Is “Buying Canadian” Actually a Luxury for the Rich?

Is boycotting American products a patriotic duty, or a luxury belief most Canadians can’t afford?In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt unpack the growing generational divide in Canada, and why older Canadians are far more likely to boycott U.S. products, while younger Canadians are stuck navigating a brutal affordability crisis.After a winter storm destroyed his car, Mike shares why he chose a Canadian-assembled vehicle, and how that decision sparked a bigger question: have certain political stances become “luxury beliefs” that only financially secure Canadians can realistically uphold?The conversation digs into the tension between symbolic nationalism and economic reality, especially for Millennials and Gen Z who feel locked out of housing, squeezed by grocery prices, and shut out of opportunity.From grocery store boycotts to the future of Canada’s auto sector, this episode explores what it actually means to be a “good Canadian” in a time of rising costs, political strain, and shifting global alliances.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:43 The Generational Divide on Canada-U.S. Relations02:03 Why Older Canadians View America Differently Than Gen Z03:04 Why Ethical Shopping is a Luxury04:02 Mike’s New Car: A Case Study in Buying Canadian06:21  Defining “Luxury Beliefs” in Economics09:23  Social Judgment and the Ethics of Travel10:21 Should Politicians Fight Trump?11:04 On Carney’s Speech in Davos12:47 Searching for Transformative Change in the Canadian EconomyResearch/links:Nanos Poll https://nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-2950-Bloomberg-Nov-Populated-Report-Tariffs-on-US-goods.pdfResearch Co Pollhttps://researchco.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tables_Tariffs_CAN_05Jun2025.pdfLuxury Beliefshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_beliefSpecial Address by Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026https://youtu.be/flsgJe8mN-A?si=xJs3huF52ABU-SEZHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinFunded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/