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Cliff Maclean's avatar

Trumps actions are a big kick in the butt to the lib government. They have dragged our economy, our law enforcement ,out military . our energy sector , ETC, into the ground. To the point where other countries laugh at us. Yes this article speaks to one of the biggest reasons, along with the gun grab ,the libs must not be allowed to continue in Ottawa. Serre is complicit in these actions and did not serve the needs of the people he represented. Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are the only real choices in the next election. The Lib history over the last ten years demands it.

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Roel De Bruin's avatar

This article is one of the best ones you have written in a while. Thank You.

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Sam Rota's avatar

Very well said, “pretending to fight for us”. If there is a trade imbalance as Trump says there is then what did Canada do with the windfall of surplus money it made from trade? Build hospitals, lower taxes, clean water for remote Indian communities etc. etc. No we promoted immigration to Canada by establishing an immigration office in every major city in India. Lied to them as how great and how many jobs there are here. Gave new Canadians significant money we didn’t have, and had to borrow, to buy houses and to take away our kids future of ever owning a home, take their jobs, 15+ people to a household, Halal interest free forgivable loans to buy corner stores, pizza shops, gas station etc. Sending back immigrants who came post 2019 would do more for our economy than the “damage” immigration has compared to tariffs.

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Paul L's avatar

Well said - totally agree with your view. How soon we forget !

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ZEUS's avatar

Well said

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Holland Marshall's avatar

When was the last time we had politicians that had principles that never wavered through their political life?

We had some in the 20th century but I can't think of any that are in office now.

Their principles follow current public opinions like a wind sock sways as the wind blows.

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Paul L's avatar

.......and sometimes the wind sock flies in both direction at the same time !

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Bill Gingras's avatar

Where to start…..looking at the macro scale of both these situations, it is unbelievably obtuse to equate a pandemic response to a tariff war. One is a health crisis that the entire world had to combat , the other is deliberate attack on our economy. You may not like the response our government had with COVID, but despite this ‘attack on your rights’, our society was faced with a pandemic that had not happened in our lifetime, and it was prudent to be cautious in the face of the possibly high number of deaths expected during that time. Our representatives followed sound advice to mitigate the damage. Meanwhile ‘Big Bad Trump’ is exactly that. Launching an unnecessary tariff war on Canada and Mexico based on whichever excuse he uses is deliberate and designed to cripple our economy and punish us. So you are wondering why the outrage now and not before? There was outrage before, just not for the reasons you suggest are most important. During COVID the average citizen was concerned, rightfully so, about a virus that could kill you. Not all citizens were, of course. But thankfully we survived mostly because of compliance levels. But notice that those of us who WERE concerned spent our time trying to prevent all of us from contracting it, not just ourselves. Conversely, I have yet to meet a Canadian who is not pissed at tariffs being deliberately levied at Canadians while this felon uses it as a ploy to enable him to screw his own country up. Our politicians SHOULD be upset. Canada is not a toy for him to play with. I am grateful that Canadians for the most part are feeling patriotic about this instead of conflating this situation to get a kick at the pandemic response 4 years ago.

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Rejean Venne's avatar

"it was prudent to be cautious"... You realize that "cautious" meant forcing small LOCAL business owners to shut down while freely allowing US corporations like Walmart, Costco and Home Depot to sell anything they wanted.

"the average citizen was concerned, rightfully"... You mean they were "rightfully" supporting the firing of their fellow Canadians for choosing not to get a brand new medical product with many risks and clearly did not work as intended. They were rightfully supposed to hate their fellow Canadians who just wanted to maintain bodily autonomy or dared visit their loved ones against the authoritarian rules.

It doesn't help that during the pandemic insanity we were also being told to hate our own country and its history and our flag was lowered for 6 months.

Where was Team Canada then? Where was all this supposed patriotism.

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Suzanne Michaud's avatar

I was extremely surprised to read this article. Canada’s existence is under severe threat by Trump and his lackeys. The purpose of starting a tariff war is to ruin Canada and annex our country to the States. Trump is threatening our very existence and you bring back the Covid situation from 5 years ago and vaccines? Move on! Let’s get real here.

Canada is under attack and our politicians are reacting forcefully as they should. It has nothing to do with Covid and vaccines. You can’t come close to comparing the 2 situations.

Personally, with this dangerous threat, I will not vote for a political party. I will vote for the leader that can best steer our country out of this mess and protect our sovereignty. I will vote for the leader that has the skill sets,experience, background and connections to save and grow our economy and therefore, our country.

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Rejean Venne's avatar

It's very hard to get everyone on to "Team Canada" when you tell them to just forget huge injustices (supported by these very same politicians) that happened not very long ago.

If you are a small Canadian business owner who was forced by these politicians to shut down while they allowed Walmart and Costco to stay open, how can you take their "Team Canada" slogans seriously?

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

We are in far far greater danger from communist China and the WEF then we would ever be from the US! How is it that you ignore the fact that there are 4,000 fentanyl drug cartels operating in Canada, cooking up fentanyl and 99% of the chemicals used come from China. The US administration asked Trudeau to secure the borders and enforce the law. The caveat to Trump's request included 'or else'. He had to include a threat because otherwise the Liberals would continue to do what they currently are doing, 'catch release'. How is it that you did not feel threatened by communist Chinese police forces operating in every city in Canada? Or threatened by communist China influencing and buying Liberal politicians. You should feel threatened by China's 'Road and Belt Initiative' in the far North that plans to build a 700 Kilometer corridor of roads, rail, and ports! In return China wants full access to all our mineral deposits! Are you threatened by that? You should be. Communist China is now charging 100% tariff of Canadian goods. Are you threatened by that? Trump told Trudeau to secure the borders and control the drugs. What was Trudeau doing? Trudeau held a secret meeting with a Chinese drug Lord at an airport! If you want people to 'move on' and 'get real' you should try to comprehend the motives of the WEF and why the US does not want to be next door to a Chinese held territory.

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Christopher Gregory's avatar

What absolute drivel. Comparing targetted tariffs to the Covid 19 response couldn't be soaked with more personal bias and ignorant rhetoric regurgitation unless it somehow manifested physically. People can agree or disagree with tariffs or the covid responses, and may even be able to argue good points for both sides of that debate, but to compare the two is simply a public announcement of how little of either of these issues are understood by the author. There's clesrly a lot more learning to be done on these subjects as it's obvious to myself how much this is an oil and water postion to take without even being an expert on either.

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Rejean Venne's avatar

To be fair, the whole point of an "Opinion" piece is to state ones personal views.

But these comparables are very good IMO.

During the height of the pandemic absurdity, politicians were shutting down LOCAL small businesses while allowing US corporations like Walmart, Costco and Home Depot to stay open.

Where was Team Canada then?

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Christopher Gregory's avatar

You and anybody else is welcome to their opinion regardless of how far off the mark of accuracy or relevance it may be. But to think public health and safety vs international economic leverage is comparible is beyond a wild stretch. You're talking apples to oranges herr when the only similarity at all is that both issues did or could likely create some financial issues, and even then they are all very different impacts, for very different reasons and in some cases completely avoidable. So I fail to see how somebody could take that position and not be woefully ignorant or intellectually dishonest....but feel free to trust to explain using examples that are in fact comparable.

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

I think you just made my argument for me, ''.......public health and safety vs. international economic leverage....' That is precisely how the WEF, the WHO globalists of all ranks, but most especially communist China, controlled the factitious 'covid response'. The global economies took a nose dive during covid many many businesses closed, and are still closing, So, these are not apples and oranges, but instead point to intent, Communist China used the 'plandemic' and Trudeau's weak leadership to multiply fentanyl operations across Canada. 4,000 of them!

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Christopher Gregory's avatar

Sorry, but your entire reply doesn't speak to me about any of those issues in a rational way. Maybe I'm missing your point but it seems most likely that there's a pretty big disconnect in your understanding of the impact of larger pandemics, not just Coivd, and their impact on the economy. I assure you though there are people that spend most of their time studying these things, and they have figured them out and communicated about it many times over the years. They aren't the best at communicating in a way that everybody understands so I do sympathize with people that can't be bothered to listen to them and I definitely wish they had better representation for that very issue. But until then there will always be hurdles for people to overcome when it comes to the more complex and widereaching issues that impact our lives.

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

My argument does not speak to you in any 'rational way' lol. It was your own argument! Let me make it simpler: Public health and safety/ economic gain =economic control! And you think that is NOT what the Liberal party the WHO and communist China are doing? During the plandemic and now? The disconnect would not be in my understanding but in your comprehension. It is as the author wrote, hypocrisy and fraud. Four thousand fentanyl cartels operating in Canada and Trudeau takes time out to have a secret meeting with a Chinese drug King pin! Trump warned Trudeau to secure the border, ''or else''. You fail to understand that the entire intent of the plandemic was an economic reset. The US does not want a communist China proxy on its Northern Border. Do you think it serves 'health and safety to sustain communist fed fentanyl labs in Canada? To put it in a nutshell, the fake virtue signalling mask wearing mandate enforcing Canadians,{70% of us} thought that the unjabbed should be: Fined, Jailed, dismissed from employment, and moreover, if the unjabbed go to hospital they should not be treated but just left to die. That was 70% of Canadians polled thought that this was how the unjabbed should be treated. Of course political rhetoric and media propaganda just kept adding to the anxiety and paranoia, Now these same hypocrites who demeaned and denied the rights of others are now waving the Maple Leap and standing 'up to Trump' Maybe these obtuse ones should be standing up to communist China, their fentanyl labs, and the 100% tariffs they are putting on Canadian products!

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Christopher Gregory's avatar

Oooh ok. My mistake, I did understand you original post I was just giving you the benefit of the doubt that you weren't making such ridiculous claims. See this seems like just another ignorant position we run into all the time when normal people try to have open and honest discourse with the detatxhed far right. For example you made the claim of 4000 cartels operating within Canada..... the number is actually 7 and we have a task force specifically focused on addressing that threat. We also have the vast vast majority of this issue being smuggled in through the USA..... 2000% more comes from.the US than gets from Canada to the south.

Your poll references regarding the pandemic is also a complete, unfair and dishonest representation of the actual polls and their numbers so it's hard to even know where to begin on that one, but since you clearly harbor a delusional bias on the subject I'm not sure trying to explain it or defend it in any way at all would matter to somebody that after over half a decade still doesn't seem to grasp the ideas. If however you really feel I'm wrong on that I'm always open to proper discourse, however a different platform would likely be best.

China has only put 100% tariffs on our rapeseed oil, oil cakes, and peas..... that's it, and it was in retaliation for us first putting 100% tariffs on their EVs and metals. It was all expected to happen since that's how trade wars go..... all initiated by Trump I might add, because again, that's how trade wars go.

As for you claiming people's rights were taken, they weren't, and currently aren't. The same people that cry that their business shouldn't have to follow rules are the same people that also think everybody should follow their rules. This is the far right wing anthem. "I should have all the freedom I want, I clud8ng the freedom to impose myself on your freedom". That's not how society works. As the old saying goes, "your freedom ends where my nose begins". If that concept eludes someone than most likely they have some real issues to deal with.

Don't even get me started on the flag waving. You clearly backed that national embarrassment of a convoy movement. Supported by a large minority of Canada, but backed and joined up by white supremacists and other hate groups that was so incoherent they accomplished nothing other than harassment of civilians and the degradation of our national symbol. A group that was so "patriotic" that they used their own kids as a blockade at the border, yet now they all want to roll over, sell out and become the 51st state.

That's just my two cents though..... feel free to hit me up on any social media if you want to have a focused discussion or dialog on any of those issues in detail. Thinning the platform for such lengthy discourse and apply a gish gallop technique like you did above isn't the most intellectually honest way to argue a point when it comes to truth... but I am truly always open to talk and have my mind changed on any subject.👍

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Dave Lewington's avatar

The 2 are not that different as you claim. Good points have been made by other comments here explaining why.

Additionally a common point that it comes down to is whether or not a government respects individuals and understands that each individual might need to make a different choice for their own situation. That was a big problem during the covid response - In response to an outside risk or hazard (covid) governments forced a one size fits all response onto everyone whether it harmed a subset of the population or not.

When our governments respond to outside tariffs (American tariffs on Canadian goods are actually a tax on American citizens) retaliatory tariffs are yet another tax on Canadians. If the government had more respect for individual choice they would choose a more measured and rational response that would not automatically and disproportionally hurt lower income earning Canadians the most.

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Jean-Marc Guenette's avatar

I tend to disagree with the author, politicians are not perfect and in these two different matters they went with the info they had, yes Trump is not playing fair so I agree with there policies right now but it could change in the next week or months. But compering covid to this and the job our politicians did is ludicrous, here are some # 's reported till last stats were available America had 111,000,000 cases reported with 5,000 000 deaths and in Canada we had 5,000,000 cases reported and thanks to are Canadian politicians policies 60,000 deaths were recorded.Big difference with there american counterparts. Now with that said I was a PSW during those years and working 8hr shifts with N95 masks were difficult but I have no doubt that seniors were saved because of covid vaccines and masks.Not all politicians are created equal.So byer be wear.

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

No idea where you are getting these numbers but Canada did NOT go with the information they had! They paid to have information fabricated! Only the elderly and immune compromised died from the virus. Babies and children do not get the virus. Now we have turbo cancers, a massive increase in strokes and heart disease. What do you mean 'Trump is not playing fair'? Do you think it is 'fair' to Canadians or the US that Trudeau simply allow 4,000 fentanyl labs to continue to operate in Canada? Trump warned Trudeau to get control of the problem 'or else'. Trudeau did noting......well he did 2 things: He appointed an X Mountie as 'drug Czar' and had a secret meeting with a Chinese drug king pin.

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Mr.Reality's avatar

Once you realize government on your municipal level have become nothing more than mandate messengers from above or from next door. There is no leadership only redundancy and gluttony. Public figures with stolen voices filling pockets while restricting choices. Once you identify your contribution only fuels the incompetence and wasting money soon finds the freedoms rightfully reclaimed. Sometimes fixing ourselves fixes everything. I suggest more heal from the sickness they inflict.

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

Like the illness of ignorance?

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

And BTW, you, Christopher Gregory, are incorrect about the number of products China has placed tariffs on: There are over 40 Canadian products and the tariffs include fish and farm produce. Maybe if you actually READ information rather then making it up???

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

Why is it that you cannot or will not realize that the reports, including the complicity of the TD Bank, which also operates in the US, and has laundered 100's of millions of dollars for the drug organization/cartels, and, pleaded guilty to criminal activity is just the tip of a huge drug enterprise taking place in Canada, I have no idea where you get the idea that only a small percentage of organizations operate here when the RCMP MOST EMPHATICALLY stated that there are 4,000 drug organizations operating in Canada! How could you possibly have missed that report? Fentanyl that does not arrive here from China can be produced from chemical ingredients that do arrive here in shipping containers. Only 1%-2% of the shipping containers are inspected. To say that only a small percentage is moving across the border is negligence or gross ignorance, Trudeau had a secret meeting with a Chinese drug King pin back in 2019. This King pin was operating out of Vancouver but had drug connection in Mexico and South America. It did not take long for the Five Eyes Intelligence net work to come to the conclusion that Canada was a security risk and that CSIS and RCMP agents were aiding the drug organizations. Five eyes Intelligence has all but removed Canada from the network because we are considered a security risk, Being a member of Five Eyes the US knows this. They also know about Trudeau's secret meeting with Chinese drug King pin. I will not engage with you any further: Here is an opportunity for you to actually learn something instead of spewing emotional verbiage and Liberal propaganda............................................................ https://www.thebureau.news/p/exclusive-chinese-narco-suspect-caught

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

Sorry but you are way off. Even in early January the Liberal mouth piece the Toronto Star reported that 99 criminal organizations were involved in production of fentanyl in Canada. This is up by 51% over 2023, The RCMP has most definitely reported that there are 4,000 different drug organizations operating in Canada. If you think that the drug problem is not a huge crises in Canada then you had better ask yourself why the TD bank, one of the biggest banks in Canada, had to pay $3 billion and plead guilty to criminal charges in the US after laundering money for drug cartels! The TD bank transferred 100's of millions of dollars in illicit funds. The ingredients to make the fentanyl is arriving in Canada in shipping containers which are not inspected. Only around 2% of shipping containers are inspected so Canada customs is simply not catching the amount coming into the country. I am not going to bother debating with you the issues of rights and the use of the Emergency Act. You are only able to debate with emotion and opinion and know none of the facts. Here is one fact you should know but clearly don't: David Fisman was a University of Toronto professor who was awarded the research grant to come up with 'scientific proof' that the mandates worked. Fisman was on the board of directors for two of the companies that made the vaccines and he was paid by the Canadian government. Fisman fed numbers into his model that would give the government and the drug companies the results they wanted. Regina Wattell is a Phd. statistician who has proven that Fisman's work was totally fraudulent! The current modern focus on disease is the result of big Pharma, and our government, imposing authoritarian measures on an unsuspecting pubic. If the Trudeau government had stepped up to the plate and done anything at all to stop the proliferation of fentanyl the US would not have made these tariffs threats. More importantly, Trudeau and his cabinet have been accused of being complicit in the production and sale of drugs in Canada! It is amazing to me that anyone can totally ignore the facts or simple rework them into an entirely incoherent and abysmally ignorant argument.........Here is a link try to acquaint yourself with the reality of the drug crisis in Canada.........................................https://www.facebook.com/carl.russo.58/videos/1273611773700127?idorvanity=1310160906184632

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Catherine Neddow's avatar

Canadians did not 'survive due to compliance levels'. I strongly advise you to read a book called, 'Fisman's Fraud'. The idea that compliance saved us is a complete falsehood! The mandate 'science' was based on the work of one man, David Fisman, who was PAID, by the government to develop a model that would prove their position...and that is what he did. {I have included a video link} It was all a fraud. Secondly, there is no 'deliberate attack on our economy'. Steel and aluminum have been affected by the tariffs but if you recall steel workers jobs were even more negatively impacted by Trudeau giving China a $42 billion dollar steel fabrication contract. That contract could have provided a lot of Canadians with high paying jobs. Trudeau signed it off to China. The reason for the tariffs, which you disregarded is that the Trudeau government has completely ignored the volume of fentanyl being produced in Canada. Trump's warning was secure the border and fight the drugs coming and going....'or else'. The RCMP reported that there are 4,000 fentanyl cartels operating in Canada. The 4,000 fentanyl cartels are cooking fentanyl up right in Canada and so far the Canadian government has done nothing except to put repeat offenders back out on the streets! The Trump administration asked the Liberals to secure the Borders. What did Trudeau do? He appointed Kevin Brosseau, an X Mountie, who was never anything more then an office boy, as Canada's Drug Czar! The US wanted Canada's cooperation in drug sting operations, but, that isn't going to happen. There is another reason why Trump had to threaten Trudeau with the 'or else' scenario. This information proves that the Canadian government has little to no intention of doing anything about the drug cartels in Canada: One cartel from Sinaloa selling mainly cocaine and heroine profits $3 million a day in Canada! US authorities report that the Trudeau cabinet knows of this and does nothing. Also, you may want to ask yourself why Trudeau had a secret meeting with a Chinese drug Lord at an airport? Canada has been all but removed from the Five Eyes Intelligence Network because we simply cannot be trusted. Enforcement authorities and intel agents have refused to speak when Trudeau was present because, as they reported, ''he leaked information.'' If Canada wants to avoid the US threat of full on tariffs then Canada had better do more than turn a blind eye to drug cartels that have taken over our cities, And, maybe just maybe, people like you will remember that communist China is charging 100% on Canadian products!!..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Link to Fisman's Fraud..................................https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1107388524058915

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