4. Most of things we use are imported from outside Canada. We are very vulnerable to international supply chain disruptions. More importantly, these countries can easily punish us at their will either by stopping or delaying to sell us. One country in particular.

Quote: “Don’t depend too much on anyone in this world because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness.”

There is not much manufacturing in Canada. We mostly export raw materials like crude oil, lumber, fertilizer, metals, uranium, grains, meat etc. Heck, we don’t even make our own toilet paper, even though we export soft lumber that is used to make toilet paper. Apparently we don’t do much manufacturing because of higher standards of pollution, higher cost of labor, and perhaps in some cases because of lower number of Canadian consumers.

We should find ways to produce at least critical things that are needed for basic sustenance during emergencies, or if there is disruption to international supply chains, or if relations turn bad with nations we import from. We are blessed in Canada with plentiful and clean air, water, and land. There is no reason not to be able to produce for our own consumption 1. processed and unprocessed food items like grains, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, meat, 2. finished oil and gasoline products for cars and heating, in our own refineries, 3. Clothing, housing materials, toiletries, communication equipment, 4. You get the idea, anything that we need if Canada is cutoff from the rest of the world.

Independence is a pre-requisite for interdependence. One cannot negotiate with trading partners if we are already dependent upon them for our needs e.g. dependent upon China for our 5G networks.