize.

Let’s clear that up right now: Canada is not freeloading. Not economically, not militarily, and not diplomatically. In fact, Canada is one of the most reliable partners the United States has – and we’d be in far worse shape without them.

Start with trade. The U.S. and Canada exchange over $2 billion in goods and services every single day. Canada isn’t draining our economy – it’s buying from it. It’s the number one export market for most U.S. states. That means Canadian dollars are keeping American factories open, American farms afloat, and American truckers on the road.

And for the record? Canada runs its own social programs. Universal healthcare? Paid for by Canadian taxpayers, not Uncle Sam. Their higher tax rates fund things like prescription drugs, public universities, and parental leave. Just because their system works better than ours doesn’t mean they’re stealing it from us. It means they made different – arguably smarter – choices.