Ready to launch your business? Get started with the commerce platform made for entrepreneurs. Shopify is specially designed to help you start, run and grow your business with easy customizable themes that let you build your brand. Marketing tools that get your products out there. Integrated shipping solutions that actually save you time. From startups to scale ups, online, in person, and on the go. Shopify is made for

entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.

Welcome to the Quillette podcast, hosted on alternate weeks by me, Jonathan Kay, and by Iona Italia.

Quillette is where Freethought lives. We are an independent grassroots platform for

heterodox ideas and fearless commentary. You are about to hear a free preview of this

week's episode. To hear the full episode, and to get access to all our podcasts and articles, visit

us at quillette.com and click the subscribe button. And this week, I'm going to be talking about an

issue that's close to home, which is to say my Canadian home. Newly elected U.S. President

Donald Trump recently threatened to impose crippling 25% tariffs on exports from my country.

Fortunately, Trump relented at the last minute, but the threat isn't gone, as Trump says he will impose the tariffs in a month's time.

Though whether he makes good on that threat is anybody's guess.

This crisis has come at an awkward time for Canada,

as our unpopular Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is on his way out the door,

and the question of who will succeed him is still in flux.

With me to discuss these developments is my fellow Canadian,

Jen Gerson, who's from Alberta, and edits the popular

news and opinion site, The Line, which comes to us via substack at readtheline.ca. And just to let you know,

if you're a regular Quillette podcast listener, you might find this episode a little unusual,

as my discussion with Jen is more

informal and kibbutz-y than most of the interviews I do. Partly, I think that's because I've known

Jen for a long time, as well as her fellow, the line editor, Matt Gurney. But to be honest,

I think it's also because she's just Canadian, like me.

...