The article is part of a Policing & Society special issue on the influence of "shocks" such as wars and other crises on policing around the world. Many of the contributions are open-access.

www.tandfonline.com/toc/gpas20/3...

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As a US citizen, it's difficult for me to write this, but only telling the American people bluntly that they face the loss of their political system, as well as their good name in the world, is there a chance of thwarting Trump or at least showing him that the costs of his agenda are too high. 5/5

I honestly don't know whether foreign leaders can pierce through the veil of the US public's distraction and the media's indifference. However, it's worth a try. Every European and Canadian leader should issue blistering denunciations of Trump's nefarious plans that are more difficult to ignore. 4/

Yet while the invasion of two friendly countries, Denmark and Canada, would be a horrifying shock for many Americans should it occur, it's not clear that the US public's attention is very focused on this eventuality for now. Trump seems to count on achieving a fait accompli, perhaps correctly. 3/

It would be impossible to cover up that the US had acted in a way that negated everything it claimed to stand for in the world or even as a democratic republic. While there might be some opposition, Trump might see this as an opportunity to declare an emergency or otherwise suspend elections. 2/

I write this as a US-Canadian dual citizen who remains fond of the country where I was born and grew up. In future, I hope for a new US leadership that no longer poses a danger to the freedom of its neighbours. For now, I also hope that Americans of conscience will speak out against Trump. 9/9

As Russia's neighbours have learned, the authoritarian bully next door will always try to make you bargain away your sovereignty for a temporary and ultimately illusory reprieve from conflict. Likewise, if Canada and Mexico wish to remain independent states, they cannot give way to Trump. 8/

I realize that such confrontation goes against the instincts of Canadian politicians, whose experience leads them to think that cultivating US good will is the best strategy for dealing with their larger neighbour. Unfortunately, we are now in a place where good will is longer what matters. 7/

This is the way for Canada and Mexico to assert their sovereignty, not to plead with Trump or make concessions to him. They simply cannot allow Trump to redefine the relationship their countries as one of subordination to the US (or really, to him personally), as he clearly is seeking to do. 6/

Pushing back hard with economic countermeasures that will cause hardship to US consumers, as Premier Ford has promised, is fully justified and indeed unavoidable. It is also necessary to appeal directly to the American people and make clear that they have Trump to blame for those hardships. 6/

Thus, Canada or Mexico trying to give Trump what he says he wants is a losing strategy. The way to defeat Trump's economic aggression is to make him pay a price, to make him look foolish, and to show his domestic audience that he is weaker than he claims and is leading them to economic ruin. 5/

In this respect he is indeed very much like Putin vis-a-vis Ukraine. While the conflict may (allegedly) be "about" fentanyl, undocumented migrants, or perhaps other unknown US demands, the underlying policy shift is clear: to transform Canada and Mexico from independent states into vassals. 4/

It is still not clear, at least to me, what exactly Trump wants from Canada. But at least part of the answer is that he wants to demonstrate his own dominance; to subjugate Canada and Mexico and bring them to heel; and to prove that their wellbeing and even survival depend on his benevolence. 3/

Like his ally, Putin, Trump is essentially a bully. He despises interlocutors who display moderation and accommodation, seeing them as weak. And also like Putin, he appeals to his domestic constituency by posing as a strong man who can push foreigners around. Canadian officials take note. 2/

Thank you!

Thanks, Flavio!

Thanks, Flip!