• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

OT: American Politics

I'm trying man, I'm trying.

Seriously though, the core problem is that we're competing for some of the same somewhat limited lanes of access into the US market. Auto manufacturing is probably the big one right now, and we're losing for a few reasons. Cost of labour, physical proximity (shipping costs) to the 2 largest US automotive markets.

This is part of the larger malaise of the Canadian economy over the last few decades. When we should have been pivoting to legitimate high tech manufacturing (semi conductors, capacitors, pharma, med devices, defence, telecomm, etc) that we had/have everything we need to do, we've stayed focused on highly competitive mid level manufacturing (cars and automotive parts mostly, dabbling in aero but largely in the lower tier of that industry). While we were fucking about, a country that should have been complimenting us economically as a destination for mid level assembly has become a competitor instead. So now instead of being able to combine forces when the US gets out of line, we're way faster to try to backstab the other to gain slightly better US market access.

"We" invested fuck all in future proofing our economy and it's really starting to show. The reality today is that Mexico is starting to catch up economically to us in some regions. Campeche has a GDP per capita equal to Alberta. Let that sink in. 97K. Now, they're distant, distant 1st place in Mexico. But the state of Mexico has a GDP per capita of 67K, which would slot right in between Ontario and Quebec. Another 5-7 states are steadily catching up to the Maritime provinces.

We fucked up and if Mexico can figure out distribution (regional income inequality is probably the single biggest underlying issue to sort out down there), they're going to pass us in our life time in economic importance internationally imo.
 
Last edited:
MindzEye said:
Nope. But don't fall for the "take him seriously, but not literally" stuff. He means most of what he says and that Peter Thiel line is meant to gaslight us into being Trump whisperers, trying to decipher what he means from what is 5D chess, etc. None of it is 5D chess, he means all of it.
Click to expand...


Agreed 100%. It was one thing to make that argument in 2015/16. It was dumb even then, but still at least somewhat excusable. But anyone still making it now is either a disingenuous Trump supporter gaslighting people, or irretrievably stupid.

And regarding his talk about making Canada the 51st state and conquering Greenland & Panama—it’s not at all mutually exclusive for that to be both an incredibly effective distraction from serious dissension from his base, as well as a 100% serious statement of intent.
 
WeHaveMoreCupsThanYou said:
The way to get an EU type deal is to join the EU. We would never get a deal like that with Pax Americana. And you're right. You wouldn't suddenly go from making $80K CAD to $80K USD. You'd make $39K USD and have no healthcare.
Click to expand...
only if your employer doesn't provide good insurance which I am sure yours would, and anyway, doesn't Obamacare guarantee health coverage to all, I vaguely remember him and this board shouting with glee over his plan
 
TheCountofMonteCristo said:
only if your employer doesn't provide good insurance which I am sure yours would, and anyway, doesn't Obamacare guarantee health coverage to all, I vaguely remember him and this board shouting with glee over his plan
Click to expand...
Obama care won't exist a year from now, and it's only any good when compared to the nothing that Americans had before.

And when healthcare is tied to employment anyone who gets laid off or quits is shit out of luck. It forces people to become slaves.
 
thehabhater said:
America is not going to invade Mexico.
Full stop.

Canada however............
Click to expand...
he isn't going to invade, and hell if he did, before you could say Jack Robinson, we would capitulate, kind of like Denmark or Netherlands vs Germany in 1940, hell Wehave would be the first one to yell "my give up".

At the end of the day, who really wants to join the US, there would be advantages for some, but then all our children have to register for the draft, converting RRSPs to 401K, loss of $$ due to conversion etc would be an economic pain in the ass. Lower taxes would be nice to say the least, dropping from say 53% to 39% at the high end assuming no provincial tax, would be really awesome.

He is just jacking with everyone and rubs one out when he sees people with their panties in a knot. Had Trudeau just chuckled in December and then not been an asshole over feminism and not electing a female President, this would have gone away.

At the end of the day, we are basically an american vassal anyway, we are shitting ourselves rightfully so over a tariff because it will kill our economy.90% of our tv content and culture is american, more prefer NFL football and NBA to lacrosse etc, we are basically americans with "free" healthcare. Unless we tell someone when we are in the US (and face it, most of us love to shop in the US as there is more selection), unless people see our money, we are indistinguishable from them. Our lives would not really change.

Ask yourself though, why would Donnie want us as a state, he would have lost the election up here, it would add likely 40 democrat seats to the House, no GOP wants that to occur.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top