Tonight is Independence Day in the U.S. — so let's talk about why that makes Canada the luckiest country in the world. 

Everyone loves America. Even the people who say they hate America couldn’t do without it — they’re just unwilling to admit it. American industry, American inventions and American culture have conquered the world. Iran’s ayatollahs type their impotent messages on Twitter, in English. When foreign dictators need serious medical care, they fly to the U.S. — no one flies to North Korea.

When you’re as big and strong as America, you’re like a giant lion, and you don’t respond to hecklers, who are more like jackals. You don’t respond to every insult because you don’t need to. You know it’s just chatter — because you’re more powerful than the rest of the world combined. America looked weak during the Biden years, but now the lion is back. 

There’s no contradiction in being a Canadian and saying you love America. It really is a great nation. And in a way, we’re the luckiest people in the world in that we are our own country, with our own peculiarities, but we also get so many benefits of their greatness, purely due to our proximity — even if we are sometimes one of those nosy jackals and hyenas, biting and laughing at the lion.

We benefit from their military — let’s not kid ourselves, our aging CF-18s could not defend our northern airspace. For example, we were unable to take down even that slow, low-flying Chinese spy balloon that flew over North America under Biden. It wasn’t shot down until the Americans could do it. It’s probably safe to say being America’s neighbour is the only reason China or Russia haven’t just laid claim to vast swaths of our Arctic.

And economically, what a blessing to be literally next door to the world’s largest, richest market. What an advantage for us that the great markets of America are just a short truck ride or train ride away. Windsor, Ont., is practically merged with Detroit, Mich., when it comes to assembling automobiles — the same car is sent back and forth across the border several times before it’s done. Imagine how lucky Honda, Toyota, Kia or Hyundai would feel if Japan or Korea were just across the bridge from America.

And of course, so many American cultural values seep across our border. It’s not in our laws, it’s not in our Constitution, but by mere proximity to them, we have a stronger commitment to freedom of speech and the rule of law than we would if we were far away.

How can you not admire their meritocracy? Their science and industry? Look at Elon Musk — a one-in-a-billion man. But the fact is, he could have stayed in South Africa, where he was born and raised. Or he could have stayed in Canada, where he came and went to university. But he chose America. Because how could he have done any of the things he’s done in Canada — politically, economically, scientifically? Just think of the regulations and the taxes.

If you want to work with smart, entrepreneurial people — and you want to pay them well — of course you’re going to go to America. Everyone in the world wants to go there — entrepreneurs and dreamers and builders, but also people who just want to mooch off them.

That’s what’s so exciting about Donald Trump’s remigration project — he’s making America more American, and less about illegal foreigners.

America is special that way. It’s about 400 years old, which is old. And the political entity called the United States is almost 250 years old. But other than Native American bands, it’s not a unique ethnicity like Irish, English or French.

America was originally settled and built by the English, Dutch, Germans and French. Then there was the Spanish and Latino influence. Later came waves of Italians, Greeks, Jews and Chinese immigrants. And, as Trump thoughtfully points out, there are foundational Black Americans, who were brought to America as slaves and built the country — a moral challenge America is still reckoning with.

America, of course, has the world’s best constitution — a vital document. In America, they live their constitution, more or less. And, more or less, supporting the constitution is a bipartisan thing. It’s under assault more than ever, to be sure. But there’s still agreement that the American Revolution was noble, and its constitution is a document protecting the people from tyrants. We don’t have that same mindset up here, do we?

In many ways, the United States feels like a last great hope for freedom and progress — not just for America, but for all mankind.