American Imperialist Exceptionalism : Don-Roe Doctrine, The Trump Corollary

"[There is a will and a determination to] reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, and to protect our homeland and our access to key geographies throughout the region."

"[And to] deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces ... or to own or control strategically vital assets in our Hemisphere." 

U.S. (Trump) National Security Strategy 

 

"It's a policy now of might is right -- not only tariff baton to tantrum diplomacy, but might is right."

"And Trump's statements recently about Greenland, about 'fixing' Mexico, even about Colombia and Cuba should put Canada on alert footing."

" -- There's a new sheriff in the hemisphere."

"Canada should not be complacent. [This] should set off alarm bells in Edmonton, Ottawa and beyond."

"[Trump could use the Venezuelan oil economy] as leverage against Canada."  

Michael Bociurkiw, global affairs analyst, senior fellow, Atlantic Council 

Vehicles drive past the El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

"I don't think Canada is in his sights at the moment. Canada has done quite a good job of diffusing that ... and is benefiting from the fact that Trump is looking elsewhere."

"I think Canada's sort of at the bottom of the list ... but not out of the woods."

Bronwen Maddox, director, chief executive, Chatham House

 

"[Trump's fixation] to exert U.S. military, economic and political will everywhere in the Western Hemisphere without impediment [uses oil as a pretext]."

"[Although the Trump administration talks about taking over Greenland] let's think seriously about what that means. It doesn't mean kidnapping the leader. It doesn't mean putting a thousand forces on the ground and planting a flag." 

"I don't think that's the type of thing the administration is willing to do. They don't want to do anything hard. They just want to do big, flashy things."

Jennifer Kavanagh, senior fellow, director, military analysis, Defense Priorities, adjunct professor Georgetown University Center for Security Studies

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat on Jan. 6 in Washington. His increasingly bellicose stance on taking over Greenland and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are triggering questions about what he may have in mind for Canada. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

 

The world is to understand that it was given due notice through the National Security Strategy released by the Trump administration of its seriousness in reasserting itself as the Northern Hemisphere hegemon. Its allies can consider themselves part players in a supporting role to achieve that dominant position on behalf of their more powerful, aggressive neighbour. The first real-time drama to illustrate the direction in which the U.S. is headed was its surprise military raid in Caracas to take Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro into U.S. 'custody'.

 

Instagram / Emery Forbes

American domination of the Western Hemisphere was thus set in motion. A double purpose achieved: freeing Venezuelans from the corrupt, distorted and ruinous reign of a committed Bolivarian revolutionary and setting the rehearsal stage for neighbourly cooperation which some might consider enforced manipulation. Nothing, it seems obvious, is out of the question as a coercive tool; economic, legal, illegal, military coercion practised with ease by the schoolyard bully for the good of all concerned. 

 

Some of the goals have been neatly lined up, merely awaiting fulfillment; stated initially as a proprietary wish list: seizing the Panama Canal, claiming Greenland, and absorbing Canada as the '51st state'. Those concerned nations put on notice. Mr. Trump much prefers diplomacy to act as the cooperative motivator, but to achieve his various goals, he offers his opinion that nothing is out of order, including the last-gasp military option, although economic deprivation could work to his advantage as well. 

 

Following the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, some analysts believe -- Chatham House in this instance -- that "Canada, Panama, and Greenland, which fall within that geographical definition, have good cause for concern about the president's intentions -- and the lengths to which he may go in pursuing them." 

 

Trump aide Stephen Miller's wife Katie Miller posted an image of the American flag superimposed on a map of Greenland, on X. "SOON" appeared on that image, posted shortly after the Venezuela intervention. On CNN, Stephen Miller stated that Greenland "should be part of the United States. Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland". That's true. Who would challenge the U.S. over its annexation of a Danish island? Denmark has vigorously and determinedly refused to hand Greenland over to the U.S. and Greenland's autonomous leaders have done the same. 

 

But these are two members of NATO. NATO is invested in its stout military alliance among democratic states with the proviso that an attack against one is answerable in defence by the entire membership. NATO would crater under that kind of pressure from the United States, an indefensible move to destroy the sovereignty of a member-nation. Trump hasn't ruled out diplomacy or direct purchase before resorting to military action; the first two options have been refused, the third would destroy the integrity of the alliance. Inconveniences that Mr. Trump is convinced he can overcome.

 

The Trumpian mercantile and military domination, its ongoing moves to ensure that there are none who would attempt to block his intentions represent a disorder in the community of which the U.S. is an integral part. U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio, the standout member of the senior Trump administration whose principles leave nothing yet to be desired, had done his best to negate the prospect of the military option. Chatham House's Bronwen Maddox believes that while Greenland may face a real threat, the risk that Canada faces seems more hypothetical -- despite President Trump having mused that he wouldn't need a military move when he could accomplish an economic collapse for Canada.

 

Both Maddox and Kavanaugh are of the convinced opinion that Europe should have expressed more concern regarding Trump's Venezuela adventure, even if sympathy lies with freeing Venezuela from a corrupt dictator. In that failure to express concern enough to condemn the military aggression in a sovereign country, it now sets the stage for future U.S. Action: "They've accepted a precedent now that opens the door for Trump to do the same thing toward them or Greenland and to coerce them even more...I think it's a mistake", noted Kavanaugh. 

 

The fixation of controlling part of the Arctic through Greenland focuses a secondary risk for Canada. A challenge of Canada's Northwest Passage and Ellesmere Island, interconnecting the Canadian Arctic archipelago will see other challenges as climate change melts glaciers and the sea ice, creating shipping channels from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Russian interests in expanding its Arctic territory, China's declaration of its interests as a "near-Arctic" player all interplay with America's eyes on the Canadian Arctic. 

"The president's been very clear. He wants Greenland to be part of the United States."

"There are a lot of things [Trump] can do to bring Greenland closer to the U.S."

"Venezuela is a unique situation. I think what is likely to happen, what I hope will happen, is that the United States pays more attention to destabilizing regimes in the hemisphere like Cuba. Like Nicaragua."

"I think it's a great thing for Canada to have America focused on the Arctic. [Canada's ramped up defence spending] could do more in the high North to free the U.S. up to handle other things."

"I think that would be a tremendous boon for both countries...as kind of the NATO anchor in the high North, Canada should want a Western Hemisphere-focused United States."

Alexander Gray, former chief of staff, U.S. National Security Council  

 

Canada, Infiltrated by Foreign Agents

"Unlike some of its allies, Canada lacks a transparent mechanism to ensure the public is informed about attempts by foreign entities to influence Canadian political and governmental processes. As a result, foreign principals and their proxies can secretly seek to shape Canadian decisions and public opinion."

"Some activities by foreign entities are carried out secretly or in a non-transparent manner, often using proxies and tactics such as spreading misinformation."

"Non-transparent foreign influence activities that aim to affect political and governmental processes for the undisclosed benefit of a foreign power undermines Canada's sovereignty and democracy."

Federal government document on a Foreign Agent Registry

 

"If that's accurate, it means a scale of influence that's already significant."

"A registry of that size only matters if it leads to enforcement, and it raises real capacity concerns." 

"I worry about managed compliance rather than deterrence of a counter-intelligence threat."

Dennis Molinaro, intelligence analyst, author: Under Assault: Interference and Espionage in China's Secret War Against Canada 

The Peace Tower is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

 

According to the federal government's own estimates close to 2,500 businesses or people are in Canada surreptitiously acting on behalf of foreign states for the purpose of directly influencing local politics and governments. They would all be required to register publicly under regulations linked to a long-awaited foreign agent registry. A tool that was expected to be fully operational a year ago, still awaiting the appointment of a Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner who would be tasked with overseeing the registry.

 

Business and individuals would have to provide data describing the work they perform on behalf of and at the behest of a foreign government, meant to influence Canadian politics and governments. Penalties have been proposed ranging from $50 to $1 million imposed on foreign agents failing to respect registration rules. The document itself estimates that 1,550 businesses and 872 individuals will be required to declare foreign influence activities targeting Canada. 

 

Democratic allies such as the U.S., U.K., France and Australia set the standard in public registries for foreign agents; Canada has not yet recognized the absolute necessity to follow suit, the Liberal government taking its time to join them in this critical exercise. It is well known and has been proven that foreign agents abound in Canada representing the interests of China, Iran, Russia, and India. Members of Iran's IRGC are known to be resident in Canada, harassing Iranian-Canadians. Mainland Chinese agents in Canada track and threaten Chinese-Canadians hostile to the CCP. Russian agents are known to spread false and misleading new stories, among other issues.

 

Canada's Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree  

 

Canada is also known as a conduit for money-laundering benefiting countries and groups hostile to Canada and its democratic values. In sum total, countries from everywhere on the globe, many falling under a non-hostile category, conduct foreign influence sorties in Canada. It is those countries who secretly seek influence among Canadians and the country's democratic institutions with the use of illegitimate means such as disinformation and misinformation that the registry will track. 

 

A year and a half ago Parliament passed a bill that promised the creation of a public registry of agents working for a foreign government. It is only in this new year that a 30-day consultation period will proceed to finalize a registry. And even then until a Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner has been appointed, the registry cannot be implemented. An appointed commissioner would be responsible for hiring staff and implementing a secure IT protocol for the public registry. 

 

The truth of the matter is that Canada under the Liberal government fails to take the matter of foreign influence in the country seriously. The most challenging and threatening foreign predator in Canada is the Chinese Communist Party. Its influence within the Chinese community, manipulating the voting patterns of those loyal to Beijing is a direct interference in the sovereignty of the country. Yet the Liberal government itself is well infiltrated by Chinese influencers at every level. 

 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to travel to Beijing next week, accompanied by Liberal Member of Parliament Michael Ma, to meet with China's President Xi Jinping on outstanding trade issues. The issue of interference in Canadian affairs will certainly not be raised, nor would the harassment of Chinese-Canadians become an issue between the two premiers.

 

Prime Minister Mark Carney embraces Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham-Unionville, who crossed the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals hours earlier, at the Liberal caucus holiday party in Ottawa, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.

 

Unreservedly Zionist

"It's become a pejorative word in the mass media and on the street and in places of work, in the university system, in public schools and so on."

"This does not mean that Canadian Jews who refuse to say they are Zionists are unconditionally opposed to Zionism as English-language dictionaries and general encyclopedias define the term [support for Jews  having self-determination in a country of their own]."

"Even among Canadian Jews  who refuse to say they are Zionists, 88 percent agree that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state."

"I think this is a way of informing the general public that Jews are hurting. They're scared, not all -- but many, if not most -- are scared about what might transpire. Some awful things happened this year in Manchester, U.K., and in Sydney, Australia. They can happen here." 

Robert Brym, professor of sociology, S.D. Clark chair in sociology University of Toronto 

 

"[The term has been] deliberately distorted and weaponized to the point where identifying with the word now carries social, professional and even physical risk."

"In that environment, it's not surprising that people distance themselves from the label, even as they continue to support Israel and affirm its right to exist."

"That's why the finding that 88 percent of Jews who avoid calling themselves Zionists still believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state is so telling. This isn't a rejection of Jewish self-determination. It's a response to stigma."

Aviva Klompas, writer, pro-Israel advocate 

Toronto's 61st weekly Rally for Israel, at Bathurst and Sheppard, on Dec. 1, 2024 tried to ignore anti-Israel protesters who turn up at the long-running solidarity event. (Jonathan Rothman/The CJN photo)

 

For over two years Jews in Canada have faced a punishing environment. One that has developed as an expression of Jew-hatred brought to a fine pitch of accusation and slander with no basis in reality but which has led to a voracious type of violent condemnation and isolation from mainstream Canadian society. A society that finds it more comfortable to sit back and ignore the fact that a core element among a growing Muslim population that has settled in Canada in impressively large numbers has instituted a well organized program of aggressive persecution aimed at the much smaller Jewish population.

 

This persecution and death-wish has been imported as baggage accompanying immigrants, refugees and migrants that have entered Canada in past decades and ongoing, from Muslim-majority countries where Jew-hate and violence perpetrated against Israel is part of the social fabric, the culture, the history and the religious-inspired beliefs underlying that all-consuming hatred. The quieter antisemitism that simmers below the surface in many societies in the West has been awakened by the fervour of the imported one, where an alliance has resulted between left-progressives and supporters of 'Palestine'.

 

The very solid numbers of Muslims now part of the Canadian voting fabric has politicized the situation to the extent that when mobs of keffiyeh-clad 'protesters' roam the streets of Canadian cities spewing the bile of their Jew-hate, recommending a 'global intifada', a 'Final Solution', or chorusing 'From the river to the Sea, Palestine will be free', implicitly expressing the extinguishing of Israel and its ancestral territory claimed by 'Palestinians' as their very own, come to fruition.

 

Preying on Jewish communities through harassing marches shouting anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, pro-Hamas slogans at their Jewish targets, sees no response from policing authorities, taking their cue from governments at all levels, municipal, provincial and federal. The kind of persecution and threats targeting Jews would never be permitted to take place were they directed toward other minority groups within society. Defacing Jewish property, firebombing synagogues, firing at Jewish elementary schools and  community centers, elicits few responses in support of Jewish safety and security.

 

Now a newly published study concludes that Canadian Jews have been so demoralized and isolated, they shrink from being identified with a once-proud term: Zionism. A Jewish state for a Jewish people who have throughout history been hounded and disenfranchised, victimized by pogroms and accused of being devious, different, exclusionist and a threat to other communities through purported designs of world domination. An all-embracing program to delegitimize both Israel and the presence of Jews anywhere has been unfolding since the Palestinian terrorism atrocities in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

 

 

Published in the academic journal Canadian Jewish Studies, the study follows on a previous one commissioned in 2024 by three Jewish  groups, Robert Brym on board as a consultant, concluding that 48 percent of Canadian Jews polled not identifying as Zionists, even as 94 percent stated their support of the existence of a Jewish state in Israel. What Professor Brym determined was a "semantic drift" having occurred with meaning altered from positive to negative for Zionism. Jews, however, understand quite well that they are vulnerable, that their security cannot depend on the care and solicitation extended to most citizens; they are a 'special' category.

 

They understand quite well, that without the existence of Israel, Jewish life anywhere in the world is susceptible to a regime's governing decision-making with respect to how well or how little a diaspora Jewish community's welfare is regarded; whether equal treatment will be their lot or whether a strained relationship will develop that sets them aside from all others. Jews, who have lived proudly as Canadian Jews for centuries now see their status demeaned and unprotected; they alone of all others treated as dispensable. 

 

Suddenly, Zionism is being linked with racism. A Jewish state, after all, implies to those who wish to interpret that condition as a state confined to the presence of Jews and Jews alone, belies the reality that Israel has given equal citizenship to Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Bedouin, Druze, Kurds, Baha'i, Circassians, Africans, and other non-Jewish groups. Israel's society, in fact, represents a kaleidoscope of humanity, as a state not only dedicated to Jews, but to democracy and equality. Arab Muslims occupy seats in the Knesset, positions in academia, law, medicine.  

"[Factors such as] mass media, social media and colleges and universities seem to have undermined the willingness of many Canadian Jews to refer to themselves as Zionists, although they remain highly likely to say they are emotionally attached to Israel and are almost certain to support the existence of a Jewish state in Israel."

Leger poll follow-up study conclusion  

 

"The things they said were plausible and they were consistent with more than 15 years of engagement with China, Russia and Iran. [But] not everything that they claimed by showing a satellite image was necessarily proven by that image... It's not nothing, but I don't regard it as a significant 'Ah-hah!"

"Venezuela now for literally more than two decades has been one of the biggest strategic challenges to the U.S. To me the drugs the U.S. is currently going after are only the tip of the iceberg of a broader, longtime, multi-dimensional threat."

Dr. Even Ellis, research professor, U.S. Army War College 

 

"There were several times when I was confounded by what he [Lee Wheelbarger, former U.S. army technology developer] presented to me, and then it  blew my mind when I validated it was accurate: 'Holy crap, OK, cool'."

"One thing I've learned is he's not going to put his word on the line unless he feels he can back it up. He will substantiate everything he has."

Michael Torres, retired U.S. air force colonel

Satellite show images of Trump's strike on Venezuelan neighbourhoods, The Independent 

 

According to Dr. Ellis of the Army War College, military ties that Venezuela has with Russia, China and Iran are of long standing. Venezuela purchased $12 billion in defence materiel from Russia starting in 2006 that was inclusive of a fleet of Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, helicopters, numerous S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and armed vehicles. A Russian fleet of war-vessels visited both Cuba and Venezuela last year. At least 27 of its K-8 fighters have been supplied to Venezuela by China, along with radars and associated equipment, while the Republic of Iran sourced Venezuela with a number of fast-attack boats, trained Venezuelan special forces members and collaborated on the production of drones. 

 

Intelligence experts are mulling over a report arguing that satellite images reveal a launch site in Venezuela that has the potential to aim ballistic missiles at Washington, D.C., produced by a group of amateur intelligence analysts. The report was released just prior to the dead-of-night surprise American military raid that captured Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, taking them back to the United States to stand trial in New York for drugs and weapons charges deemed to be criminal offences in the United States, but not necessarily in Venezuela.

 

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. Photo by XNY/Star Max /GC Images

 

According to the group's report, it was in fact, not drugs but military developments in Venezuela alongside Russian, Chinese and Iranian troops stationed nearby that persuaded the Trump administration to make their strike, despite that the U.S. military dismissed that contention as "speculative". "I don't think it [scooping up the Venezuelan president and his wife] has a damn thing to do with the drug boats. I think the drug boats are completely irrelevant. That's an excuse", stated Lee Wheelbarger, who led the group investigation whose findings, including a video compilation of satellite picture were presented to a defence-oriented think tank meeting, the Mackenzie Institute, in Toronto.

 

A spokesman for the U.S. Southern Command covering South America contended that the organization makes no comments on "speculative reporting or unverified premises. Our mission remains focused on supporting regional stability, combating illicit activities, and working with our partners to address shared security challenges". Yet according to a Russian lawmaker, Russia considered supplying its new Oreshnik ballistic missiles to Venezuela, requested by Nicolas Maduro along with other equipment from Russia, China and Iran.

 

It has been confirmed that Venezuela has close military ties with the three countries, as well as with Hezbollah out of Lebanon, the Iranian proxy militia. The images collected by Wheelbarger's group and the analyses produced led to conclusions explaining the sudden midnight action by the U.S. against Venezuela. Action culminated from the threatening appearance of American warships, including an aircraft carrier patrolling the region, even as the U.S. destroyed dozens of boats claiming they were carrying drugs to end up in the United States. Deadly incidents decried as extrajudicial executions by those purportedly involved in drug trafficking who would normally face arrest and trial.

 

Wheelbarger, for several years a senior technologist with the U.S. army -- was a contractor developing night-vision equipment, communications gear and an advanced technological protocol enabling battlefield medics to transmit images to military hospitals, and then receive instructions on a video display -- was lauded  with claims that "Wheelbarger's electronic creations have extended the eyes and ears of America's intelligence network", by the History Channel's Modern Marvels program, in 1999. 

 

According to the man himself, he engages in the collection of publicly available images from 28 satellites operated by Maxar Technologies, Planet Labs, Airbus Defence and Space, BlackSky, Capella Space,     ICEYE, SkyFi, European Space Imaging, Apollo Mapping, Satellite Imaging Corp., and L3 Harris Geospatial; also accessing images from ground cameras, along with another video method that remained unexplained, to glean information from global human sources. He possesses three-dimensional  renderings of military hardware that can be placed over satellite images to match shape and size aiding in identifying specific equipment. 

 

A clearing on a mountain near Caracas, Venezuela that a group of private intelligence analysts says shows three rows of missile "tubes" that could be the launch sites for intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Photo by Lee Wheelbarger

 

In his Toronto presentation video he identifies images close to Caracas including a Russian base complete with 94 T-72 and T-74 tanks. Impressively, he points to a mountain hollowed out in the creation of a subterranean military complex with openings cut into the hill surrounded by rebar suggesting creation of a massive concrete facade with "millions of cubic yards" of excavated dirt piled nearby. The mountainside features an area with three parallel, straight lines of holes which Wheelbarger and  his colleagues identify as tubes to fire intermediate-range ballistic missiles from, basing their theory on matching underground launch sites located in Iran.

 

Jeff Nyquist, writer and geopolitics blogger who collaborates with Wheelbarger, notes that intermediate-range missiles could reach north to the U.S. capital. The Cuban airfield images cigar-shaped objects at a runway's end, identified by the analysts as Kitchen missiles. Russian weapons travelling at almost five times the speed of sound that can destroy naval ships, usually fired from aircraft, generally the Tu-22 bomber, not seen in the images, but readily disassembled and smuggled into Cuba on larger cargo planes, according to Wheelbarger. 

 

A stun­ning U.S. raid to cap­ture Venezuela’s pres­id­ent came after a group of ama­teur intel­li­gence ana­lysts argued that satel­lite images reveal a Venezuelan launch site that could send bal­listic mis­siles as far north as Wash­ing­ton, D.C.  National Post