04.19.2017 07:38 AM

Good thing Canada has been sucking up to Trump and his kids

…because it’s really paying off:

“We are also going to stand up for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin. And I’ve been reading about it, I’ve been talking about it for a long time, and that demands, really, immediately, fair trade, with all of our trading partners. And that includes Canada,” [Trump] said Tuesday, raising his voice to emphasize the country.

“Because in Canada, some very unfair things have happened to our dairy farmers and others.”

As I’ve been writing for months, a Neville Chamberlain strategy doesn’t work. All that strong men understand is strength.

Sucking up to the likes of Donald Trump strengthens his hand, and weakens ours. And it makes us look weak, too.

My radical advice: try acting like a strong, sovereign nation for a few days. And, if you don’t like it, you can go back to being a supplicant, who lets the bully steal your lunch, day after day.

 

 

12 Comments

  1. Ridiculosity says:

    You can smile at Rich Old Uncle Donnie. Attempt to rationalize his off-colour jokes because of his ignorance. Turn your head when his ‘hugs’ with the women folk last a little too long. And ignore the fact that he smells like the bottom of a gerbil cage and needs a good haircut. But if you invite him over and attempt to be civil or curry favour by offering him a few Canadian Club & waters, you can be certain he’s going to ruin Thanksgiving dinner.

  2. pat says:

    Trudeau needs to be more like his father and stand up more often.

  3. P. Brenn says:

    With Trump who knows what will work given his random off the cuff method of running the US .. but ya gotta push bac k…

  4. Charlie says:

    Who fucking cares what this shit-gibbon says. He’s made it abundantly obvious that he just regurgitates whatever the last person to meet with him spoke.

    If he’s in Wisconsin, he’ll say whatever Paul Ryan wants. If he’s standing next to the NATO SecGen, he’ll praise the fuck out of NATO. If he’s standing next to Trudeau, he’ll praise Canada and the “great great great” relationship between the US and Canada. If he’s with the Chinese leader, he’s talking about the greatness of China… and chocolate cake.

    The dumbass has no opinion or ideological compass to push his policy agenda so he’s constantly vomiting out platitudes to please his present audience.

    Trump’s words carry about as much weight as his claims of being “pro-women” do.

    • billg says:

      Until the last sentence I honestly thought you were talking about the Canadian Prime Minister.
      You know, Canada is back, Climate Change, then green lighting 3 pipelines, Electoral reform, mail delivery to everyone, and, the latest, we must work to find out who used chemical weapons before rushing to judgement, then, rushing to judgement.
      I do however find myself agreeing with Mr. Trudeau’s handling of the US President, say the right things then do what you have to in do in private with people who know what they’re doing.
      I also think bringing in Brian Mulroney was brilliant.
      This US President is like nothing any of us has seen before, so, the how to handle the POTUS manual wont work.
      I’m not a Liberal or a Justin Trudeau fan, but, I think he and his government are handling this very well right now.

      • dave constable says:

        I think you’re right. Trump wants face, …fine,…then work with the people who are actually running things down there. Whatever the final deal, Trump will tell it to make himself look sharp.

      • Charlie says:

        I think Trudeau is doing as well as any cautious Prime Minister would given the situation.

        It has almost nothing to do with who’s governing in Ottawa and entirely to do with how Canada collectively handles the manic behaviour of Donald Trump. The stupidest thing for us, or any world leader for that matter, to do is to get sucked into the cycle of action-reaction with Donald Trump. He’s proven himself to have the focus and fortitude equivalent to a puddle of piss and the way the Canadian government is handling the new administration down south is exactly how an astute and diplomatic state should.

  5. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Got to absolutely agree with you. The PM, Telford and Butts need to remember that it’s Jared and Ivanka that are the registered Democrats in that family. Trump has no regard whatsoever for any nation — much less Canada.

    The guy who spoke in Wisconsin is the real McCoy. He doesn’t give a shit about the American relationship with Canada. His talk on softwood will only confirm that. The United States are the trade hypocrites and that never changes, whether a Republican or Democrat is in the White House. In other words, Canada should expect nothing and not be surprised if we get even less than that.

  6. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Two words: Roy Cohn. That’s Trump’s mentor. Cohn was continually fighting to the death, so much so that he eventually got disbarred.

    That’s who Trump is and the only people he respects are types like that. Period.

  7. MississaugaPeter says:

    Infrequently a JT apologist, but I have to agree, that he is probably doing the right thing.

    No one knows for sure how bad things would be if he was using other tactics.

    I do however know what my Mexican friends are saying: In spite of the peso plummeting almost 20% from the November election to the January inauguration, and then getting back most of the 20% since then, the working class are being prepared to take cuts to make up for tariffs. American manufacturers in Mexico will not pay for the Wall, poor Mexican workers will.

  8. Bill Templeman says:

    Disagree, Warren. Trump is nothing if not an opportunist. He was standing in the diary capital of the U.S.A. when he made those remarks. Standing in Wisconsin, Trump is not going to endorse veganism as a way to fight the country’s obesity problem. He is not going to promote bovine liberation. At the end of the day, what are the bets that this is just situational bluster that won’t have any impact on Canada whatsoever? As for Trudeau’s response to Trump, there is a fine line between appropriate assertiveness, bravery and stupidity. True, I haven’t heard much of the first two from JT, but I also haven’t any of the latter (in regard to handling Trump). Let’s give him a B, perhaps a B+, and move on. Question: Which world leader has handled Trump best so far? Merkel?

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