Because, hey, Canada needs some love as well.
Now, then, as a Yank to the Canadians, what has Stephen Harper done as Prime Minister, what were the top parties and how did the general election turn out this year?
TBH. Trudeau is a repeat of his dad. His father went the same way, tanking in the polls, leaving right before the election, and the new guy lead the Liberals to their (at the time) worst defeat to Mulroney. I figure Trudeau Sr. Probably felt he always could've done better had he stayed than handed off to Turner.
So I can kind of imagine why Trudeau Jr stayed for so long, he didn't want a repeat of when dad left.
But also thank god he's gone.
Edited by Ghilz on Mar 19th 2025 at 4:06:48 AM
Only thing I'll say (and I didn't pay much attention when I was studying my BA) is that Trudeau Jr. could've done better in other things aside from personal stunts that he did.
An interview with poli scientist Philippe Lagasse (I know him BTW) on the three scenarios where the US could try and "change things" with Trump around and the need for Canada to change to reflect current geopolitical norms.
He does argue that if criticism of Canada as a vassal state is there, especially when it was tight with the UK and the US...
LM's "persuading" Ottawa to accept the offer for F-35s with jobs being created in Canada to make the other F-35s.
I know Carney's throwing it in doubt.
He's not beating the Maple Maga accusations, that's for sure.
That said, before Trump started his rethoric of annexing Canada, the Conservatives were in full swing to win the next elections. The Liberals have since then successfully galvanized the population and portrayed themselves as the best counter US imperialism.
Polievre’s still got 36-38% support in most polls (and the Liberals are mostly at 38-40%). That’s a decline from Polievre having support in the low 40s before Trudeay resigned and Carney became PM, but a lot of the Liberal gains in support are pulling from the NDP and Bloc, rather than a total Conservative collapse.
EDIT: Election is called for April 28.
Edited by Galadriel on Mar 23rd 2025 at 12:00:36 PM
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/2025/03/22/snowbird-detour
Since the Snowbirds are facing the "inform CBP if you're staying in the US for more than 30 days" issue, Mexico's an alternative...
The article raised the issue of Mexican security.
Once again, showing there's no line too low for her.
Professor Nagy of International Christian University in Japan (I know him BTW) argues that the Canadian economy should be upgraded rather than rely on diversification:
He got consulted by Ottawa a few times on geopolitical issues in Asia.
His points:
The knee-jerk reaction to blame Trump’s economic nationalism misses a crucial point: America’s retreat from championing global free trade began well before his unorthodox political ascendance in 2016. The Obama administration’s signature Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) faced mounting bipartisan skepticism before Trump withdrew from it in 2017. Hillary Clinton, during her presidential campaign, explicitly stated she would oppose the deal, reversing her earlier support. “I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Clinton declared during a campaign speech in Michigan in August 2016.
When President Joe Biden took office, rather than resurrect the TPP, his administration proposed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Unlike traditional trade agreements, the IPEF conspicuously omitted market access provisions while emphasizing supply chain resilience and environmental standards. During the IPEF ministerial meeting in Los Angeles in September 2022, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai specifically noted that the framework “moves beyond the traditional model” of free trade agreements.
In June 2018, following the G7 summit in Charlevoix, Quebec, Trudeau declared in a press conference that Canada “will not be pushed around” by the United States, characterizing Trump’s tariffs as “insulting.” This prompted Trump to withdraw his endorsement of the summit’s joint statement and label Trudeau as “very dishonest and weak” on Twitter.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland repeatedly aligned the MAGA movement with authoritarianism. In an August 2022 speech at the Brookings Institution, she characterized Trump supporters as part of a global “anti-democratic movement.” In October 2023, she went further, drawing parallels between MAGA and authoritarian regimes like Russia and China. These statements resonate poorly with nearly half of American voters who supported Trump in recent elections and are borderline disinformation with such exaggerated mischaracterizations of American voters.
Former Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne was caught on camera in December 2022 referring to Trump’s policies as “deranged” while speaking with European counterparts. The video, which social media users circulated widely, further inflamed tensions between the administrations.
First, Canada must dismantle internal trade barriers that fragment its domestic market. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimates these interprovincial trade barriers cost the economy $130 billion annually – nearly 7 per cent of GDP. Harmonizing regulations and procurement practices would create a more efficient national market better positioned to integrate with the US economy.
Second, Canada should leverage its critical mineral resources – including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements – as strategic assets for North American supply chain security. The Minerals Security Partnership launched in 2022 provides a framework for such co-operation, but Canada has yet to fully capitalize on its geological advantages.
Third, Ottawa should accelerate east-west energy infrastructure development to enhance continental energy security. The proposed Energy East pipeline, which would have transported Western Canadian crude to Eastern refineries, fell victim to regulatory hurdles in 2017. Reviving such projects would reduce Eastern Canada’s dependence on imported oil while creating more resilient North American energy networks.
Finally, Canada should position itself as a key contributor to emerging technology initiatives. Trump’s proposed $500 billion AI infrastructure investment represents an opportunity for Canadian AI researchers and companies to integrate more deeply into US innovation ecosystems.
The path to Canadian prosperity lies not in economic decoupling from the US but in strategic modernization within the North American context. The integrated nature of the two economies – built over generations through geographic proximity, shared values, and complementary capabilities – represents a competitive advantage too valuable to abandon.
Edited by Ominae on Mar 26th 2025 at 9:02:10 AM
Stephen Nagy, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the International Christian University. On the merits, it seems like this analysis assumes too much rationality.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

As I've discussed in the politics thread, I wonder if this will encourage parties to sack unpopular leaders in the future, not just in Canada but also elsewhere, rather than sticking with them because connections/fear of being seen as weak/unstable.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman