The central promise of Mark Carney’s “elbows up” politics is emotional satisfaction.
The central cost is economic.
Deliberately poking the orange bear—Donald Trump—and escalating conflict with Canada’s largest trading partner increases the risk of tariffs, prolongs trade disputes and creates uncertainty that discourages investment. Tariffs weaken economic growth. Slower growth means fewer jobs, weaker wage growth, less business investment and fewer opportunities.
Those costs are not shared equally.
They fall primarily on Canadians still trying to build careers, buy homes, raise families and get ahead. Yet the strongest political support for this strategy comes from Baby Boomers, who, on average, are far less exposed to those immediate economic pressures. Many have paid-off homes, secure pensions, CPP, Old Age Security and decades of accumulated assets.
In short, “elbows up” is largely being cheered by people who are least likely to pay its price.
That is more than political irony.
It is beco…
