SEATTLE - Marylandian -- On Speaking Terms was supposed to launch with a different episode. But as the U.S.-Canada trade conflict escalated, Diana Colleen and Kevin Howard scrapped the plan for a more timely conversation.

The hosts compare how differently the conflict is perceived in each country. Colleen describes Canadians boycotting American products, cancelling U.S. travel and rallying around national sovereignty.

"You wouldn't believe the number of apps you can get on your phone to scan barcodes in the grocery store so you're not buying American products," she says. "We feel threatened. We feel like we are in a war."

Howard says the conflict barely registers with many Americans as a sovereignty issue. He points to stagnant wages and unaffordable housing, arguing that Canada has become a convenient scapegoat.

"The tragedy is American leaders are using Canada and other trading partners to justify the bad economics," he says.

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Both arrive at the same warning: the fight is costing both countries. Howard argues Americans are already consumed by internal division and should not turn that anger toward Canada.

"We need each other," he says. "If Canada stops doing what Canada does for the United States, it's catastrophic. If the United States stops doing what they're doing for Canada, it's catastrophic."

Colleen supports Canada's "elbows up" response, but draws a line between resisting U.S. pressure and resenting individual Americans. After passing a family in University of Washington shirts and thinking that identifying as American seemed "a bold choice," she caught herself.

Her conclusion: "Be kind to the Americans who are coming to Canada. They are here spending their money, supporting Canada."

Howard's appeal runs the other direction: Americans need to recognize Canada is not the enemy, and that turning ordinary people against one another benefits those profiting from the fight.

Each bi-weekly episode of On Speaking Terms tackles subjects that could divide families and end friendships, creating space for civil discourse even when agreement is unlikely.

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Episode one is available today, September 3, 2026, on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts

About the Hosts

Diana Colleen is the author of They Could Be Saviors, a four-time award-winning eco-thriller centered on billionaire accountability, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and climate hope. https://www.dianacolleenauthor.com/press-media

Kevin Howard is the author of Onward at Last, an IPPY Bronze Medal winner, structured as 101 commentaries examining how American individualism, competition, and self-interest shape inequality, climate damage, and collective well-being. https://ageofbalance.com/