r/canada • u/ScubadooX • 6h ago
Removed: Opinion-free weekends How Trump’s Pressure Could Actually End Up Saving Canada
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/how-trumps-pressure-could-actually-end-up-saving-canada-1ca3f166?st=Q7E5fR&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink•
u/FerretAres Alberta 6h ago
On one hand I do think that a hostile USA has been a good thing in terms of actually getting people serious about our economy again. On the other hand the framing this as “saving” Canada can get fucked.
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u/kenauk Canada 4h ago
Well it's the WSJ after all.
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u/FerretAres Alberta 4h ago
I keep an eye on the wsj for business reasons but man have I been shocked to see how the average content has shifted right since they were acquired. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised but it’s blatant
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u/extropia 4h ago
One thing I've noticed is that, for all that 'centrists' or 'moderates' get enormous hate in many places, Canada still has a very strong political middle and I personally think it's one of our current superpowers.
Looking at so many democracies around the world, they are being torn apart by a level of polarization that increasingly seems hopeless and unmanageable.
I'm more left than centre, but I don't categorically dislike centrists and don't believe they are necessarily weak and appeasing. I think Canadians showed in huge numbers last federal election that we're capable of assessing a situation and making an educated decision that is not simply based on a one-dimensional view of politics. And look where we are now: admired globally as a sane country. It's no coincidence.
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u/LoneRonin 20m ago
Not all centrism is the same. The USA is suffering from a centrism that wants to maintain the status quo and still pretend the opposition is respecting democracy and acting in good faith while oligarchs, corporate donors and lobbyists are pulling it into fascism at a time when half its people are in a doomsday Christian fundamentalist death cult and the other half have made it very clear they are fed up with the status quo.
Canada's centrism is about 70% of the population making a pragmatic assessment of asking 1) What is our most current and pressing problem and 2) Who do we think has the best ability to resolve it and is most aligned with our motivating interests. Canada also doesn't have a large amount of religious fundamentalists vulnerable to getting swept up into a cult of personality and most people are mostly satisfied with the status quo aside from a few gripes. This has allowed the LPC to dominate Canadian politics with its flexibility and ability to pivot between right/left of center as needed.
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u/casualguitarist 1h ago edited 1h ago
s, Canada still has a very strong political middle and I personally think it's one of our current superpowers.
That's most top countries. US, France, UK, ... and believe it or not China. A strong "middle" is another word for one or even two party rule but definitely one in Canada's case.
they are being torn apart by a level of polarization that increasingly seems hopeless and unmanageable.
Ironically that's how authoritarian dictatorships think. It's not the SYSTEM that's the problem but the people! They need to controlled and as long as the system is kicking around there's nothing more we can do!
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u/PhalanX4012 5h ago
What else is new? Everything Trump touches he kills. Pretty much everything he’s ever been involved with would have been significantly better if he’d never meddled with it in the first place. Even his shittiest plans would have had a better chance of success if he just shut the fuck up and left it alone.
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u/Mr_Guavo 5h ago
We were being slowly boiled in a pot, totally unaware until Trump turned up the heat, causing us to jump out of the pot once the heat became apparent.
Still, I'm not going to thank him, but this is going to be the greatest thing that ever happened to this country when we look back 20 years from now.
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u/brettaburger 3h ago
I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to describe what's happening right now as great but your point still stands
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u/EngineeringAwkward58 Saskatchewan 4h ago
Trump was the worst and best thing that happened to Canada, now we are more united than before and diversifying trade partners. It only took a dictator on our southern border to start making big changes. thanks, Trump!
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u/knaks74 2h ago
United? Alberta and Quebec want to separate.
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u/EngineeringAwkward58 Saskatchewan 2h ago
*a minority in Alberta
And Quebec, well, that's a whole different story buddy
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u/JackleMonkey4653453 5h ago
This isn’t just a Trump thing, but he is the most aggressive face of it. The IS over the last 20 years, basically after what they started with 9/11 has been on a downward slide. Their power has been been shifting. Certainly, the last three presidential terms brought that into focus and the most recent open assault on their allies has forced the world, not just Canada to re-evaluate the US role globally.
the next 20 years will see the US shift to a Russian like entity in global politics. It will still be powerful but its influence will be significantly lower and other countries will have greatly diversified their reliance on them.
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u/cyclemonster Ontario 3h ago
while his talk of annexation casts an unflattering light on the country’s underfunded military
I mean, let's be honest, even if we spent 10% of GDP on military spending, it would still be dwarfed by theirs.
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u/Gor-Gor_Returns 2h ago
Strictly military speaking the US doesn't expect anyone to be near them in fact that would create a different problem.
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u/AlarmingGear616 2h ago
Trump's pressure has forced environmentalism to the back burner and now we are going to blast past 1.5° c in the next 2 years. We're all fucked. It's not going to save anybody. It's going to kill everyone
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u/Rubydog2004 12m ago
Our prime minister is busy making other plans….of which we may not see the fruits for a number of years but this shift will move us economically farther away from the yanks. Over time we will get new markets for our goods. In the long run this sets us up to be more prosperous.
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u/YouProfessional3196 6h ago
Nah, by getting the Liberals re-elected as they are now beginning mass immigration again most likely QOL going to get way worse for Canadians. Getting tired of hearing about Trump while the Liberals continue to mismanage the country big time.
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u/secretredditter 5h ago
Mismanage how? What would you (or PP) do better than what Carney is doing now?
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u/VladamirIsHere 2h ago
How is that a proper argument? Im sick of hearing the "pp would be worse" rhetoric with zero evidence. You guys voted for the most two faced, Mr Burns, corporate stooge possible. He literally goes on Candian TV and says hes going to fight Trump, that America is a threat. Then goes on American TV and says "A strong Canada will help make America great again!" Hell, in his first Candian appearance as our PM he claimed, multiple times, that most of America's semiconductors come from Canada. When the truth is quiet literally the opposite, and we import less than 1 percent of their semi conducters. Its like he will say whatever he wants, and just see what sticks.
Here, this is from Google....
The Brookfield Corporate Relocation Timeline
The most prominent controversy involves the relocation of Brookfield Asset Management’s (BAM) head office from Toronto to New York City. • Carney's Statement: Carney claimed that the formal decision to relocate the headquarters occurred after he resigned as chair in mid-January 2025 to launch his Liberal leadership bid. • The Contradiction: Corporate documents and an October 31, 2024 press release showed the board had unanimously approved the move months prior. Furthermore, a December 2024 shareholder letter bore Carney's signature, proving he personally recommended and voted for the relocation to broaden access to U.S. capital indices while still leading the company.
- Gordie Howe International Bridge Revenue Sharing
Critics and opposition MPs accused Carney of outright lying regarding the terms of a new 15-year revenue-sharing agreement with the United States over the Gordie Howe International Bridge. • Carney's Statement: Carney told the public that Canada’s $6.4 billion construction debt would be fully repaid from tolls before any revenue sharing with the U.S. took place. • The Contradiction: The actual written terms of the deal revealed that Canada and the U.S. split net revenue 50/50 immediately after basic operational costs are paid. Canada must then use only its own half of the split to slowly pay back its massive construction debt. Carney later defended his comments by claiming he was referring to an older 2012 agreement, a defense critics labeled "a lie about the lie".
- Claims of Full Resignation from International Roles
When launching his political career, Carney sought to distance himself from international elitist ties. • Carney's Statement: On January 16, 2025, Carney told Canadians, "I have resigned from all my positions, full stop." • The Contradiction: Reporting shortly after revealed he had not fully cut ties, remaining listed as the President of the London-based Chatham House, a member of the Peterson Institute, and an advisory board member for the Blavatnik School of Government.
- Paul Martin Budget Balancing Claims
During political debates, Carney was accused of inflating his historical resume to burnish his fiscal credentials. • Carney's Statement: He allegedly suggested he played a foundational role in helping former Liberal Finance Minister Paul Martin balance the federal budget in the late 1990s. • The Contradiction: The Conservative Party pointed out that the critical 1998 balanced budget was achieved years before Carney even entered public service, noting he did not join the Department of Finance until 2004.
- Transparency on Financial Holdings
Critics have routinely accused Carney of misleading the public about his extensive financial portfolio and corporate interests prior to his election. While Carney maintains he has followed all ethics laws by moving his assets into a blind trust and establishing an "ethics screen" to divert files, opponents argue his multi-million dollar stock options in Brookfield, Stripe, and Watershed Technology create deep conflicts of interest with his government’s current green transition and infrastructure policies.
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u/Flohpange 5h ago
Stop trying to justify stupid. Next you'll be saying covid saved the world, look at all the positive effects of it! This is what we need: Covid II, WWIII. They'll save the world.
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u/Neat-Air-8305 6h ago
Ironically if trump decided to do nothing, American goals to control canada more would have happened...
Continued malaise from the trudeau era would have remained..we would been focused on growing the economy through short term population growth and failed to expand resources...
Cannadians would have remained aloof to how much american companies started to dominate the canadian economy.
Trump 51st state comment sort of is the canadian version of awaking the sleeping giant from slumber
We have finally awoken and realized canada is in a very bad geopolitical situation.