I don’t claim to have the most sophisticated view on this.

There are some attractive aspects to being a part of the EU at the moment, but they could become less attractive, after building a major dependence on them, at which point leaving would be extremely harmful and difficult. In some ways, a bit like being so close with the USA, but moreso. And while Canada’s voting could help to mitigate that in theory, the chairman of the IDU being Stephen Harper and our mass export of freaks like JP or Lauren Chen.

I think what could make sense is having a very strong relationship with the EU, including some bilateral regulations, maybe even some pooled funding for shared purposes, without necessarily being fully managed by the EU, and without necessarily having undue influence within the EU.

you just wrote a long shpiel about AI datacenter jobs none of us want in response to a topic about cuts to soft power and preventing the spread of an epidemic that killed millions in the 1980s

I think there are a number of tangible benefits, from public health to promoting Canada’s image and creating good will with trading partners. It’s also good for Canadian morale, where we can see ourselves as producing positive change in the world.

That said, we do need to invest in ourselves and create more positive change within our own country too, and maybe prioritize it more. But just because the US abandons soft power and diplomacy doesn’t mean we should too.