The Cable
The Cable goes inside the foreign policy machine, from Foggy Bottom to Turtle Bay, the White House to Embassy Row.

Watch Air Canada’s New Attempt to Cash in on America’s 2016 Fears

Air Canada wants Americans threatening to move there after the election to visit first.

Screen Shot 2016-06-07 at 11.26.25 AM
Screen Shot 2016-06-07 at 11.26.25 AM

It’s become a political cliché: if XYZ becomes the U.S. president, those opposed to his or her policies will move to Canada. With two polarizing candidates -- presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Hillary Clinton -- set to clash in November, Air Canada is trying to cash in on the platitude.

It’s become a political cliché: if XYZ becomes the U.S. president, those opposed to his or her policies will move to Canada. With two polarizing candidates — presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Hillary Clinton — set to clash in November, Air Canada is trying to cash in on the platitude.

In an advertisement posted to YouTube earlier this month, an actor dressed in Air Canada gear says, “It seems like a lot of you are talking about moving up here to Canada. It’s very flattering and we certainly have the room. But before you sell your house and book a one way ticket, maybe it makes sense to check us out first.” Check out the full advertisement below.

The ad then urges Americans to test drive Canada to see if they like the country, and to determine if they find the metric system agreeable, before they move to the Great White North.

The spot has a receptive audience. According to MarketWatch, after Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton each won seven state primaries on Super Tuesday in March, searches for “Move to Canada” spiked to their highest level ever. In addition, a March Ipsos poll showed 19 percent of Americans would consider moving to Canada if Trump wins, and 15 percent would think about heading north if Clinton takes the White House.

Photo credit: Air Canada

More from Foreign Policy

A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar

The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.
The Chinese flag is raised during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at Beijing National Stadium on Feb. 4, 2022.

America Can’t Stop China’s Rise

And it should stop trying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on prior a meeting with European Union leaders in Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv, on June 16, 2022.

The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky

The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.