# The United States Declares Economic War on Canada **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [February 1, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734 "2025-02-01T21:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 41
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/801 "2025-03-14T14:36:28Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Since when? Even before Trump the US had a lower standard of living. I meant to refer to GDP per capita. Canada is just above Mississippi. [https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-canada-would-rank-as-the-51st-state/](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-canada-would-rank-as-the-51st-state/) There are some goods points for Canada. Better life expectancy. More college degrees (doesn’t seem to help affect GDP, but maybe people are taking Indigenous or Gender studies dragging it down.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/802 "2025-03-14T14:38:10Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > But at the same time, those who vote for Prime Minister Black Face and his clones are idiots. He’s one of the key reasons we are in this particular dilemma. Trump has no respect for him. Nor should he. WTF are you talking about? Trump has no respect for **anybody** – not Trudeau, not Chrystia Freeland, not Mark Carney, not Conservative Pierre Poileivre, not the Premier of Greenland, not the Prime Minister of Denmark, not the President of Panama, no one at all. He typically refers to other politicians using schoolyard taunts like a six-year-old. Remember how he shoved aside the Prime Minister of Montenegro at the NATO summit in Brussels in 2017 in order to self-importantly preen in front of the cameras? Yeah, that guy. A total ignorant boor hopelessly beyond the reach of reason. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/803 "2025-03-14T15:32:03Z")
Interesting article in VOX, trying to explain the current situation for American readers. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/804 "2025-03-14T15:38:19Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > nothing would change except the possibility of a higher standard of living. No thank you, we’re good. [https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings/quality-of-life](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings/quality-of-life) ---
**Author:** ![Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slight_Off_Hand)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/805 "2025-03-14T15:53:34Z")
Would that be this one? > **[Canada is so furious at the US right now](https://www.vox.com/politics/403927/canada-tariffs-alcohol-steel-trump-51st-state-boycott)** > > Vox’s correspondent in Canada reports on the reaction to Trump’s tariffs. I thought it was a good read ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/806 "2025-03-14T15:53:49Z")
Yeah, quality of life is one of the most important metrics, and I’ll take #5 over #22 any day. The US has much higher per-capita wealth, but it’s very unevenly distributed and is associated with higher crime, much higher gun violence, and one of the world’s shittiest and most inequitable health care systems. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/807 "2025-03-14T15:54:55Z")
> [@Slight\_Off\_Hand](#): > > Would that be this one? {{sigh}} e-mails, posts; I always forget the attachment. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/808 "2025-03-14T16:25:13Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > But at the same time, those who vote for Prime Minister Black Face and his clones are idiots. And I would say that for those that voted in Danielle Smith and her idea that Alberta should get 60% of CPP. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/809 "2025-03-14T17:36:05Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Would Americans accept a “benevolent” conquering nation coming in to take over? I don’t know about other Americans (although I suspect I’m not alone here) but I would welcome being taken over by Canada. Besides getting rid of the current Administration, we’d also get rid of the Electoral College, gerrymandered legislative districts, and the 2nd Amendment. Plus we’d get the Universal Health Care thing. Even despite hockey becoming the national sport, it’d be a net positive. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/810 "2025-03-14T17:50:39Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Even despite hockey becoming the national sport, it’d be a net positive. ISWYDT … even if it wasn’t your original goal. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/811 "2025-03-14T17:54:00Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > ISWYDT … even if it wasn’t your original goal. It wasn’t, but thanks for the assist. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/812 "2025-03-14T18:24:35Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > e-mails, posts; I always forget the attachment. Thunderbird, which I’ve now gotten quite used to as an email client, has a nifty feature where if the word “attached”, “attachment”, or any variant thereof appears in the text, it reminds you to include the attachment. It’s an easy thing to forget. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/813 "2025-03-14T18:26:45Z")
Yes, and MS Outlook has it as well. But then I have to remember to use the word “attached” or “attachment” when I have already forgotten to attach the damn thing anyway. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/814 "2025-03-14T18:37:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > a swift strike at Ottawa is ABOSLUTELY what they will do, because even the USA cannot attack everything. Decapitating the government and murdering Carney and his cabinet are key for them, in the hopes the rest of the country will accept a fait accompli. Why does it necessarily have to play out this way? It certainly didn’t in some other recent invasions. Russia was able to take Crimea without decapitating Ukraine, and was able to hold it with very few adverse consequences for about eight years. It probably could have maintained things that way indefinitely if it hadn’t pressed on with the rest of (eastern) Ukraine in 2022—even this latter action, although not an unmitigated success, has won them significant territorial gains without the need to destroy or replace the Ukrainian government. And the way things are going with the US, it seems those gains will soon be irreversibly solidified. Trump seems hyperfocused on projecting power in the arctic, so what’s to stop him from seizing control of Canada’s northernmost islands and coastal territories? I doubt Canada has the wherewithal to fend off all the ships and submarines the US could send there, nor to mount an effective land assault on any military bases, towns, mining operations, etc. it might seize or establish in the far north. Canada’s allies might hem and haw and apply economic sanctions, but NATO Article 5 notwithstanding, I doubt any of them will rush with guns blazing to its aid. Not many of them have the equipment and experience to fight a protracted arctic war, and those that do would be vastly outmatched. And I think that for both Canada and its allies, retaliating with strikes against the lower 48 states would be untenable. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/815 "2025-03-14T19:11:20Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Decapitating the government and murdering Carney and his cabinet are key for them, in the hopes the rest of the country will accept a fait accompli. Geez, man, you should get a job writing fantastical fiction, also featuring 16-legged four-winged flying reptilian invaders from Pluto! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/816 "2025-03-14T19:34:09Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Geez, man, you should get a job writing fantastical fiction, also featuring 16-legged four-winged flying reptilian invaders from Pluto! What’s so “fantastic” about pointing out the obvious? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/817 "2025-03-14T21:03:52Z")
If Trump were smarter, which he isn’t, I would ironically expect an all-out attack before I’d expect a piecemeal attack. If you even do a tiny attack you will instantaneously burn what little remains of your international goodwill and cooperation, so you may as well go big. Whereas I would not expect a mere nibbling at territory until America already is a complete international pariah in a few years. Then, presenting smaller _faits accompli_ might be more palatable to what little political interests he needs to cater to at home rather than risk a larger war with a higher American casualty rate and risk of a wider conflict. But, since this is his dementedness we’re talking about, who knows anymore. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/818 "2025-03-14T21:39:52Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > even if it wasn’t your original goal Enough is enough! The puck stops here. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/819 "2025-03-14T21:40:14Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Geez, man, you should get a job writing fantastical fiction, also featuring 16-legged four-winged flying reptilian invaders from Pluto! It’s what Putin tried to do in Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/820 "2025-03-14T22:27:04Z")
Is it actually fantastical fiction though? Putin would love to see Zelensky dead. I think I can safely assume Trump would love to see Carney dead. Trump is openly speaking about redrawing the border and that the way it is now shouldn’t count. And he’s saying these things with virtually no pushback. I think that the only fantasy here is that he will be stopped before it’s too late. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734.md?page=42)