this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/24657192

Summary

In a virtual speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump suggested Canada could become a U.S. state to avoid his proposed tariffs on imports.

The remark elicited gasps from the audience.

Trump claimed the U.S. does not need Canadian lumber, energy, or vehicles, vastly overstating the trade deficit between the two nations.

He reiterated his intention to impose tariffs, potentially as high as 25%, on imports from Canada and Mexico starting February 1.

Economists warn such tariffs would raise prices for U.S. consumers.

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[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 91 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

As a Canadian, fuck you Trump. Canada will never be a US state. Not sorry.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 45 points 1 month ago (6 children)

If it goes down I'm just gonna scoot up north and fight on your side for Canadian citizenship.

[–] mjhelto@lemm.ee 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's a really good idea! I'm about 5-8 hours from the Canadian boarder but I will not fight for a fascist country. I'll either join the other side or join a resistance here.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago (4 children)

I'm about 4 hrs from the border but could easily make that shorter in an emergency! Combat veteran as well.

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[–] briongloid@aussie.zone 33 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The amount of Americans visiting Australia who assume people here would want to live in America instead given the option was astounding to me.

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[–] ToadOfHypnosis@lemmy.ml 79 points 1 month ago (12 children)

Trump seems to have the goal of destroying the US from all I can tell. Our economy and power are so dependent on our connections to the rest of the world and he is burning them all down. The US dollar gets replaced as the fiat currency we are wholly fucked and this dumb shit is how that happens.

[–] Hafler@lemm.ee 49 points 1 month ago (6 children)

Somehow, even with conservatives owning all the branches of government, it will be the Dem's fault.

[–] ToadOfHypnosis@lemmy.ml 25 points 1 month ago

LGBTQ+ and immigrant fear can convince conservatives of about anything.

[–] SovietyWoomy@hexbear.net 20 points 1 month ago

If Trump is serious about this it will be bipartisan by 2028 just like all the 2016 Trump policies that were bipartisan by 2020

[–] Khoryphos@hexbear.net 14 points 1 month ago

Lol that’s just the narrative they need to fundraise another loss in the 2028 election.

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[–] andallthat@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Who needs dollars when you have $TRUMP meme coins?

[–] ToadOfHypnosis@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago

Fair. I was just thinking what the monetary system really needed was to be more obscure, cartoonish, energy intensive and unstable.

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[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 month ago
[–] coolusername@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ToadOfHypnosis@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If America is forced to accept austerity measures over our massive debt when the dollar is no longer fiat, regular people will be the ones who suffer sadly.

[–] anarchoilluminati@hexbear.net 20 points 1 month ago

As long as the US dollar has maintained and will maintain its supremacy, regular people suffer all over the world for the comfort of treatlerites in the imperial core.

I'd rather the dollar crash so that the world has a chance.

[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

When Dollar is replaced as the reserve currency, America's imports will shrink and there may be inflation. But it won't result it in defaulting on its domestic currency.

Any austerity on the US will be self-inflicted (as it is in the UK and Europe). The unwillingness of the US Government to take over the economy from the parasites will make things much worse.

[–] ComRed2@hexbear.net 13 points 1 month ago

Stop, I can only get so erect.

[–] Flaps@hexbear.net 11 points 1 month ago
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[–] davel@lemmy.ml 50 points 1 month ago

Trump is going to speedrun all our ~~vassals~~ allies into joining BRICS, and I’m here for it.

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 47 points 1 month ago (11 children)

Us citizens pay tariff this doesn't hurt Canadians. They should call bluff and say do 30%.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It potentially reduces exports from Canada to the US, hurting our economy. Nobody wins

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 24 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Canada imports more from USA than it exports to USA. A trade war that decreases exports would hurt USA more than Canada.

The largest exports from USA to Canada are cars and trucks. (Finished products) The largest exports from Canada to USA are minerals, fuels and pulp. (Raw material)

This puts USA at a disadvantage in a tariff game, because it's a lot easier for Canada to replace American cars with Asian or European cars, than it is for USA to replace the variety of ressources that Canada provides

It's also a lot easier for Canada to find other customers for raw materials than it is to sell American cars on other continents.

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[–] CuffsOffWilly@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Actually tariffs will hurt Canadians deeply. Why? Because it means that Americans will lean towards not buying products made in (or partially made in) Canada. Plus, Canada would certainly reciprocate meaning the price of everything is going to go up in Canada. It's not a good situation and our government needed to be spending the past 10 - 20 years developing stronger trade relations with other countries but instead we amplified our relationship with what is clearly a very unreliable and untrustworthy neighbour.

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[–] coolusername@lemmy.ml 41 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (11 children)

rip you guys are gonna get couped
imperialism is manifesting itself in the imperial core

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 29 points 1 month ago (3 children)

imperialism is manifesting itself in the imperial core

Sounds familiar

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hey, I've seen this one before!

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[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 month ago

rip you guys are gonna get couped

Seems to me we got couped. It was just mostly domestically bloodless. So far.

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Don't act like Canada hasn't been seeing it's own share of right wing extremists making their way into government.

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[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)
[–] menemen@lemmy.ml 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

They did that to halve of this world, just not to that many western countries.

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[–] Lumiluz@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Canada is one of the few countries that has actually defeated the USA. They even burned the white house.

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[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 month ago

Dear Trump:

[–] sircac@lemmy.world 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Why people keep listening to what that being says? Just respond to his actions, anthing else is useless...

[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I somewhat agree with your point but after years of him saying he would do fucked up shit and then him doing a lot of it, it helps to be prepared for his intentions as they manifest into actions in many cases.

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[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There is no actual fentanyl or immigration basis for tariffs on Canada. Just submit to less representation than California, and help absorb large US debt with little in return for it.

[–] Grapho@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

There's no basis for tariffs on Mexico either.

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 1 month ago

Really there is no basis for any tariffs, the richest nation in the world putting tariffs on other nations products because they can't keep up is embarrassing.

[–] llothar@lemmy.ml 24 points 1 month ago

American anschluss of Canada to expand their lebensraum, because they feel they deserve it.

Musk does not hide how he feels about it, we wouldn't either.

[–] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 20 points 1 month ago (9 children)

Canada is avoiding Trump's tariffs by not becoming a state.

They are not paying the tariffs, american people do. So by joining the US they would start paying all the tariffs that Trump is putting on China's products, European products ....

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[–] bitPagan@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is the US so attractive that countries are lining up to join? 🤔🇺🇸

[–] mjhelto@lemm.ee 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Come for our healthcare! Stay cause you died.

[–] tourist@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

Do you think he wanted to do this last time but ousted everyone who told him that's fucking psychotically stupid?

[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 1 month ago (3 children)

What about the provinces within Canada? Are they gonna all merge to become one US megastate?

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[–] SneakyWeasel@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago

How about trump can suck my left nut. There, I said it.

[–] PanArab@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

Canada’s economy is dependent on the US. Trump might actually pull this off.

Edit: More context since people are downvoting. Consider the following now picture yourself one of the greedy capitalists in Canada, which is a preferred outcome? Losing your wealth or losing Canadian sovereignty?

Just because I think it is likely doesn’t mean that I think it’s right. This is clearly wrong.

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 22 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Canada is also America's largest trading partner.

America had $357 billion dollars worth of imports from Canada in 2023, if they introduce a 25% tarriff Americans will pay $446 billion instead because it's not like you'll get all that stuff anywhere else for cheaper since America is going to put tariffs on practically every other country they trade with apparently.

Corporations spend billions on the current infrastructure and trade routes and logistics, they will not uproot everything and go through the pains of firing everyone then moving to America and retraining because of a short term loss. American administrations are fickle, many of them will simply wait out the 4 years hoping it will return to normal then. If it doesn't then maybe they might consider it then but for the next 4 years Americans are going to be paying a shitload more for anything that's not made in America.

American businesses will also find it a lot more difficult to sell their products out of the country when those countries retaliate with tarriffs against them.

[–] humanspiral@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 month ago

Canada's oligarchs like the fact that only Israel and US is allowed to compete with them, and elections are cheaper to buy. A single state makes them lose power. Population understands only negatives from US, and also would not vote for Trump.

Unfortunately for Canadians, they are still programmed to side with US over China and Russia, and that programming makes it a blasphemy to seek independence that would also protect them from the US. As long as Canada's position is to beg to restore its fully subservient colonial status, then the Trump extortion will continue.

One goal that Musk would have behind this is that it can destroy the big 3 automakers.

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