The Republican-controlled US government has decided to impose a 25% tax on American imports of goods from Canada
The Republican-controlled US government has decided to impose a 25% tax on American imports of goods from Canada
Language matters.
The President is empowered by a Congress controlled by a narrow majority. Rather than the individual they have chosen, I am pissed at the Republican party. And disappointed in the American people. The guy? He was always that way and would have continued to be so at a safe distance from the levers of power without his enablers.
It is the American and especially Republican relationship with Canada that is important in this situation. Those are what endure, that person is only momentarily significant. So, where we can choose the narrative, I think that's important to focus on.
Plus I suspect he likes the sound of his own name.
Guys, American here.
Hit Tesla, Meta, Amazon, hard as fuck. He raised tariffs 25%? Raise theirs 70%. Nail us with 25% on oil and electricity or shit, just shut it the fuck off.
Nip this fuck face in the bud now or he will just keep keep going.
The best suggestion I've seen, personally, is just to stop respecting American copyright law's bullshit.
Cory Doctorow thought that through: https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/15/beauty-eh/#its-the-only-war-the-yankees-lost-except-for-vietnam-and-also-the-alamo-and-the-bay-of-ham
Anything to hit the billionaire class and his supporters hard, I'm 100% on board.
Yarrrrrrr. I couldn't agree more
I wish I could upvote this 1000x
Too late for that!
Isn't Canada in an agreement with the US that trades "no tariffs" for "no infringing on copyright"?
If the US is imposing tariffs, Canada should now be free to copy any American product.
Or was I lied to?
Agreed. Fight fire with fire. The only way to get the people to react is to make them uncomfortable. We tried reasoning, that failed. Let the leopards loose.
More in this case, bullies and fascists only respond to force, that is all. There is no decorum, no societal norm, no mutually agreeable term that can be arrived at. Punch them in the face and keep doing it until the consequences are greater than the benefits of acting as such.
Power, through force is the ONLY thing they respect and understand.
copyright
just make content ludicrously expensive and force people to pirate it, then don’t follow up on people doing so
that’ll make some very powerful interest groups that basically only exist in the US absolutely frothy with rage
Dude America is the biggest exporter of culture in the world.
The biggest Canadian cultural influences made their mark in American media. Jim Carey. Ryan Gosling. Ryan Reynolds. Robin Williams. Raffi. Tommy Chong. The Rock. Seth Rogan. Will Arnett. William Shatner. Eugene Levy. Mike Myers. Rick Morannis.
To name a few.
(Also are there any famous Canadian Actresses?)
I don't know how you could tariff Meta, but I'd love if it was crippled so the essential groups I'm in would move somewhere else. I only ever get served posts from 1 or 2 of my real acquaintances as needles in a haystack of irrelevant trash.
Oops. Sorry, Meta. We just passed a law that you now have to pay a 300% monthly tax to operate in our country and every 3rd Tuesday of the month, Zuck has to publicly address the nation that he "Is a ginormous doo-doo head who likes to smell farts and sucks at hockey." Again. So sorry, buddy. -Canada.
The good solution is rather to invest in diversity of sources. For the oil side, the solution is to invest in renewables and electrification as to not depend on oligarchs anymore, just like China is massively doing by the way.
This is incredibly stupid as an economic counter plan for a nation whose number one import and export (>50% respectively) is the US. Compare that to the US's highly diversified trade portfolio. Trump would clap back with a 100% general tariff on Canada.
American trade can survive without Canada. But Canadian trade can't survive without America.
The bulk of Canadian exports to the US are oil. We can certainly tariff US goods, but export tariffs on Canadian oil and hydro electricity to the US will probably be a big component of the Canadian response.
Even with a big increase on hydro power exports to the US, it's still cheaper than most other sources of electricity, so they'll still happily pay it.
As to oil, there are some refineries in the US that are set up to process Canadian bitumen. Canada's long history of just exporting raw materials and re-importing finished goods give a pretty outsized room to manuever here. This refineries will probably just pony up and pay more.
Where the damage will come is in areas like the auto sector, where there are tightly coupled supply chains.
Paul Krugman points out in his article The End of North America that there is probably already damage done to the concept of North American manufacturing.
Trump is going to do a whole lot of damage, we're going to take some of that damage, but my favourite quote on the topic:
no one wins trade wars, but the kid who never stands up for himself always loses and for a long time
You guys in canada should 100% support retaliatory tariffs. Fire them at us as hard as you can. Make us a pariah.
We fucked around. We should find out. We couldnt learn from round one of trump. We couldnt learn from watching the train wreck that was brexit. If you dont quid pro quo. If you capitulate. We will not learn our lesson.
Teach us and do not make our mistakes.
I think americans, or at least american conservatives, are too stupid to learn.
I was just reading about a conservative tax plan in Kansas ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_experiment ) that by pretty much all metrics failed. Yet somehow they aren't run out of town.
Well thought out TARGETED tariffs. Tariffs generally hurt us all. Us being the 99%. Stupid general tariffs benefit the 1% who can buy up the mess made from tanking the economy. Also, TransplantedSconie makes some great points
Trade wars are good for no one.
Not true. As unhappy as i am to say it, the united states in a trade war only with china could actually have a net benefit. To add to that, a multilateral trade war against china could actually change economic advantages on a global scale that have a real positive impact.
However, a trade war from the usa against canada, mexico, china, taiwan, and whoever else our supreme leader trump decides, whilst taking his mid morning dump. Yeah, thats not going to help anyone.
Lets be clear. I dont hate china or their people. But the influence they have on an economic scale is impressive. And an authoritarian economy is not who any western country wants in control of global trade. Their advantage is gaming the system. When you can force your people to produce what you want, when you want, and prop up your economy artifically to make up the difference, you create a power dynamic that capitalistic powers cant legitimately deal with without extra measures. And those measures that prop up that economy are paid for in poverty and blood.
Tarriffs are a sword when a scalpel would be better warranted. But it can be effective if used properly.
On the long term. A trade war is a legitimate means to an end. If used properly. But in this case. Yeah. Its going to hurt everyone for no real gain but the pockets of oligarchs.
This time you are right. More suffering, more expenses. Thats how it goes now. No net benefit. So once again, make us pay. So that this doesnt happen again until our grandchildren have forgotten this lesson and need a reminder.
As an American, I am SO SORRY Canadian friends. We don't deserve this.
American here.
Help.
Do what you can to crash the American economy, IDGAF. I don't know, grasping at straws.
Adopt me?
Help turn the entire world against America? Whatever it takes.
Canada is not going to damage the American. 74.5% of Canadian exports and 56.2% of imports are with the US. On the other hand Canada makes up 14% of US imports and 15.8% of exports.
If any plan killed the American economy every one else is going down too.
Copypasta my other comment:
The bulk of Canadian exports to the US are oil. We can certainly tariff US goods, but export tariffs on Canadian oil and hydro electricity to the US will probably be a big component of the Canadian response.
Even with a big increase on hydro power exports to the US, it's still cheaper than most other sources of electricity, so they'll still happily pay it.
As to oil, there are some refineries in the US that are set up to process Canadian bitumen. Canada's long history of just exporting raw materials and re-importing finished goods give a pretty outsized room to manuever here. This refineries will probably just pony up and pay more.
Where the damage will come is in areas like the auto sector, where there are tightly coupled supply chains.
Paul Krugman points out in his article The End of North America that there is probably already damage done to the concept of North American manufacturing.
Trump is going to do a whole lot of damage, we're going to take some of that damage, but my favourite quote on the topic:
no one wins trade wars, but the kid who never stands up for himself always loses and for a long time
Start taxing the fuck out of u.s. automakers
I'm boycotting all American goods and services. No more Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Disney (Never did go to Walmart). Going to be looking elsewhere for these things now.
I saw this image being passed around online. As an American I can't comment on the accuracy of it, but hopefully it or similar lists help in your search.
Thanks! Not sure of how accurate this is. I know there's a Lay's factory near me that makes chips. I guess the parent company is American. But that's still a handy cheat sheet.
I’m hoping for 100% tariffs on US Teslas and removing the current tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Carefully thought out trade with China would completely undercut and undermine the US, especially if other countries join. I agree and hopefully it becomes a trend. America is a great country but it's not more important than the world.
Renegotiate so that these products go elsewhere for the next 4 years.
Dang it, I am here waiting for our crap prime minister to come out on stage to let the nation know if we are doing anything in response to this. Its like blue balling for national sovereignty.
Edit going to write down my thoughts as he talks: Oh here he is.... comes out with a grin then remembers this is not a good time for that. And now is talking "if" the usa goes though with these "threats". MY DEAR SHITHEALING IDIOT, THIS IS NOT A WHAT IF! Like is this guy even working in todays reality, and not last weeks?
"We stand at the ready to work together" so we are doing what? what does that mean?
Oh 155 items being tariffed back, so we are responding to a total tariff regime with a limited one. I guess better then nothing?
Your listening comprehension needs work. He didn't say 155 products, he said 155 billion worth of products.
And he didn't say if.
He did say if. it was right at the beginning of the speech. I will give you that the 155 was billion (I was typing as he spoke) and got that part wrong. Same thing however, as its a limited response to a total trade war.
edit: just rewatched the part, what was said is:
"a decision should they elect to proceed with, should take effect on tuesday feb 4th."
Ah yes the alternative who is literally backed by the American oligarchs would definitely make a much better statement against this BS. Give your head a shake.
The guy in the running for next liberal leader is backed by American oligarchs? That's not good.
Still watching our great leader talk (I guess this bothers people?) and I am sad to see the attempt to appeal to reason and compassion with the american government. When will we learn?