Donald Trump has changed America … for at least four years, and maybe forever.
Gone is the US that championed democracy; defended freedom; promoted justice; projected integrity; and whose leaders so often tried to confront/oppose dictators, autocrats and warmongers.
Republicans and Democrats have supported differing principles/ideas/policies and voiced disagreements over the intentions of America’s founding fathers … but they at least stood firm and agreed about America’s primary ethical/moral/military role in establishing/cementing and respecting alliances and safeguarding the free world.
Remember, the US is the country that played a vital role in defeating Nazism, that stood up to Stalin’s aggression against democracy, that helped liberate Eastern Europe from the iron grip of the Soviets … and has stood, as Ronald Regan said, as “a shining city on the hill” as a beacon of freedom.
Not under the Mad Hatter.
The United States is now the world’s largest privately-run corrupted corporation, where money counts most: employees (even long term and veterans are totally expendable en masse, without cause); services are being cut/curtailed/eliminated to save money, despite human impacts; but tax cuts, favouring the wealthiest, are on the books.
Internationally, long-time allies and client states are to be swallowed up or forced into submission or bankruptcy if necessary to force submission; and the world will now just be a ‘market”, to be divided up by formerly fierce competitors … even those with long records of operating unethically, with coercion and even violence.
It’s the world … a-la-organized crime gangs … each with its own turf to exploit.
And lying, distortion, intimidation, threats are now all part of America’s new “foreign policy”.
In fact, Trump used ALL FOUR of those tactics last week in an attempt to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his knees and sign a deal that would see the US extort a sizeable portion of Ukraine’s mineral resources … without ANY guarantee Ukraine would regain ANY lands seized by the war-mongering Russia or ANY guarantee of even a Security Deal to protect/prevent further Ukraine land seizures.
Trump has lied repeatedly by claiming the US has spent $350 BILLION on helping defend Ukraine during the three-year war. The actual total amount of funding approved by Congress since Putin invaded is actually $174 Billion …and not all of that has yet been spent.
What Trump also fails to explain is that MUCH of the money allocated by the US for Ukraine aid is actually spent inside the US … on military equipment, armaments, ammunition and all kinds of other American-produced supplies shipped overseas … supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs!
Yet Trump wants Ukraine to “repay”. That’s where Ukraine’s mineral resources “shakedown” comes in … a sizeable portion to be turned over the US in “repayment” for services (assistance) rendered.
Well, since that’s the NEW American standard: Canada should send out a bill …. to the US for at least $25 BILLION …. for services WE have rendered to the US, above and beyond formal trade/defence agreements.
Like the $18 Billion Canada spent on the Afghan War to back up the US war effort there.
We also lost 181 Canadians during our support for America’s war there and more than 2,000 Canadians were injured. That should be worth a few hundred million dollars in repayment. We should send them a bill.
What about the millions Canadians spent playing host/hiding those US diplomats inside our embassy housing in Tehran in 1978-79 in very precarious circumstances? If it were a Trump Hotel where they hid … they would have received a HUGE bill!
Then, there were the thousands of American passengers/crew and aircraft Canada took in after 911 … housed them, fed them … even entertained them! Under Trump’s NEW AMERICAN philosophy, Canada clearly deserves to be paid back.
I’m sure readers could come up with many more instances where, under Trump’s value system, Canada deserves repayment.
And we want cash! We don’t need their resources (we have plenty of our own to sell to others if they don’t want them) and we don’t want cheap US products for payment, like their crappy beer, chemical infused maple syrup, dumped apples, over-produced lettuce, beef, pork, corn.
Maybe Canada should also cancel plans to spend $70 BILLION on US F-35 Fighter Aircraft: better to source new planes from a friendlier, more trustworthy ally like France, Germany, Britain.
I know, it’s disappointing to have to think this way … but get used to it … it’s the new reality of the Age of Donald Trump!
It will be ALL business.
Principles, ethics, alliances, integrity and democratic values now count for nothing south of the border.
Of course, there are millions of Americans …Republicans as well as Democrats … who are embarrassed and don’t like the NEW Trump Age.
But those in power in the Congress are too intimidated to speak up or stand up: they only repeat the Mad Hatter’s talking points and applaud when told to …. just like their counterparts in Russia’s Duma, China’s People’s Congress and North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly.
How sad … and scary!
Canada must adapt: so we should send America a bill for all the EXTRA services we’ve rendered … in the mistaken belief we were supporting good neighbours.
Now, we want to be repaid … just like Trump!
Slava Ukrainie!
Harv Oberfeld
(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE Alerts to new blog postings.)
And now we have Mark Carney…..an unelected Prime Minister..
Going to be one helluva election. I feel NDP will be wiped out…
And then there’s Trump to battle with
Very interesting times ahead.
(Response: Even news junkies will feel exhausted before this year ends. H.o)
Trump is a very very dangerous person.
His brazen utter disregard of the truth is despicable for a President.
His mindlessly loyal appointees are reveling in the dismantling of all levels of the govt.
What will it take for American voters to wake up to the incompetence and lies?
Hopefully not a world war….
(Response: His MAGA followers are like a cult: no facts will alter their devotion. BUT there are millions of Americans who voted for him and are now appalled. However they still see nothing from the Democrats yet that would make them change their vote! Ho)
Three words. Trump is sick.
(Response: Read my next blog! Ho)
Thanks for another interesting topic Harvey.
It struck me recently that events of the last few weeks which involve Trump, Ukraine, and Russia are the stuff which is making history in front of our very eyes. It is what people will be reading about in the history books in the future. These are world changing events somewhat like the Cuban missile crisis when I was a kid. It looks like Nato will also be forever changed along with the geography of Ukraine, courtesy of Putin.
I saw an interview on CNN with Fareed Zakaria a few days ago. He stated that Trump is running the U S like a real estate business and turning the world upside down in the process. Everything is about winning and losing with him.
My personal feeling is that Trump is a very vengeful person who will not be satisfied until everyone who has wronged or he perceives to have wronged him, is punished. For example he brought up Hunter Biden’s name again during that televised fiasco in the oval office the other night. Apparently he has a hate for Zelensky for not helping him out several years ago. He just cannot let it go. As far as I know, this had nothing to do with the topic at hand but it still resonates with him.
The way he changes things hour by hour, day by day, he truly is a Mad Hatter. God help us all.
(Response: He is openly vengeful … even if he hurts American government services to get at those he feels wronged him personally. Internationally, the Mad Hatter is dangerous … turning US foreign policy upside down, even cozying up to murderous dictators, abandoning long-time allies and, worst of all, long held US principles! Hard to imagine what the US and the world will look like after four years of this “mad” man in office. H.o)
And now, when the Hatter capitulates from pressure within and without, he’ll go on about how being tough with the Mexican and Canadian freeloaders “brought them into line very quickly, very very quickly.”
I just wonder how much he and his cronies are making on the market, selling before the tank, and buying when it turns, all by manipulation.
(Response: It’s so bizarre! Within 24 hours of the Mad Hatter saying the tariffs will make the US rich, the word is they may reduce many of them very soon. It’s crazy! If it’s so good, why stop/reduce them so fast? He is Mad!!! H.o)
Following on from the times Canada has been there for the states…
Raeside.
https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/adrian-raeside-cartoon-the-many-times-weve-helped-the-united-states-10318016
(Response: It’s so sad! Many Canadians are so hurt/angry, they are actually hoping for harm to come to Trump and even America itself. Awful! But understandable. H.o)
President Trump’s goal might be to use tariffs to eliminate incomes taxes. The problem with that, of course, is that prices go up and lead to less demand. It’s an interesting idea, but I’m not fully convinced it will work.
The western media loves to portray President Zelensky as a war hero, but in reality he’s just a puppet of the west. Many are not aware that due to a problem with man-power, he’s even forcing seniors to fight in the war. The reality is that there are grandfathers sacrificing their lives for Ukraine.
He’s a war-time leader who has plenty of time to travel around the world and ask for money. Even he admits that he doesn’t know where all the money has gone. There are reports that he’s actually a billionaire, but I have no idea whether that’s true or not.
President Zelensky promised to bring peace to Ukraine if he was elected. He didn’t say that he would criminalize the use of Russian in eastern Ukraine, a Russian-speaking area, or that he would bomb the Russian-speaking areas there that weren’t happy with the Ukrainian government. President Putin exercised considerable restraint. If Ukraine had signed the peace agreement that it was offered in 2022, it would be in far better shape than it is today. If President Zelensky truly cares about his country and its people, he should probably resign and let a better leader negotiate an end to the horrible war.
The idea of starting a proxy war in Ukraine to remove President Putin from power has been a total failure. There are powerful interests who want the war to continue. President Trump’s desire to end the war sets him apart from his predecessor, who couldn’t even be bothered to talk to President Putin.
President Zelensky seems very arrogant. He insists that he’s very popular and that an election is unnecessary because he’d win re-election easily. That may be, but it’s not so easy to assess because the country is under martial law, criticizing the president can lead to punishment, and millions of Ukrainians are abroad as refugees or live under Russian occupation.
Also true is that certain Ukrainian Orthodox church institutions have been banned, political parties against the war or with pro-Russian views have been banned, television stations have been closed, and some opposition politicians have been killed in targeted assassinations during the war. Let’s not also forget the admiration for Nazis in Ukrainian society, even though President Zelensky is Jewish, and the murder of American journalist Gonzalo Lira, a person who is rarely mentioned in the western media.
(Response: I really admire Zelensky. He could have stepped down as Russia demanded or fled, but instead has risked his own life and defended his country during really horrible, dangerous times. Apparently Ukraine has a history of political corruption, favoritism and internal divisions … but you have to appreciate how well they have come together and heroically defended their nation and Zelensky still has majority support. Who else could replace him and win such approval? No one I know. H.o)
I think everyone should have a read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy
Zelensky and the Ukrainians are doing a job, that Canadian troops could be doing at this very time.
(Response: Slava Ukrainiy! Slava Zelenskyy! H.o.)
And to think all that has happened since January … and the Americans and world, have a little less than four years for more of the same …
Can you imagine Trudeau having a open talk with some country leader like Trump did?
Life goes on … at 87 not much more to go for me … the future looks pretty dim …
Once again our lives will change once more, …after the next election …
Best thing to do, turn off the news …!
(Response: I can’t turn it off. I’m hooked! Even on a cruise ship, I spend too much time watching. And blogging. And it’s very strange: although this is a small, limited private blog … done as a hobby … it is being monitored quite widely. Readers will recall how, after I wrote very critically about Putin and China, I was heavily spammed with crud Comments from both. Now … I am also getting email Press Releases/invites to Press Conferences and BC appearances by Government Ministers (including Justin Trudeau) and lately Press Releases from US Democratic Party. Big Brother IS watching and reading what we are saying on here! So how can I turn it off??? H.o)
As predicted if Trump won, has now come true.
Last Friday’s ambush, should seal the deal with Canadians that the USA is not our friends nor ally. In fact, US bloggists and You Tubers are busily rewriting history.
Golly gee whiz, I didn’t know “Canadians” started the war of 1812 and that the Americans won that war.
The same is happening with WW2 history where American Hollywood History has all but written Canada out of the picture.
What to do?
Time for Canada to grow up and go on our own way. Growing up is hard to do, especially with our current lot of spoiled politicians who love to spend monies on frivolous programs and things.
Time for Canada to invest in the military like 5% of the GNP for the next 10 years and then reduce to 3% after.
Time to replace American weapons and deal with people we can trust. Cancel the F-35 deal because they ain’t the best planes, except if you are a vassal state of the USA, fighting their wars. Buy the Swedish Grippen a well designed aircraft and it has a distinct advantage over the extremely maintenance heavyF-35, as it has been designed to operate on rough runways or gravel roads! Lots of that in the North.
Could we trust the USA for spare parts and the F-35 needs a lot of spare parts.
And we need a small nuclear arsenal, just in case.
Do our politcans have the stomach to do what is needed, well they will if we vote for people who have and right now that is a big question mark.
Th NDP maybe one or two, with Charlie Angus leading the pack.
The Liberals, a few but with Trudeau gone, maybe more will shed the “post national” hole they dug and enter the real world.
The Conservatives, not federally and who can trust a party of Maple MAGA’s, climate change deniers, science deniers, anti vaxers and alike.
Provincially, a few, but for most, the new reality has not sunk in, like our own Eby, who is still spending tens of billions of dollars on politically prestigious projects to boost union jobs.
The next year will tell who are the real Canadians and who are just along for the ride.
Remember this, tens of thousands of Canadians died, in trenches, on the beaches and and in the arid wastelands, for us to live in this great country today and it is now our time to pay back the debt.
(Response: I believe even if the tariff war is short-lived, the hurt and anger among Canadians will go on for a long time. This is really a wake-up call … and the fact that so many Americans have stayed silent or even supported Trump’s attacks on Canada won’t easily be forgotten. H.o)
Welcome Home!
Lets not forget when there have been large electrical outages, Canadian crews head south to give assistance.
Watched the “meeting” in the Oval Office. It was shocking. I’m still shocked that trump/vance were so stupid as to conduct themselves in this manner
Next day watched again, with sound off to check the body language. One blog has the transcript up and its funny. Zelensky certainly is good. He challenged ever comment which was made and he didn’t pull any. My take is, those two boys, trump/vance didn’t expect that much blow back.
When Zelensky was first President, Stephen Corbett did a piece on how its good to have a comedian as a President. They have to assess the crowd quickly and adapt accordingly. That is what I saw, adapting very quickly and not backing down. The two wanna be mafia boys didn’t answer any of Zelensky’s questions. Rubio sat there with his arms folded and looking angry. If he’d been smart he’d have stood up, said something and walked out.
What Michael Cohen said about Trump acting like a mafia boss, yes its how he not only acts but speaks. Sometimes discussions can be very adveserial but those are held behind closed doors., Leaders of countries such as the U.S.A. don’t act in the manner trump/vance did.
If this is the new method of operating for the U.S.A. we need to be ready to defend our own nation. No country is going to be able to rely on the U.S.A. as long as this gang is in control. We need to increase our military in size and amount of weapons. (higher taxes will be required.)
As to purchasing a whole lot more jets, Sweden apparently has some very good ones which it has been said are more powerful and manuverable. Its why some NATO countries where happy to have Sweden join, so they could access their jets.
When trump first said he wanted Canada, Greenland, the Panama canal, first thought, Putin really has something on him just as was alleged in his first term. Once trump had musk and his boys go into the computers and firing people, that was to destroy their armed forces and government and of course to have people confused as hell.
As the lay offs started some states were going to loose 140K jobs right off the bat. What type of crazy doesn’t hire forest fire fighters for fire season, fires nuclear safety officers, the top General of the military (black male), fired the General of the Navy (white female) Expect to see a very white male government and military. If this goes according to plan and we live long enough once Putin has the U.S.A. under control, he’ll get rid of trump, vance, and the rest of the cabinet. Guess trump has forgotten if you piss off putin, you have accidents, i.,e. you fall out of windows whether your a singer/guitar player, ballerina, or military officer. If they toss trump out a window it will be one big fat mess below.
(Response: Trump says the tariffs will go ahead Tuesday. If so, I hope the federal government will hit back hard … not just with tariffs on US products, but on energy exports we send to them. h.o)
China must so unbelievably happy with the catatrophic mess and weakening of Americans security interests that the Mad Hatter has caused. The nut has completely opened America’s door to the bad elements out there in the world. Insanity is all I can say.
(Response; It’s no joke anymore: Trump may indeed be MAD!! I wonder what happens if even Republicans start to think that! How could they legally stop him? China and Russia must lapping it all up! H.o)
Funny you should mention “mad”. was reading another article, can’t remember the name of either the publication or person, but they suggested Trump might have syphilis. just made me laugh. we have cures for those sort of things these days.
You just can’t cure being a nasty piece of business, a bully, bad manners, or a tendency to commit acts which make you a 35 time felon and lets not forget a sexual harasser and predator.
how trump acts is some what like his paternal grandfather who was so undesirable that Germany refused to accept him back. They denied him entry saying he was now an American citizen. Trump’s father is outlined in some books as a nasty individual. His cousin really doesn’t seem to care for him or his father. The problem is the males in that family seem to get worse as generations pass. C.B.C. and other publications report his grandfather owned a brothel (pimp) and salon in Canada during a gold rush and that is what the family money is based on. Doesn’t look like the family progressed all that far.
Yes tariffs on the energy Canada exports to the U.S.A. would certainly gain some added cash for the government. Do like that idea.
Trump came up with a suggestion they would not start tariffs for another month. During this Joly and Trudeau had had some good lines in response to Trump.
(Response: I think Trump really may have psychological problems: he is so erratic, this must be more than just a narcissistic, bullying personality. And now, there are increasing suggestions that he bases policies/decisions on whoever he spoke to last! Coupled with vengeance grievances. And the result is destruction/chaos both inside the US and internationally. He could end up being the modern Nero! Ho)
Trumps a disgusting creature. I think he’s bringing nothing but more troubles and blowback to Americans from around the world. The European union is now doing the right thing by working together really close now and speedily so in creating a strong defense line for Europe against the Tyrant from Russia.
Trump and his bully partner Vance just helped seed this up and actually did the Europeans and Ukraine a favour by showing thier ugly arrogant selves now rather than later, so Europeans and the rest of NATO can take the strong lead in quick order for the future security of Europe since Trump and his nutjob adminstration have shown their true colors on who they back. Europe and others have their eyes fully open on what has to get done so Putin and any possible future leader or world tyrant is stopped in their tracks. European leaders, Zelinsky, Canada and other leaders from other parts of the world have seen Trumps despicable and sickening behaviour and treachery on full display and what looks be a sort of traitorous looking alignment with Putin. It’s insane he seems to be just selling out to Putin and seriouly endangering so much security for his fellow Americans. Like, what is this Trump fella anyways. It’s impossible he works for America and America’s alliances.
Qeustions really have be seriously asked about Trumps loyalties, and you’ve been a propenent in starting that good serious conversation that must be kept alive. And hope you had a great holiday and good down time.
(Response: I’m enjoying watching Trudeau standing up for Ukraine and speaking out quite forcefully. It’s exactly what I wrote a few weeks ago: Trump was making a terrible blunder by picking on Canada when we have a PM who doesn’t like Trump, doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected … so can speak out and act much more vigorously than if he had to be more diplomatically sensitive. H.o)
America, land of the nouveau Oligarch!
Canada, land of the Oligarch enabling, government largess, economically challenged due to government largess, land of missed opportunity.
Canada has so much, all we seem to do is dither and price ourselves out of the global markets while creating opportunity for foreign Oligarchs! While serving endless word salad about “the other guys”. Sacre bleu
I look on Canada’s “Glacial” speed on almost everything these days, except funneling monies to politcal friends and insiders, is how the politcal parties have gamed the system.
As our politcal system has devolved to an old boys/girls club, change is avoided like the plague. To continue this, politcal parties ensure rather ignorant people run for office. Smart people tend to champion change where those intellectually challenged do not.
This has lead to the “Flat Earth” syndrome, where stupid concepts are not challenged and in fact welcomed. The anti vaxers, Climate Change deniers, anti science types and the plain religious nutters fall into this category.
Read and weep this is 2025 for god’s sake!!
https://oksenate.gov/press-releases/senate-passes-bill-prohibiting-corporal-punishment-students-disabilities
By only having rather educational deficient people running for office, the better the chances for corruption as no one asks questions or elected officials just give stupid answers which are not fact checked, because fact checking will expose their stupidity.
Thus eventually, our politcal system is full of stupid people making stupid decisions and with our current media’s ennui to the the real news, the country slides ever faster into authoritarianism and dictatorship as we see down south.
Don’t worry, Canada is soon to go the same way.