A new low

It could have been a case of “smoke gets in your eyes” when an American senator from Ohio claimed he would introduce legislation to sanction Canada for wildfires.

As a close Trump ally, he took the cue when the president suggested tariffs and action against Canada for allowing wildfires to rage. Suggesting the U.S. State Department consider stripping diplomatic immunity and our ambassador be expelled is an overboard reaction to a natural event. Several Republican politicians have parroted the phraseology.

This year’s cycle of forest fires sent smoke clouds and lessened air quality to many neighbouring states. It is the same smoke southern Ontario grappled with last week, which was unpleasant and harmful for some with health issues. But we didn’t hear rallying cries to go after our northern neighbours who themselves contended with life threatening situations. Ontarians dealt with it, understanding this inconvenience will blow over at some point.

Reminders from mostly Democrats was heartening. Canada does some contract work for fighting forest fires in the United States and in the worst of times in California our country was there to help as friends.

When natural events are politicized and the blame game begins, reality is lost.

The simple fact is Mother Nature is hard to tame at the best of times. A raging inferno and forests aren’t managed simply by better housekeeping. The vast expanse of forests here and portions of the US are gargantuan. Lightning in far-flung regions starts fires that can’t be brought quickly under control. Once raging, nature is called upon to douse the flames and often that just provides a reprieve.

Human activity? Regrettably, carelessness has a way of igniting bush lots and in bizarre cases arsonists have been known to purposely wreak havoc.

Going after Canada and its diplomats over uncontrollable natural events like forest fires demonstrates how cheap U.S. politics has become. It is embarrassing for anyone with an ounce of common sense.