The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- Are You Worried About The Long Term Future of the U.S.?

Episode Date: September 25, 2025

We've spent a lot of time this year asking questions about the future of Canada, so this week we look south and ask about the U.S. future. Once again, the emails came flooding in from across the country. Also this week the Random Ranter on the issue of "outrage" and why it has become so popular. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And hello there, Peter Vansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. Are you worried about the long-term future of the U.S.? That's our question. Today, on your turn, and the random renter coming right up. And hello there, Peter Vancebridge here. Yes, another provocative question on you. your turn today, and the answers have been coming in all week to the question, are you worried

about the long-term future of the United States? You know, we spent a lot of time this year on the podcast and the program asking questions about Canada and how worried you are about Canada's future. Well, this time we asked a question of Canadians, mostly Canadians, about the future of the United States, our neighbor, the one who we've talked a lot about this year. So let's get to that and spare no time in doing so. Let's get right at it. The random renter will be along a little while later. He's got an interesting take this week as well on the whole question of outrage and how it's expressed these days.

But first, let's get to your answers. Jason Cook from St. Albert, Alberta, that's northeast of Edmonton. Am I worried about the future of America? Absolutely. Let's start with when America sneezes, Canada catches a cold. Next, consider that the authoritarian playbook is being followed to the letter in the States and is in the final chapter. Further, I recently learned that America, 10% most

wealthy are responsible for 50% of the spending in the economy. This is true. The French Revolution for Dummies should be mandatory reading in America, but almost half of Americans read at a grade 6 level or lower. That's also true. Roughly 54% of U.S. adults read at or below a 6th grade level. Rank hypocrisy and ignorance are now the norm, allowing the intellectually vulnerable to be manipulated at will. History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. Angela Gerard in Halifax,

I believe in Gen Z. They do not listen to mainstream media. Check out the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service, 70,000 in attendance. Turning Point USA and other movements by the young will save America. A little child shall lead them, Isaiah, Old Testament prophecy.

Matthew Scolarsik in Vernon, BC. From its inception, America is not shy about fighting for what it believes in. While ugly at times, it isn't going anywhere. What I am worried about is the UK, where you get arrested for a social media post. That's the Malicious Communications Act of 1988, and the Communications Act of 2003 contain communications offenses. which criminalize the sending of indecent or grossly offensive messages. Back to Matthew, my parents immigrated here to get away from that garbage.

Ask a former Eastern B.Blocked baby boomer about what's happening in the UK, and they'll tell you what country to be worried about. David Seller in Langley, BC. The volatility of the current situation in the U.S. obviously places concern on the future of the U.S. in the world order. However, I believe the most pertinent factor is when Trump completes his presidency, who will replace him, and will that return the U.S. to the world stage as a player, or will the existing dictatorial attitude prevail?

In the long run, that will dictate the future of the U.S. Yeah, I'm not convinced yet of what's going to happen in 2008. In other words, I'm not convinced they'll be in law. election but let's see garth wilson in beaumville ontario in two hundred and forty five days trump's use of his executive powers has been to build his own personal wealth attack the courts dismantle foreign aid blame the marginalized muzzle opposition while attempting to whitewash america's past as he consolidates powers strong arms allies and emboldens traditional adversaries the fragility of democracy is quite clear. January 20, 2025 is only 92 years after another constitutional republic,

Germany, faced a similar destructive fate, remember? Frank Wang in Surrey, BC. I'm likely in the minority here actively cheering for the downfall of the United States. For the past century, Americans have sown chaos, division, and destruction across the globe. The U.S. is funded, dictator, orchestrated coups and protected war criminals who promised to serve the American cause. The United States makes no real friends. It forges alliances of convenience, and America will stab its allies in the back when the situation benefits them. Patrick Chung in Toronto. I worry about the U.S.

The ultra-rich grew richer while the middle class is squeezed, forget about the low incomes. Desperation, division, fueled by hateful rhetoric and rising anger could spark mass violence or even civil war, spilling beyond U.S. borders. We'd better build a border wall, and they'll pay for it. If there's a god, now seems the time to intervene. Cindy Zampa and Erdry, Alberta. The polarization, turbulence, erosion of global leadership,

and democratic values gives me lots to ponder. But worry? No. Worrying about the unknown future drains me of energy, better spent on things I can change. Choices, mindset, action, I can take now. Countries, institutions are resilient. Rupures even collapse are followed by regeneration and reinvention. Let's stay present, prepare, adapt, diversify, and not allow the drama in the U.S. to dictate our future. Robert Bjornison in Carbury, Manitoba, Manitoba. I'm worried about the worldwide trend towards autocracy

and the acceptance of authoritarian practices. That this is happening in one of the preeminent democracies on Earth, which we live next to, makes it very concerning. I can't see the stark divisions in America ever being resolved or dialed down. A return to an age of civil debate and consumption of legitimate facts seems like a pipe dream. Kyle 80 in Peterborough, Ontario.

There are too many commonalities between the uprising of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and this MAGA USA to give me any comfort. The perceived loss of nationhood, the perceived victimhood among the privilege, the corruption of faith, the racism, the hate, the chauvinism, the propaganda on social media

is like that on the radio in the 1930s. Where in history did this end? Reverend Dr. Rob Abgard Taylor in London, Ontario. We came to Canada three years ago. My husband was a D.C. cop on January 6th. What's happening is Christophascism. When Roe fell, the U.S. Supreme Court decided there was no legal right to an abortion. Remember that?

we realized that the third branch had fallen to the religious right and there was no hope of change in our lifetimes we worry for our family and friends and are horrified for the nation this is not going to end well Andrew Wilson in Harrow Ontario that's about 40 miles south of Windsor Andrew writes I'm not as concerned about the long-term future of the United States since in my view the die is cast.

They do not have the appetite or ability to fix their democracy. I worry for Canada's future being the neighbor of a failed democracy with a large military and economic base. Rod Barham in Gabriola, BC. Forget long term, the short term is frightening. Their leader has just declared hatred for opponents during a funeral for a martyr to free. speech. Ten years after he brazenly disavowed democracy when he said, I'll respect the election

if I win. Yet he has been elected twice. This is all we need to know. He is systematically wrecking the foundations of American freedom, power, and prosperity. Canada must chart our own course to avoid a looming collateral catastrophe. Pat Johnson in Charleston Lake, Ontario, that's southeastern Ontario, east of Kingston. This summer I read Robert Reich's memoir coming up short. Reich was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor from 93 to 97 and has been a professor of several top universities in the U.S.

He basically spells out how his generation has failed to realize the great potential of the USA. His thesis is that there is too much money directing government for the benefit of the wealthy, and both blue and red parties have been complicit in this since 1970. Follow the money. Jim Best in Foxborough, Ontario, that's eastern Ontario, near Belleville. The U.S. is now so compromised by the billionaire ruling class and greedy mega corporations that it has become irreparable. The U.S. we thought we knew over the past 80 years has now, being set on fire by internal arsonists and it's burning to the ground. Being concerned and

caring are two very different things. The faster Canada separates itself from diseased entity, the better off we will be. Tim Stott in Minnesota, Manitoba. I'm a bit concerned, but not worried about their future just yet. They have a tumultuous past and have survived. I just hope that our leaders and politicians are taking notes or we could be following down the same path in the upcoming decades. Mark Hegel in Hamilton I'm not overly worried about the long-term future of the U.S. If the orange menace leaves when he's supposed to, if not the entire Western world

should be worried. Half of America is already worried. Hopefully way more than the half will run. realize over the next three years the abuses they've been subject to. Pat Wharton in Vernon, B.C. I'm worried about the future of the U.S. Trump is dismantling departments, regulations, and control so that upon completion there will be none of or very little ability to mount a resistance to the far right and religious groups

which control the Republican Party. Fear, intimidation, and physical control will then allow for mock elections. An autocracy is born. Can Pellyshawk in Newstad, Ontario? Even if the United States manages to weather Trump too without lasting damage, unless the extreme polarization is eased, someone as bad or worse than Trump will eventually follow.

Unfortunately, I don't see how to curb democracy's trend towards illiberal nationalism or outright fascism. I fear the world is going to need to re-learn the lessons of the last century. Ken Campbell in Tobermory, Ontario, that's the southern tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Only Canadians with our exaggerated sense of importance while being largely dependent upon the U.S. for the past century would worry for the future of the U.S. The U.S. has, and always will be, the land of struggle between sides, whether with the colonists, the communists, the blacks, the whites, the left, the right,

I doubt much any future conflict will cause the U.S. to perish. Personally, I have greater fear for Canada, as it now faces a much greater challenge to stand on its own two feet with its many internal divides. James Musgrove in Toronto is the great philosopher Yogi Berra taught predictions are hard particularly about the future but

you gotta love yogi but if I had to put my chips on one long-term bet it would be on the United States it enjoys economic dynamism an almost replacement birth rate with economically beneficial immigration and despite short-term concerns a robust constitutional system

and set of organizing principles I like the odds. James, you're in the minority here today, but you make your point. Lita Field in Picton, Ontario, and that's on the Bay of Quinty, in southeast Ontario. I feel the United States is no longer a democratic country, but rather a fascist country, under the rule of an incompetent, corrupt, convicted felon who uses the presidency to exact revenge on any. anybody who disagrees with him or says something he doesn't like.

Trump and his ilk ignore facts and science and have alienated many allies. He divides rather than unites the country, which may in time lead to another civil war. Michelle Kaufman in Toronto, I'm worried about the long-term future of our world in the absence of the U.S. It's no longer the calm and respected neutralizing force it once was. from economics to science to peace. The U.S. has been hijacked by the mob and on a downward spiral, and I'm gobsmacked at all the enablers allowing it to happen. From its citizens to Congress to the courts,

it's an endless cycle of doom. Durenda Bailey in Vancouver, why would I be worried about the long-term future of the United States? They're doing a far better job of running their country than we are in Canada. That has nothing to do with Donald Trump. We are all looking forward to having him gone. He will be gone. The only danger for the U.S. is when the Democrats get in next time and revert back to their very destructive ideas. Ken Malagas, or Malagas in Regina. America has been the blueprint of democracy, imperfect,

but still the model for others. It's now moving away from democracy. to autocracy. It was the main global power that aided others with democratic movements. We're now going to be under a power that will work to undermine democracy, possibly even in our country. So yes,

I am concerned. Ernest Vernilis in Comox Bay Valley, B.C. Yes, the Maga cacostocracy. That's government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a state.

Cacastocracy. See, you learn everything every week, something new every week. Science denialism, incoherent economic policies, and even state memorials for Christian nationalist agitators signal decay. Trump is less the cause than a symptom of a deeper rot enveloping the nation. It feels like the twilight of the American experiment, unraveling of Pax Americana and the steady drift towards autocracy. Doug Clark in Castelgar, BC. History repeats itself.

The long-term future of the USA will be one of increasing isolation. Americans have not learned the lessons of history when it entered late into World Wars 1 and 2, resulting in a much greater cost than if they had stood up to Germany earlier. Today, the U.S. is standing aside, allowing Putin to run amok in Europe. Strange speech the other day at the U.N. by Trump on this. His tariffs will speed the decline of the U.S.A. and increase its isolation as nations turn away from America as a reliable trading partner. Rachel McDonnell or McDonnell in Victoria. Ever since the disappointing Mueller report,

the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and total lack of accountability following the January 6th coup attempt, I have felt concerned. The acquiescence of the Supreme Court granting presidential immunity to President Trump made not just the U.S. more dangerous, but the world. I am afraid because of the capitulation of businesses, universities, and his impotent Republican Congress. No guardrails now.

The United States is heading into the abyss of authoritarianism. Scott Jansen in Estevan, Saskatchewan. We need to worry less about the far future and change who makes decisions in the present. Many U.S. and Canadian politicians, business leaders and media leaders, lack the competence we need. If we don't fix that, now, AI and our weakened ecosystems will shape our future with a higher risk of poor outcomes.

Competent leadership today is how we steer towards a better tomorrow. Steve Bennett in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Worried? You bet. During the solemn Charlie Kirk Memorial, Trump proudly proclaimed to thousands that I hate my opponents and I don't want the best for them. He recently publicly directed the Justice Department to pursue political opponents and the U.S. Supreme Court has largely failed. Some behavior indicates corruption.

No indication that the court or Congress will do anything to slow the erosion of U.S. democracy. It's going to be a rough ride. Jackie McCurdy in Toronto. I look at the actions of the U.S. administration and wonder why, seemingly so many Americans remain so disengaged in their future. I'm concerned that it will take a generation to reverse the policies that are being enacted and that the U.S.'s position in the world seems destined to become doomed. Canada needs to continue to lean hard into building relationships with European countries.

Brian Hoyle in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Everything tends to atrophy. Nothing lasts. In a country as divided as the U.S., collapse is unavoidable. The economic and defense consequences for Canada and the world could be considerable and painful. The safety of Americans caught in the crosshairs could be dire, but I'm not worried. A world free of U.S. dominance is a better world. Cindy Bond in Burlington, Ontario.

I've always been an optimist when it came to thinking about the future, but I have to say I'm very pessimistic about the U.S. right now. I feel that the U.S. is going to go through a lot of hardships before they ever get better. Trump's speech of the U.N. makes me feel that he's just putting the nail in their coffin. Unfortunately, I think Trump and his minions will destroy the country before it will ever be repaired. I just hope they don't take down other countries, would them? T.C. Sang in Vancouver.

As an observing neighbor, I'm very concerned about the long-term future of the U.S. Many allies of the U.S., including Canada, are too dependent on the U.S. to solve much of the world's issues or conflicts. The current instability at the top of the international system is absolutely not in Canada's national interest. Anna Harmer, or sorry, Anne, Harmer in Garden Bay, BC. That's on the Sunshine Coast.

It doesn't get much more beautiful than that. I was out there this summer. Anne writes, on days when I see American activists organizing protests and speaking out against the growing chaos south of the border, I'm hopeful that these creative, passionate people are finding strength in numbers

and will rise up to overwhelm and defeat the current administration. Then, I hear the orange authoritarians Worshippers laud yet another of his racist, misogynist, hateful, ridiculous remarks or actions, and my hope sinks in despair. Today, despair is winning. All right. That's roughly the halfway mark, so let's take a break.

We can come back with the random ranter, of course, and his take. on outrage. We'll have all of that right after this. And welcome back. You're listening to The Bridge, the Thursday episode. That's your turn. Question of the week is, are you worried about the long-term future of the United States.

But Thursdays is also all about the random renter. He gets his shot each week. Our friend from the prairies, that's where the ranter is from, and his take on whatever he wants to make his take about. So, why don't we get to the random rancher? Because he is always worth listening to, whether you agree with him or not.

Here he goes for this week. People always like to say sex sells. But as far as I'm concerned, sex has been dethroned. And there's a new sales leader in town. So ring a bell, bang a gong, and help me welcome the new king of sales. Outrage. Whereas sex was, dare I say, titillating. Outrage?

It's an. ugly beast. But like a bulldog, it's the kind of ugly we just can't get enough of. I mean, people have always liked to complain. But with the anonymity of the internet, mere complaining has morphed into something more extreme. And somewhere along the line, someone figured out there was more money in dividing people than in uniting them. And now with the proliferation of algorithms and an army of Karens, there's no going back. Outrage has festered into an entire industry. People are making fortunes from provoking one another. And like it or not, internet trollery, it pays. It's a complicated issue. Do people have the right to feel outrage? Absolutely. Do they

have a right to express it? Sure. But that shouldn't make us blind to the fact that much of the outrage we're feeling on a daily basis is being purposely manufactured for profit, for distraction, and for power. I mean, we're increasingly living in an upside-down world where purposeful gaslighting, and please recognize the double entendre here, Trump's legitimate facts. Sadly, all the outrage ensures that misinformation

will always find a willfully indiscriminate audience. And anything and everything we don't like can be written off as fake news. It's created an environment of hyper-mistrust where opinions, lies, and complete fabrications masquerade as facts to help sell merch, solicit clicks, fun movements, turn out voters, and solidify power.

I mean, watch Fox News, or on the opposite side, watch CNN. There's not a lot of real news on either of them, but there is a lot of outrage. The opposing views on those opinion panels? Well, maybe once upon a time they were there to provide balance. But today I'd argue they're just there to act as a foil to help keep all that outrage in focus. Thankfully, it's not as extreme in Canada.

But you don't have to look very hard in this country to find a conservative or a liberal willing to trade in hyperbole, conspiracy, or absolute BS. Look, it goes without saying all this outrage is divisive. Last year, Newsweek reported that 47% of Americans think civil war is very likely. and on our side of the border, nothing says stoked outrage like Western alienation or anti-vaccine blockades. The cost of all this outrage is staggering. It's tearing society apart, eroding our empathy for one another, and at its worst, it's dehumanizing anyone with an opposing view. Look, there's always been extremes, but in the past, there's always been a reasonable middle majority willing to find common ground, common goals, and complex. But in today's world, the middle ground is often like a no man's land, where you really have to weigh your words before you speak.

I mean, once upon a time, you could be critical of the Israeli government without being called an anti-Semite. But today, if you dare accuse them of war crimes in Gaza, well, good luck. You'll be inundated with hate mail. And it isn't right. I mean, Israel has an absolute right to exist. Hamas is a vile terrorist organization. organization, and the Israeli government is killing innocence by the thousands. Why can't all those things be true at once? We should never have to fear expressing facts, but sadly, right now,

that's not the case. Look, I'm blaming a lot of things for the proliferation of outrage, but when it comes right down to it, outrage, hate, fear, mistrust, they've been easy to capitalize because they're all deeply baked into our DNA. We've struggled to overcome. We've struggled to overcome those feelings out of a belief by most of us that we're stronger together than we are divided. But that collective need to get along is largely an analog construct. And today, we're living in a digital world, talked with all kinds of profit-inducing deep, dark rabbit holes, where there's no need to conform, there's little need to hold back. And empathy is for suckers.

The Random Renter. For this week, right here on the bridge. The Thursday, your turn. Let's get back to your letters. Eric Wees in Ottawa. The question remember is, do you worry about the long-term future of the United States? Eric writes,

What's plaguing America isn't at root about Trump, the individual, but more about Trumpism, MAGA, and right-wing populism, a wave in American political culture that has recurrent. cyclically for at least the past 200 years, characterized by debilitating nativism, xenophobia, isolationism, and protectionism. I wish I could see a path forward where this powerful long-standing strand of cultural DNA

starts to lose strength, but frankly, I don't. Rob Donaldson and on Waterloo, Ontario. I'm definitely worried about the future of the U.S. It's not just because of the mean-spiritedness, and bullying of Trump, but I also worry about the Republican Party as a party of sycophants without a moral compass. As well, almost half the country voted for Trump, and when you consider the pervasive gun culture

and the weakening of the role of government supporting the most marginalized, it is a dark period in U.S. history, a huge worry. Carla Maitos in Staffordville, Ontario. It's close to London. Democracy doesn't work unless the people work it. It worries me when opposing voices are silenced, when due process of the law is usurped,

and when fact-based science is ignored. With these attacks on democracy, how will the U.S. ever recover? Marilyn Wallace in Fannie Bay, B.C. My family in the U.S. includes a precious three-year-old granddaughter. I am truly afraid for her future. Gun violence in American schools has always been a worry. The recent abandonment of scientific evidence-based advice

regarding vaccines, Tylenol, and autism makes it impossible to trust any public health advice. The mass resignation of scores of scientific researchers brings medical progress to a halt. What else awaits my American family? My fears are deeply personal. Ben Dugan in Conception Bay, South Newfoundland, and Labrador. I'm concerned, to quote Michael Ignatiof,

the alternative in politics is war. Polarization of ideologies in the U.S. has created an us-vers-them conflict. Misinformation spread by American politicians has destroyed the integrity of the democratic institution. The politicization of government departments such as health and justice has diminished the principle of fact-based public policy. I bet this is not the vision. George Washington sought. Jean Fogues

in Notre Dame de Laos, Quebec. Or Notre Dame de Laos, Quebec. It's about an hour north of Ottawa, actually. But writing from Halifax, I'm on a road trip through the Maritimes, and twice now I've overheard American tourists talking politics. Both times the phrase I kept hearing was, it is what it is.

It struck me as if many Americans, many ordinary Americans, have simply given up trying to make sense of their politics, choosing instead to shrug it off. With the level of polarization today, real dialogue between opposing sides has all but disappeared. you ask what we think about the future of the United States honestly it looks bleak very bleak it may even mark the beginning of the end for a once great nation Harold Gold in Calgary I'm going to be in Calgary

next week actually I've got an event there Harold Gold writes as much as I worry about where the U.S. is heading I worry about all of the Western world far right political movements are growing in popularity at an alarming rate and we are helpless to do anything about it we are also seeing it happen right here in Alberta too

trans bans and book banning are at just the beginning I fear there will not be any place safe for progressives in a few years Wendy Cecil in Toronto anyone not fearing for the USA is asleep at the wheel Our neighbor is struggling with its future because of deep societal divisions. Political polarization, gun violence, and a madman at the helm are creating the potential destruction of America's hitherto powerful vitality, which the world relies on.

Great military powers are watching as roiling, ubiquitous, dissension, test the USA's legendary resilience. Indeed, our friend of the South is in serious trouble. Yes, I'm worried. Paula Grattan and Miramishie in New Brunswick Absolutely yes, I'm worried I have so much to say But we'll sum it up to this

The bad guys have the guns They have the government They have the money and all of the power I don't know how it will change I'm legitimately afraid for anyone Who opposes this 1939-esque regime Parker Johnson and Victoria

I'm always worried about the long-term future of the United States, yet I continue to believe in and admire the will of its people, ordinary people with strong values, often those who have been historically marginalized, people who speak against systemic oppression, who spark meaningful change and positive impact through mutual aid projects or political action. I'm worried, yes, but as long as those voices endure, I hold on to hope. John Kelly and St. Andrews New Brunswick. Historically, the U.S. has been embroiled in violent conflict. Think of the American Revolution, the Civil War, Vietnam protests.

The saving grace and resolving conflicts has been the emergence of strong democratic political leaders. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, Jimmy Carter, and an independent judiciary adhering to an objective rule of law. There is an absence of a countervailing democratic political presence to Trumpism and an independent judiciary. That is a worry. John Minchall in Comox Valley, BC. I'm worried about the long-term future of the USA.

There is the potential of the government becoming an autocratic state, even if free and fair elections are held. Between gerrymandering and the division of the people, things look bleak. The current administration, is destroying trade, trust, and any supportive allies. It may take decades before a younger generation is ready to write things again. Donald Mitchell in Ottawa.

The U.S. is going into a dark place. My dystopian vision for them is that the northern tier of states, New England, Great Lake states, northern plains, west coast, and Alaska, decide en masse to secede from the lower half and eventually join with Canada, They will overwhelm the 45 million of us Canadians, but our chill attitude will be a welcome change to the southern chaos. Peter Arato and Toronto, I don't worry about the future of the U.S. worry implies uncertainty, but the die is cast. I worry that U.S. unilateralism is injecting instability into geopolitics. Is NATO still viable? Can China be deterred by an isolated U.S. every Putin talking point echoes in the halls of Washington.

With geopolitics following the law of the jungle, can Canada maintain sovereignty without nuclear weapons? Misha Gringras in Victoria. Just when you have completely given up on America, when in the face of an unrelenting barrage of authoritarian actions by the president and his team of incompetent sycophants, met by a wall of silence from corporate America, from other leaders of the free world and maybe most surprisingly from the millions of American citizens

who know and know better, I see a green shoot. Not just any green shoot, it was Ted Cruz. Cruz, of course, as you know, was born in Canada, but renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2013. He's a U.S. senator from Texas, who's about his right wing as they come, but he did say that the government going after Jimmy Kimmel was wrong. Jim Sellers in Edmonton I think the future for the U.S. is perilous because the pillars they were founded on, elections, checks and balances,

independent Supreme Court, even faith in their dollar, are all shattered. The sad irony is that they are becoming exactly what they claim to have fought to be free of. A debt-ridden government of and for the rich This is not sustainable

and I don't know how they can recover Michelle Hugh in Oakville, Ontario I'm very concerned about the future of the United States I believe democracy is in danger not only in the U.S. but also across the Western world the principles underpinning our democratic system seem to be under unprecedented pressure

which is a cause for significant worry. Andrew McCullough in Fredericton. We should be worried about the future of the U.S. behind a smokescreen of divisive rhetoric and politicking are the lives of many innocent people who will be affected by the violence of another civil war should it come to that. Regardless of the tension spurred by the U.S. president,

these are our neighbors. Admittedly, I also worry about how the consequences of the continued U.S. collapse will impact Canada and its allies. Christine Frensen in Dundas, Ontario. I'm concerned about the future of the U.S. and how it will navigate the significant changes that challenge its core values,

such as free speech and fair elections. I worry about the ability of their public health and educational systems to recover, especially in light of so many mass firings. It feels like the world is witnessing continuous aftershocks after a massive earthquake. resulting in a substantially unstable foundation. Mark Schlichting in Hunter Island, BC.

It's on BC's central coast, just south of Bella Bella. Worried, yes I am, says Mark. History illustrates that all empires have a shelf life, and as Americans become increasingly desperate to maintain their prosperity and places a dominant world power, despite near bankruptcy, their political system is coming apart. Every election cycle, the arc of the partisan wrecking ball swings further,

each party dismantling the initiatives of the previous. Trump is now smashing the checks and balances of power, and recovery may not be possible. Tony Cherwinsky, he's writing from Vernon, Michigan. It's about an hour and a half northwest of Detroit. As an American, I have serious concerns about the U.S. Everything is about politics, and I just avoid these heated discussions. The president has far too much power, but up until now, most of us never realized it.

Just returning back from Regina, when talking to Canadians, I always said, don't blame me, I didn't vote for Trump. It was a great escape to much of the Trump madness. Brent Bush in Nanaimo, BC, is a student of history. What is happening in the U.S. today reminds me. of the McCarthy era in the United States in the 1950s. The big difference is that now McCarthy is the president. My only hope is that there will be some shining light that comes forward to push back on what's happening.

Unfortunately, I don't see that occurring anytime soon. Henry Lease in East Willembury, Ontario, that's just a little north of Toronto. I'm not concerned for the USA in the long run. Jimmy Kimmel is back and the Kirk Shooter was, forgiven by Erica Kirk. Lots of work still needs to be done in finding more common

ground. There will be a future president who seeks to unite rather than divide further. I have faith in the American people despite their recent setbacks. Steve Brazier in Ottawa, I'm very concerned about the long-term future of the U.S.

Trump is unrestrained and seems hell-bent on enacting dangerous self-serving policies that will only serve to erode democratic norms and further deep in the polarization we've seen in recent years. Trump is already a menace, but it almost concerns me more, that someone might succeed him who's more ideologically driven and less obsess with personal grievances. That could be even more dangerous.

Dave Warren in Coquitlam, BC, my worry regarding the USA is its continuation as a viable democracy. And we have the longest undefended border in the world with these people. Doesn't end with Trump. Getting close to the end here, Michael Pash in Victoria, BC. Sometimes you must be an optimist. In the short and medium term, the U.S. and its institutions are in jeopardy. Luckily, the current cult leader is old. He can only last so much longer. Surrounded by sycophants and intolerant of rivals, he has no natural successor. Equilibrium will gradually return. The rub is, how long will it take

and how much damage will be done? Krista's knaves in Toronto. I don't believe the U.S. will survive. The country has been a slow degeneration into a monarchy over the past decades with Trump simply taking off the mask. Will his cringing cabinet of complimenting cravens continue? Cringing cabinet of complimenting cravens?

Will the increasingly fractured states stay united under such a figure? Hard to say. I'm honestly much more concerned about the inevitable damage that the falling American empire will cause to those of us in its shadow. Gordon Albini and Hamilton, the United States is facing a troubling decline in its democratic institutions and its Republican form of government. Deep polarization and growing inequality are symptoms of a system over. overwhelmed by money and politics, special interest groups have gained outsized influence, undermining the will of the people and eroding trust in government. Here's our last letter.

It comes from Maryland Sewell in Paris, Ontario. The future depends on who is elected as president in four years. If far-right Republicans form the next case, government, then I certainly feel fear for the long-term future of the USA. If the next president and their administration can reverse or correct the actions of the Trump era, then I think there's hope for the return of a country that operates with decency, integrity, respect, and compassion. Well, Marilyn, you obviously believe there will be an election in the United States in

four years. Not everybody believes that. That's what the Constitution calls for, but the U.S. Constitution has called for a lot of things that don't seem to happen anymore. So let's see where this all ends up. Thank you for your letters. You know, the overwhelming majority of these letters are clearly fear for the future of the United States, but not all. There is some hope on the part of some people and some agreement in the direction things are going. So it's always good to hear from you and good to hear from small towns and big cities right across the country.

Thank you for writing in. And for those of you whose letters didn't make it, well, not everybody makes it. Or some familiar voices in there. And there were a lot of new ones. And we always like new writers to Your Turn. A note about next week's Your Turn, I mentioned early in the program.

I have an event I've got to attend in Calgary next week, and I'm really looking forward to it. I always enjoy going to Calgary. It was in Edmonton, what, two weeks ago. And as a result, things free. next Thursday's your turn are going to be a little mixed up. We'll still give you the question on Monday, but I won't be doing the show.

Will Mansbridge will be doing the show next Thursday. Willie, my son, loves his opportunity to do your turn, and we'll look forward to doing it next week. Tomorrow it is a good talk, of course, with Bruce Anderson, who returns after a week off, and

Chantelli Bear. Always lost to talk about on good talk and talk about it, we will. That's coming up tomorrow. All right, I'm Peter Mansbridge. Thanks so much for listening this week on your turn. And we'll talk to you again in a mere 24 hours or less.