Kuala Lampur, Aug. 24 -- Washington is abusing its economic power, but Ottawa must confront an uncomfortable truth: sovereignty without economic resilience is merely a declaration of intent.

There is something undeniably stirring about a smaller country refusing to be bullied by a larger one.

When Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended negotiations with Washington following the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on selected Canadian products, the moment was quickly cast as an assertion of national sovereignty. Canada, Carney declared, would not allow another nation to determine its future. Ottawa promised to retaliate dollar for dollar.

For Canadians exhausted by threats from Washington, it was an understandable response. It was ...