Good News on Trade Barriers

The first good news we've had on Canada's progress so far - ministers have agreed to reduce trade barriers within Canada.

• Strengthened domestic economy & resilience
• Increased labour mobility
• Lower consumer costs & greater product availability
• Boost to business growth & investment
• Simplified trade & regulatory framework

A start.

Canada's War

If you listen to our politicians, you might think Canada was in a trade war. Many Canadians are convinced we are engaged in an economic war.

We are in a war for our sovereignty. The first attack is economic. The second may end up being challenges in our arctic waterways. It does not have to come from the United States; it can come from Russia or China.

The US put [...]

"Canadians Don't Have Free Speech"

The degree to which countries have free speech is being actively measured in political media right now. JD Vance gave a talk at the Munich Security Conference criticizing European countries for having poor freedom of speech (amongst other things). The extent to which free speech is treated as absolute is being used by the US to justify unilateral action.

As Canadians, we must each arm ourselves with an intelligent response to "Canadians Don't Have Free Speech" challenges coming from Americans.

Some people believe a country without free speech is undemocratic, doesn't deserve to be in a military alliance, or otherwise needs to be overthrown or annexed. It is patriotic to have a measured understanding of your rights and to speak clear truth to this veiled aggression.

So, how does our freedom of speech stack up to the US, and to Europe?

Harper: Canada Should Accept 'any level of damage'

Harper spoke to the value and cost of our sovereignity.

"And if I was still prime minister, I would be prepared to impoverish the country and not be annexed, if that was the option we're facing," Harper said to an invitation-only audience.

Originating article here, and paywall removed version here.

Harper is specifically talking about Canada's independence and the threat of annexation. Politicians trying to get elected will speak in actions and avoid entertaining hypotheticals, especially of negative scenarios they do not want to be associated with.

Here, you can sense a glimpse of the level of trouble Canada is facing.

This Time We Must Vote For Outcomes

To love your country is to do right by her; and by doing right by her is to shepherd her as best you can through the coming storm. Canada is a breathtaking country, a sovereign land endowed to us through incredible sacrifice by our ancestors in times of war, national trouble and uncertainty. This is not the first unclear choice we, as Canadians, have had to endure. But it is our challenge.

What has changed in our time is how we approach national challenges. [...]

The Anatomy of a Negotiation

When two sides need to come together, the first step is to make sure both sides are sitting down, negotiating in good faith.

Failing this, a bad faith negotiator can simply [...]

The Long View On Investing in America

The previous article called the US a "flailing superpower". I received comments about the hyperbole in that statement.

Politicians have a clear horizon of three to six months when making decisions and, in the US, less than a decade's window to make their impact. However, businesses have a much larger time horizon when making fundamental decisions about where to invest. If you are building a data center, oil refineries or other infrastructure, your event horizon is twenty to thirty years. You value [...]

We Are RSS!

Our volunteer engineering team has delivered an RSS Feed! Take a moment to link to our RSS feed in your reader to stay up to date while divorcing yourself from the US-controlled algorithms.

This Is Our Moment In Time To Rebuild

The US has announced 25% tariffs on Canadian exports, and another 10% on Canadian energy. Canada and Mexico have responded with measured, retaliatory tariffs. There will be a war of words, and arguments from both sides.

This trade war will likely ...

Reminder: Facebook Blocks Canadian News

As of August 2023, Facebook blocks Canadian news. This includes articles and news from Canadian news publishers such as CBC, the Globe and Mail, et cetera. However, it also includes local and regional news outlets like the Halifax Chronicle and the Vancouver Sun. This is in response to bill C-18, that has a "link tax".

If you post a link in your Facebook community group to a report from your local Canadian newspaper about something happening in your community, Facebook blocks your action.