This pandemic crisis is making for some strange alliances and friendships.

You’ve got conservative premiers praising the federal government’s disaster response. We’ve seen small business groups express praise and appreciation for the same thing. Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has taken to describing Ontario Premier Doug Ford as her “therapist,” and Ford can’t find enough words to praise the work Freeland is doing throughout the crisis. These are just a few examples.

A natural thing to wonder about is whether or not some of this constructive goodwill might remain behind once the crisis passes. While it would be nice to think so, it’s also probably naive. In any case, it is worth keeping in mind that there is more that unites us than divides us, especially in a crisis.

Another thing that unites Canadians is being angry with Donald Trump. His latest outrageous decision is to invoke emergency legislation to prevent American manufacturers from exporting personal protective equipment to Canada and Mexico. U.S.-based 3M is the latest to face Trump’s wrath because they have long-standing commitments to export PPE to other markets, including Canada.

Trump has brushed aside all concerns about his inhumane and foolish decision. America first, and last, seems to be his view, and to hell with everyone else. Canadians across the political spectrum, including premiers in nearly every province, have expressed their alarm and outrage. The decision prompted Doug Ford to pledge that Ontario will never again be in the position of having to rely on neighbours like America, which has now proven to be untrustworthy on more than one occasion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has wisely remained stubbornly diplomatic about Trump’s latest antic. He is scheduled to speak with the president in the next few days. Hopefully he can convince Trump of the foolishness of this isolationist position. While Trudeau has stayed on the diplomatic high road, he has also been careful to mention, more than once, that the door swings both ways.

On Monday, mayors in Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie announced that health-care workers who typically move back and forth between Canada and the U.S. to work in both countries will need to choose one and stay there. This was done to reduce the spread of COVID-19 between Michigan, where it is running rampant, and Ontario. But it is worth considering the opinion of Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who says there is at least one Detroit hospital that would have to close without Canadian workers.

What would happen if Canada ordered Canadian health workers to stay on this side of the border at least until this crisis passes?

Here’s another example. Canada is the world’s leading producer of medical isotopes, which are necessary for use in medical imaging technology to detect cancer and other illnesses. What would happen if Canada decided to keep our medical isotopes at home, to ensure there is always an adequate supply for Canadians before anyone else?

Interestingly, many of the same people angry about Trump’s unethical decision were also angry about our government exporting PPE to China at the height of the COVID-19 crisis there. Now they know what it’s like to be on the losing side of that equation.

Justin Trudeau knows some critical things Donald Trump does not. Pandemics don’t respect borders, which is why efforts to fight coronavirus here are intrinsically related to efforts to fight it in America. Allies need to trust and respect one another, through thick and thin. And if you treat friends badly for long enough, what goes around will come around.

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