I generally agree with your opinions and suggestions but have a few points of disagreement.
First, we have a major problem with transnational crime and money laundering in this country, it is heavily tied to fentanyl production and export and we need to fix it. Check out Stephen Punwasi at Better Dwelling or Sam Cooper at The Bureau, or on YouTube this week with Ed D’Agostino at Global Macro Update. The numbers you quote represent how much fentanyl has been caught at the border, not how much has got through.
Second, while the number of illegals crossing from Canada to the US is far less than those crossing in from Mexico, they represented 80% of the suspected terrorists apprehended by the US Border Patrol last year. Finally, you correctly note we do not spend (anywhere) near 2% on global defence; I will add that we have no near term plan to get anywhere close to that number let alone the new target of 5%.
Your suggestions as to what to do to make Canada a functional country are spot on, and as you state, we just need an election. To me, the most important question right now is how the hell to we get one.
The current situation is about as close to living in an authoritarian state as you can get in a parliamentary democracy. Canadians worry endlessly about President Trumps tendencies in this regard while sleepwalking through the real and present crisis we are experiencing. It is enough to make one suicidal. This quote from Plato sums things up nicely “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.” Exactly.
Good feedback, Carolyn - thanks. We don't disagree. As I note in the article I am strongly behind fixing our domestic drug and immigration problem and detest what has been allowed to happen on both fronts. And regularly write of the need to bolster our military - in size, scope and spending, with our own country's security and sovereignty as their first priority. I would redirect money from a lot of other places to ensure that happens.
But with Trump, the issue of drugs and border are mostly head fakes and effectively have us running in circles. Not to say there isn't a bit of validity, but the degree of the issues are far overblown and misused. Just yesterday they again lumped Canada in with Mexico when speaking of their drug scourge - and that will stick in everyone's head.
The bigger concern for me is those issues defocus from what we should be doing domestically and distract so many Canadians from not only the problems at home, but what we must do differently to fix them. Your Plato quote is spot on in that regard. Hopefully what I write in this small corner of the digital world will have impact on a few of our sleeping Canadian compatriots.
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
Eleanor. I appreciate your engagement with my articles. But please don't flood the comments and articles with repetitions of the same comments and links. Thanks.
An excellent article that reflects what I hope will become the consensus over the next week or so. But watch out my fellow Canadians. There are two parties in the country who will revel in the pain of our collective experience and who will go out of their way to do the things to stymie the Pragmatic Canadian's utterly sensible suggestions.
First, are our our First Nations people. This is only my opinion. For far too long, too many of these communities have refused to embrace economic development, the very kind of development that will be needed to quickly develop pipelines and the Ring of Fire. Under the Trudeau gov't we have engaged in ten years of reparations, and we have gain zero political capital from it. First Nations will balk at whatever resource plan we come up with and most importantly, they'll be backed up by the Liberal stacked courts. They will demand even more reparations knowing full well a suffering Canadian economy hurts them just as much (or more!) than it does the rest of the country. I hope I'll be proven wrong, but I doubt it.
Second, the environmentalists. These people are beyond unhinged and evidence shows their views are 97% fantasy. Yet, Canadians treat these people like some modern day hippies who deserve to be listened to and treated with kid gloves. By and large, they are also backed up by the courts. We need to treat these people like the obstructers and anti-modernists that they are.
In a very short period of time, as a country, we have to become serious again. As serious as we've been, probably since the 1940. This is impossible with the current government we have. By way of his resignation and their popularity in the polls, the Trudeau gov't doesn't have a mandate to govern. We need a new gov't.
And when they get this new government, they need to look the two groups above in the eyes and inform them there is a national imperative for them to get on board with the program, or else.
You have made many good points and I share in your frustration and anger at what is unfolding. I agree that a change in government is needed as the Liberal leader contenders provide no new solutions and potentially worst ones. And I share your dismay at how an unelected person could become prime minister by being chosen by non-citizens and 14 olds. So there is a good probability that a new unelected PM along with the unelected PMO will likely direct our tariff response, how democratic!
While your recommendations make a lot of sense and are rational, I wouldn’t hold my breath, even if there is a change in the federal government. Trump’s four years will be up before most of them would likely show any results. I expect, as I believe you do, the Liberals will play the COVID response card. They know it works, it won them the last election. They will spread fear across the land and throw money at the problems. If those that think they will be hurt by tariffs feel they can survive in the short term from these handouts, why worry about the long term? They would vote for what they have experience with. Unfortunately Ford has taken this opportunistic approach. He will likely benefit from it and is priming the pump for the inevitable federal Liberal approach.
The line "necessity is the mother of invention" keeps ringing in my head when it comes to thinking about how fast we COULD get things done in Canada if we had reasonable consensus on what mattered, bolstered by strong leadership. While it was a long time ago, very different circumstances, etc., we built a national railway in 5 years. Even today, other countries are completing huge infrastructure projects in a fraction of the time it takes us to consult, assess, license and negotiate without shovels ever touching dirt.
We all know things CAN get done quickly when necessity dictates, but it feels like too many Canadians are still living in an idealistic world where what they want to be, does not match the necessity of what we must do - which is to ensure the basics of life - energy, food, shelter, security.
Call it what it is. We have a socialist Marxist government who are basically ruling by fiat and in the last nine years have followed a WEF plan to destroy the country in the interests of the globalists. If something doesn’t change quickly Canada is headed to be the Venezuela of the north. Do you think Trump wants that for a next door neighbour? You have laid out what should be done but with the likes of Doug Ford and David Eby the chances of sensible policies being implemented are zero at best.
Thanks for the comment, Daithi. In the case of Ontario, Ford is still the only viable choice - but I hope he soon realizes that he is a Conservative and begins to act like one.
While I am no fan of the WEF and disagree with their redistributive, great reset worldview entirely as I've previously written - I don't subscribe to the theory that there is some organized cabal at work, somehow owning and orchestrating what our politicians do. In the case of Ford, he is a classic opportunistic retail politician - nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, that means he's drifted where the wind blows rather than taken a principled stance on issues.
The "organized cabal" is surely the "net zero" cult? Britain is firmly in the grip of it at the moment. Have a look at what their energy minister, Ed Milliband, has planned for UK power. Carney is part of the same cabal, cult, whatever you want to call it. So is Steven Guilbeault, our minister for "climate change". How much taxpayer money has Trudeau and Ford thrown at Stellantis and VW to make EV batteries, and to what end? Tesla's sales have dropped below projections, Trump has scrapped the EV mandate in the US so is Canada going to now start it's own EV industry so that we can all be forced to drive those glorified golf carts?
UNDRIP will be Canada's UNDoing. Unless we pull out of the UN and every other Alphabet Org. resource development will not occur. The Climate Cult has us hobbled. Trump is the present, perceived, solution to North America's problems. He is not the enemy.
KZwick. Donald Trump has committed economic warfare on Canada on the thinnest of premises, against every bit of tradition of democratic alliances and reasonability. I have not been one to dismiss him outright, but this move to tariff Canada most certainly makes him an enemy of Canada. We neither want nor need whatever solution he presents.
Tam maybe looking for a job if the WHO doesn't work out. She's got connections in the PRC. Could get fentanyl for a bargain. How bout them Eagles? Prophetic for the States?
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
While I disagree some of what's written in this article, including who should be PM, I agree on several of your suggested actions to move the country forward. Clearly Canada has gone to shit relying so heavily on trade with the US and forgetting about our own country.
The interprovincial trade barriers are archaic and asinine. I say the next best import from Québec besides maple syrup is their cider. Fishing is another issue. Why is it so expensive to get fish and seafood (even though I am allergic to shellfish) or better yet why can't we get salmon from other parts of the country let alone in Ontario where it is so protected.
In addition why haven't we increased our trade with Asia and Europe especially since we already have free trade agreements. It is so bad to do business here because of the restrictions we have. From Mark's & Spencer's back in the 80s to Target and Nordstrom. International retail leaves here as quick as you can say boo. Regardless, we need more international businesses here besides retail and consulting firms.
I thought bailing out the banking and auto sectors in the US were bad. Manufacturing has been dying a slow death for decades. Sure we need it but not heavily rely on it. People need to retrain but not leave them to rot or rely on our social welfare system. We have retraining programs but how useful are they?
Ford is likely to win the Ontario election but this mandate bullshit is an excuse. I didn't need the $200, let alone a 5 week election period so I can hear him ramble about provincial overreach by ripping up bike lanes and wanting to build a tunnel under the 401 while hiding behind the Greenbelt scandal. It's probably going to be even a lower vote turnout than the last election because who the hell wants to go out to vote in the winter.
I'm sure I could have turned this into my own Substack, but here I am.
Spot on. There is nothing to be gained trying to appease a madman. You’ve shone a light brightly on our domestic woes … and opportunities.
We spend winters in the midst of many American friends, some Republican and some Democrats. Almost every conversation with them somehow includes a reference to “did you see what that buffoon Trump did / said / write / decided today?” Often times the discussion results in belly laughs … despite the seriousness of the matters before us. I’ve asked most of my American friends, “but why would America elect such a buffoon”? The answer I receive universally is “what other choice did we have”? Then the room falls deafeningly silent.
Thanks for the feedback, Michael. What I hope is that Canadians will focus on what needs to be done inside this country - with a new government and a vision and policies to build back up Canada. And if we just sling tens of billions more dollars like during Covid, it will make us weaker and be a terrible mistake. We need to build, grow and innovate and have no other choice than to do so from this shaky starting point.
Just because you don't understand Trump's reasons doesn't mean there are none. Listen to a podcast with Steve Bannon, his recent one with GB News for instance. Disagree with him all you wish, but you will begin to understand where they are coming from.
You make no mention of the role business leaders large and small had in not diversifying away from dependence on the US market..nor any role they should now play. Rather you lay blame totally on the current government for landing us where we are.
I don’t recall your statement made years ago about the need for diversification..
Nonetheless less some of your suggestions have merit except your reference to the Conservative Party leading the country to the land of plenty..by what objective evidence?
The role of business to be innovative and not dependent on government is baked into the entire prescription for how to grow from here – assisted in tone and action by government. And while our current government has enormous complicity for our current weakness, the thrust of the article is about how to domestically tackle the tariff issue without resorting to Covid-like prescriptions which I believe will be disastrous and discourage business creativity and innovation. No one gets a pass on why we're in this current spot.
But we all have a responsibility to help improve from here - in tone, expectation and action.
I generally agree with your opinions and suggestions but have a few points of disagreement.
First, we have a major problem with transnational crime and money laundering in this country, it is heavily tied to fentanyl production and export and we need to fix it. Check out Stephen Punwasi at Better Dwelling or Sam Cooper at The Bureau, or on YouTube this week with Ed D’Agostino at Global Macro Update. The numbers you quote represent how much fentanyl has been caught at the border, not how much has got through.
Second, while the number of illegals crossing from Canada to the US is far less than those crossing in from Mexico, they represented 80% of the suspected terrorists apprehended by the US Border Patrol last year. Finally, you correctly note we do not spend (anywhere) near 2% on global defence; I will add that we have no near term plan to get anywhere close to that number let alone the new target of 5%.
Your suggestions as to what to do to make Canada a functional country are spot on, and as you state, we just need an election. To me, the most important question right now is how the hell to we get one.
The current situation is about as close to living in an authoritarian state as you can get in a parliamentary democracy. Canadians worry endlessly about President Trumps tendencies in this regard while sleepwalking through the real and present crisis we are experiencing. It is enough to make one suicidal. This quote from Plato sums things up nicely “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.” Exactly.
Good feedback, Carolyn - thanks. We don't disagree. As I note in the article I am strongly behind fixing our domestic drug and immigration problem and detest what has been allowed to happen on both fronts. And regularly write of the need to bolster our military - in size, scope and spending, with our own country's security and sovereignty as their first priority. I would redirect money from a lot of other places to ensure that happens.
But with Trump, the issue of drugs and border are mostly head fakes and effectively have us running in circles. Not to say there isn't a bit of validity, but the degree of the issues are far overblown and misused. Just yesterday they again lumped Canada in with Mexico when speaking of their drug scourge - and that will stick in everyone's head.
The bigger concern for me is those issues defocus from what we should be doing domestically and distract so many Canadians from not only the problems at home, but what we must do differently to fix them. Your Plato quote is spot on in that regard. Hopefully what I write in this small corner of the digital world will have impact on a few of our sleeping Canadian compatriots.
All the best.
Not a "Head Fake": Wake up!
Wake -Up to the Reality of the Serious Destructive Pervasive Drug Trade in Canada!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NDOt2_aotg
Lies and Dark Ties to China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAH8o1xPhVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr4QX09hPy4
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
https://thecountersignal.com/yvr-deals-drugs/
Wake -Up to the Reality of the Serious Destructive Pervasive Drug Trade in Canada!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NDOt2_aotg
Lies and Dark Ties to China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAH8o1xPhVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr4QX09hPy4
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
https://thecountersignal.com/yvr-deals-drugs/
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hunter-with-friends-like-the-canadian-border-services-we-dont-need-enemies
Eleanor. I appreciate your engagement with my articles. But please don't flood the comments and articles with repetitions of the same comments and links. Thanks.
the same redundant contentions need redundant responses...
or perhaps is censorship is needed if one disagrees with you?
I've made my courteous request and will leave it at that for now.
An excellent article that reflects what I hope will become the consensus over the next week or so. But watch out my fellow Canadians. There are two parties in the country who will revel in the pain of our collective experience and who will go out of their way to do the things to stymie the Pragmatic Canadian's utterly sensible suggestions.
First, are our our First Nations people. This is only my opinion. For far too long, too many of these communities have refused to embrace economic development, the very kind of development that will be needed to quickly develop pipelines and the Ring of Fire. Under the Trudeau gov't we have engaged in ten years of reparations, and we have gain zero political capital from it. First Nations will balk at whatever resource plan we come up with and most importantly, they'll be backed up by the Liberal stacked courts. They will demand even more reparations knowing full well a suffering Canadian economy hurts them just as much (or more!) than it does the rest of the country. I hope I'll be proven wrong, but I doubt it.
Second, the environmentalists. These people are beyond unhinged and evidence shows their views are 97% fantasy. Yet, Canadians treat these people like some modern day hippies who deserve to be listened to and treated with kid gloves. By and large, they are also backed up by the courts. We need to treat these people like the obstructers and anti-modernists that they are.
In a very short period of time, as a country, we have to become serious again. As serious as we've been, probably since the 1940. This is impossible with the current government we have. By way of his resignation and their popularity in the polls, the Trudeau gov't doesn't have a mandate to govern. We need a new gov't.
And when they get this new government, they need to look the two groups above in the eyes and inform them there is a national imperative for them to get on board with the program, or else.
Thanks for the detailed thoughts, R.A.
I agree in your concerns around both these groups - First Nations will be more challenging to figure out. But, as you note - we must.
You have made many good points and I share in your frustration and anger at what is unfolding. I agree that a change in government is needed as the Liberal leader contenders provide no new solutions and potentially worst ones. And I share your dismay at how an unelected person could become prime minister by being chosen by non-citizens and 14 olds. So there is a good probability that a new unelected PM along with the unelected PMO will likely direct our tariff response, how democratic!
While your recommendations make a lot of sense and are rational, I wouldn’t hold my breath, even if there is a change in the federal government. Trump’s four years will be up before most of them would likely show any results. I expect, as I believe you do, the Liberals will play the COVID response card. They know it works, it won them the last election. They will spread fear across the land and throw money at the problems. If those that think they will be hurt by tariffs feel they can survive in the short term from these handouts, why worry about the long term? They would vote for what they have experience with. Unfortunately Ford has taken this opportunistic approach. He will likely benefit from it and is priming the pump for the inevitable federal Liberal approach.
Thanks for the feedback, Brian.
The line "necessity is the mother of invention" keeps ringing in my head when it comes to thinking about how fast we COULD get things done in Canada if we had reasonable consensus on what mattered, bolstered by strong leadership. While it was a long time ago, very different circumstances, etc., we built a national railway in 5 years. Even today, other countries are completing huge infrastructure projects in a fraction of the time it takes us to consult, assess, license and negotiate without shovels ever touching dirt.
We all know things CAN get done quickly when necessity dictates, but it feels like too many Canadians are still living in an idealistic world where what they want to be, does not match the necessity of what we must do - which is to ensure the basics of life - energy, food, shelter, security.
Eliminate the restrictions on oil tankers on the west coast, and ship oil by rail whilst fast tracking the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines.
Take a leaf out of OPECs book and temporarily fix quotas and prices for oil sold to the USA.
Add an export tax to electricity sold to the USA. Refer to it as the Trump tax.
Thanks Jaberwock. Completely agree on the rail shipping and removing the regulation on west coast oil tankers put in a place just a few years ago.
If our political leadership thinks CERB payments are the solution, we are in big, big trouble.
Wonderful piece, thank you.
It gives me hope.
Thanks, Laura.
Call it what it is. We have a socialist Marxist government who are basically ruling by fiat and in the last nine years have followed a WEF plan to destroy the country in the interests of the globalists. If something doesn’t change quickly Canada is headed to be the Venezuela of the north. Do you think Trump wants that for a next door neighbour? You have laid out what should be done but with the likes of Doug Ford and David Eby the chances of sensible policies being implemented are zero at best.
Thanks for the comment, Daithi. In the case of Ontario, Ford is still the only viable choice - but I hope he soon realizes that he is a Conservative and begins to act like one.
That leopard won’t change his spots. His past actions during Covid confirm his loyalties to Trudeau and the globalists.
While I am no fan of the WEF and disagree with their redistributive, great reset worldview entirely as I've previously written - I don't subscribe to the theory that there is some organized cabal at work, somehow owning and orchestrating what our politicians do. In the case of Ford, he is a classic opportunistic retail politician - nothing more and nothing less. Unfortunately, that means he's drifted where the wind blows rather than taken a principled stance on issues.
The "organized cabal" is surely the "net zero" cult? Britain is firmly in the grip of it at the moment. Have a look at what their energy minister, Ed Milliband, has planned for UK power. Carney is part of the same cabal, cult, whatever you want to call it. So is Steven Guilbeault, our minister for "climate change". How much taxpayer money has Trudeau and Ford thrown at Stellantis and VW to make EV batteries, and to what end? Tesla's sales have dropped below projections, Trump has scrapped the EV mandate in the US so is Canada going to now start it's own EV industry so that we can all be forced to drive those glorified golf carts?
UNDRIP will be Canada's UNDoing. Unless we pull out of the UN and every other Alphabet Org. resource development will not occur. The Climate Cult has us hobbled. Trump is the present, perceived, solution to North America's problems. He is not the enemy.
KZwick. Donald Trump has committed economic warfare on Canada on the thinnest of premises, against every bit of tradition of democratic alliances and reasonability. I have not been one to dismiss him outright, but this move to tariff Canada most certainly makes him an enemy of Canada. We neither want nor need whatever solution he presents.
I guess we'll hafta wait until March. Till then, who's your pick for Fentanyl Czar? I like Bonnie Henry.
Bonnie is an inspired choice - fox in the henhouse kind of stuff...
I've heard General Wayne Eyre bounced around, but goodness knows who/what at this point.
Enjoy the Superbowl. I was rooting for Buffalo/Philly and might have then been interested to watch - a couple blue collar town teams.
Watch for tomorrow morning's piece. Hopefully inspires a chuckle.
Tam maybe looking for a job if the WHO doesn't work out. She's got connections in the PRC. Could get fentanyl for a bargain. How bout them Eagles? Prophetic for the States?
Don't forget to boycott the Super Bore. I'll be watching though, and rooting for the Eagles. Home of the Liberty Bell.
How can you call me them thin when you don't know what they are? His public statement and what he says to Trudeau could be miles apart.
You have neglected to address this concerning reality:
Wake -Up to the Reality of the Serious Destructive Pervasive Drug Trade in Canada!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NDOt2_aotg
Lies and Dark Ties to China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAH8o1xPhVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr4QX09hPy4
another informative interview with Canadian investigative journalist Sam Cooper, (whose deeply researched book Willful Blindness) exposes Canada’s role in the opioid trade...
https://thecountersignal.com/yvr-deals-drugs/
While I disagree some of what's written in this article, including who should be PM, I agree on several of your suggested actions to move the country forward. Clearly Canada has gone to shit relying so heavily on trade with the US and forgetting about our own country.
The interprovincial trade barriers are archaic and asinine. I say the next best import from Québec besides maple syrup is their cider. Fishing is another issue. Why is it so expensive to get fish and seafood (even though I am allergic to shellfish) or better yet why can't we get salmon from other parts of the country let alone in Ontario where it is so protected.
In addition why haven't we increased our trade with Asia and Europe especially since we already have free trade agreements. It is so bad to do business here because of the restrictions we have. From Mark's & Spencer's back in the 80s to Target and Nordstrom. International retail leaves here as quick as you can say boo. Regardless, we need more international businesses here besides retail and consulting firms.
I thought bailing out the banking and auto sectors in the US were bad. Manufacturing has been dying a slow death for decades. Sure we need it but not heavily rely on it. People need to retrain but not leave them to rot or rely on our social welfare system. We have retraining programs but how useful are they?
Ford is likely to win the Ontario election but this mandate bullshit is an excuse. I didn't need the $200, let alone a 5 week election period so I can hear him ramble about provincial overreach by ripping up bike lanes and wanting to build a tunnel under the 401 while hiding behind the Greenbelt scandal. It's probably going to be even a lower vote turnout than the last election because who the hell wants to go out to vote in the winter.
I'm sure I could have turned this into my own Substack, but here I am.
Thanks, Andre. Some good points. All we can do is go up from here, I hope.
Spot on. There is nothing to be gained trying to appease a madman. You’ve shone a light brightly on our domestic woes … and opportunities.
We spend winters in the midst of many American friends, some Republican and some Democrats. Almost every conversation with them somehow includes a reference to “did you see what that buffoon Trump did / said / write / decided today?” Often times the discussion results in belly laughs … despite the seriousness of the matters before us. I’ve asked most of my American friends, “but why would America elect such a buffoon”? The answer I receive universally is “what other choice did we have”? Then the room falls deafeningly silent.
Thanks for the feedback, Michael. What I hope is that Canadians will focus on what needs to be done inside this country - with a new government and a vision and policies to build back up Canada. And if we just sling tens of billions more dollars like during Covid, it will make us weaker and be a terrible mistake. We need to build, grow and innovate and have no other choice than to do so from this shaky starting point.
Just because you don't understand Trump's reasons doesn't mean there are none. Listen to a podcast with Steve Bannon, his recent one with GB News for instance. Disagree with him all you wish, but you will begin to understand where they are coming from.
It's China. Our govt is infiltrated and Trump is treating us as such. Our only hope is a new govt.
my apologies...not always sure of the technological aspects. In this case, I was not sure if I had posted it properly and therefore sent again.
You make no mention of the role business leaders large and small had in not diversifying away from dependence on the US market..nor any role they should now play. Rather you lay blame totally on the current government for landing us where we are.
I don’t recall your statement made years ago about the need for diversification..
Nonetheless less some of your suggestions have merit except your reference to the Conservative Party leading the country to the land of plenty..by what objective evidence?
The role of business to be innovative and not dependent on government is baked into the entire prescription for how to grow from here – assisted in tone and action by government. And while our current government has enormous complicity for our current weakness, the thrust of the article is about how to domestically tackle the tariff issue without resorting to Covid-like prescriptions which I believe will be disastrous and discourage business creativity and innovation. No one gets a pass on why we're in this current spot.
But we all have a responsibility to help improve from here - in tone, expectation and action.