This isn’t my usual subject matter. Normally, I write about more personal or creative topics, but today I feel compelled to speak out about the political situation unfolding in the United States—and how it might ripple across the border into Canada.

I don’t align “left” because I made a conscious decision to join a team. It feels more like it chose me. Growing up, I was bullied for using big words, for having original thoughts, for being “weird” while female. That taught me something I’ve never forgotten: I know a bully when I see one.

And bullies don’t stop unless people stand up.

Why This Moment Matters

The current atmosphere in the United States is fraught with controversy. From debates over free speech (Jimmy Kimmel being a recent flashpoint) to the weaponization of the justice system, we are witnessing tactics that are disturbingly familiar to anyone who has studied history.

Martin Niemöller’s famous words—“First they came…”—are echoing loudly in my mind. His poem warns of the danger of staying silent while bullies grow stronger, one target at a time, until no one is left to speak for you.

We Canadians can’t dismiss this as “an American problem.” History shows that when authoritarian tendencies rise in the U.S., the consequences are felt far beyond its borders. After the first U.S. Civil War, for instance, it was the looming threat of American expansionism that drove Canada into Confederation. Political shockwaves cross borders. They always have.

Parallels to the 1930s

I hesitate to make the comparison, but it’s there: the White House today bears unsettling similarities to Hitler’s rise in the 1930s.

• Scapegoating: Then it was Jews, communists, and “undesirables.” Today it’s migrants, people of colour, LGBTQ+ communities, and anyone who dares dissent.
• Weaponized legal systems: Laws bent to punish opponents and reward allies. A chilling example is the floated indictment of former FBI director James Comey—an act that would clearly signal the justice system being used not as a neutral arbiter, but as a political bludgeon against perceived enemies.
• Spectacle politics: Using rallies, television, and now social media to stir crowds into loyalty and rage, bypassing reason in favour of raw emotion.
• Normalization of cruelty: Things once considered unthinkable now pass with little outrage.

The 1930s showed us how quickly democracy can erode when people grow numb to authoritarian tactics.

Why Canadians Should Care

We share the longest undefended border in the world with the United States. Economically, culturally, and politically, what happens there inevitably affects us. If American democracy falters, Canada cannot simply stand apart.

Here are some ways this could impact us:

• Immigration pressures: Instability in the U.S. could drive people north, either fleeing persecution or seeking safety. Canada would need to decide how to respond.
• Trade and economy: A destabilized America would shake our economy overnight, from supply chains to energy security.
• Political contagion: Authoritarian rhetoric doesn’t stop at borders. We’ve already seen echoes of U.S. political discourse in Canadian protests and movements. A hard right turn in the U.S. could embolden similar forces here.
• Security concerns: Social unrest or militarization in U.S. cities would raise questions about border safety and cross-border law enforcement.

A Call to Canadians

Silence is not neutrality. Silence is complicity.

If authoritarianism grows in the United States, Canadians must be prepared—not only to deal with the consequences, but to ensure that similar patterns do not take hold here. That means:

• Supporting an independent and free press.
• Guarding against the erosion of our own justice system.
• Standing up against scapegoating of vulnerable groups.
• Using our votes thoughtfully, to protect democracy rather than undermine it.
• Calling out bullying and injustice wherever we see it—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Why I’m Writing This

I am not a political expert. I am a citizen who recognizes the patterns of history, and as someone who has lived the experience of facing bullies, I refuse to stay silent.

Politics isn’t my usual subject matter, but silence feels like complicity—and that I cannot accept. My voice may be only one among many, but I believe that speaking out matters. It always has.

Because history doesn’t repeat exactly—but it rhymes. And right now, the rhyme sounds all too familiar.