Watching Trump from Afar—But Maybe Not Far Enough
Elbows Up, Canada!
by Larry Black

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When Robbie Burns wrote in 1786: “To see ourselves as others see us! It would from many a blunder free us,” he could not have foreseen Donald J. Trump as president of the United States. This book is a record of what Trump’s America looked like to at least one foreign observer during what may turn out to be the most formative year (2025-26) in the nation’s history since 1945. Chronicling Trump’s approach to immigration, health, the environment, freedom of speech, religion, and foreign policy, these pages highlight a country in crisis from the perspective of their cringing neighbours to the north. Written by a retired Canadian professor with ties on either side of the border, Watching Trump from Afar draws from decades of research on the Soviet Union and Russia, drawing unsettling links between Putin’s Russia and Trump’s America. By detailing the impact this burgeoning authoritarianism has on Canada, and on the United States, the author provides a cautionary tale for citizens on both sides of what was once, but is no longer, touted as the “longest undefended border” in the world.

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Larry Black was born in New Brunswick and has been married to an American from Alabama for over six decades. He studied for three years in Boston, has a dual-citizen son living in the USA, and has American nephews and nieces. An emeritus professor with three degrees in history and international affairs, as well as a phys-ed certificate, Black was redesignated a Distinguished Research Professor by Carleton University in 2023. At age 89, Black is widely travelled, with extensive experience in world affairs and wide-ranging connections. He has been a research fellow for NATO, an instructor for recruits to the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and a consultant with Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board. He is author, co-author, or editor of more than 50 books on Russia, the USSR, the Canadian–Russian relationship, and local Canadian history. Black and his wife, Janice, live in Barrie, Ontario, a city they share with two daughters and three grandchildren. Their son and his wife live in Massachusetts.

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