20 Comments
User's avatar
Christopher Warren Gardner's avatar

This election is disconcerting for many reasons. I’m no geopolitical expert here, but what concerns me is the continued leftward lurch of Canada over the last many decades, and really what that could eventually mean to our own U.S. national security.

Perhaps I’m connecting too many dots here, but analogously to the Russian invasion of Ukraine largely the result of a pervasive threat of NATO expansion, is it so far-fetched to imagine a scenario where an ever-Marxist Canada cozies up to the China Belt and Road initiative (effectively a CCP military Trojan Horse) that would become unacceptable to the U.S. such that we might be forced into military action?

Again, maybe just me, but I don’t find that scenario so far-fetched at all.

Expand full comment
Shy Boy's avatar

Not just you... but I'm not at all eager for that scenario, or the obvious false-flag versions of it that would arise from ramped-up US geopolitical aggression.

https://www.rt.com/news/616461-trump-runs-whole-world/

Expand full comment
Mark Marshall's avatar

Yes, Canada annexation was a bad idea. I’m much more interested in building a wall at the northern border at this point.

Expand full comment
Thomas from Iowa's avatar

Last time I went to Canada in 2020 driving into British Columbia the border guards grilled me. They just couldn’t seem to accept that I flew from Iowa to Seattle for the weekend and I was just going to Vancouver for lunch. The last question, “are you carrying any weapons?” was especially serious, so I answered: “you mean my AR-15, my SIG .45, my 870 tactical shotgun? I left them at home since I couldn’t take them on the plane.” After a long icy stare, they thoroughly searched the rental car. Flippancy not appreciated, lol.

Expand full comment
Mark Marshall's avatar

Way back in 2006 or so, I went to Victoria via the ferry from Port Angeles, WA. I was very polite. (I don't remember their questions.) But they searched my vehicle for about 45 minutes. Afterward I wondered what that was about. Then I added it up: Pick-up truck with Texas plates. They were hoping to find a gun.

Expand full comment
Shy Boy's avatar

What makes you so sure annexation (i.e. invasion and occupation) would involve immediately granting voting rights to the subjugated population? It doesn't generally work like that, historically.

But, yeah, don't take the Don too literally. He's a great dissembler.

Expand full comment
Mark Marshall's avatar

Who is talking about invasion and occupation? I bet in a very few years, Alberta will want to join the U. S.

Expand full comment
Alina Mastan's avatar

Canadians showed their true colors when their truckers fought for the whole world against vaccine mandates

Expand full comment
Antonia Shusta's avatar

Yikes! I had no idea the Canucks were so far gone left!

Expand full comment
Pat's avatar

I don't know why Trump would want to make Canada a US state when the populace is even more progressive than our left coasters. It's hard enough for conservatives to win elections beyond the margin of fraud in the US, so why make it even harder by adding 40 million people suffering near fatal TDS? One CA is enough. But maybe the US can make Canada a US territory like Guam. At least Canada won't tip over.

Expand full comment
elizabeth nickson's avatar

Very very nice.

Expand full comment
Shy Boy's avatar

Thrice posted, twice "very"? Wow!

Looking forward to your own analysis.

Expand full comment
Marilyn F's avatar

With all due respect, please don’t say “I told you so.” It’s more effective if we learn about your correct bits on our own.

Expand full comment
elizabeth nickson's avatar

Very very nice.

Expand full comment
elizabeth nickson's avatar

Very very nice.

Expand full comment
Jay McIntyre's avatar

Yeah, I blame this purely on Poilievre, whom I consider to be the Canadian Mitt Romney.

That said, the argument exists that Trump interfered to try to annex Alberta and Saskatchewan. Surely he would recognize the very problems you raise?

Also, when do we get to find out exactly why you're jumping ship on social media?

Expand full comment
Kvan's avatar

Annex Alberta, or trade Alberta for Seattle :)

Expand full comment
David's avatar

FWIW yours is the very first commentary--or even news!--I've seen of the Canadian federal elections. And to be honest, my reaction is, "If an election is held in the forest and nobody notices, does it make a difference?"

Or to borrow one of my favorite "Mad Men" memes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlOSdRMSG_k

In this context it's amusing to note how "Canada" is dressed compared to "America."

Expand full comment
Shy Boy's avatar

Ms Nickson's recent piece has some useful information, if you ever find that you're at all curious about that part of the British Empire on the other side of the largest border of your own country... or even just its natural resources.

https://elizabethnickson.substack.com/p/trumps-global-reset-or-looming-dystopia

Expand full comment
David's avatar

Thanks. In fact I know a fair amount about Canada, for a somewhat bizarre reason.

I grew up in Belgium, which as you may know is--like Canada--an officially-bilingual country (technically trilingual, but there's so few germanophones they're hardly worth mentioning).

Like Canada, Belgium has been struggling for a long time--in Belgium's case, since WW1--with the issue of what was then a population evenly divided between French and Flemish-speakers, but the commanding heights of which were overwhelmingly dominated by francophones.

Nowadays, owing to economic and demographic factors, the shoe is on the other foot, but many problems remain.

So I've been aware of the perils of multilingual states since I was a child (in the 1960s) and of course, am therefore most interested in what Canada's been up to in that department.

Expand full comment