Prime Minister Carney says Canada and the U.S. working together, as pals, can help make America great. While the U.S. Commerce Secretary simply says we "suck." So, is Canada taking the high road to hell? Trade lawyer Barry Appleton explains why behaving like we're still great friends with our southern neighbours could lead us into a world of economic pain.

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[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The thing is they are a huge neighbour and will stay a huge neighbour. We have to work with what we have. I hope we are going to be smart about it (smarter than in the past) but the USA isn’t going away.

I’ll stick with my ABA and travel boycott and so should every Canadian but we still are neighbours. I have lots of US co-workers and deal with them daily. I’ll be professional and keep neighbourly working with them but we aren’t friends. I think (hope!) that’s what Carney is mostly doing. Granted I don’t like everything I see but in general I think his approach is good.

[–] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'd rather see a systematic dismantling of Free Trade. I'm not exactly protectionist, but I believe in reciprocity at a minimum.

The US are indeed and always will be our neighbour, that does not mean they are our friends. Our values are too divergent for this level of integration.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca -5 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

So everything is more expensive for us? Even more expensive? No thanks.

[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If you want cheap goods and no dignity you know where the border is. It's easier for us to find a job down there and get a visa than any other country on Earth. If the only thing that matters to you is money, maybe Canada isn't the country you want to be in. Now can we do a better job of making Canada affordable for everyone? We absolutely can and should. If you're interested in doing things the Canadian way, stick around and be part of the solution, but if you want to tell Canadians to bend over and take it so you can have another PoS iPhone, do us all a favour and take a walk bud.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don’t know what you are talking about. We obviously have many people who have to be on a (tight) budget right now. I never said that I want cheap or that I don’t shop Canadian.

I am all for that. I just don’t think counter tariffs are a solution.

The whole polarization and anger gets us nowhere. People do what they can and yeah sure some don’t care. The whining from the USA on how nasty we are though tells me enough Canadians (including me) care and that the boycott is working.

[–] GreenBeard@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 weeks ago

There is a very, very large gulf between "Systematic dismantling of Free Trade" and "100% Tariffs on everything tomorrow!" which is which is what you seem to be implying. You don't build Rome in a day. Not unless you want to see it burn tomorrow. If you want people to give you the benefit of the doubt, don't start by straw-manning their statements.

[–] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A very shortsighted view. Fascism will cost you everything.

[–] bowreality@lemmy.ca -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Great if you can afford it. Many people can’t. Also not all products are available from other countries or domestic.

[–] CapuccinoCoretto@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

Then it is time to build domestic industries.

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yes. And I don't care. That'll incite people to buy Canadian and from other nations than the U.S.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

That actually seems at odds with your own first comment. Practical experience suggests boycotting American means a higher price, sometimes.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

If Carney actually believed any of that it would be very concerning. The reality is that tapping Trump along with nice public words is the obvious strategy for us, so it's reasonable to assume most of it is just for show.

If you're looking for something suspect from Carney, there's pretty much the whole climate portfolio and some of the civil rights stuff, as often comes up in this community.