How Canadians are putting their anger to good use and defying the U.S.: We answer your questions | Canada Voices

On Mar. 27 — before U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world — happiness reporter Erin Anderssen answered reader questions about how Canadians are channelling their rage against pressures from the United States.

Canadians are cancelling their travel plans to the U.S., booing American teams at sports games, and buying Canadian at the grocery store, all the while repeating everyone’s favourite new slogan, “elbows up.” As Anderssen writes, a little bit of rage can actually do us some good.

Readers asked about how to properly use their anger, how they’re supporting Canada and, especially, how to fight back against threats from the U.S. Here are some highlights from the Q+A.

The Q+A has been edited for length and clarity.

Rage is the new Canadian mood. And there’s a strong case for staying good and mad

Channelling your rage

Your piece mentions that “angry voters, studies show, are loyal voters.” How do you think we will see ways of this “angry” but yet productive voting in our upcoming federal election?

Erin Anderssen: This is a really important point I think for us all to remember. There is a great deal of researcher exploring how politicians have used anger and fear to increase voter loyalty, to create common enemies that bond them together in a “fight” against some dangerous element, often one that is falsely created. Certainly we can see that happening in the States with the rhetoric around immigrants.

I have family and many friends and acquaintances in the US. Although they don’t like most of what the current administration is doing, they firmly believe that their judiciary and the importance of the financial markets will protect the country from real harm. How do I manage my frustration with our shortsighted friends to the south?

Anderssen: So many of us are in this position of trying to have conversations with people who hold views that seem short on facts and awareness, or that either don’t agree – and, worse, find highly objectionable. In some cases, we can try to make those discussions about values instead of facts and see if you can find common ground. In other cases, for your own safety and mental health, distance may be best.

In the article, there’s a quote from Meena Krishnamurthy, an associate professor of philosophy at Queen’s University: “There’s nothing wrong with being angry. What matters is what you do with it.” Can you share more about what you learned from your conversation, and also tangible things Canadians can do in the context of the trade war?

Anderssen: Dr. Krishnamurthy was an excellent interview and her new book on Martin Luther King, Jr, called The Emotions of Nonviolence has just been published. I found the chapter on anger to especially helpful. There is debate among philosophers about whether, as the Stoics argue, anger has now values, and alternatively as Dr. King and civil rights activists argued, it can be the fuel that helps us stay in the fight. Dr, Krishnamurthy is making the point that if our anger leads to hating and violence, if all it accomplishes is booing an anthem, than it is not a productive emotion. However, if feeling this sense of “righteous indignation” at injustice and wrongdoing, as Dr. King called it, cause us to do what we can to help, to form communities that help us harness these intense emotions into action, than we are making good use of that emotion – and in the end it will likely become even a lesser emotion to hope, optimism and empathy.

How do you deal with people who are ambivalent or have mixed feelings about their patriotism?

Anderssen: Ultimately, while we can try to discuss things respectfully and with open curiosity, the Stoics – the subject of an upcoming story – would say that we can only control our own feelings and choices, and hope that our actions set an example for others. That’s not always easy when someone’s choices or feelings are upsetting or baffling, but it is advice I am trying to follow.

Elbows Up

A year ago, I was afraid to ask neighbours or family about anything political. Today, we are much more united in our national pride and patriotism. I feel we are more united now by our common “elbows up” indignation at threats to sovereignty and economic prosperity.

Anderssen: I think this is a really important observation to sustain us over this next difficult time. It is something that comes up a lot in my conversations with researchers and Canadians. Lara Silva, a philosopher, at Laval University, reminded me that we can have more than one emotion at one time, and we should listen to all them. We can be angry and feel betrayed by the U.S. actions, and at the same time, pride and inspiration from how our country is responding.

That national pride and sense of community can make our negative feelings show themselves in more positive ways. So yes, we should take heart in our country’s united response and how we are thinking more deliberately about our values. Coming together to recognize and honour it, will help us to keep it going. We can do that in the simplest of ways. Next time, you are in the grocery store, and see a fellow shopper buying Canada, thank them and tell them the support you get from knowing we are in this together.

The economic and social chaos and uncertainty resulting from Trump’s leadership evokes so many scary scenarios! How can I alone help with it all?

Anderssen: One good thing about the tariff war is that unlike so many other problems, we can take individual action that will make difference. Many Canadians are cancelling trip the United States, dumping their American subscriptions and buying Canadian. Each one of us can also think about how we might practice the values of our country. We can be present for each other – and also for Americans who are feeling even more trapped and afraid in their own country.

The Globe and Mail done some great pieces on how to buy Canadian. There are also lots of Facebook groups with Canadians giving each other advice. And I know some Canadians are also following this site.

Is this new wave of patriotism here to stay? Or will the rage burn out?

Anderssen: This is a really important question for us to ask ourselves. If the tariffs begin to hurt our economy and people start to lose jobs, will we use this brimming sense of unity to support those harder hit financially? Can we make sure that those less outspoken and more vulnerable in Canada have a chance to be heard? And can we have respectful conversations about ways forward, but also reject political rhetoric that tries to score points by dividing us?

These are the things I am watching for as a Canadian. If we support each other, we can avoid burnout. If those of us with more “time and treasure” step up, we can keep going.

What I think is so exciting is that Canada have already shown that there is truly power in the people; we pulled together and took action at the grassroots levels, without any policy or legislation telling us to do it. I hope we don’t cede that power now.

Fighting back against the U.S.

How did Canadians tell you they were defying the U.S.?

Anderssen: For starters, they are giving up their Diet Coke. I recently interviewed an inspiring Canadian named Dawn O’Leary, who owns a kennel in Stittsville Ontario. She had done a list of things: traded her coke for Canadian made ice tea and lemonade; cancelled Netflix, no travel to the US, which also meant not finishing a course; buying Canadian consumer goods. She had also taken a stand with her business, by offering a discount to any clients who cancelled their US travel plans or change their plans to travel in Canada.

Would boycotting visiting the US be the most effective way to show your displeasure at Trump?

Anderssen: A lot of Canadians have taken this action – cancelling vacation, not attending conferences. A lot of people would say that is a very effective way to make a statement – for one thing, a lot of statistics are kept on tourism and travel that will reveal the consequences with specific data, and the United States tourism industry depends on Canadian coming to visit. On the safety side, we’re also hearing more stories of Canadians having issues at the border, or even while travelling, so keep that in mind, if the situation continues to escalate.

Should we also focus on services and commercial products? There’s more to this than grocery stores.

Anderssen: In an earlier answer, I did mention that many Canadian have cancelled their U.S. subscriptions to TV streaming services, and report watching more Canadian shows. In my house, when we need to purchase something, we have been going to Facebook marketplace to buy from another Canadian, or looking intentionally for a Canadian product. (After a bit of research, I recently bought a Canadian-made dog bed, for instance.) Radio stations do have Canadian content rules, although that’s not my area of expertise, but I agree, we should be asking them to go above and beyond right now.