Letters to the Editor
Trudeau has "negotiate" a one-month reprieve and Trump has apparently added more "demands" and will negotiate over the next month with Mexico and Canada before imposing the tariffs. It shows what the Trump administration is doing with its tariffs, demands and constant threats to use economic pressure to, if not make Canada the 51st state, completely subjugate Canada. Its aim is to get away with acting with impunity and to have unfettered access to Canada's resources, territory, especially the north in its rivalry with Russia and China. It has exposed for all to see what the Canada-U.S. relationship is. It shows that successive Canadian governments, under the guise of "free trade," North American prosperity and security, alliance with the U.S. as the leader of the western democracies, etc. have integrated Canada into the U.S. war economy.
The "puzzled," "why would our best friend and ally so mistreat us," "we should explain to them that they are wrong about the border but just to make sure they won't hurt us show them that we are spending millions of dollars to militarize the border just like they asked" cannot be considered a legitimate response to Trump's threats. They are more like the response of a beaten down partner who desperately wants other people to believe that the beatings will stop if they only do what the bully asks, helpless to find an alternative and telling the world that the bully is mistaken, will see reason, doesn't mean to cause harm. This is despicable because it is the working and class and people that will suffer the hardships brought on by Canada's subservience and susceptibility to Trump's attacks. How long does the Government think it can carry on appeasing the likes of Trump?
A Reader in BC
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I'm from Regina and am disgusted with the proposal (Saskatchewan premier) Scott Moe to have the Canadian military take over monitoring the border or the universal demand of all the premiers and cartel party politicians to increase military spending on NATO. Why are we not hearing from the governments and "experts" what it takes to make Canada independent and self-reliant? The exact opposite is being done by sinking Canada deeper under U.S. control against the interests of this country, and the world in terms of U.S. hegemony and war-mongering.
A Reader in Regina
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The response of Canadian officials and business leaders that the sky is falling and Canada is finished if Trump goes ahead with his tariffs is cowardly and undignified. The outlook that drives the counter-tariffs is essentially an acceptance of the legitimacy of Trump's actions, acceptance of a trade war rather than a declaration that whatever it takes the problem of economic independence, sovereignty and trading with other nations on the basis of mutual benefit has to be solved.
Political leaders that have followed the directives of the private interests and replaced all the institutions of liberal democracy with dictate and rule by decree, with Trudeau asserting that he can wage an all out trade war and spend billions to "protect industry and workers" without even recalling Parliament, are not up to the task.
A Reader in North York
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A worthy response would raise demands that serve nation-building. They would include getting Canada out of NATO and NORAD and refusal to supply critical minerals or anything else for the U.S. war machine.
Why is a trade war the only way to challenge Trump's illegal economic attacks? Canada is not standing up to Trump when it caves a little bit more with every demand the U.S. makes.
Canada says it is looking for markets and investments in other countries but who does the economy serve? It serves the rich on a supranational basis. Canadian control of resources and manufacturing from the perspective of self-reliance and trade for mutual benefit would not make Canada destructively dependent and subservient to the U.S.
A Reader in Etobicoke
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Trump and those around him are enjoying themselves and testing the limits of their executive power. They just blurt out something one day and change it the next because they can. If someone rattles their chains, they go berserk and up the ante.
What is the reason for the onslaught against migrants other than to prove who is in charge and someone other than the oligarchs and their rotten striving for absolute rule are responsible for social and economic problems. The loss of migrant workers in the construction industry alone would cripple it.
Trump is opening a migrant concentration camp in Guantanamo for those he cannot deport!! Reminds me somewhat of the way the German imperialists made Jews and communists the issue causing the country's economic and social problems during the great economic crisis of the thirties.
A Reader in Guelph
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Most liberals true to form are bowing in obeisance to the aggressive stance of the incoming U.S. administration putting their private interests first and leaving any principles they may or may not have on the sidelines. As far as non-liberals are concerned, an official alliance with the U.S. likewise depends on their private interests.
The meetings of the Alberta Premier and Kevin O'Leary with Trump and U.S. officials raise a question about whether their game plan is to break up Canada for Trump, and have the regions go their own way according to the best deal they can find. Quebec is a sticking point to an official overall union with the U.S. so maybe a breakup is the way they will proceed.
A Reader in Gatineau
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The Premier of Quebec presents himself as a champion of the Quebec economy. He participated in a virtual meeting of Canadian prime ministers on January 22, 2 days after the inauguration of Donald Trump. The press release issued following the meeting indicates : "Canada and the United States are friends, partners, and allies. Together, we have built the world's closest and most integrated economies and supply chains, created millions of good jobs for people in both countries, and operated the longest and most secure border on Earth. Canadians and Americans understand the profound importance of the ties that unite our two countries when it comes to our shared economic prosperity and continental security."
The more this is repeated, the more hollow it rings.
In a previous statement by the premiers on January 15, they also reiterated their commitment to the United States' border reinforcement and war agenda: "First Ministers acknowledged the importance of increasing defence spending and meeting the NATO 2 per cent target as quickly as possible, recognizing its critical connection to strategic infrastructure and Canada's economic and security partnership with the U.S. and other allies. They further agreed that collective action must be taken to safeguard Arctic security and sovereignty."
It is clear that Trump's threats are being used to consolidate the power of the rich and accelerate the vast restructuring that the State is carrying out in all sectors of society to serve narrow private interests, the interests of large U.S. oligopolies and supranational conglomerates to sell off our human, natural, material and financial resources at a discount, including to feed war production in the U.S. Some parameters may have change (for the worse), but the anti-social direction of the economy rdrives the process.
The demand for a sovereign economy and politics does not date from Trump's arrival in power. It is the people of Quebec who are the champions of Quebec, its economy, its interests and those of the people of Quebec. The people in action boldly and defiantly put forward their own demands, speak in their name and advance in the realization of their aspirations.
A reader in Quebec City
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Why Trump is being so aggressive towards Canada when the U.S. imperialists already control the Canadian economy can be questioned. The divisions within the U.S. ruling circles are clearly extending into Canada, as well as Japan, Europe and other countries. It is a historic turning point in which the peoples must speak out in their own name and forge a future for their countries and humankind.
Canadian Teacher in Japan
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Canada's political and business leaders cannot articulate an aim that defends the interests of the people of Canada and Quebec and the Indigenous Peoples and are reduced to, on the one hand, trite phrases about how much they love Canada, and on the other, schemes to subjugate Canada and Quebec even more to U.S. dictate. Without any shame, they present themselves as the most loyal servants of U.S. hegemonic aims to dominate the whole world, fully adopting the anti-communist arguments which make China and Russia enemies and justify militarizing the north and more.
The TML article by Pauline Easton gives the clear argument that the issue is one of political power, of the inability of the outmoded system of 'representation' to meet the needs of the people to humanize the natural and social environment, chiefly that it is the people and not a fictitious person of state of which Trump is the supreme embodiment, who must be the decision makers.
The explanation of the evolution of the trade agreements and what Trump's aims are and what the imposition of tariffs may mean in legal terms is helpful to underscore the problem facing Canadians of replacing the rule of elites with the rule of the people and the new institutions and arrangements necessary to exercise political power.
A Reader in Toronto
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After agreeing to spend an extra $200 million on "border security," Trudeau is said to have "negotiated" a one-month reprieve on tariffs with Trump apparently adding more "demands." He says he will "negotiate" over the next month with Mexico and Canada before imposing tariffs. It is presented as a win for Canada but is more likely a "lose-lose" situation.
A Reader in Toronto
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The sentiment of most people I know is that Canada needs to respond (to Trump's threats) by changing the direction of its economy. We have more than enough food and resources to provide for the Canadian market many times over and it is high time Canada was self-reliant, manufacturing at home and trading with countries on the basis of mutual benefit. Canadian inventiveness and ingenuity has always been second to none, in all fields. It can be done!
A Reader in Winnipeg
This article was published in
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/ITN2025/Articles/TI55123.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca