Trump wants Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal

[Dr Strangelove]

[Dr Strangelove]

Trump just posted about Canada, for the first time today

"I am hereby directing the GSA, working with the USTR, to take all necessary steps to REMOVE Canadian-origin products from GSA’s Multiple Award Schedules unless Canada restores full and fair reciprocity for American Farmers and Companies. Those schedules account for more than 50 BILLION DOLLARS a year."

[Dr Strangelove]

Retaliatory Tariffs: Canada has begun imposing 15% to 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion worth of U.S. goods in response to previous U.S. duties (0:00-0:15).
Attacks on Canadian Industry: Trump has publicly targeted the Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier, claiming falsely that the company's products are poor and that Canada blocks U.S. businesses (0:45-2:04). The video notes this is largely performative bullying to signal dominance (2:55-3:05).
Perversion of the Monroe Doctrine: The video contends that Trump's foreign policy aims to exercise unimpeded control over the Western Hemisphere, viewing access to energy and critical minerals as a matter of U.S. national security rather than fair trade (6:48-7:25).
Canadian Resilience: Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, Canada is described as remaining steadfast against these pressures, seeking to reduce its dependency on the U.S. market while maintaining a professional approach to diplomacy (9:20-10:20).
Failed Trade Deals: The video argues that recent trade negotiations were doomed because the U.S. demanded concessions that served as a demonstration of power rather than mutual interest (10:36-11:15).
Looking ahead:
While investor interest in Canada remains stable (13:13-13:38), the video suggests that Trump will likely continue to seek ways to pressure Canada, hoping to break the nation's resolve. The creator suggests that potential U.S. midterm election results could provide necessary pushback to reign in these policies (14:53-15:16).

[Dr Strangelove]

This video from CBC News covers the escalating trade conflict between Canada and the United States. Key events discussed include:
Retaliatory Tariffs: Canada implemented counter-tariffs against the United States (0:00-0:03), marking a new low in the trade relationship.
New Threats: US President Donald Trump announced on social media his intention to direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to remove Canadian products from American government procurement contracts (0:20-0:46, 15:10-15:20).
Negotiation Challenges: Former Canadian ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, explains that negotiations stalled because the proposals on the table were deemed "uneconomic" and threatened the viability of key Canadian industries like steel, auto manufacturing, and lumber (7:39-8:12, 11:28-11:45).
Resilience Strategy: Hillman emphasizes that despite the current tensions, the focus should be on long-term economic resilience rather than short-term reactions (19:08-19:33).
While market observers are concerned about the potential for further escalation—such as a formal exit from the KUSMA/USMCA trade deal—experts note that such actions are complex and involve significant congressional hurdleshttps://youtu.be/lzhDAkKMONE?si=Rx9B0bAAm8bR1UdU

[Dr Strangelove]

This video from CBC News covers the escalating trade conflict between Canada and the United States. Key events discussed include:
Retaliatory Tariffs: Canada implemented counter-tariffs against the United States (0:00-0:03), marking a new low in the trade relationship.
New Threats: US President Donald Trump announced on social media his intention to direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to remove Canadian products from American government procurement contracts (0:20-0:46, 15:10-15:20).
Negotiation Challenges: Former Canadian ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, explains that negotiations stalled because the proposals on the table were deemed "uneconomic" and threatened the viability of key Canadian industries like steel, auto manufacturing, and lumber (7:39-8:12, 11:28-11:45).
Resilience Strategy: Hillman emphasizes that despite the current tensions, the focus should be on long-term economic resilience rather than short-term reactions (19:08-19:33).
While market observers are concerned about the potential for further escalation—such as a formal exit from the KUSMA/USMCA trade deal—experts note that such actions are complex and involve significant congressional hurdles

[Dr Strangelove]

Economic Disparity: The U.S. economy is at least 13 times larger than Canada's (1:08 - 1:16). Canada is highly dependent on the U.S. for trade, with over 71% of its goods exports going south, whereas only 15% of total U.S. goods exports head to Canada (1:58 - 2:33).
The Strategy of Retaliation: Canada's response to tariffs isn't about winning a conventional fight, but rather inflicting targeted pain on specific American constituencies to create political pressure on the Trump administration (4:04 - 6:00). Examples include the strategic withdrawal of Kentucky bourbon and targeting specific industrial components like flanged casing heads (4:42 - 6:10).
Long-Term Goals: The core of the conflict is a disagreement over U.S. demands that Canada views as coercive (7:00 - 8:15). Canada's goal is to resist these demands and ensure economic independence, while navigating the current volatility to avoid future vulnerabilities (8:15 - 9:15).

[Dr Strangelove]

N.B. premier directing public institutions to stop buying American amid trade war
Public-sector ban on U.S. goods/services for contracts over $5 million, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
This covers ~90% of Service New Brunswick’s procurement.

Mandatory supply‑chain review across all public entities — municipalities, Crown corporations, ministries, school districts — to replace U.S. products with Canadian ones wherever possible.

Buy‑local push: Holt urged New Brunswickers to choose provincial or Canadian products whenever possible.

[Dr Strangelove]

The Walrus piece argues Canada can't out-power the US economy — so it should win by not losing: make the fight so costly and prolonged that Americans decide it isn't worth it [Thewalrus]. The author draws on Sun Tzu and the histories of Vietnam, Afghanistan, Algeria, and the American Revolution, where smaller powers wore down stronger ones by denying them an easy, expected victory [Thewalrus].

Applied to today: PM Mark Carney framed the situation bluntly — "We got attacked" — after ending intensive talks to avert fresh American tariffs, pledging a dollar-for-dollar response to the 50% US tariff [Thewalrus][Thewalrus]. If leaked negotiation details are accurate, the deeper US aim is to "vassalize" Canada — stripping industries and forcing raw-material exports under Washington's terms — which the author says puts independence genuinely on the line [Thewalrus].

The first exploitable US weakness the article identifies: a country deeply divided internally — ideologically, regionally, racially, economically [Thewalrus]. A companion piece highlights potash as a specific Canadian lever [Thewalrus].

[Dr Strangelove]

Unplug America