Ammos Against the Scam-os
By Marty McFly @mcflyonbluesky. Bsky. Social
OPINION Canada’s foreign policy has been in sync with that of the United States for many years, both commercially, diplomatically, and militarily. That alignment has left us in a precarious position for some time now. With America’s isolation causing us to be bargaining tools, we must take action. It is imperative that we reconsider our foreign policy approach and not let our closest ally dictate the terms of our international relations
Congress, led by the Republicans, enforced tariffs on foreign goods during the Great Depression in 1930. This was not a sudden decision. A petition signed by a thousand economists, who were certain that it would not be successful, was met with the same reaction. The president, Herbert Hoover, was either clueless or uninterested in comprehending the situation. So he signed it. The consequence: A worldwide trade conflict with mass retaliation. A cliff-like drop in trade occurred globally, with a 66% decline in just five years. The United States economy and others were deeply affected by the economic downfall
It was a lesson that should have been taught for the rest of history. It is evident that Trump, who goes by the nickname “Tariff Man” if he has the ability to read, never spent time studying historical events
He exhibited his usual reckless behavior by imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on their energy supplies. Trump’s usual response was one of no strategy to support his decision, no warning beforehand to suggest that he was considering it, and no logical reason to justify his actions. Our trading partners were sent a message of “suck it up and fuck!” as per usual
Today’s walk-back is inevitable and will happen on Monday. The president offers an one-month abbreviation, possibly due to the fact that someone in his administration has finally managed to explain the fallout to him. Nevertheless, the issue lies in Trump’s fixation on drama and his desire to dominate. He is unlikely to accept that tariffs are not effective, and he may not be able to acknowledge this. Is it possible to use a delay and claim that it is effective?
Can we expect these tariffs to be implemented within a month?. Maybe not. Trump’s game is one of constant uncertainty, forcing everyone to react instead of planning accordingly. Canada cannot simply continue to hopelessly wait for Washington to make a change and return to rationality. It won’t
Stop acting like an abandoned puppy, waiting for its owner to come back. The United States has once again demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice its allies for political expediency. Nevertheless, we are pretending that our connection with the system in the United States is not profoundly dysfunctional
It’s better to be building new alliances than begging for nothing. It would be foolish to abandon Mexico if we didn’t have their need for them now. This is the ideal time to make contact with Europe, which has also been targeted by Trump. The G7 meeting in Canada is scheduled for June. Is it not possible to utilize this power to create a genuine coalition, as the G6 would be called, and employ it to combat economic pressures on these countries?
Trump’s playbook is one of division, according to his statements. He isolates our supporters and employs the negotiation methods of a typical bully. A typical bully encounters difficulties when the people they target do not want to be divided, as it would likely lead to a high-stakes trade poker bluff in the affected economies of Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Trump has suddenly taken the lead in negotiations, while we are now negotiating from both sides of the border
The post-World War II free trade arrangement has been around for a while, but it has started to become unstable. Trump is taking a tough stance on the issue. Canada is realizing the bitter truth that they are putting all their eggs in one basket. Take note that we send 75% of our exports to a nation that has turned us into an economic slave. We regret our decision and are now facing the consequences of this blunder
Are there any plans for increasing counter-tariffs, and will this have a detrimental effect on Canadian consumers?. Might we offer support to industries that have been impacted, but our financial resources are limited
We require authentic responses that surpass the use of temporary band-aids. We need to be motivated by this crisis to do what we have already accomplished:
The goal is not isolation, but perseverance. A more thoughtful, more powerful way of trading, free from the pressures of a swing-phobic United States president who enjoys Twitter and has essentially no attention span under the leadership of Lex Luther!
The United States’ is calculating its own value. All essential resources are dependent on China. Those same companies will suffer the consequences if Trump fails to make a deal and raise tariffs even higher. In the 1930s, we had a previous experience that ended in disaster for them
Let’s not be victims anymore. We have the tools in Canada, but only if we are brave enough to use them. If we don’ t, we’ll continue to be played repeatedly, every time a new “Tariff Man” appears