Good morning Beloved Sentients! Happy Canada Day! Just got off the phone with my favourite American, FreakedOut. We had a nice chat while I was sitting having my coffee in the sunshine out on our Malahat deck. FreakedOut is keeping me sane about Trump. Knowing that all Americans aren’t so hateful and vindictive as Trump keeps me balanced and my blood pressure down.
Today is a gorgeous summer day. The temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius already at 11:00 am. Should go up to mid 20’s at least by afternoon. The family is coming up and my son is going to assemble the basketball hoop I bought for the girls to practice on. We’re going to have BBQ chicken and potato salad for supper. Here’s a photo of a sign I made for my back deck. I bought the ‘Winter Cabin’ sign last Christmas at Canada Tire Store and wanted to make a summer sign. Then I flipped the Winter sign around and re-discovered that it was exactly the same on the back–but in French! Oh the joys of living in Canada where French is an official language. So, I just painted over the French writing with English and fashioned a ‘Summer Cabin’ theme instead of the winter. Voila!
The part on the sign that says “Rentals” is a joke…it is actually against the community bylaws to rent out our cabins…but just a reminder to my family that “somebody” is paying for this little Pied-à-terre.
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UPDATE: June 30, 2025 2:22 p.m. RT posted an article today about the latest twist in the never-ending saga of Trump/Canada relations here:
https://www.rt.com/business/620789-canada-drops-digital-tax-trump/
Here is my comment to that report:
“I believe RT made an error when it claimed that Mexico is the US’s biggest trading partner. When you factor in oil and Potash [fertilizer] exports to the US Canada is by far the US’s biggest trading partner, or I should say «was». Tourism was huge in terms of exchange between the countries but Trump blew that multibillion dollar industry sky high with his relentless threats, insults and bullying of Canada.
Former Canadian Prime Ministers used to equate being neighbours with the US as ‘a mouse trying to sleep with an elephant’ but now the relationship is the stereotypical domestic abuse situation where the terrified wife never knows when she will be punched in the face. Nothing she does is right and the goalposts of behaviour are constantly moved. This acquiescence by Carney will not stop Trump’s abuse of Canada because it is was never about: Fentanyl and the Border; supply management (the dairy TRQ’s); automobiles; lumber; banks; steel and aluminum—and now our tax system. It was always about our massive territory—and how Trump the real estate developer wants to get his greedy paws on it pennies for the dollar—same as what he wants to do to Greenland [Denmark]. Oh yes, and he wants to surround Russia from the north–and plan another attack like the proxy attack on Russia via NATO which was fomented during much of his first term [although now he pretends he had nothing to do with it].
Trump hates Canada and he hates Russia—don’t ever believe his non-stop lies. I do not agree with Carney’s views on Russia, Ukraine or Iran—and have told him so personally several times by tagging him on X with my comments on those topics. Why leaders have these illogical blind spots we’ll never know but we sure pay the price for them. Canadians and Americans, formerly trusted friends, now hate each other—thanks to Trump.”
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Original Post
Now, on to the subject of today’s post–Canada–My home and native land. Below are a complilation of comments I recently made on X about the Trumpian attacks on Canadian sovereignty as well as a brief essay written by another commenter on X. First something I said on X a day or so ago:
“Last January, with Trump’s threats against Canada, the United States launched what is likely the largest psychological operation since the Cold War. The CIA/CSIS/USSD seem to have based this entire effort to subvert Canada on AI internet trolls and bots. There are hundreds of thousands of them all over the internet trying to demoralize Canadians into thinking that our nation [the richest in terms of natural resources in the world] is a worthless deadbeat and should just give everything away to the US to become like Puerto Rico. It is an amazing campaign and this poster is likely part of it.
Canada holds $365.7 bn in American T-Bill debt and could call it anytime.
Another thing is suggest on X a day or so ago was that Canada should start charging rent for the 100 or so military bases that Canada allows the American military to use free of charge. Doing a bit of research I was astounded to learn that the United States pays little countries in the middle east such as Qatar and Kuwait hundreds of billions of dollars A YEAR to rent territory for military bases…but Canada gets nary a cent. Yet Trump says we get our military defense for free from the US. Since Trump is now threatening again to force Canada to be part of some useless “Iron Dome” system in Canada’s far north, at a recently increased price mind you, in spite of the fact that Israel’s Iron Dome was a colossal failure during the recent USrael/Iran 12 day war considering charging rent for Cdn bases should be considered.
Having the US in Canada’s far north is not, my fellow Canadians, a strategy for defense…but a very high risk exposure to attack/occupation given the threats from the current occupant of the White House.
The debate of whether the US subsidizes Canada or Canada subsidizes the US rages on on the Internet. Here are some more details from a recent post I saw on X in response to Trump’s recently repeated statement that “Canada just doesn’t have the cards to be a sovereign nation.”:
Texas refineries are built for a grade of oil that comes from either Venezuela or Canada. America’s nutrient stripped farmland would be a dust-bowl without Canadian potash. They just don’t have the cards.
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Finally, a poster who calls himself Richard B on X posted the following yesterday–before Prime Minister Carney walked back Canada’s intended tax levy on media that trump had suddenly and peremptorily shut down trade negotiations over:
“Happy Canada Day! The Case of DJT and Economic Oppression of Canada
Friday he announced that trade talks with Canada had ended. Lets review the true history of tantrums since January.
- 1st it was Fentanyl and the Border
- then supply management (the dairy TRQ’s)
- then automobiles
- then lumber
- then banks
- then steel and aluminum
- now our tax system.
He has developed a complete utter nonsense script to live by. He claims Canada hasn’t got anything the USA needs. He claims the USA subsidizes Canada. He claims that without the USA Canada wouldn’t exist. He claims that Canada cheats on the USMCA. He claims we are a very tough country to deal with. He claims that Canada would be better off as the 51st State.
This is how an asshole loves somebody else. Trump is no friend to Canada.
Canada has addressed legitimate concerns with action. But the goalposts keep moving. We aren’t afraid of Donald Trump or losing unprofitable business. Profit isn’t exclusive to the USA. We won’t be bullied by Donald Trump. It’s not the USA that we are standing up to. It’s Trump. We don’t take kindly to threats of harm, extortion, blackmail, mob boss protection rackets (access fees that Stephen Miller announced), fraud and economic oppression and abuse of power.
We will never be the 51st State. Never. Trump needs to quit with the rhetoric and deceitful lies like the Golden Dome participation will be 60 Billion, then a week later 70 Billion. We don’t need your Golden Dome anymore than Mexico needed the wall and we aren’t paying for it. We’ll pay a legitimate share if its in our National Security interests. We question the need as NORAD simply needs much less costly upgrades. Israel’s Iron Dome hasn’t proved impenetrable.
Canada will survive and thrive going forward. With or without Donald Trump’s approval. If his ego can’t handle a shit kicking he shouldn’t be in the White House. He is a huge liability to the USA. Huge.
Canada has an economy without the USA of over 2 Trillion dollars a year. We won’t collapse if you stop buying Canadian products because Trump taxes you too much. Sure it might seem small compared to the USA economy. Good for America. But don’t think that we are a pushover in business — -we aren’t. Just like your business people aren’t stupid, neither are ours.
US multinationals have been operating successfully, profitably, in Canada for many decades. Some of those companies, since the dot com bust, have been getting away with not paying any taxes in Canada. We get taxed if we operate businesses in the USA.
We value our business with American consumers and US businesses and associates. That shouldn’t be questioned by them. We will do whatever we can to keep that business alive and it’s a two way street. We have a resilient auto industry. We have domestic demand of close to 2 million vehicles a year. If Ford and GM need to adapt to capture that market share by building more models in Canada, great. Retool.
It seems to me that auto factories can be profitable at 30,000 vehicles a year. If Ford and GM don’t want the business in Canada because of fear over Donald Trump, other companies from around the world will be welcomed and probably happy to be here. BYD and other companies EV and hydrogen models for the future will be built here.
It’s a huge future business. Replacing 100 million production units a year globally to meet the future makes sound economic sense. 15 years to replace the existing global fleet of cars and light trucks. That’s in part why 2050 became a net zero goal, beginning with the EV mandate in 2035. 15 years to change the world.
And for the naysayers over EV’s. They get better and cheaper with each passing year as the manufacturers learn more. EV batteries will be lighter, recharge in less than 10 minutes and have a life of 100,000 charge cycles. The technology exists today. No lithium. Developed in Germany. Not the USA. If it comes to scale soon the 2035 EV mandate in Canada and California is a no brainer. And Hydrogen has huge upsides as well. The new engines by BMW, Toyota and others are amazing. We could be needing factories in Canada to build those engines.
The first adopter syndrome is somewhat relevant still on EV’s. Let me remind you that tv’s were originally black and white and cost a small fortune back in 1950. 50″ flat screens started out at $5–6000. and now you can buy an HDTV 50″ for less than $500. EV’s are going through those same phases.
The grid. It needs upgrading and we need more electricity all the time. Nuclear maybe the best answer forward to meet supply needs. Especially true in harsh climates. Saudi Arabia has massive solar fields. What does that tell you about the future of oil?
DJT is taking you backwards with his big beautiful bill and his economic oppression of other countries, especially close allies like Canada. He prefers Russian business. According to a post he made this weekend, he indicated to Russia directly that big news on June 30, perfect day to buy. He’s telling your long time enemy to raid your companies. He should be impeached instantly for that. Who the hell is DJT working for? Its not you.
If you need an understanding of “economic oppression” read corporate business laws that protect shareholders from oppression. In this case DJT is personally responsible in making the USA an oppressor. It’s unfair and uncalled for. We won’t be back to the table until that changes. We’ll be busy finding new markets and making new products.
Happy Canada Day!“
Richard B
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Greencrow continues: I agree with everything Richard B says except his belief that electrical energy is the future and will replace fossil fuels. I don’t see that happening and why should it? The Greenhouse gas myth is a hoax and humanity has discovered that oil is a renewable resource that is regenerated deep in the layers of the earth and can be extracted forever with deep drilling. That’s my POV but, other than that, I think Richard B’s right on. Canada is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources. The United States hubristically thinks Canadians are such bohunks that we’ll just be conned into giving up our heritage for nothing–to be part of their nation, which they look at with rose-coloured glasses. Meanwhile the world sees a bankrupt warmongering puppet controlled by the Khazars who are now in the process of normaliZing genocide in Palestine.
Real Canadians look with abject horror at the idea of becoming a Puerto Rico-style hind rump of that regime. The longer I am on X and see the thousands of 51st State bots and trolls that have infested all discussion about Canada since last January, the more I think this is indeed one of the greatest psychological operations pulled off by the CIA/USSD since the beginning of the Cold War. And it’s all conducted online via AI and bot farms. Real Canadians do not think this way. The people of USrael are so smug, arrogant and superior they really thought that Canadians would jump at the chance to be the 51st state. They thought they could take us over without a shot being fired…just a horde of “influencers” set loose on platforms like X dinning Canadians relentlessly with the idea that we’re a bunch of losers, economically beholden to the US and living in a country not even worth defending! I think real Canadians have finally disabused them of that notion, thank heaven…now all we have to do is shut Trump up–once and for all!
In conclusion, I want to share another photo from our cabin…this one of our living room with the new little cabinet built by my husband to store our antique collection of LP’s from the 60’s and 70’s. LOL we’ve had these records in a box for years and have little interest in listening to them but my oldest son loves Classic Rock and bought us a turntable to play them for Christmas last year. Still, we had no room for the stereo record player or the records themselves in our tiny living room. So I designed and my husband built a tiny cabinet, especially for our collection, out of left-over wood. We painted it black and now it sits in our living room beside the easy chair. There are even earphones for private listening. Now all we have to do is get around to sitting and listening to music from Joe Cocker, Simon and Garfunkel, The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Peter, Paul and Mary…amongst many others. But neither of us has done it yet…It’s amazing how busy we are, even though retired.
Stereo bench beside chair and designed to complement other little table with stuffed fox beside it, Top of table can be removed to access record player underneath. My husband designed the cabinet so it can be taken apart for moving…no glue was used just screws.
Have a Happy Canada Day everyone and also hope everyone has a restful and rejuvenating summer. Stay tuned.
Greencrow as the crow flies 