Mark Carney's Davos Speech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

Jesus, if you are for real you are as dumb as a post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

I thought this speech was so good that I was sure it would be all anyone would be talking about today, and I'm completely mystified and kind of depressed that it isn't. You practically have to search for coverage of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

I thought this speech was so good that I was sure it would be all anyone would be talking about today, and I'm completely mystified and kind of depressed that it isn't. You practically have to search for coverage of it.

I talked about it with several colleagues at lunch. And it had extensive coverage from the Nytimes, BBC and CNN.

Didn’t check Fox News. I assume they didn’t mention it as Carney didnt bring up trans people in his speech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

Exactly. 10/10. It was perfect and necessary.

[Anonymous]

Lots of positive coverage and gushing over Carney's speech in NYTimes, Guardian, Foreign Policy, Rolling Stone, more ... but yeah won't make it to state TV er Fox news.

The entire transcript of his full speech is worth reading.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/21/mark-carney-speech-davos-trump-canada-full-text-transcript-read/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

Exactly. 10/10. It was perfect and necessary.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What an important speech for countries of the world being bullied by the US. Here is an excerpt:

"In 1978, the Czech dissident Václav Havel, later president, wrote an essay called “The Power of the Powerless,” and in it he asked a simple question: how did the communist system sustain itself?

And his answer began with a greengrocer.

Every morning, the shopkeeper places a sign in his window: “Workers of the world unite.” He doesn’t believe in it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along. And because every shopkeeper on every street does the same, the system persists — not through violence alone, but through the participation of ordinary people in rituals they privately know to be false.

Havel called this living within a lie. The system’s power comes not from its truth, but from everyone’s willingness to perform as if it were true. And its fragility comes from the same source. When even one person stops performing, when the greengrocer removes his sign, the illusion begins to crack.

Friends, it is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."

What an idiot capitalist banker.

He accidentally said that tyranny triumphed because the workers of the world didn't believe enough in their own power.

Yes, I am the PP who also thought the speech was dreadful although you expressed it better than me. I agree with the fact that the world needs to speak out against Trump, I think it's terrible Carney relied on an anti-worker story.

It’s shocking and sad how ignorant you posters seem to be about Havel and his thinking and his place in history.

Educate yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_the_Powerless

Seriously the ignorance knows no bounds. This was such an excellent speech and as a Canadian I’m so so proud of our leader! Now all the other countries need to take notice and follow the same steps.

I thought this speech was so good that I was sure it would be all anyone would be talking about today, and I'm completely mystified and kind of depressed that it isn't. You practically have to search for coverage of it.

If it’s any consolation to you, I watched extensive coverage of Davos and many of the very bright commentators- historians, economists, political scientists, retired military - were saying how Carney’s speech would go down in history as the marking of the new world order and how it was so much the polar opposite of the shit show that Trump put on today.

Trump destroyed a world order of 80 years, and as if in anticipation of that coming, Carney laid out the framework for the middle powers to make a new world without reliance on a once great superpower which committed international suicide this week.

I’ve always secretly envied Canada - as a kid it was because of Wayne Gretzky (barf he’s MAGA now) and Anne of Green Gables, and now because you have such an intelligent reasonable leader while we suffer under the dumb demented dictator. If it comes to blows, I hope I can defect and join your struggle.

[Anonymous]

Carney is the leader Trump wishes he was.

[Anonymous]

The contrast between Carney's speech and Trump's is stunning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The contrast between Carney's speech and Trump's is stunning.

+1. I plan to show it to my kids this weekend so they can see what a real leader sounds like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of positive coverage and gushing over Carney's speech in NYTimes, Guardian, Foreign Policy, Rolling Stone, more ... but yeah won't make it to state TV er Fox news.

The entire transcript of his full speech is worth reading.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/21/mark-carney-speech-davos-trump-canada-full-text-transcript-read/

Last section of speech (but agree, the entire speech is worth reading).

“…. Canada has what the world wants. We are an energy superpower. We hold vast reserves of critical minerals. We have the most educated population in the world. Our pension funds are amongst the world’s largest and most sophisticated investors. In other words, we have capital, talent … we also have a government with immense fiscal capacity to act decisively. And we have the values to which many others aspire.

Canada is a pluralistic society that works. Our public square is loud, diverse, and free. Canadians remain committed to sustainability. We are a stable and reliable partner in a world that is anything but. A partner that builds and values relationships for the long term.

And we have something else. We have a recognition of what’s happening and a determination to act accordingly. We understand that this rupture calls for more than adaptation. It calls for honesty about the world as it is.

We are taking the sign out of the window. We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy, but we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just. This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation.

The powerful have their power.

But we have something, too—the capacity to stop pretending, to name reality, to build our strength at home and to act together.

That is Canada’s path. We choose it openly and confidently, and it is a path wide open to any country willing to take it with us. Thank you very much.”

-Canadian here. Don’t underestimate our national pride and might.

[Anonymous]

To the PP about coverage- you have to have brain cells to recognize why this speech was gold.

Many do not. Esp above us a great ending but again, we live in a world - especially the US - where we just don't hear ANY political leaders talk like this. Not a one. Not Dems. Not Jeffries or Newsom. Not Kamala. Not Biden. Not Hilary. This type of vision, clarity and leadership is what's missing. So no, it's not going to be raves for it in US because so many Americans can't actually appreciate why this speech was a gem.

This is why Trump is our President and Carney the Canadian PM.

[Anonymous]

To me the best lines are that the powerful have their power but we have something to.

That's a wisdom of being able to evaluate reality and understand your advantage to leverage it. The whole theme of this speech is that you must focus on moving forward, unity, practicality, clarity. These are the elements every country can muster to thrive. He's saying that Canada has found their voice but every country can as well. He's saying that America's time is gone and while there's still power here, other countries can compete and thrive by leveraging their strengths.

It's the best possible solution in these times, a positive message to the world and eloquently presented.

This is why it's such a great speech - meaningful to the world and at the same time a pride in being Canadian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The contrast between Carney's speech and Trump's is stunning.
[/quote

To be fair, Carney's speech was more than just good it was excellent. It beats most speeches I'd be impressed if Trump was even able eek out a speech v a deranged monologue!!!!!!!!!

I'm very serious - it's a low bar.😭