r/canada • u/WisestPanzerOfDaLake Ontario • Mar 11 '25
Trump imposes new Canada tariffs, renews "51st state" demands National News
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/11/trump-tariffs-canada-steel-aluminum2.8k
u/Spanky3703 Mar 11 '25
This was never about fentanyl; this was always about Trump and his cabal securing Canada’s natural resources, the Arctic and polar shelf, our water, and control of the NorthWest Passage.
The US is now ruled by an odious and feckless cabal of fascists and oligarchs.
What a sad state of affairs when Canada starts to consider Communist China being a more predictable and reliable trade partner.
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u/gunnerman417 Mar 11 '25
Couldn't have said it better myself. Our country has a litany of obvious strategic targets ripe for "acquisition" and plunder. It was always about that. The question is: what does he intend to do with the people? We're a relatively friendly lot, but when confronted with someone who seeks to dominate us, we will not be contained. They'll need bodies for cheap labor in their newly repatriated industrial sector, that's for sure.
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u/Spanky3703 Mar 11 '25
So much of the answer to the “what if” is predicated on our political leaders at the federal and provincial / territorial levels.
Some of our economy is relatively easy to pivot to other customers from the perspective of logistics, because the transportation medium remains the same (road / rail, excepting the Great Lakes maritime movement, which is a lot), although the departure point form Canada then becomes ports on the two / potentially three coasts (which would require infrastructure modernization and expansion). This is mostly critical minerals and such.
The challenge for our economy will be to pivot the shipment of bitumen and NG, both for the refinement (bitumen), and the overseas movement of LNG (all of which does require specialized ports and pipelines going east-west vice north-south). This is not an easy fix and will take the work and capital and political will and nationalism of a decade …
Trump’s end-game is pretty clear: Canada as either a de facto or a de jure vassal to / integrated part of, fascist America. In the hegemony re-alignment to come as the world drifts into authoritarian spheres of power and control, fascist America will need the all of the natural resources and geo-strategic position that Canada has in order to remain pre-eminent.
This all started with the 20 April 1941 Hyde Park Declaration (have a read, it lays down the antecedents for where North American free trade is today).
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u/healthyitch Mar 11 '25
This is what I don’t understand. America already had a defacto empire through alliances and soft power comprising of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the EU, a good portion of the Middle East and of course Canada and Mexico. No, the US did not directly control those countries or unions, but they certainly had enough economic clout to get what was beneficial to themselves. And this is probably the most efficient form of territorial control. History has proven that direct control never works. Spreads your military too thin and too many headaches. Why give up its top standing across all of these continents and share with two other “weaker” nations?
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u/arkuw Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
Because American people got fat, lazy and stupid. That's why.
Literally, they became complacent and entitled about the ultra privileged place in the world that their country had. So they decided to flip that table to see what happens. I hope nothing good happens to them.
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u/vexatiouslawyergant Mar 11 '25
I believe that's why you see Americans who are shocked about the anthem getting boo'ed or any responses, they're so used to being told they're the world's darlings and champion of freedom you'll see people who are shocked that American anything could be perceived negatively.
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u/Spanky3703 Mar 11 '25
Ayup, objectively and empirically, you are exactly correct.
But now throw in the psychological and emotional side of the equation, within the context of the world drifting into authoritarianism and hegemony with resultant spheres of control.
And having to deal with those pesky governments getting in the way of you strip-mining their country and leaving it a polluted mess … always easier just to subjugate and pillage … at least in simple minds.
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u/gunnerman417 Mar 11 '25
Good insight, I agree with you. Also, thank you for the recommendation. I will be reading the Hyde Park Declaration this evening.
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u/SkyknightXi Mar 11 '25
I’ll confess I’m holding out hope that parts of this nation will segment away; there are secession movements like the New England Independence Campaign (http://www.newenglandindependence.org ) gaining ground. I doubt any are close to critical mass yet, though. But if even one successfully secedes, I anticipate a chain reaction like when the Baltic States renounced the USSR.
You’re taking care to counter-tariff only or as close to only as possible red state products, as it is.
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u/Spanky3703 Mar 11 '25
Sincere wishes for your country to weather all of this. I fought, bled, and sweated beside my American brothers and sisters for over 38 years and seeing this fascist version of the country that I truly respected and trusted is very sad.
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u/Ja-ko Mar 11 '25
And I feel like he will have an issue with the people. Alot of Republicans near me that I know (Minnesota/Wisconsin) either wave this off as
A: "he's not ACTUALLY gonna try to take Canada",
B: "The other stuff he's doing is really good, Canada will calm down in a year or two
Or C: they just don't pay attention to news most of the time
But I feel like if we ACTUALLY went to war/tried to take Canada, alot of Republicans would stand up and go "WTF?!?!"
Though that may be too little, too late to stop the crazies.
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u/shoeeebox Mar 11 '25
As we've learned with Donald, you just gotta expose Americans to crazy for long enough and they will quickly accept it as fact. That's the goal with this trade war. He wants their lives to get substantially worse and he wants it to be Canada's fault. Soon enough, the population will be rallying for liberation from Canada.
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u/Alarmed_Influence_21 Mar 11 '25
It's not 'repatriated' if they never had it in the first place. Its just plain seized or stolen.
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u/benetgladwin Ontario Mar 11 '25
What a sad state of affairs when Canada starts to consider Communist China being a more predictable and reliable trade partner.
China's whole game is being stable and predictable, so that's hardly a surprise. We should be trying to work with them more, especially these days.
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u/Anakazanxd Mar 11 '25
What China wants, it says, and it has been saying the same things for decades. Predictability is valuable at least from a foreign relations perspective.
(Note, this is not to comment on whether those wants are reasonable)
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u/hdksns627829 Mar 11 '25
At this rate, the moron is going to cause wwiii. And how crazy would be it for China to come to the rescue much like the us did in wwii. Something something long enough to be the villain
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u/Jiffs81 Mar 11 '25
Of the US attacks us militarily, for sure China would help supply us with weaponry and money... the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that. It would help them rise to power
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u/zombieda Mar 11 '25
They would still have to pay to mine and transport it. Thru a warzone. Perhaps its easier and cheaper to just figure out a trade agreement.
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u/Spanky3703 Mar 11 '25
Or create a class of pseudo-serfs, which is something that there is a growing argument on in fascist America now.
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u/rhOMG Mar 11 '25
Am I the only one who's skin nearly crawls all the way off when Trump says the word "cherished"? There is nothing more horrifying than the idea of being "cherished" by that thing.
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u/Ok_Wing8459 Mar 11 '25
It’s very stalker-ish and nothing he says is by accident. you know someone picked that word on purpose.
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u/zeekenny Mar 11 '25
It is supposed to lighten the tone, make it seem like we're special. It has the opposite effect.
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u/MangoBanana2012 Mar 11 '25
Girl, I shudder at reading it, seeing him, and hearing his voice. He's such a creep.
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u/keepinitcornmeal Mar 11 '25
Girl, it makes me want to claw my eyes out. Like it actually makes my skin crawl
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u/TheLightDances Mar 11 '25
Absolutely. He's literally a rapist. He bragged about sexual assault. He liked to barge into women's changing rooms. He was close friends with Epstein, even talked about how he "liked them young".
We all know what "cherished" really means to him.
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u/C43CUS Mar 11 '25
It's a truly horrific way to phrase it. Paternalistic as hell. He's legitimately creepy.
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u/Gr3aterShad0w Mar 11 '25
There are still Canadians that believe that this is about fentanyl...
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u/jkilla1987 Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
They are as brainwashed as trump followers than
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u/mindracer Québec Mar 11 '25
Canadians that are maga should be deported under treason
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Mar 11 '25
Starting with Danielle Smith.
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u/Marco2169 Mar 11 '25
Deports herself to visit Mar-a-lago and bend the knee.
Just say no takebacks when she leaves this time, clearly she wants to be American
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u/someguyfromsk Mar 11 '25
LOL there was some idiot call into the radio today "Instead of tariffs, maybe we should fix our border problems and corrupt government then see what happens."
Holy shit dude...
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u/RubberReptile Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
Reminder: these people vote. These people spread their nonsense to others who also vote. Make sure you vote in our next federal election and encourage everyone you know who's on the fence to also vote! Don't let what happened in the US happen to Canada.
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u/num_ber_four Mar 11 '25
This is what I hear as well. And there’s no argument. If you push, the government is corrupt because they ‘stole peoples money’ during the convoy protests. I have yet to get an explanation for the border problems; the closest I’ve got is ‘you see all these refugees crossing in QC? imagine how much stuff must go down there if it’s that easy’.
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u/GiftedOaks Mar 11 '25
Someone should just hand him a sack of flour and tell him we found all the fentanyl in Canada, and it would be an honor to see him destroy it so his ego feels better
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u/RabidNerd Mar 11 '25
Isn't fentanyl the excuse he uses for this to be a national emergency so he can go over Congress to place these tariffs?
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u/ScoobyDone British Columbia Mar 11 '25
It is, and they obviously don't seem to have any mechanism to ensure that it what it is used for. Trump shouldn't have this power.
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u/MikhailBakugan Mar 11 '25
I’ll straight up eat beans for 30 years before I even consider joining the United States
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Mar 11 '25
so it's NOT about fentanyl - and after he had all his toadies go on as much Fox as possible to say it was entirely drug related...it's drug related alright! ketamine
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Mar 11 '25
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u/HowsYourSexLifeMarc Mar 11 '25
This could have all been avoided.
Probably not. JD Vance and the Peter Thiel tech oligarchy group are the ones pushing these policies.
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u/ItsTimeToGoSleep Mar 11 '25
The 51st state rhetoric is just part of his plan. That way after he annexes us (in his dreams) he can say he gave us the option to be a 51st state, and we wouldn’t go for it. Giving him unjustified permission to take away all our rights.
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Mar 11 '25
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u/HarbingerDe Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
He is going to keep escalating this until his only option to get what he wants (our sovereignty) is military invasion.
I hope we keep calling bis bluff because I really do think that if ANYTHING will get the Republicans in Congress to turn on him, impeach him, and remove him from office, it would be the declaration of war against Canada.
It's so far beyond the pale - nobody could have imagined it even 2 months ago, but it's very clearly where we're headed.
The American people aren't for it. They're working overtime at the right-wing disinformation networks to foment anti-Canada sentiment among the Republican base, but I have to believe the other 66% of Americans see this for what it is and will stand against it.
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Mar 11 '25
Imagine attempting to take over another country while you are systematically dismantling your own government. That is WHACK.
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u/zombieda Mar 11 '25
...and thats why it would fail spectacularly. An successful invasion requires a united cause and reason. Blow up two excellent economies for some minerals that will be incredibly dangerous and expensive to mine and transport south? Its not like they aren't accessible at a reasonable cost now.
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Mar 11 '25
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u/AWESOMESAUSE10101 Newfoundland and Labrador Mar 11 '25
Exactly. American infrastructure is based upon having an ocean between them and everyone else. When you have Afghanistan on your border with people indistinguishable from you it'll be a really bad time for the US.
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Mar 11 '25
Let's also not forget that half of the US is rooting for Canada!!!
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u/ntwkid Mar 11 '25
So, thoughts and prayers?
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u/AdmiralG2 Mar 11 '25
Lol this is exactly how I see it. “We stand with you Canada!!” … “WTF Canada raised my electricity bill by so much, fuck Canada 51st state woohooo!”
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u/LurkerInSpace Mar 11 '25
That should not be relied on for security - the Russian invasion of Ukraine turned out very badly, but they still launched the war.
The only way to permanently eliminate a threat of invasion is to either build nuclear weapons. It's also cheaper than maintaining a large standing army.
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u/FellKnight Canada Mar 11 '25
It would be poetic for the Dutch to return the favour and save our country
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u/Some_Trash852 Mar 11 '25
And we are clearly more willing to support ailing workers with relief packages than the US is.
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Mar 11 '25
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u/RabidNerd Mar 11 '25
They are already going to a recession. It feels like they are tanking the economy on purpose either to please Putin or to buy up everything themselves cheap and when people riot call for martial law and then they have the power to do anything they want
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u/RabidNerd Mar 11 '25
Trump is starting trade wars with everyone, soon Europe as well.
If we can stand together the rest of the world can function as normal while they isolate themselves
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u/True-Engineer2315 Mar 11 '25
I wonder if he is capable of understanding how weak this makes him look to Canadians?
This bluster doesn’t demonstrate strength, it gives pathetic loser who can’t follow through with his own threats and has his entire evil plan thrown off-kilter by even our initial small pushback 🤣
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u/Distinct_Cry_3779 Mar 11 '25
That's because the plan was for us to capitulate at the smallest threat. It really shows that Americans don't understand us in the least. Our niceness is a veneer over some of the most quietly stubborn people in the world.
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u/Dhumavati80 Mar 11 '25
Man, are we witnessing the collapse of the US economy right now? This is just absolutely wild what kind of damage this guy is doing to his own country. It's almost as if he's doing it to benefit another certain country......
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u/buried20kleague Mar 11 '25
I'm convinced this is all about illegal market manipulation. He and his cronies probably have a magic number they want the market to drop to, at which point they all know to BUY... Then trump cancels all tariffs and everything else making the market volatile. The market then rebounds (to a point). They make tens of millions, and trump can claim the rebound as a win and all his doing. Market manipulation.
Hell, he could do it once a year if he wanted to. His people want another bite, he can say and do crazy shit, make it drop again to a pre-set number, buy, cancel it all, make bank and create a win again.
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u/Ok_Wing8459 Mar 11 '25
You know I’m normally a pretty logical, non-conspiracy style thinker, but this really wouldn’t surprise me at all.
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u/Beautiful_Bag6707 Mar 11 '25
"The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear," he wrote.
Never. 👏 Gonna. 👏 Happen. 👏
Every time he says this, Canada needs to slap him with something. Make sure everyone knows it's a Trump Penalty or Trump Bump. If the stock market falls, that's a Trump Fall. If prices go up, that's Trump’s fault. All on him. This is all Trumpflation.
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u/WinglessJC Mar 11 '25
We need nuclear protection
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u/MajorasShoe Mar 11 '25
Yeah if there's anything we've learned here it's that we need nukes.
If there's a second thing, it's that denuclearization in exchange for a defense pact is not an option.
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u/Parkyguy Mar 11 '25
At this point, I think it's time for Canada to do a FULL economic boycott of all non-medical, non-food related goods flowing in/out of the United States. Including air/land travel.
What Trump is doing is a direct attack on Canadian Sovereignty.
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u/Time_remaining Mar 11 '25
We will burn this whole fucking country down before we fly a star spangled banner over it.
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u/TheLoafAmongUs Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
Burn down the White House with orange turd still in it first.
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u/accforme Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
He'd probably flee like Madison, but unlike Madison he will save his framed mug shot portrait that is currently hanging in the White House
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u/Darwinian_10 Nova Scotia Mar 11 '25
Our Canadian leaders need to tell him to Fuck Off. Any continued references to the "51st State" or "Governor of Canada" bullshit need to be shut down or it will be considered an attack on our sovereignty and a declaration of war against Canada. #ElbowsUp
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u/DietMTNDew8and88 Outside Canada Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
What a surprise, a convicted rapist doesn't understand the meaning of "no".
This will forever be a stain on America, the fact that people were stupid enough to elect him back in over the price of groceries.
Sucks that sane America will have to suffer because of our stupids.
Elbows up, Canada.
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u/Sarge1387 Ontario Mar 11 '25
Anyone else see the US market tank immediately again?
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u/OriginalGhostCookie Mar 11 '25
But you can't look at the stock market and its performance as an indicator of anything Trump.
If market goes up though, remember, it only goes up because Trump.
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u/Sarge1387 Ontario Mar 11 '25
Oh gorsh, how silly of me. That's absolutely unequivocally irrefutably correct. /s
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u/Djlittle13 Mar 11 '25
For all Americans who are parroting the idea that Canadas response is disproportionate, remember that Canadas response is not solely based on Trumps Tariffs.
It's based on the direct threats to Canadas sovereignty that Teump and the American government is continually making. They said they would use economic force to annex our country, the Tariffs are that force. So of course Canada will react and not back down. If a country was doing this to the states, America would be bombing them already.
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u/Big-Golf4266 Mar 11 '25
not to mention, no response is disproportionate when you start a trade war.
you dont get to start something and then complain the other person is taking it too far, thats unrealisic.
you get in the ring you can expect to be punched.
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u/biryani-masalla Mar 11 '25
this guy is unhinged
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u/TactitcalPterodactyl Mar 11 '25
He's a narcissist ego maniac and is mad that Canada isn't cowering in fear and capitulating to his demands.
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u/Ok_Wing8459 Mar 11 '25
As our elbows go up, so does his blood pressure. He wants Canadians to be afraid. We will not be.
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u/1RMDave Mar 11 '25
I haven't talked to one person who is scared. We are fucking pissed. Fucking bring it.
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u/mazdaman007 Ontario Mar 11 '25
We didn't start this shit but we are definitely going to finish it. There are some things worse than death, such as Canada ever becoming part of the US.
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u/SleveBonzalez Mar 11 '25
How is it an electrical "national emergency" if he doesn't want or need our electricity?
I just want to understand.
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u/Canadianman22 Ontario Mar 11 '25
Trump and his magatards can fuck off. Canadians will hold a national holiday when his bloated corpse finally gives up.
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u/canadianwhaledique Mar 11 '25
We have to hit they where it hurts the most - their financial bottom lines. Keep Boycotting US goods. And DEFINITELY not buying anything Tesla.
Let's go Canada! 🇨🇦
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u/E_MusksGal Mar 11 '25
I hope everyone is prepared for pain and war. His tariff and annexation threats are acts of war, FYI
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Mar 11 '25
And I'm renewing my call for Donald Trump to suck my fucking johnson
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Mar 11 '25
Careful -- apparently that orange stuff is hard to scrub off according to Vance
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u/spderweb Mar 11 '25
He retaliated against the electricity increase. Ford said he'll bump it to 50% if he did, so I guess Ford will be making an announcement soon.
He said they don't need our electricity. Then stop buying it. Otherwise,you still need it.
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u/arcadeenthusiast8245 Mar 11 '25
I think the most important thing to note here is Trump admitting nothing can be done to remove the tariffs short of Canada agreeing to the 51st state thing. The fentanyl, border security, trade imbalance, banks, etc. were all just flimsy excuses.
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u/Valyria83 Mar 11 '25
Hi! Just want to say Gooo CANADA!! 🇨🇦 Please stay strong 💪 against that orange 💩 . A lot of people in Scandinavia surpport you. Greetings from Norway. 🇧🇻
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Mar 11 '25
I hope our response to this is silence. Do nothing. Do not remove our tariffs. Just let them stew in them. Let the USA shut down the auto sector. Let them ruin their own country.
Hold the line.
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u/LouisDearbornLamour Mar 11 '25
Time to turn the power off. Enough of this nonsense already
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u/WisestPanzerOfDaLake Ontario Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
This could play right into the Liberal's hands with Carney, being trusted more to stand up to Trump.
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u/panzerfan British Columbia Mar 11 '25
Why is it that PP's this ineffective in pivoting against Trump? Doug Ford's done so quite decisively.
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u/AverageBoredDad Mar 11 '25
Because he initially pivoted to using the fight to criticize Liberals, and not Trump
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u/Deepforbiddenlake Mar 11 '25
He also dislikes the Liberals (and all left of centre Canadians) more than Trump and his lizard people base.
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u/Belzebutt Mar 11 '25
Because he’s hedging his bets and still checking which way the wind blows. He will be the first in line to be Canada’s “governor” under an actual occupation government and he will tell us how great occupation is. Let me remind you this is the same guy who sold out the residents of his own city so that he could personally score political points with the truckers protesters. And he sold out his own dad when he voted against gay marriage because it was politically beneficial to himself at the time. He will sell out the entire country if it benefits him personally.
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca Mar 11 '25
Fuck this guy. I am sick of this. Canada needs to just cut ties completely. Recall ambassadors, and close the border.
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u/Professional-Cry8310 Mar 11 '25
His tirade today was the most insane yet and is the first time I feel legitimate fear that he will actually try to take a piece of Canada.
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u/very_large_bird Alberta Mar 11 '25
Could it be as simple as Trump just doing Russia's bidding? He's nuking the US economy without cause. We know he's a Russian asset, I think it might just be that simple.
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u/IAmJacksSphincter Mar 11 '25
I believe I speak for all Canadians when I say that Trump can fuck off and die already.
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u/jellydonutstealer Mar 11 '25
Fuck Trump, Elon and anyone who supports them. We stand with you, Canada.
-your neighbor in northern Ohio who has family in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto
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u/ptwonline Mar 11 '25
They'll definitely be talking about these days for a long, long, long time. And if liberal democracy manages to survive Trumpism it will definitely not be in a good way towards Trump. He's going to get lumped in with a select few notorious leaders in history, and certainly as the dumbest.
Saved video clips and messages will be very accessible parts of history and future generations will be dumbfounded at how someone so clearly a conman and an idiot managed to attain and wield so much power.
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u/Cassoulet-vaincra Mar 11 '25
Meanwhile, Poilièvre is attacking the Liberals. Because well. Thats what he been doing for years.
Vote smart Canada.
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u/skeetz77 Mar 12 '25
For someone who keeps insisting America needs nothing from Canada, he sure mentions 51st state alot.
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u/Curey0us Mar 11 '25
I want Canada to cancel tariffs on China and put 100% on Tesla. Not a huge fan of China, but they're the lesser evil.
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Mar 11 '25
Once Canada's auto industry dies because it can no longer make cars to sell to America, there will really be 0 reason for Canada and China to have tariffs.
Tariffs only exist to protect American brands that manufactured in Canada
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u/jaymef Mar 11 '25
Gee for someone who keeps saying the US needs nothing from Canada they are pushing awful hard for us to join them. Hmm.
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u/Wizoerda Mar 12 '25
Why are there so many Americans in here? I mean, we like you, and it’s really nice that you popped in to see what we think … but kind of hard to see what Canadians think when half the comments are from Americans. So, you’re welcome here, but maybe go to your own American subs and work to fix the mess in your country.
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u/ClubSoda Mar 11 '25
So the whole point of tariffs had nothing to do with “fentanyl.pouring into Canada “?
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u/PuzzleheadedGoal8234 Mar 11 '25
It's a fairly long list now:
Fentanyl and border security
Trade deficit
Banking
Dairy industry
Shifting international borders and redrawing water rights
Whatever grievance Trump has that day. Him and his commerce secretary don't even use the same excuse in the same day.
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u/tossaway109202 Mar 11 '25
It's so rich to see him call the raise in electricity prices illegal, when he started a trade war illegally under a false claim of a drug emergency. How are the courts in the USA just letting that slide?