Wellington-Altus Newsroom

For decades, the American establishment clung to the gospel of globalization, open markets, cheap goods, and the promise of shared prosperity. Yet beneath the surface, this grand experiment hollowed out the nation’s industrial heartland, eroded economic security, and fuelled a populist backlash that upended politics from Ohio to Washington. The opioid crisis, the decay of small towns, and the anger of those left behind are not mysterious—they are the predictable fallout of an economic order designed by and for elites, insulated from the consequences of their own policies.

In an era of unprecedented geopolitical and economic shifts, the Mar-a-Lago Accord signals a decisive, disruptive strategy by the U.S. to redefine its global influence and economic stability. Moving beyond unipolar dominance, the U.S. aims to reshape the international order through strategic tariffs, security realignments, financial innovations, and institutional reforms—guided by historical lessons and Keynesian principles. This approach seeks to address systemic imbalances—notably the overvaluation of the dollar and unsustainable debt levels—by fostering growth, innovation, reindustrialization, and regional resilience.

Now that the Canadian election is over and Mark Carney has won, the hard part begins. The campaign trail is behind him; the spotlight now shifts to the daunting reality of governing a nation under siege from global headwinds and domestic skepticism.

The signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 didn’t just end the Thirty Years’ War; it reshaped the global order. It established state sovereignty and balance-of-power principles that have governed international relations for centuries.

Bismarck’s 19th-century declaration about the changing realities of geopolitics resonates today as the global economic order undergoes seismic shifts. For decades, Canada and the U.S. have shared a mutually beneficial trade relationship, underpinned by the post-Second World War framework of free trade agreements and multilateral cooperation. However, Donald Trump’s presidency revealed cracks in this foundation.

In today's politically charged atmosphere, it can feel as though standing for anything less than radical extremes invites scorn. As we entered 2025, a surprising emergence of centrist economic policies is reshaping our political discourse, defying party lines and pushing back against the extremes that have dominated the conversation.