Canadians are wise to regard Trump as a serious threat, because he is. His approval ratings in the U.S. have been underwater since the end of January, for good reason. In Canada he’s even more despised – they must have higher principles. Nobody with a conscience who has a clue what's going on supports him.
Perhaps the Biblical quote should have been: Hosea 8:7, "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind." Demanding 5% of GDP from allies when the United States runs at 3.5% is not just hypocrisy but folly. America's defense establishment still doesn't understand the switch from multi-billion-dollar complicated weapons systems to off-the-shelf toy store drones. The United States was the world's largest arms exporter, accounting for over 43 percent of the total for the past five years. Its foreign aid was often money that bounced back to Lockheed, Boeing, and Halliburton, just as USAID money was spent on U.S. agriculture. Canada will suffer through its transition away from the United States, but China is probably a more reliable trade partner.
Trump is ceding science, technology, engineering, innovation, the green revolution and international health and development to China, Europe, and whoever else in the world chooses to take up the reins. They will all be better partners than the United States. I tremble for my country.
“A bold president might decide it [taking over Canada] is a military necessity, a matter of "self-defense" for us.”
By the same token, Trump might decide it’s a military necessity to declare a national emergency and cancel the midterms elections. After all, he has stated that Democrats are “the enemy from within…more dangerous than China, Russia and all these countries.” Anybody who doubts that he’d try it if he thought he could pull it off isn’t paying attention. And with Republicans in power, he might be able to.
U.S. defense spending is, in the words of Ross Douthat, "puttering along somewhere between 3 and 4 percent of gross domestic product, well below what we spent in the Reagan era and the war on terrorism years, let alone the early Cold War." And this, in the face of growing threats in Europe and Asia--and the face of the worldwide nuclear proliferation that Trump has recently assured.
Increased investment in our defense is necessary, here and among our allies. It's a danged shame that some of their defense investment may be needed to defend against us. It's MAD.
This afternoon I listened to an excellent NYT interview (by Lulu Garcia-Navarro) with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. He made some excellent points, though he verged on lickspittle with regard to Trump.
"SG Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he's right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp"
9:46 PM • Jul 5, 2025
(What Rutte said in the interview was that Europe needed to build up its military industrial base, or learn Russian. I think Medvedev has confirmed this. Thanks, Дима.
It's probably too much of a stretch but I can't help but think that our own little old Oregon is in similar straits as Canada. The political ruling class so intent on clinging to all the trappings of elite liberal governance yet they can't keep the roads and bridges maintained or put out wildfires. All accompanied by incessant whining about that Bad Man in Washington just ruining everything for everybody.
Alberta will be voting for its sovereignty. Their resources would benefit the US. Albertans are sick of the government taking their wealth being unfairly distributed.
Big government doesn't work for the people. 51st state maybe not.
Canadians are wise to regard Trump as a serious threat, because he is. His approval ratings in the U.S. have been underwater since the end of January, for good reason. In Canada he’s even more despised – they must have higher principles. Nobody with a conscience who has a clue what's going on supports him.
My first thought on reading this post took me back to "To a Louse" by Robert Burns.
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion
Translation from Scots:
Oh, would some Power give us the gift
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion
Thank you, Sanford, for independently confirming conclusions that I was rading from inside the U.S. fishbowl. I am blessed to be part of HR71.
Perhaps the Biblical quote should have been: Hosea 8:7, "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind." Demanding 5% of GDP from allies when the United States runs at 3.5% is not just hypocrisy but folly. America's defense establishment still doesn't understand the switch from multi-billion-dollar complicated weapons systems to off-the-shelf toy store drones. The United States was the world's largest arms exporter, accounting for over 43 percent of the total for the past five years. Its foreign aid was often money that bounced back to Lockheed, Boeing, and Halliburton, just as USAID money was spent on U.S. agriculture. Canada will suffer through its transition away from the United States, but China is probably a more reliable trade partner.
Trump is ceding science, technology, engineering, innovation, the green revolution and international health and development to China, Europe, and whoever else in the world chooses to take up the reins. They will all be better partners than the United States. I tremble for my country.
“A bold president might decide it [taking over Canada] is a military necessity, a matter of "self-defense" for us.”
By the same token, Trump might decide it’s a military necessity to declare a national emergency and cancel the midterms elections. After all, he has stated that Democrats are “the enemy from within…more dangerous than China, Russia and all these countries.” Anybody who doubts that he’d try it if he thought he could pull it off isn’t paying attention. And with Republicans in power, he might be able to.
U.S. defense spending is, in the words of Ross Douthat, "puttering along somewhere between 3 and 4 percent of gross domestic product, well below what we spent in the Reagan era and the war on terrorism years, let alone the early Cold War." And this, in the face of growing threats in Europe and Asia--and the face of the worldwide nuclear proliferation that Trump has recently assured.
Increased investment in our defense is necessary, here and among our allies. It's a danged shame that some of their defense investment may be needed to defend against us. It's MAD.
This afternoon I listened to an excellent NYT interview (by Lulu Garcia-Navarro) with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte. He made some excellent points, though he verged on lickspittle with regard to Trump.
I recommend it. Here's a gift link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/magazine/mark-rutte-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UE8.UFFe.RwElvArvDvXI&smid=url-share
Dmitry Medvedev:
"SG Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he's right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp"
9:46 PM • Jul 5, 2025
(What Rutte said in the interview was that Europe needed to build up its military industrial base, or learn Russian. I think Medvedev has confirmed this. Thanks, Дима.
It's probably too much of a stretch but I can't help but think that our own little old Oregon is in similar straits as Canada. The political ruling class so intent on clinging to all the trappings of elite liberal governance yet they can't keep the roads and bridges maintained or put out wildfires. All accompanied by incessant whining about that Bad Man in Washington just ruining everything for everybody.
Alberta will be voting for its sovereignty. Their resources would benefit the US. Albertans are sick of the government taking their wealth being unfairly distributed.
Big government doesn't work for the people. 51st state maybe not.