SHIFTHEADS: The Case for Bribing Your Way Into a Trade Deal

Journalist Matt Gurney lays out why an ally with one of the strongest militaries in its region still got sidelined without warning, and what that means for how Canada should be thinking about its own position right now.   Not every criticism of Canada's trade posture is wrong, and the conversation draws a clear line between fair critique and the excuses some people reach for instead. What separates the two ends up being the real point.   There's also a genuinely unconventional idea on the table about how influence actually gets won in rooms like this one, floated only half-jokingly but grounded in a very real read of how these relationships tend to work.   Topics: Matt Gurney trade analysis, South Korea alliance decision, Canada US relationship, negotiating tactics, unconventional diplomacy proposal   GUEST: Matt Gurney | readtheline.ca | @mattgurney   Originally aired on 2026-08-18