The sombre mien—that’s what stayed with me. On Saturday, Mark Carney looked less like a prime minister briefing media on trade negotiations than a wartime leader telling his country a feared turn had finally arrived and preparing them for a long ordeal. The intense, all-out effort to stop crushing new tariffs had failed, with Carney grimly explaining that the United States insists on “short-term transactions” rather than “long-term partnerships” and that its commitments could no longer be assumed to hold.

American demands reportedly went well beyond tariffs, market access, and sectoral protections. They targeted Canada’s freedom to set domestic cultural policy, interpret agreements it had already signed, and conduct trade relations with third countries. The loss of our sovereignty was too high a price for preserving economic integration. What prime minister would accept Canada becoming a vassal state on his watch? With the collapse of talks, and Carney describing the country as being “attacked,” it’s hard not to feel like we have crossed into a different moment—that we are living in a slightly darker reality.

Throughout the weekend, The Walrus spoke to economists, policy experts, and political observers about what exactly has changed and what this new period might demand of Canada.

(page 2) 3 comments

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[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 week ago (8 children)

from super easy to controversial:

EASY

100%-5000% escallating every time fuck face opens its fuck hole, tariffs on NET auto (and any other) sector trade balance. This means that a US firm importing auto (and other applicable sector(s)) parts gets a credit that they can transfer to any other US firm making auto parts, and the tariff level is only on the net trading balance.

Export tariffs on energy and any other vital US need. This makes money for Canada instead of costing Canadians.

tariffs/lawsuits/DST on US megatech services. FB just paid a bunch of US states for minor abuse.

CANCEL right fucking now all US defense purchases especially F35. F35s are pure shit. US must be made to beg for a deal that includes restoring commitments. Response that a fucking dime will be spent on US weapons is unacceptable gaslighting of Canadians.

Open invitation for US states to join as full provinces.

MEDIUM

Ban Maga-Larry Elison's version of TikTok for ByteDance's international version.

Only Huawei AI datacenters should be allowed. These provide close to 50% cost/performance benefit (ie cost half as much) and AI services can be exported to US to bankrupt their AI bubble. Restore general Huawei market access as preferred (cheapest/best) supply option.

Directly threated US exporters/tech to do what is needed to keep Canadian market access. Auto sector has received absurd subsidies they haven't performed on. Nationalization through lawsuits designed to collect refunds for those subsidies is part of the threat matrix. With China's help for Canadian benefit not more tax subsidies, figure out how to provide value products to Canadians from those factories. Negotiations with US oligarchy is only reliable counterparty, but fucking them over with an alternative, is how you negotiate.

Nazi/Zionazi empire and associated nazi economic theory (oligarchist corporatist supremacism promissing trickle down if you give them all your money) must be strongly criticized, if just for US midterms value, instead of our establishment/pig fucker rulers clinging to hope of returning to polite nazi colony status.

UBI is key to huge economic growth/investment in Canada, abandoning nazi economics. Removing foreign worker ban is key to reducing inflation, while keeping housing sector stable/increasing.

HARDER

US only exists because of Canada's assistance with NORAD, and golden dome BS. Military cooperation with enemy is a disgrace, and not charging the US for NORAD services is us protecting them for free. This is only in the hard column for actually doing it. It is extremely easy to blah blah review committee to study doing it and disengaging with continued US military support.

Better diplomatic relations with every US adversary/enemy. North Korea can assist in a nuclear deterence plan against more US bs. DPRK balance can assist in ROK auto industry investments in Canada.

BRICS missile/drone tech can collapse US industry, and collapse US economically.

Abandoning support for Ukrainian nazis in favour of closer Russia ties. There is an affordability issue to supporting Ukrainians instead of Canadians, but it is a nazi colony issue to just keep every US enemy as our own.

International pressure to remove US from UN and NATO. Coordination for the purpose of collapsing the US government/economy, fleeing its debt and capital markets. The condemnation of nazi/zionaziism should be followed by economic consequences for midterms defined as defending nazi supremacism.

The core problem with Canadian response to first round of tariffs was to just gaslight inaction and wait around for more BS.

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