Election

I had a feeling when Donald Trump was elected for a second term, things would not be like the first and he may use the office of president for retribution of those who went after him in criminal cases. Being a Canadian, American politics doesn’t affect myself as much as it affects those, I know who live in the United States. For many years, Canada has been a dominant trading partner with the United States, and we depend on each other for goods and services that may be unique or in abundance in our countries.

Tariffs

When it was announced that tariffs would be implemented, it caused concern for most Canadians, as most were unsure what to expect. Most like me, didn’t understand what the tariffs were to accomplish and why it was so important to Donald Trump that there is a trade balance with all countries. It makes no sense that all trade must equal out at the end of the day. When I watched on Liberation Day the tariffs being implemented on other countries due trade imbalances, I was left scratching my head trying to figure out the math, as well as wondering why it mattered. If you are buying goods from a much smaller country with a fraction of the population, how can one expect that country to buy the same value of goods from the country they are exporting to. We live in a world of global trade where countries buy goods from other countries that have products they cannot produce or produce at a competitive price. I’m not a politician or an economist, but much of what I have seen regarding the implementation of tariffs has made little if any sense.

Where's The Money

Let's Make A Deal

And then there are the claims of the amount of money tariffs are bringing in. For the last few weeks, we heard that the number was $17 trillion, and recently that number went up to $20 trillion. Apparently, this number is comprised of investments made to put businesses into the United States and create jobs. I have seen Donald Trump talk about a few businesses that were talking about investing in the United States and possibly setting up businesses as it will keep them from paying tariffs. It’s hard for me to understand how these businesses using American labor and factories will be competitive with other countries who are already established and creating those goods at much lower costs. Who is going to buy these goods if they are much more expensive that those already being created elsewhere?

Farmers Suffering

Recently, there have been stories on the news about American farmers being unable to see their product outside of the United States. China, which previously had been buying soybeans from the United States, has now chosen to buy soybeans from other countries as they have no intention of paying the tariffs that the United States has imposed on them. Here in Canada, citizens have been boycotting American goods for some time. In the province of Ontario where I live, there is no longer any American liquor on the shelves of our liquor stores. After Canadians starting boycotting American products, other countries began doing the same. I happen to like having a drink of Jack Daniels whisky occasionally, but there are other options available with many Canadian brands we can drink. Canadians have also chosen to boycott travel to the United States. Trips to Las Vegas are down considerably with many businesses in that city having a hard time staying afloat. I know people who winter in Florida who have no intention of going back until things are much better in the United States. There have been several Canadians detained by ICE in the United States under the assumption they are illegal immigrants, despite having paperwork and passports showing otherwise. The possibility alone of being detained by ICE is keeping many Canadians away as the risk is just too high.

No Kings Protests

This past weekend there was the “No Kings” protest which drew approximately 7 million people across all 50 states. The president in response to the demonstrations, labelled the event as anti-American and stated that those participating were lunatics from the left and didn’t represent the America he knows. He posted an AI video of himself wearing a crown flying a fighter jet and dropping sludge on the demonstrators. Of course, these AI videos have become a common theme with Donald Trump, and you often see these videos make it to news sources on YouTube and other social media platforms. I did for some time have an account on Truth Social but removed the app from my devices as the content posted by the president and other American politicians was just so childish and often, in my view, was meant to incite violence. I don’t know if other presidents have spoken about hating their opponents or that they wish them nothing good, but I have seen it coming from Donald Trump, and at a remembrance for Charlie Kirk.

Not So Presidential

I have lived through several presidents, and I don’t recall any that hated their opponents or spewed the language heard from Donald Trump. I have always expected politicians to speak a certain way and act accordingly when in front of the cameras or those that elected them. I don’t follow politics much, and I don’t vote by party, but rather by the person I think will do best for the riding or district I live in. In Canada we have a multiple party system and there is talk when a certain politician does things that don’t go over well with the citizens, but often, that talk is limited to that person and not the party. Policies may come into the conversation with respect to political parties, but for the most part, Canadians don’t take politics as personal as many Americans. Reading some of the things said about Democrats by Republicans on social media can be very disturbing. No doubt, many of these comments come from those who take their politics extremely personally.

What Happened to Common Sense

I think what has me wondering the most, is why there are those who see what is going on and refuse to apply common sense. They see prices rising and jobs going away, yet they think this is normal and that things will get better soon. They don’t research what is happening with their economies or with trade and just stay focused on a few social media accounts for their information. Or there are those who don’t care that things are happening to others that are costing them their jobs or that they are losing their homes because they can’t pay for their medical bills, because it will never happen to them, until it does. By the time they open their eyes to see what is happening around them, it’s too late and they aren’t going back. It’s extremely difficult to not see what’s going on south of the border for Canadians and like many, I am wondering why it has come to this. It’s clear that Donald Trump hasn’t changed over the years, and he still thinks he’s the best at everything. He claims the United States is the hottest country on the planet, yet nobody wants to go there. He removed the people that create the numbers that show inflation and other statistical data for a reason. If the numbers are that great, why remove the people that create them? People can see every time they go for groceries that inflation is real and going up quickly. The same with the Epstein files, if they are a hoax, then release them so that others can see the same. Why keep them hidden and the protect those who may be in them from being held accountable. It is said that Epstein was trafficking women all over the world and we already know that there was a royal prince involved, and no doubt many other high-profile people from different countries and occupations. If there are Canadians on the list, I want them held accountable and anyone else who may have committed crimes against minors or any women that were illegally trafficked to be used by sick people who believe they are above the law.

The Slope is Getting Steeper

American politics is sinking down a steep slope quicker by the day. I feel bad for those Americans I know and have worked with over the years having to deal with what they are currently. Not knowing if they will be able to afford health insurance, which is something we here in Canada don’t think of as we have universal health care. We may pay a little more in taxes than Americans, but I very much doubt it adds up to what many pay monthly for health insurance. We don’t have to worry about being able to pay for our medicines either as there are programs in place for those who need to spend more than a small percentage of their incomes.

Civil War May Happen

Let’s hope that things change soon in American politics and things return to some semblance or normality. If things keep going the way they are, I can see a civil war breaking out in the United States and possibly a world war if the current political climate globally doesn’t improve.

GP Joa