Political Posts

[Blake Hampton]

 

A comment:

"First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me."

 

- Martin Niemöller

[RichardGibbons]

11 hours ago, Sweet said:

Or maybe it suits Trump perfectly well that it’s another Liberal government.  Could he divide and conquer as easily if the Conservatives won?

 

If one wants to make a 4-d chess argument about Trump and Canada (which I'm not making, because I think at this point that it's completely clear that Trump is stupid), then I think the argument would be something like:

 

1. A decade of Liberal rule has severely weakened Canada economically. Flat real GDP, massive debt and deficits, rising unemployment, unaffordable housing, crushing regulation that discourages any sort of resource development, spiking crime and food-bank usage, and falling standards of living relative to other first-world nations.

 

2. As a result, Canada is both economically much weaker than it "should" be, and people are much more unhappy.

 

3. Trump believe economic attacks are a way to make Canada want to be the 51st state, and an unhappy populace is more likely to vote for change, like becoming the 51st state.

4. Therefore, it's good for the Liberals to be re-elected, because no other government in the history of Canada has been as successful at crushing both the Canadian economy and the Canadian people.

[Hektor]

1 hour ago, Xerxes said:

in what sense; are we taking about an actual military attack to overthrow Ottawa. That is highly unlikely. 
 

An actual submission by the people of Canada (also highly unlikely) to become part of United States has no bearing on the United Kingdoms. 
 

Except that the King will lose his part time job as a royal person. But nothing to do with UK. 
 

That said the more likely scenario is that United States will be violate Canadian sovereignty when it comes to North West Passage, our water, our air, our border. The usual run of the mill imperialist stuff that United States does when it feels throwing around it weight. 

Irrespective of how, can this be a US-Canada only matter? Would it not be a Canada-UK-US matter?

[Xerxes]

6 minutes ago, Hektor said:

Irrespective of how, can this be a US-Canada only matter? Would it not be a Canada-UK-US matter?

Annexation will have nothing formal to do with United Kingdoms in my view

Edited April 29, 2025 by Xerxes

[John Hjorth]

31 minutes ago, Hektor said:

Irrespective of how, can this be a US-Canada only matter? Would it not be a Canada-UK-US matter?

 

Hektor [ @Hektor ],

 

Please remember that Canada is also not just a NATO member, it is a founding member. So it not about if POTUS actually cares, it is also about if others care, which I can tell you : They do. 

[cubsfan]

On 4/26/2025 at 9:55 AM, dwy000 said:

Nothing happens. Most of those countries already had free trade deals with the US (Australia actually has a trade deficit with US).  Nothing to do with China

 

The point was that people trust the word of a Communist opponent over our own president because he lies so much 

I doubt it. Once India, S Korea and Japan agree to trade deals, it’s going to be off to the races. If you think you can trust China, then you’re dreaming. China doesn’t do anyone any favors without extracting their pound of flesh. Good luck with that!

[Hektor]

34 minutes ago, John Hjorth said:

Please remember that Canada is also not just a NATO member, it is a founding member. So it not about if POTUS actually cares, it is also about if others care, which I can tell you : They do. 

So its not just a Canada-UK-US affair, its a Canada-UK-Other NATO members-US affair

[Parsad]

11 hours ago, jfan said:

Despite the ndp being decimated, don't they again become the swing vote? 

 

Could be the NDP, could be the Bloc...past form indicates it would probably be the NDP.  Cheers!

[Parsad]

5 hours ago, Hektor said:

I wonder how and how much of this "51st state" thing is covered in UK, and what do people there think. After all, this will affect the King too.

 

 

He's too busy yelling at Bezos because Amazon was going to show tariff charges on their site and on purchases:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/business/white-house-calls-report-that-amazon-is-adding-a-tariff-charge-a-hostile-action/index.html

 

Cheers!

[Parsad]

2 minutes ago, Parsad said:

 

Could be the NDP, could be the Bloc...past form indicates it would probably be the NDP.  Cheers!

 

If he pushes centrist economic policies, then he could get Conservative votes as well.  Cheers!

[John Hjorth]

14 minutes ago, Hektor said:

So its not just a Canada-UK-US affair, its a Canada-UK-Other NATO members-US affair

 

Yes, I would say so, Hektor [ @Hektor ],

 

With the catch, that we likely already know, Mark Rutte won't apriori touch such a quarrel between NATO members, from his behavior in the White House commenting on POTUS' Greenlandic imperial aspirations.

 

But NATO members could likely force him to.

 

What's going on here is unheard of in NATO environment for all 76 years of NATOs existence.

Edited April 29, 2025 by John Hjorth

[Hektor]

9 minutes ago, Parsad said:

 

 

He's too busy yelling at Bezos because Amazon was going to show tariff charges on their site and on purchases:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/business/white-house-calls-report-that-amazon-is-adding-a-tariff-charge-a-hostile-action/index.html

 

Cheers!

By "the King", I meant the real King of UK 

[changegonnacome]

 

The most important manufacturing the US needs to be doing right now is producing homes - last I checked Temu can't post you 3-bed starter home in the mail.

 

I get the impetus around strategic & dual use industries. Knock yourself out build resilience around vaccines, chips etc. but this wholesale manufacturing dream does not comport with the demographic reality in the US....there isn't enough working age men.

 

And if homes are predominantly produced by working age men aged 18 - 45 (which they are)........I dont want these scarse folks headed into nice air conditioned manufacturing hubs (which the evidence shows they will do all day long versus site work).....you really need them out on building sites building homes.

[dwy000]

56 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

I doubt it. Once India, S Korea and Japan agree to trade deals, it’s going to be off to the races. If you think you can trust China, then you’re dreaming. China doesn’t do anyone any favors without extracting their pound of flesh. Good luck with that!

What does "off to the races" mean?  You think Japan agreeing to reduce tariffs has any impact on a China deal?  

 

South Korea has said they're not negotiating anything until after June elections (and even then its likely just a return to the free trade agmt of before). Japan says nothing is being negotiated.

 

It's the most disjointed, unorganized thing ever seen. 

 

And once again, my post was not about tariffs it was the fact that everyone believes China's comment and not Trump.  

[Blake Hampton]

23 minutes ago, changegonnacome said:

The most important manufacturing the US needs to be doing right now is producing homes

 

Truer words have never been said.

[Sweet]

1 hour ago, cubsfan said:

I doubt it. Once India, S Korea and Japan agree to trade deals, it’s going to be off to the races. If you think you can trust China, then you’re dreaming. China doesn’t do anyone any favors without extracting their pound of flesh. Good luck with that!

But can you trust the USA with Trump?  He made deals in his first term he is now trashing.

[james22]

 

[cwericb]

1 hour ago, cubsfan said:

If you think you can trust China, then you’re dreaming.

Are you sure you didn't mean... "If you think you can trust the United States, then you’re dreaming. ?

[cubsfan]

17 minutes ago, Sweet said:

But can you trust the USA with Trump?  He made deals in his first term he is now trashing.

Can you trust China? Yeah, that’s worked out well.  Korea & Japan have elections coming up. There is plenty of incentive for them to get deal frameworks agreed to, before the elections, so they have platforms to run on. I doubt their candidates are gonna say “let’s cozy up to China”

 

I doubt India & Taiwan want that either.

 

Those 4 get moving and I’d say we’re looking pretty good.

[Blake Hampton]

 

Skip to 10:50

[dwy000]

5 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

Can you trust China? Yeah, that’s worked out well.  Korea & Japan have elections coming up. There is plenty of incentive for them to get deal frameworks agreed to, before the elections, so they have platforms to run on. I doubt their candidates are gonna say “let’s cozy up to China”

 

I doubt India & Taiwan want that either.

 

Those 4 get moving and I’d say we’re looking pretty good.

South Korea has said they won't be negotiating prior to the election in June. 

 

The Japanese elections are only the interim elections and aren't until the end of July.  They have said there are no negotiations going on right now. 

 

Neither of them are going to be making products instead of China so I'm not sure what their deals have to do with a China deal. 

[Xerxes]

2 hours ago, Hektor said:

So its not just a Canada-UK-US affair, its a Canada-UK-Other NATO members-US affair

 

In your hypothetical scenario you didn’t specify military strikes, which makes it an attack by a NATO to a NATO member. 

 

in absence of a military subjugation, just economic coercion, I am not sure what UK has to say “formally”.  

Edited April 29, 2025 by Xerxes

[Hektor]

29 minutes ago, Xerxes said:

In your hypothetical scenario you didn’t specify military strikes, which makes it an attack by a NATO to a NATO member. 

 

in absence of a military subjugation, just economic coercion, I am not sure what UK has to say “formally”.  

I don't know the "how" either, so I left it out. I know many Canadians, Europeans and Americans are concerned about this talk. I've no idea how it can be accomplished and if it ever can be accomplished, will it be a Canada-US affair, so I thought I might post here and ask

[Hektor]

Trump met with The Atlantic. Here is some interesting commentary from the interview about Canada.

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/donald-trump-oval-office-interview-excerpts/682623/

 

 

Trump: ..........And I think maybe one of the things I’ve been most successful with is foreign relations.

 

Goldberg: I think the Canadians would disagree.

 

Trump: Well, the Canadians. Here’s the problem I have with Canada: We’re subsidizing them to the tune of $200 billion a year. And we don’t need their gasoline; we don’t need their oil; we don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy of any type. We don’t need anything they have. I say it would make a great 51st state. I love other nations. I love Canada. I have great friends. Wayne Gretzky’s a friend of mine. I mean, I have great friends. I said to Wayne, “I’m gonna give you a pass, Wayne.” I don’t want to ruin his reputation in Canada. I said, “Just pretend you don’t know me.” But they’re great people.

 

You know, they do 95 percent of their business with us. Remember, if they’re a state, there’s no tariffs. They have lower taxes. We have to guard them militarily.

 

Goldberg: You seriously want them to become a state?

 

Trump: I think it would be great.

 

Goldberg: A hell of a big Democratic state.

 

Trump: A lot of people say that, but I’m okay with it if it has to be, because I think, you know, actually, until I came along—

Goldberg: I’m no political genius, but I know which way they’re going to vote. They have socialized medicine.

 

Trump: You know, until I came along, remember that the conservative was leading by 25 points.

 

Parker: It’s true.

 

Trump: Then I was disliked by enough of the Canadians that I’ve thrown the election into a close call, right? I don’t even know if it’s a close call. But the conservative, they didn’t like Governor Trudeau too much, and I would call him Governor Trudeau, but he wasn’t fond of that.

[John Hjorth]

21 minutes ago, Hektor said:

I don't know the "how" either, so I left it out. I know many Canadians, Europeans and Americans are concerned about this talk. I've no idea how it can be accomplished and if it ever can be accomplished, will it be a Canada-US affair, so I thought I might post here and ask

 

18 minutes ago, Hektor said:

Trump met with The Atlantic. Here is some interesting commentary from the interview about Canada.

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/donald-trump-oval-office-interview-excerpts/682623/

 

 

Trump: ..........And I think maybe one of the things I’ve been most successful with is foreign relations.

 

Goldberg: I think the Canadians would disagree.

 

Trump: Well, the Canadians. Here’s the problem I have with Canada: We’re subsidizing them to the tune of $200 billion a year. And we don’t need their gasoline; we don’t need their oil; we don’t need their lumber. We don’t need their energy of any type. We don’t need anything they have. I say it would make a great 51st state. I love other nations. I love Canada. I have great friends. Wayne Gretzky’s a friend of mine. I mean, I have great friends. I said to Wayne, “I’m gonna give you a pass, Wayne.” I don’t want to ruin his reputation in Canada. I said, “Just pretend you don’t know me.” But they’re great people.

 

You know, they do 95 percent of their business with us. Remember, if they’re a state, there’s no tariffs. They have lower taxes. We have to guard them militarily.

 

Goldberg: You seriously want them to become a state?

 

Trump: I think it would be great.

 

Goldberg: A hell of a big Democratic state.

 

Trump: A lot of people say that, but I’m okay with it if it has to be, because I think, you know, actually, until I came along—

Goldberg: I’m no political genius, but I know which way they’re going to vote. They have socialized medicine.

 

Trump: You know, until I came along, remember that the conservative was leading by 25 points.

 

Parker: It’s true.

 

Trump: Then I was disliked by enough of the Canadians that I’ve thrown the election into a close call, right? I don’t even know if it’s a close call. But the conservative, they didn’t like Governor Trudeau too much, and I would call him Governor Trudeau, but he wasn’t fond of that.

 

Hektor [ @Hektor ],

 

You're doing a just great job in this topic.  - Thank you for that.  - Keep them coming!