I grew up with a view of the United States from my bedroom window. At night, you could see the hydro towers and radio towers in Michigan pulsating red in the darkness. I grew up listening to rock radio from Detroit. My parents lived in Windsor and took with them a lifelong love of the Detroit Tigers, a love I too share. My mother, an immigrant from Italy following the Second World War, learned some of the finer points of the English language by listening to the radio broadcasts of Tigers games.
In my hometown, an American railway was the main attraction for me, a young railfan that became fascinated with the giant machines because his family all worked for the Canadian Pacific. Heck, even now, that railway is technically CPKC, the KC standing for the old Kansas City Southern Railway.
For the first 18 years of my life, I could tell you the temperature in Fahrenheit more easily than in Celsius. To this day, I can translate C to F fairly quickly.
My point is, a good portion of my formative years were spent with the United States of America being a part of my existence.
So it is with mixed emotions that I watch the drama between my country and the U.S. unfold in real time. I won't get into the politics, other than to say I do not appreciate my country being targeted. Whether you feel these economic sanctions are fair or not, I feel there is too much history between my country and the U.S. for all of it to unravel like this. We fought together in two world wars, in Korea, and in Afghanistan. Those are just the most obvious examples of our shared histories.
I would like to think I have a unique take on this situation, given how much I understand about the U.S., having grown up on the border.
But to get into a long diatribe about what's happening is pointless. This is not a politics blog. It's a blog about railways and I want to assure everyone, wherever you are, that you are welcome here. I do not dislike Americans. In fact, I have friends and family in the U.S. I have many great memories of time spent in the U.S. There are many aspects of American culture that I think we can learn from as Canadians.
I suppose my problem is with the one person creating this mess and those who are enabling him. I don't necessarily think this is even about left wing/right wing anymore. I see aspects of cognitive decline and mental health issues at play here. I say that dispassionately as someone who has experience in witnessing this illness for the better part of my life.
Like just about everyone involved, I just want us all to be friends. We don't have to agree all the time and we don't have to think the same way. In fact, it's better if we all just be who we are and respect the fact that these differences actually make life better.
The tracks ahead look rough. But here on this blog, there is just us railfans sharing our passion. Let's keep it that way.
2 comments:
Hi Michael – As a fellow border city railfan, I certainly empathize with this post. Penn Central. C&O. N&W. I grew up watching just as many trains from American roads than Canadian, all right here in Windsor. N&W had trackage rights into Canada on CN that dated to its Wabash days. Penn Central predecessor NYC shared its west side passenger depot with the CPR for decades. Passenger trains traversed southwestern Ontario between Detroit and New York City well into the Amtrak era. Windsor-Detroit had 3 car float operations going across the Detroit River when I was a kid, and the CN/N&W operation lasted well into the 80s, or maybe early 90s. My memory gets foggy there. Plus the railway tunnel under the Detroit River. On a clear day, I could look toward the end of my childhood street in south Windsor and see the lights of the Ambassador Bridge. The entrance to the new Gordie Howe bridge is barely a 5 minute drive from my current house. Add to that 20 years of commuting to work in suburban Detroit. Yep, I get it. You’re right, this blog shouldn’t be political. But with that said, railroads and politics go hand-in-hand. The Pacific Scandal comes to mind. Tariffs are inherently bad for industry. They create inefficiencies, limit economies of scale and permanently raise prices. But is “he who shall not be named” really to blame? It’s a president’s prerogative to negotiate treaties with foreign countries, or not. Where are the captains of industry in this whole mess? Are they standing up for their customers and shareholders, or just cowering in the corner afraid of a bully? In America more than any other country, money talks. Wall Street used to call the shots. Have they given up, or do they know something the rest of us don’t? I blame corporate executives for this mess. They aren’t using their power. Back in the day, when Chrysler flirted with bankruptcy the first time – I say “flirted” because they were bailed out without filing for bankruptcy – Lee Iacocca compelled the UAW to take wage concessions. I’d have to check his autobiography for the exact words, but it was along the lines of “Take the cuts and I’ve got 10’s of 1000’s of jobs. Don’t take the cuts and we’re shutting down.” He wasn’t bluffing. The UAW took the cuts. He had guts that today’s corporate executives don’t have. Auto industry, and others, need to stand up and say “Do it our way, or we shut down.” And mean it. If the government doesn’t play along, start closing factories. Tariffs will disappear instantly.
Interesting perspectives, Kevin. I know a number of people that, like you, crossed the border to work each day. I know many people in my hometown who are at a crossroads professionally, with their job security being threatened by this pointless fight.
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