Y'all shoulda seen that coming when Deranged Donald declared Canada a threat to U.S. national security.
Considering Groper's welcoming of islamic terrorists and his refusal to deport them (While he deports people in record numbers who entered under the exact same circumstances as cabinet minister Maryam Monsef), I'm not surprised. Hell, I wouldn't want Canada as a neighbour with Groper running the shit show either. The idiot can't manage to do anything without stepping all over his dick in the process. He's a weak, wimpy little twerp. The ONLY country/leader he's actually tried standing up to is Trump and the US and he still managed to step all over his own dick. Sadly, Freeland managed to step all over hers too.
But ultimately it boils down to one thing. Defence. Successive Canadian govts have been more than happy to hand over the defence of Canada to the US. We're a joke. 74 years ago the Canadian army liberated Holland. The only western army to single-handedly liberate a European country during WW2. Today the Dutch could kick our asses. They're replacing their aging F-18s with F-35s. We're replacing ours with used Australian F-18s that are almost as old as what they're replacing. While Australia is buying, you guessed it, new F-35s. F-35s that the Chretien Liberals plowed $500 million into the development of at the expense of new helicopters that were desperately needed and had been ordered, only for the Liberals to scream and cry about it being the Harper govts choice of replacement.
And while the Dutch navy is smaller than Canada's, they are up-to-date and much more capable than the tubs Canada is floating. Holland's oldest ships (used mostly for training) are the same age as our only operational destroyers. Which is about 40 years. Canada has no attack choppers. Holland has a small fleet of Apaches. Even their armour is better and more up-to-date. That military parade in Holland next year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Canada liberating them is going to be a wee bit embarrassing for us.
We have a one coast littoral navy for a nation with three ocean coasts. Christ, we don't even have any heavy ice breakers for our Arctic waters. Let alone anything seriously armed.
It's one thing to to be able to rely on the US coming to our aid if we're ever invaded, attacked, whatever. It's another thing completely to leave that defence pretty much entirely up to the US.
I know people like to delude themselves into thinking that because it's 2019, or the 21st century or whatever that we've "evolved" as a species but we haven't. There's a universal basic truth. If you can't defend what you have, or at least appear to be able to, eventually someone is going to come along and relieve you of it. Sadly, Canada has neither the ability to defend itself nor the appearance to fool anyone that it can. The ONLY thing Canada has going for it in that particular regard is its sheer size.
Ultimately, while a major stretch of the NWP is in Canadian waters, the reality is it's an international shipping lane as well. There's already enough concerns with international shipping lanes in the South China Sea with all the little artificial islands with Chinese military bases popping up. And let's face it, what is the the only country that can, would and does project their naval power to best ensure those international shipping lanes remain free and open?
As for the thread topic itself, as a proud Canadian I have to disagree with Pompeo. But as a realist with at least some grasp of geo-political realities, as much as it pains me to say it, he's not wrong.