is it unfair that we have to scramble to adjust and restructure as a consequence of decisions made in a different country?

is it undemocratic?

sure.

and, that's what the anti-nafta protesters (the elder trudeau, included) were trying to point out, in the 80s and 90s - this agreement will make us completely reliant on the united states, for better or worse. we initially experienced this for the better. now, what was predicted has come to fruition: our minimal economic sovereignty is forcing us to suffer the effects of reliance, when america goes through periods of mismanagement.

getting to the root cause means reconstructing a measure of that sovereignty, and that is going to require a canada-first agenda in building canadian owned industry that is focused primarily on the domestic market.

it's not a contradiction, it's strictly causal.

and, if they are going to break the rules, we need to, too.