I've been lucky with the neighbors I have here. It could be because I live in the Northwoods but I've also always been grateful to have Canada as a neighboring country. We share the longest border in the world. It's also the longest undefended border - in a military sense (There is a civilian law enforcement presence.) I've thought before that if I were the U.S. president, the first foreign leader I'd invite/go to see would be the Premier of Canada since our mutual well-being is so closely tied together: they've had our backs in war, we are trading partners, we're both democracies, we share many resources. We've had years of peace: no worries about raiding parties coming across the Canadian border to take hostages. Yet we've slapped a 25% tariff on Canadian goods. Supposedly it's because Canada hasn't tried hard enough to stop fentanyl coming across their border into the U.S. and illegal immigrants. That's a lie or, as this administration likes to refer to it, 'alternate facts'. Less than 1% of fentanyl comes through Canada and less than 2% of illegal immigrants. Canada hasn't said anything about the illegals that cross from the U.S. to Canada nor that the U.S. has been ineffective in curbing the illegal use of fentanyl within our own borders. We are messing w/ our closest neighbor's economy because we are big and we can. As if that's not bad enough, our president resorts to calling their leader petty names. The U.S.A. has become the bad neighbor.
4 comments:
We're a bad neighbor being led by a bully. And we will all suffer the consequences.
kn
That's not how the Canadian folks we have down here see it. They have said it is a major flow of illegal Chinese that first came into their country and now going south. Little talked about. Looks like Mexico is already backing down and are sending 10K troops to border to help out. Stopping illegal immigration is what the majority voted for. So why are we surprised when it is happening. Not going to be business as usual.
And the tariffs are paid by us, the American consumers. Not by the Canadians. I was shocked how many people didn't know how tariffs work yet they voted for it. Prices are about to go up on almost everything.
I too have Canadian friends and I only wish they weren't talking about this. They are shocked & upset. Everyone knows immigration is a big issue. But starting a trade war with our closest neighbor? Really? How about cooperation and mutual agreements?
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