Canada’s dairy supply management system is under fire, and mainstream media is popping popcorn as they watch the drama unfold. CNN, in its usual liberal echo chamber, frames Canada’s policies as archaic and protectionist—conveniently ignoring the U.S.’s own distortive agricultural subsidies. Meanwhile, Fox News takes an entirely different angle, portraying the situation as an attack on American farmers, stirring up the typical red-scare rhetoric. Both networks fail to question who truly benefits from these trade disputes. Spoiler: it’s not you, the taxpayer.

It’s astounding how both sides of this so-called political spectrum can agree on one thing: they love to distract you. These tariffs are not about dairy but about lobbing political grenades right before elections. Corporations and mega-farms thrive on volatility, yet they’re ready to parade as the champions of the little guy. Where’s the skepticism? Where are the questions about how these policies impact the average consumer or farmer on the ground?

Instead of dissecting this issue with the scrutiny it deserves, outlets are busy fear-mongering and pandering to nationalist sentiments. Let’s not kid ourselves: Canada isn’t the bad guy here. The corporate media conglomerates simply push a narrative that suits their admirable sponsors while shoving the real complications under the rug. Critics of supply management should be questioning the ideologies behind these tariffs, not merely repeating government talking points. If there’s any irritant here, it’s the complicity of the media in feeding us half-truths framed as news.