It’s a whole new world out there! Might makes right; selfishness triumphs principles; mutual respect no longer has any place in global relations; and, the will of the local population need not reign supreme.
Donald Trump has introduced new norms and new rules.
“One way of another” the US President vowed his country NEEDS and would “get” Greenland: he said for national “security” reasons … but many believe it’s really for Greenland’s rare mineral deposits.
Security reasons?
Well, consider this:
Greenland is 1700 miles from the closest US point; but Point Roberts is only 1 foot away from BC!
What about OUR security???
Canada (and especially BC) NEED Point Roberts … so maybe we too should just “get it” ….under the new world order , “one way or another”!
Maybe not for their rare minerals, but certainly for their cheaper gas, cheaper eggs, cheaper booze and, in my case, much cheaper pipe tobacco … and, of course, OUR security … Taking Point Robert’s would distance us even more from all those gun-toting Americans …and, even more threatening to us ,Seattle Kraaken hockey fans!
Plus, the only way for Americans to travel by road to/from the US -owned (thanks to the 49th parallel treaty) tiny enclave south of Vancouver is via British Columbia’s roads and highways … and they pay us nothing for their use!!
Using the Mad Hatter’s logic, just think of the damage all those thankless Point Roberts residents (there are 1,276 of them) do to BC roads… as they travel back and forth to the US mainland: wearing away BC pavement, their tires erasing our high quality and very expensive traffic paint … especially when they cross our double lines! Yet, they pay us nil, nada to maintain any of it! Not even a few heavily discounted loonies!!!
And what about all the water that BC supplies to Point Roberts? Sure, they pay for that, but not as much as they should…whatever that price is! (Thinking here like Donald Trump! No real facts needed!)
Not to mention all the southbound fresh air the Americans have been stealing from us for more than a hundred years!! Time for a Golden Roof … to keep our fresh Canadian air home?
Or maybe it’s time for Canada to just take Point Roberts!
After all, remember what Trump said, in Davos just days ago:
”All the United Stares needs is a little piece of land … called Greenland.”
Little Greenland is 56,000 square miles; Point Robert’s is only 4.9 square miles.
Well, WE need it… for all these reason above, and … this is a BIG one … so Canadians can head south, escaping the snowy or rainy weather ….without having to cross a border!
I’m sure just the Tsawwassen and Delta police could do the job .. if we strike while the Point Roberts cops and border agents are busy … watching the Super Bowl!!!
And neither Trump , nor Hegseth could probably find Point Roberts on a map … or would care enough to even look it up!
Somehow, the way things are going down south lately, I’d even bet many Point Roberts residents would welcome us and thank us for liberating them!
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld. on”X” for Free alerts to new postings on this blog.)
We need some lighthearted posts every once in awhile.
Having said that, this post comes after a post in which you said Canada should just wait Trump out, that this will all resolve itself in November, or 2028, or …
I just read an article on the CBC website discussing Carney’s Davos speech and whether or not it was a mistake if it upset Trump. Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Secretary accused Carney of virtue signalling to score political points and warned not get on the wrong side of Trump.
sidenote: He made no mention of whether or not Carney’s speech was accurate about major powers using economic force to coerce even allies and that middle powers should be looking to each other for more secure trade deals although his comments seem to indicate that Carney was accurate.
So my question: Should Carney have shut up and kowtowed to the Americans?
This is what is so strange about this situation. Our closest geographical neighbour started this trade war, has threatened the sovereignty of Greenland/Denmark, has invaded a country on the pretext of drug cartels to gain access to its oil, is threatening to tariff countries (specifically Mexico) who sell oil to Cuba and posts maps with a US flag covering Canada, Greenland, Venezuela, and Cuba. Not to mention the president referring to minority groups as garbage and having a gang of thugs killing American citizens in the streets.
Should Carney have said what he said? What would Neville Chamberlain have said?
(Response: Trump is a narcissistic bully … and will strikes out when anyone … foreign or domestic … upsets, opposes or even criticizes his actions or policies. Submission only makes bullies bolder and more demanding. And Canada has already paid a price for offending the Mad Hatter (remember how he reacted to a simple TV ad by Ontario). Carney’s speech was right on ..even if Trump strikes back. And I think more “leaders” should be like Carney and start speaking up and criticizing Trump’s actions/policies and their impact on global stability. Yes, we and they may pay a price (although a lot of Trump’s threats don’t materialize or are short lived). And if the mid-terms punish the Republicans and the Democrats take control, Trump … with dwindling days left in office … will be much more vulnerable and face growing opposition within his own party. My point is it’s better to pay the short-term price for standing up to him and trust in our long term prospects with the US than substantially tie our future to the likes of China or India. Sure, make deals/trade with them, but never think Canada’s long term economic future would be better off by turning a blind eye to the long-term history and realities of policies/actions/lack of principles of China and India. Ho)
We are definitely on the same page with this one. I agree that we shouldn’t massively upend our trading relationship with the US and seek out free trade deals with China and India. (Industry specific sure.) It is much easier to trade with someone across an imaginary line or a bridge than one across miles of ocean; and absolutely it’s much better to trade with one that shares our democratic principles which for the most part the US does. (Except for now) And I also agree that Carney did well to make that speech.
Now I am wondering which Canadian leader could have done it better. Trudeau Jr would definitely sound like he was virtue signalling and Poilievre’s speaking style is more campaign oriented. It is hard to transport former PMs into a present day crisis, but Mulroney wasn’t afraid to take on Reagan and Thatcher over apartheid in South Africa and he and Reagan were buddies and the architects of our free trade agreement, so maybe a Mulroney clone could have pulled off the Carney speech. A Trudeau Sr clone could have made a similar speech but I don’t think he could have been as restrained or subtle as Carney and Trump’s reaction would be much worse.
Remember Lester Pearson making the “mistake”, while visiting the US, of criticizing the American bombing of North Vietnam. When he and Lyndon Johnson met the next day, Johnson apparently grabbed him and and yelled “you don’t come here and piss on my rug”. Aah the good old days when US – Canada relations were strong. lol
I don’t know how this will all play out, but Carney at least made an effort to call out current US policy and aggression and to show other middle powers that working together is an option for our long term stability.
(Response: Trudeau lacked what Carney has: credibility. It’s based on Carney’s solid successful background in business and in dealing with the global economy. So, at a time when almost every trading partner and ally of the US is hurting, confused, uncertain and even angry …but most too intimidated to speak out … Carney had the backbone to stand up and, indirectly but quite clearly, delineate the truth of Trump. Canada has already been threatened and may pay a new economic price for that … but we must keep in mind … in terms of history and long term political and economic relations, Trump will relatively soon be gone (and even sooner increasingly impotent) … and the US will return to being our greatest trading partner and ally … not China or India. Ho)
Agree that our prospects in the long term are far better with the US than with India or China and that with the midterms Trumps presidency will begin to descend. But we must remember this happens to all Presidents after the midterm’s elections in their second mandate. More concerning that prior to the midterm’s the CUSMA agreement will still have to be reviewed in July, and while it is commendable to stick up to a bully it may be best not to poke the bear. And Democrats have never been overly kind to Canada on trade; our trade agreements have come from Republican Presidents.
A lot is at stake here and Canada is not in a strong position, less we want to return to an economy that is once again hewers of wood and water. I fear Carney is pushing Canada in this direction when he talks of energy superpower and critical minerals. He never mentions manufacturing and Chinese EVs will never be assembled in Canada because with our labour costs they would never be cheap.
The Growth Lab at Harvard says the complexity of Canada trade has dropped dramatically since 1996.Canada has dropped from 30 place in the sophistication of our trade goods to 60th place in 2023. Speculation is that this is because of the manufacturing that moved from Canada to Mexico and offshore; cars, appliances, electronic goods etc.
Canada has to find a new strategy to a sustainable economy with partners who value our country for more than unprocessed trade goods.
(Response: I’m not sure about not “poking the bear”. Sometimes a good punch in the nose works better with a bully. Trump is in trouble: increasing numbers of Americans … including Republicans … are unhappy with the chaos he has wrought on their country, both internationally and domestically. And, apart from the diehard MAGA types, fewer and fewer believe him, trust him and would vote for him, if they had a “do-over” opportunity. Yes, the Mad Hatter could inflict more pain on Canada …but this is country that stood up to the Nazis for six years, most did not flinch under the hardships we suffered (including 45,000 killed and 55,000 wounded) until the tyrant was relegated to the trash heap of history …so I have no doubt we could withstand a year or two more of Trump’s economic war against us … and emerge with our independence, our integrity and our economy intact. Ho)
All we need to do is play the Trump card and move the border. We can get all of the Strait of BC, the Canadian San Juan Islands, Canaham and the Canuckanut Drive.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=18HF1baMjxZ1FYkIo9GrtLkiQanLR0wY&usp=sharing
(Response: How about renaming North America on our maps: the Great White North above the 49th parallel; and the Soon to Be New Canada South below the 49th! Ho)
Point Roberts has no hospital, no high school, no mayor and a very small population. Tbough it belongs to the USA, you can’t drive to any other part of the USA without driving through Canada. In comparison to Tsawassen, it seems underdeveloped.
I wonder if the residents of Point Roberts would rather be part of Canada. They would then have higher gas prices, higher taxes and a lower dollar, but they’d have access to nearby hospitals and schools that were part of the same country. I also suspect that Point Roberts would then become a larger and more developed area. It would be interesting to see the results of a referendum asking residents there if they wanted to join Canada.
(Response: We may be on to something here! The federal government should send them a high powered delegation (Drake, Bieber, Gosling, Dione and Rogan) to let them know the benefits (health care, education, gun-free environment, a calmer society .. and MUCH better beer, well worth the extra cost, as well as the great development possibilities … AND a Canadian Passport!) And let them know: one way or another … we NEED it! Vive Point Roberts Libre!! Ho)
Early this morning the Whitehouse called President Trump’s late night post on Truth Social a hoax generated by the Canadian Government. President Trump’s post was purported to be in response to Canada’s request to take control of Point Roberts. In the post President Trump said “the Pig War”, settled in 1872 by German Emperor Wilhelm was never settled to America’s satisfaction. The contention is that the coastal boundary off of Vancouver Island still remains in dispute despite the German Emperor’s arbitration.
The Pig War started when a pig owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company got loose from its pen and was shot by an American farmer for eating his crops. This minor event led U.S. General William Harney to send over 60 soldiers to the island (San Juan’s) to assert American sovereignty. When the Governor of Vancouver Island, James Douglas, found out, he sent British Warships to counter the American presence. While Britain and the U.S. had little interest in beginning a war over the islands, both had soldiers occupying the area until 1872. The dispute was then settled by the Emperor.
The Whitehouse stated that Victoria is pretty place and a little like England, but the night life is far too limiting as Trumps are seeking a vibrant, big-city atmosphere for retirement. Victoria, while pleasant feels too small and quiet.
However, the Whitehouse did say Trump would improve ferry service if it was part of America.
(Response: Improved ferry service to Vancouver Island? Cheaper too? Don’t believe him! He’d probably rename it Trump Island, Trump Ferries … and require fares to be paid in US … I mean, Trump dollars … although the Loonie could remain, still named after the loonie! Ho)
My god, pre 1986, Canadians invaded the Point every Sunday (when the boozers were closed north of the 49th) with line ups reaching to 8A Ave!
Living in Tsawwassen I biked down and well to be honest, woke in a hedge or two on the way home!
(Response: Clearly, you know the place well! You could be the area’s
interim Lieutenant Governor once we liberate it! Ho)
Tariff the Nooksak river floodwater, by the gallon! If Trump & Washington state keep allowing border incursions by the thousands of gallons into Sumas Prarie!
Make the tariffs large enough to cover all flood related clean ups.
(Response: Are you trying to confuse the US president? The Nooksak river is too closely named to the capital city of Greenland, Nuuk. If Canada made any Nooksak demands, the Mad Hatter could dispatch 1,000 paratroopers to take Abbotsford … mistaking it for Nuuk!!! Ho)
When the residents of the point enter Canada, their phones should be checked to see what they have been posting on local Vancouver bloggers sites. Anything detrimental to Canada: 6 months in the local Tim Hortons to be fed a diet of Nanaimo bars and butter tarts with reruns of CFL games 24/7.
(Response: if it wasn’t for the last part of the sentencing, I would volunteer to come out of retirement to join them at Timmy’s… just to cover that story! Ho)
And while we are at it, why don’t we pick up Oregon and Washington as well? Wasn’t that part of the BC plan centuries ago? But wait, those are a little too left wing for me, especially Oregon. I will stick with Point Roberts and maybe Blaine (great land for housing!).
Thank goodness we don’t have those Chinese EVS yet so the Chinese can see what we are plotting and get a head start on us.
Tongue in cheek post!!
(Response: Yes, Blaine and Bellingham too … but no further south than Chuckanut Drive: apparently there are loads of State Troopers already in that area looking for Canadians … going more than two miles an hour over the speed limit! Ho)
Now you’ve done it … Trump probably doesn’t know Point Roberts exists… if he reads your blog like he follows Jimmy Kimmel you may have started up another Greenland. We better have our “forces” ready …. especially if the area is Democrat … oh my how you have brought up something for Trump to fight for again …!! And of course it would be renamed Point Trump …
(Response: But when Canadian history is written… I could go down a National Hero!! Onward Canada !!! (Unforgettable , I will not be able to participate in the fighting personally: I have bone spurs! Ho)