The Philosophy Now Forum

phyllo wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 8:20 pm Canada has had 9 years of Conservative government in the last 20 years.

But sure, just keep blaming "Liberal government".

If you look, Canada was doing rather well under those governments. Certainly their relations with the US were good.

Not since the Trudeau Liberals, though...and not in the Carney Liberals, either.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 10:00 pm
If you look, Canada was doing rather well under those governments. Certainly their relations with the US were good.

PhhhhhB (sputters). The current bad relationship with Canad has NOTING to do with who is in power in government in Canada. Just with who is in power in government HERE in the USA.

MikeNovack wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 10:12 pm The current bad relationship with Canad has NOTING to do with who is in power in government in Canada.

That's funny. All the papers and news sites seem to know otherwise.

MikeNovack wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 10:12 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 10:00 pm
If you look, Canada was doing rather well under those governments. Certainly their relations with the US were good.

PhhhhhB (sputters). The current bad relationship with Canad has NOTING to do with who is in power in government in Canada. Just with who is in power in government HERE in the USA.

Conservative governments sucked Canada into being dependent on the US.

Now the penny has dropped, Canada has to reduce this dependence.

phyllo wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2026 10:32 pm Conservative governments sucked Canada into being dependent on the US.

They didn't, actually. Canada has long been dependent on the US, and through many different administrations. Independence from the US has never even been a possibility, economically speaking. And culturally, Canada has consumed more US products than its own, and for a very long time.

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies ... -1999-2024

Dependencies change, are forced to evolve, when what was for long periods depended upon ceased to be dependable. But it's not a one-sided story. A once centralized super-power whose allies are now forced to become more independent has major problems of its own, gaining nothing by aligning itself with eastern dictatorships while rapidly losing credence in the West.

Dubious wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 5:24 am Dependencies change, are forced to evolve, when what was for long periods depended upon ceased to be dependable.

Well, Canada has tried, but always lacks the means to be a self-sufficient country. They've never managed their own defense, and don't even have interior markets even close to capable of buying their raw goods, or industrial infrastructure capable of refining them, or delivery systems capable of exploiting their assets.

With a vastly bigger population, open interior trade, some greedy new partners, and a boom on industrialization and infrastructure-building, entailing a massive outside investment, plus at least three decades to develop its own systems, Canada might become capable of living without its closest partner, the US.

It ain't happening soon, and it sure ain't happening now. On that, you can bet.

P.S. -- Internal conflict: still a problem in Canada, with both Quebec and Alberta wanting to carve out a space for their own distinct cultures within the Canadian system. That's not going away either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWvE4jahdc

Since when was being part of a global trade network a bad thing for a modern capitalist economy to be? I expect this stupidity from IC, the rest of you are letting yourselves down.

Who says that Canada would not still trade with the US after increasing its trade with other countries.

phyllo wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 9:43 pm Who says that Canada would not still trade with the US after increasing its trade with other countries.

Oh, they'll have to. There's no way they're getting free of the US. They're nowhere near powerful, well-run or infrastructurally- adequate to go it on their own, and no country is close enough or has a big enough market to absorb all they get from the US right now. Without the US, they're doomed.

But that makes it all the more insane that the current Liberal government is bent on provoking the US. It works only as a short-term strategy for getting Mark Carney re-elected on a wave of paranoia and anti-Trumpism; it doesn't work for Canada. But then, Carney's working for himself, his own career, and his own ideology, not for his country. That's obvious from his insistence on nonsense "green" programs: he's either an idiot or an ideologue. Probably the latter.

You guys do undersand that cutting trade with Canada makes America poorer too don't you? Trade isn't zero sum, both parties benefit from from it. A modern economy is supposed to trade liberally with other economies.

Why do people on this forum just accept ignorant premises from IC?

Some accept ignorant statements from Trump.

He said he could cut off all trade ...

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 10:24 pm But then, Carney's working for himself, his own career, and his own ideology, not for his country. That's obvious from his insistence on nonsense "green" programs: he's either an idiot or an ideologue. Probably the latter.

I presume you concur with Trump's position that climate change is a hoax? Ja!

Dubious wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 11:41 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 10:24 pm But then, Carney's working for himself, his own career, and his own ideology, not for his country. That's obvious from his insistence on nonsense "green" programs: he's either an idiot or an ideologue. Probably the latter.

I presume you concur with Trump's position that climate change is a hoax? Ja!

I'm not American. I have no reason to "concur" with anybody there. What I do know is that the so-called "green" measures in Canada are not "green." But they're hugely bad for the economy, as well. But that's just a matter of fact.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2026 12:01 am

Dubious wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 11:41 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2026 10:24 pm But then, Carney's working for himself, his own career, and his own ideology, not for his country. That's obvious from his insistence on nonsense "green" programs: he's either an idiot or an ideologue. Probably the latter.

I presume you concur with Trump's position that climate change is a hoax? Ja!

I'm not American. I have no reason to "concur" with anybody there. What I do know is that the so-called "green" measures in Canada are not "green." But they're hugely bad for the economy, as well. But that's just a matter of fact.

I didn't ask if you're American. That was not the question! I asked whether you believe climate change is a hoax.