Should Canada merge with Trump's America?

[WyattEarp]

Welcome back, Earp. I see your bullshit is flowing as freely as ever. Tonight you invent crap about the Trudeau liberals being anti American - apparently because they're "French in mind, not heart" or some shit like that. The Liberals like a good trade deal as much as the Tories.

Last time I checked, it was the assholes to the south who were threatening 25% tariffs and other bullshit. So don't blame Canada.

I never said anyone is anti-American. I simply say there is a great appeal to European Democratic Socialism. I would call it a temptation. I think Beav is around here somewhere trying to convince us that the European Union is doing great.

As far as the tariffs, let things work themselves out and see what is the result. Mexico is a truly unreliable partner and I think the U.S. is now going all-in on demanding total commitment from partners not just on trade.

 

[jalimon]

Too many sourpusses who want to separate or worse want special Federal treatment. In this fantasy annexation, the U.S. isn't making French an official language. We're certainly not calling our loaded fries poutine.

Separatist are long gone. the partie quebecois is still very popular except if they talk about separation. The 20 to 50 year old all speak English, are opened to the world and don't care about separation at all. We are long gone from 1994.

French will remain. Its so cool to speak more than one language.

Quebec, by its gigantic size, is full of natural resources. Biggest producer of electricity (via hydro) in Canada. the US would love it as we could electrify all of the east coast at a much better cost.

And besides our very open liberal values made us have the best girl in America, by far

 

[WyattEarp]

Brexit has handcuffed Keir Starmer and Errol Musk wants his liver on a stick. I don\t see him serving out his term.

Keir Starmer appears to be a statist. I'm not sure what he offers the U.K.

 

[WyattEarp]

The Brits are doomed because of Brexit. It's just taking a while.

England is collapsing economically bit by bit. It's kept afloat by the financial sector in London.

Every small niche manufacturer is hampered - if not out and out destroyed by Brexit.

Explain to me how Brexit cannot but destroy the British manufacturing sector when there are now tariffs preventing it from trading with Europe?

Explain to me what Britain got in return of any value?

I think like Beaver you're ignoring one side of the equation. You're simply presuming the EU is doing fine based on a desire for it to be so.

Britain has challenges like any economy. Britain had already lost much manufacturing to Germany due to Germany's obsessive mercantilism.

It's possible the EU could work but not as a trade and monetary union. The monetary union for it to succeed long-term needs a strong fiscal union.

 

[Skoob]

Look, you dislike Trudeau. I get it. But where do you think you can say someone is un-Canadian? I mean, we could say that a lot of things Conservatives are doing are unCanadian, like trying to choke out socialized medicine through underfunding. So, get off your high horse. You have no moral authority to call anyone who supports a Canadian Prime Minister or political party anything.

It's ironic that you're telling me I don't have the right to speak my mind and voice my opinion.

THAT is why the left is in decline.

You summed it up in two sentences.

 

[WyattEarp]

all the major economies printed money and spent excessively (except Switzerland)
all the major economies experienced run away inflation (except Switzerland)

all the major economies have fired / are firing the moron political leaders who printed money and spent excessively

go figure ?

dont hold your breath thinking the repercussions of the money printing are over
we still have a crippling debt bomb that is going to burden several generation and will likely explode

Great post. Thank you for recognizing that Switzerland a small country that by all rights should have been swamped by this so-called uncontrollable global inflation. After all, they import a lot of products.

I don't know why progressive economists tried another shot at this crazy idea that inflation wasn't caused by printing money.

PS- I think Japan has done fairly well with inflation, but they had been in a long struggle with deflation.

 

[WyattEarp]

Let's be honest...the only reason why the US would ever want to take over Canada is because of our beer. It's better.

Perhaps the guys who seem to be lost on this idea that we want Canada's water think this is how they think we will get your water....... pint by pint, six pack by six pack.

 

[WyattEarp]

Trudeau as the political leader is responsible for fiscal policy in Canada
Trudeau acted irresponsibly
so yes he is to blame

telling Canadians that people elsewhere are experiencing inflation does not help Canadians who have to choose between paying rent and buying food for their kids

Ahhh, you're making too much sense John.

These guys think that because everyone jumped off the bridge it was all okay.

 

[mandrill]

I think like Beaver you're ignoring one side of the equation. You're simply presuming the EU is doing fine based on a desire for it to be so.

Britain has challenges like any economy. Britain had already lost much manufacturing to Germany due to Germany's obsessive mercantilism.

It's possible the EU could work but not as a trade and monetary union. The monetary union for it to succeed long-term needs a strong fiscal union.

Earp, it makes no sense for a nation to unilaterally withdraw from ALL its trade and tariff deals. Explain how this could not be so???

And if the EU is collapsing and dragging its membership down in a way you never explain, why is no one else leaving the EU?

Brexit and every other kind of "-exit" was explained as a political act of regaining border control, not as a coherent plan for obtaining an economic advantage. To the extent there was an "economic" argument, it was a chimp-brained reference to the era of Queen Victoria when Britain ruled world commerce - apparently just be being British. (Of course, all the arguments were horseshit.)

 

[escortsxxx]

Separatist are long gone. the partie quebecois is still very popular except if they talk about separation. The 20 to 50 year old all speak English, are opened to the world and don't care about separation at all. We are long gone from 1994.

French will remain. Its so cool to speak more than one language.

Quebec, by its gigantic size, is full of natural resources. Biggest producer of electricity (via hydro) in Canada. the US would love it as we could electrify all of the east coast at a much better cost.

And besides our very open liberal values made us have the best girl in America, by far

I grant that it's possible. We don't hear talk about Catholics and protestants anymore. That's disappeared In our history books.
What go back has used separation as a political tool For a long time. They don't use it when things go well... But I think separation as a movement is just 1Bad economic term Away. A trump style leader Singing separation In response to a government that Prices prices for universities, Ends the pension plan, And privatizes healthcare... Yeah It'll come back.

 

[mandrill]

Too many sourpusses who want to separate or worse want special Federal treatment. In this fantasy annexation, the U.S. isn't making French an official language. We're certainly not calling our loaded fries poutine.

What about every time Texas rants about leaving the Union or wacko far right sites talk about "civil war" between the blue and red states??

Canada's immigration system might not be working.

In what sense?

It's doing just fine in its intended function of continually replenishing the under 40 years old work force.

There are issues with excessive demand for housing and housing price spiral. These are the same successes and failures as other countries with the same immigration strategy are experiencing - i.e. New Zealand and Australia. But those issues are also connected with an inflationary psychology re housing in general and failure of the provincial governments to stimulate housing starts.

The Toronto Sun continually stokes the racist feeding frenzy that a certain segment of the population has about non whites existing in our society - as with your rightie buddies on the board. But this is political horseshittery. When PeePee gets elected - as will likely happen - he will continue exactly the same immigration policy as Justin. The Toronto Sun simply won't run continual hit pieces blaming the Tories for black and brown people doing crime until before the next election. And at that point, they will suddenly start to write about how Canada needs the Tories to "crack down" on immigration. And then - if the Tories are re elected - the hit pieces will suddenly stop again until just before the next election. And Ottawa will continue exactly the same immigration policies as before.

Immigration is the biggest con game in the rightie political arsenal.

 

[WyattEarp]

Earp, it makes no sense for a nation to unilaterally withdraw from ALL its trade and tariff deals. Explain how this could not be so???

And if the EU is collapsing and dragging its membership down in a way you never explain, why is no one else leaving the EU?

Brexit and every other kind of "-exit" was explained as a political act of regaining border control, not as a coherent plan for obtaining an economic advantage. To the extent there was an "economic" argument, it was a chimp-brained reference to the era of Queen Victoria when Britain ruled world commerce - apparently just be being British. (Of course, all the arguments were horseshit.)

I don't want to have a long, complicated economic discussion on European economics.

You haven't made any case that the EU is doing great. The Brits are fucked is a politically-motivated declaration that has yet to be proven out on paper. I think the biggest problem the Brits have had was the Conservative party lost its dynamism and offered sluggish responses.

Now Starmer gets his turn. He however has that trump card that if his policies don't work he can always blame Brexit.

 

[mandrill]

I don't want to have a long, complicated economic discussion on European economics.

That's convenient for you, isn't it?

You haven't made any case that the EU is doing great. The Brits are fucked is a politically-motivated declaration that has yet to be proven out on paper. I think the biggest problem the Brits have had was the Conservative party lost its dynamism and offered sluggish responses.

I don't have to. I can rely on the argument that tariff and trade agreements are universally regarded as desirable - aside from yourself, it would seem.

If the EU has ups and downs, that still doesn't undermine the basic value of trade deals. Otherwise, why would anyone bother?

 

[WyattEarp]

What about every time Texas rants about leaving the Union or wacko far right sites talk about "civil war" between the blue and red states??

Are you talking about Parti Téxascois?

People in California joke around about leaving the Union and the rest of us joke that it will separate from the Union by way of an earthquake.
Don't be attracted to every headline like a shiny object.

 

[mandrill]

Are you talking about Parti Téxascois?

People in California joke around about leaving the Union and the rest of us joke that it will separate from the Union by way of an earthquake.
Don't be attracted to every headline like a shiny object.

Goes for you as well, Earp.

 

[WyattEarp]

I don't have to. I can rely on the argument that tariff and trade agreements are universally regarded as desirable - aside from yourself, it would seem.

If the EU has ups and downs, that still doesn't undermine the basic value of trade deals. Otherwise, why would anyone bother?

That's convenient for you, isn't it?

You don't have to make an empirical case that the Europe Union is doing better than the UK. You can simply say "universally regarded" and some other feel-good declarations.

The "Ups and downs" by the way are not structural problems in Europe.

 

[WyattEarp]

That's convenient for you, isn't it?

I don't have to. I can rely on the argument that tariff and trade agreements are universally regarded as desirable - aside from yourself, it would seem.

If the EU has ups and downs, that still doesn't undermine the basic value of trade deals. Otherwise, why would anyone bother?

Are you paying attention? I already noted Germany is a mercantilist monster. Germany's economy depends on 47% of GDP coming from exports. Since the introduction of the Euro, much of Western Europe has deindustrialized. When facing a mercantilist behemoh in your backyard, a flexible currency would have given a country some degree of defense. The economies of Spaina and Italy have turned hard to tourism but that has run into limits and local resistance.

Enough economics for you. Please don't tell us about some universal declaration that economists believe the EU and Euro are a success. The reality is they don't all believe that. The Financial Times routinely has some commentary that disputes this belief. Der Spiegel might have more support for what you are seeking. In any event, there are varying perspectives.

Note: Mercantilism is an economic system that aims to increase a country's wealth and power by limiting imports and promoting exports. The goal is to achieve a favorable balance of trade, which means the country exports more than it imports.

PS- Even some European leaders have bemoaned falling behind the U.S. economically the last twenty years. I don't know how describe that merely as "ups and downs".

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

Since the introduction of the Euro, much of Western Europe has deindustrialized.

Deindustrialization is not exactly a bad thing.
High income economies deindustrialize and shift focus to services as they grow.
It is a natural transition.

 

[WyattEarp]

Here's an interesting chart that displays the growth of Germany's export machine as a % of GDP. You can see what happens as the Euro is introduced. These huge experts relative to the economy have caused trade imbalances within Europe and with the World. Chronic trade imbalances cause instability. I can't think of any economists who think this is healthy and sustainable.

 

[WyattEarp]

Deindustrialization is not exactly a bad thing.
High income economies deindustrialize and shift focus to services as they grow.
It is a natural transition.

Good point. Too bad a cruise ship can't park near your home town and dump a couple thousand tourists off for the day.