Global power in freely given gratitude
In their speeches in Davos, U.S. and Canadian leaders differ over ways to order the world. One demands gratitude, the other tries to earn it.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is greeted by President Donald Trump at the White House, May 6, 2025.
AP
Donald Trump was elected twice as president, in part because many Americans believe the United States has done enough for the world over more than a century 鈥� in defending freedom and opening its markets and borders 鈥� with little gratitude or assistance in return. That grievance over a perceived lack of gratitude was in full throttle Wednesday during Mr. Trump鈥檚 speech to world leaders in Davos, Switzerland.
The president criticized Denmark for being 鈥渦ngrateful鈥� after the U.S. saved its territory of Greenland during World War II and then 鈥済ave it back.鈥�
鈥淲e fought for Denmark,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 fighting for anyone else.鈥�
He also went after America鈥檚 northern neighbor. 鈥淐anada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful ... but they鈥檙e not.鈥�
And he said this about America鈥檚 role in many wars: 鈥淲hat does the United States get out of all of this work, all of this money 鈥� other than death, destruction, and massive amounts of cash going to people who don鈥檛 appreciate what we do?鈥�
His demand for gratitude, from either countries or companies, is not new. Last year, Mr. Trump accused Ukraine of showing 鈥渮ero gratitude鈥� for U.S. support in the war with Russia. Yet many leaders have grown tired of this type of guilt-tripping that seems aimed at dealmaking, that sees genuine gifts only as veiled bribery.
In Davos, for example, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated a new distance from the U.S. for the sake of Canada鈥檚 prosperity and security. He is seeking ties with smaller nations like his that see power in 鈥渓egitimacy, integrity, and rules.鈥�
One of Canada鈥檚 top intellectuals, Michael Ignatieff, explained on Substack last year that gratitude is 鈥渙ne of those feelings which ceases to be itself, when it is forced. It is like love in that respect. It is in the very meaning of gratitude that it should be free.鈥�
鈥淭here used to be Presidents who understood what freedom was, and why it was unnecessary to demand gratitude when the United States defended it. Not anymore.鈥�
For his 2017 book, 鈥淭he Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World,鈥� Dr. Ignatieff traveled the world to vulnerable communities under stress to find out how they developed their own 鈥渕oral practice,鈥� including appreciation for one another, in order to live together. He found that 鈥渙rdinary鈥� virtues are not an abstraction or seen as universal but are something individuals discover in each other from community encounters. They are both local and 鈥渢he point and purpose of a human life.鈥�
That may be why Prime Minister Carney鈥檚 speech in Davos drew high praise. In it, he called on countries under stress like his to help 鈥渂uild a new order鈥� that encompasses 鈥渃ommon鈥� values in 鈥済enuine cooperation.鈥�
Any gratitude for the success of that project will probably be freely given.