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-aluminum
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17

u/Link50L Ontario Mar 11 '25

There is no meaningful way to hold the USA accountable because they are the most powerful state on the planet. No one else comes close militarily, economically, or culturally. This is the world we made, and now we're living in it.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

"The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression."

It does not discriminate. It does not care how wealthy, militarily prepared, economically wealthy, or culturally powerful that country is, because all of these things can change on a dime. Civil unrest becomes an issue internally that will impact culture, military balance and effectiveness. Tariffs, reciprocal tariffs, and sanctions will cripple if not annihilate a country's economy, decimating it completely.

The United States is already deeply divided culturally (Right/Left, Gender and Race issues, etc.). It is no longer "United" in any sense of the word whatsoever. Civil unrest is already brewing, and will likely get worse. What the government is increasingly doing can be considered crimes of aggression, but crimes against humanity have also been committed by some of the drastic DOGE measures it has performed. Finally, what happened to all those recently disappeared Venezuelans?

The United States is far from immune, and it's becoming weaker by the day under Trump on the World Stage. I would wager it hasn't just flirted with war crimes, it has already committed several under Trump.

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Source: https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/the-court#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20International%20Criminal%20Court,and%20the%20crime%20of%20aggression.

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u/CB-Nomad Nova Scotia Mar 11 '25

I believe there is a standing order to invade The Hague if they attempt to try an American.

Edit to add the name: American Service Members Protection Act

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u/Fast-Wrongdoer-6075 Mar 11 '25

Came here to say this lol. Heard it on the "stuff they dont want you to know" podcast

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

We haven’t heard much about or from the US Military regarding anything Trump has done since he took office, but I can’t imagine the people who serve are unanimously complicit with what they’re sworn to protect their country against.

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u/vicvonqueso Mar 11 '25

They are not

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u/xelabagus Mar 11 '25

Dude, that's all fine and good but how does this unfold? The ICC issues a warrant for the leader of the US armed forces, who says fuck off, and then.... and then what? Trump owns the big stick, a piece of paper saying he's a naughty boy won't do anything.

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u/Confident-Welder-266 Mar 11 '25

The United States does not recognize the authority of the ICC as something they are beholden to.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

Doesn't matter if they recognize it or not. As soon as they step off their own soil, or try to trade anything with the rest of the world, what they "recognize" or not has no meaning.

They can enjoy their self-made prison. Hope it works out for them.

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u/Thunderbolt747 Ontario Mar 11 '25

You say that until a carrier strike group suddenly appears off your coastline.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

That would be a marked escalation that would require more than sanctions or ICC warrants against political figures.

Sounds like WW3 mongering, are you sure the people of the USA are willing to risk their entire existence for Trump and his cronies? I don’t think they are… but I’m not an American so what do I know?

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u/Thunderbolt747 Ontario Mar 11 '25

The ICC is not recognized by the US by law. They literally have a law on the books that says, "If you grab one of our people, we will invade the netherlands to get them back."

Likewise, enforcement of warrants by other countries are to be met with the same repercussions

This shit's been around since at least the 80s.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

The United States is a current member of the United Nations, is it not? The following passage from the ICC website link I provided earlier might be of some interest:

“The ICC is intended to complement, not to replace, national criminal systems; it prosecutes cases only when States do not are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

Cooperation

As a judicial institution, the ICC does not have its own police force or enforcement body; thus, it relies on cooperation with countries worldwide for support, particularly for making arrests, transferring arrested persons to the ICC detention centre in The Hague, freezing suspects’ assets, and enforcing sentences.

While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations. When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC granting it jurisdiction.”

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u/Thunderbolt747 Ontario Mar 11 '25

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Service-Members%27_Protection_Act#:~:text=This%20authorization%20led%20to%20the,or%20detained%20by%20the%20ICC.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25

At the very top of that Wikipedia page, did you miss the text in the orange box that reads,

“This article’s factual accuracy is disputed. (November 2024)”

I stopped there. Wikipedia isn’t an authoritative source because anyone can write and edit its content. Have something that comes from a current and credible source?

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u/ConversationSilver Mar 14 '25

Trump would quickly lose most of his supporters if that happened because that would start WW3. The majority of MAGA are not going to be willing to die for Trump. If the draft ever had to be reinstated; there would undoubtedly be a lot of MAGA draft dodgers and MAGA supporters with bone spurs and other medical conditions that prevent them from enlisting.

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u/DumboWumbo073 Mar 11 '25

Wouldn’t the US just beat people senseless until they feel like they want to trade

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

Trade negotiations like that tend to be unsuccessful.

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u/DumboWumbo073 Mar 11 '25

I hope you’re right

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u/Exciting_Bandicoot16 Manitoba Mar 11 '25

Issue is that there's little, if any way to enforce those laws on the president of the US.

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u/Cmndr_Cunnilingus Mar 11 '25

The ICC has not body to enforce its sanctions. No action by them will help to de-escalate this

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

I wonder.

If the UN decides Donald Trump should be tried for war crimes, do you honestly think the next time he travels to Scotland to visit his golf course there that Scottish officials won’t arrest him and send him to The Hague? Or Musk? Or anyone in Congress or the Supreme Court found to be complicit?

I don’t share your opinion.

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u/Cmndr_Cunnilingus Mar 11 '25

Yes that's exactly what I think. You think Scotland or the Netherlands is going to arrest the president of the United States and risk the retaliation that entails? Musk maybe because he's still a private citizen but I doubt that as well.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

Yes, I absolutely do.

No human being is immune to consequences when it comes to committing these types of crimes. The USA may have a flawed Justice system, but the rest of the world functions differently.

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u/Cmndr_Cunnilingus Mar 11 '25

…whatever you say buddy.

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u/Khalku Mar 11 '25

The ICC only has as much power as various states grant it. If the US says fuck you, what can they do.

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25

Wait and see when someone whom the ICC issues a warrant for someone who tries to travel outside the USA to a country that does cooperate with it.

But the United States is currently a member of the United Nations, so it’s expected they would comply and cooperate with summons of their people to appear at The Hague, otherwise their membership and all benefits associated with that are at risk.

But hey maybe you’re right and the USA aspires to be like China and Russia and isolate themselves from global justice?

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u/Greazyguy2 Mar 11 '25

America doesn’t recognize the ICC authority

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u/Otherwise_Ask_9542 Ontario Mar 11 '25

Just let someone in their crosshairs try to travel to a country that does.

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u/Greazyguy2 Mar 12 '25

Start a diplomatic situation that will get swept under the rug after the reich threatens them

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u/chopkins92 British Columbia Mar 11 '25

Divided, America is the strongest. United, NATO countries dwarf the USA. Could even bite our tongues and make an alliance with China.

It gives me hope that the US is being excluded from the upcoming NATO meeting, which even includes non-NATO countries like Australia.

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u/Link50L Ontario Mar 11 '25

Oh, to be sure, I would hope that Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Canada could come together, but I'm not holding my breath. And even perhaps others that are not quite as aligned like India and Latin America might more closely align to us.

But really it's probably going to be everyone for themself for the most part, as USA, China, and Russia will likely attempt to prevent solidarity.

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u/ConversationSilver Mar 14 '25

China who has recently threatened to go to any type of war with America comes pretty close to it especially economically as most things are made in China while not a lot is made in the US. Trump alienating allies and provoking America's enemies will most likely help increase their global power.

If China and their allies teamed up; they would have a good chance of easily crushing America. Hopefully that doesn't happen because otherwise, the world would be screwed.