Credit: The Canadian Press

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: U.S. and China show us why we should be proud of Canada

Aug 11, 2020 | 4:51 AM

KAMLOOPS — THE TWO MOST POWERFUL nations on Earth have just reminded us why we’re so lucky to live where we do, and we thank them for that because we’ve been beating ourselves up lately for not being perfect.

China and the U.S. are showing us why we should cut ourselves some slack. China has sentenced two more Canadians to death. The child president of the United States has slapped new tariffs on our aluminum. The two actions are very different forms of harassment but both are those of corrupt, contemptible international bullies.

They fight dirty. China’s justice system is a joke, manipulated for political purposes that have nothing to do with the merits of an individual case. That’s why the two Michaels continue to languish there, victims of an act of revenge for the detention of Meng Wanzhou.

And now, a couple of alleged drug dealers face the death penalty. That makes four Canadians in the past two years. It’s hard to know their degree of guilt, if any, but we do know China loves the death penalty. While 170 countries no longer use it, China revels in it, executing as many as a thousand or more people per year, according to some estimates.

Week In Review

Week in Review: Week of March 30

1h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Removing bathroom doors at Barriere Secondary increases safety concerns

Apr 02, 2026

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: April 2, 2026

Apr 02, 2026

Our once-closest ally, the U.S.A., continues to push us around for the president’s own political objectives. His rationale for the new aluminum tariffs is simply absurd.

Canada has done nothing to deserve such treatment. Not only does it embrace a vibrant Chinese ethnic community, it has promoted close cultural and economic ties with China for many years. And, until the U.S. descended into near-chaos under Donald Trump’s watch, the bond between our two countries seemed unbreakable.

It’s no wonder so many Americans want to move to Canada. We aren’t a perfect country, but we have values. Recent events are clear confirmation that we shouldn’t complain so much about Canada; to the contrary, we should count our blessings.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.