# 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:** 45
**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 15, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/881 "2025-03-15T15:45:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > Geez, man, you should get a job writing fantastical fiction, also featuring 16-legged four-winged flying reptilian invaders from Pluto! > > Can you explain what I wrote that was unrealistic? Yeah, it’s the “war” part. Trump is cataclysmically stupid, but even with him as chief executive the US is not going to war with Canada, let alone plotting the assassination of the Prime Minister. This truly is the realm of fantasy and bizarre conspiracy theory. ---
**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 15, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/882 "2025-03-15T15:47:32Z")
I truly don’t think there’s a truly practical basis for anybody presuming to know what _is_ and what _is not_ within the realm of possibility when it comes to the guy whose last act as the 45th POTUS was to foment a coup d’état attempt. I think it’s much more of a “hope for the best, but plan for the worst” situation. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/883 "2025-03-15T15:49:53Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Yeah, it’s the “war” part. Trump is cataclysmically stupid, but even with him as chief executive the US is not going to war with Canada, So 1. Clearly what I wrote is conditional on there being a war, 2. If you think it’s impossible, you’re not paying close enough attention to recent and current events (and not sufficiently considering the likelihood of increased chaos and reduced demoracy in the USA.) I’m not saying it’s CERTAIN. I am no genius, but I am smart enough to not believe in certainties. But it’s likely enough that we need to prepare, and 3. You may disagree that a war is possible but the war plan I explained is realistic and applicable to real life, not science fiction. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/884 "2025-03-15T15:53:43Z")
So does an economic attack trigger a NATO response on behalf of Canada. 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/885 "2025-03-15T16:00:13Z")
No, nor will a real attack. The rest of NATO cannot and will not help us with an invasion. ---
**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 15, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/886 "2025-03-15T16:02:29Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > I truly don’t think there’s a truly practical basis for anybody presuming to know what _is_ and what _is not_ within the realm of possibility when it comes to the guy whose last act as the 45th POTUS was to foment a coup d’état attempt. The huge difference here is that in the Jan 6 situation, Trump was just following the teachings of his evil mentor Roy Cohn – “never give up, always attack, always declare victory” etc. and his ignorant sycophants ate it up. The ability to declare war involves specifically circumscribed powers and a disciplined chain of command, not all of whom are imbeciles. Bush the Younger had a hard enough time justifying the invasion of Iraq, which was at least vaguely a plausible threat. A long-time close ally is in no sane world a plausible threat. > [@RickJay](#): > > Clearly what I wrote is conditional on there being a war, Right. And there won’t be one. Worst case, economic barriers will go up for a while until Trump either realizes the US economy is in recession, or until he’s impeached, or drops dead, whichever comes first. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/887 "2025-03-15T16:16:32Z")
It sounds like the propaganda is working pretty well, and the groundwork is getting set. Canada is already getting divided into the: 1. I will fight against it 2. It can never happen, so why worry 3. If it happens it’s good 4. I want to make it happen camps. We can see posters in here going through these phases as we speak ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/888 "2025-03-15T16:20:30Z")
Ummm where is “here” ??? Canadians are united as never before in decades. Not sure where your sourcing is but you might want to expand a bit. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/889 "2025-03-15T16:28:45Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Trump making the argument that if Canada doesn’t like tariffs, they can join the US is a perfectly reasonable position. Bullshit. Trump is violating a trade agreement which he himself designed, praised, and signed on to. It is not a perfectly reasonable position to do that. Nor is it a “perfectly reasonable position” to claim that all of Canada would only count as one state. Nor is it in any way a remotely “perfectly reasonable position” to claim that the USA should be taking over other countries. It is utterly unreasonable and also extremely stupid. Trump is potentially putting us at war with the entire rest of the world. Whether the USA could technically “win” such a war is not the issue. Whatever claimed victory, if there would be anything left standing to do so, would not be the USA any longer, even if it claimed the name. > [@Uzi](#): > > If Canada goes under, so be it. It is not his obligation to support us. Pretty royally stupid not to do so. It is his obligation to do what’s best for the USA; and making Canada an enemy is certainly not that. And Canada is in no way obligated to support the USA if the USA is reneging on the partnership. > [@wolfpup](#): > > Yeah, it’s the “war” part. Trump is cataclysmically stupid, but even with him as chief executive the US is not going to war with Canada Trump is in dementia. Some of his enablers believe the Apocalypse is due any minute, and that that is a good thing. Some of his other enablers believe they’re going to become immortal citizens of the universe living on whatever planet they please. I don’t _think_ the USA is going to go to physical war with Canada – but I’m not placing any bets, these days, on anything whatsoever. Except, of course, that we’re all betting all of our lives, and those of everyone and everything that we love. As well as every creature we haven’t even learned the names of. (As far as political assassinations: the USA actually has quite a record of accomplishing and of trying to accomplish those.) > [@wolfpup](#): > > he ability to declare war involves specifically circumscribed powers and a disciplined chain of command, not all of whom are imbeciles. He’s already fired everybody who he thinks won’t bow down to him. And who said he’s going to formally declare war? We’ve fought a shitload of wars since the middle of the last century without declaring them. > [@wolfpup](#): > > Bush the Younger had a hard enough time justifying the invasion of Iraq, which was at least vaguely a plausible threat. Bush the Younger was following the fucking rules. Trump has torn the rulebook into shreds and thrown it into the fire. > [@wolfpup](#): > > Worst case, economic barriers will go up for a while until Trump either realizes the US economy is in recession, or until he’s impeached, or drops dead, whichever comes first. Nope; that’s the best case. And it might happen. But I’m not counting on anything, any longer. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/890 "2025-03-15T17:24:44Z")
Being neither Canadian nor American I follow this discussion with great interest. All my sympathy lies with the Canadian site, I cannot imagine anybody arguing in favour of an annexation of Canada to the US. If anybody in the recent past would have suggested anything similar I would have considered him a hopeless lunatic. And now this comes from the POTUS. We are living in surreal times. There is an article in The Atlantic today about invading Canada not being a good idea. Obviously it already hadn’t worked out in the past. (I hope the article is not paywalled). > **[Invading Canada Is Not Advisable](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/us-canada-relations-trump/682046/)** > > We’ve tried before. It didn’t work out. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/891 "2025-03-15T17:43:38Z")
It is true maybe 98% of the genes encoding proteins are the same between humans and higher apes. But the epigenetics and “junk DNA” that was assumed to be redundant turns out to be active and useful and very different. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/892 "2025-03-15T17:48:50Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > I don’t disagree there are things that Canada has ‘more’ of that the US has ‘less’ of. I’m sure that Americans would be surprised that they didn’t have Art, though. > > Contrary to this thread, the US isn’t a desolate wasteland with roaming bands of mohawked thugs ala Road Warrior. Many find it a pretty pleasant place to live. There are a lot of snowbirds from Canada who’d agree. I sense quite a bit of “I’m Canadian, so I’m better” here. > > And while I applaud your use of other’s money via taxes to support your values, in the coming insurgency how many other people’s lives are you willing to sacrifice to maintain them, Lord Farquaad? > > Curious: Please tell me how I should try it? Regarding your perception of superiority: as I said elsewhere, I’m both American and Canadian. I was born, raised, and educated in America. I’m an 11th-generation American and an 8th-generation Canadian, with family and deep history and work experience on both sides of the border. I never said Americans didn’t have art or government services. You do have less services, and your art is much more commerical and less publicly funded (though there’s quite a lot of publicly funded art, too, or used to be). It’s just that the balance is different. Canada isn’t better than America in every way. Your measure seemed to be purely monetary, which misses out on most of what makes life worth living. America seems to place a higher value on the individual, and often seems to be Individual vs. the World, where here it seems to be more and individual is a member of society, and we have an obligation to make society better. Canada and the US are so big, and vary so much by region, that it’s hard to make definitive statements that are always true. We here in Vancouver probably have more in common with Seattle than either of us does with Georgia or Quebec. The US South is probably as different from mainstream US culture as Canada is, so there’s an argument that we’re (almost) all anglophone regional cultures together, but I think the Westminster style of government, vs the US system, is huge and shouldn’t be glossed over just because Americans tend not to understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/893 "2025-03-15T17:55:17Z")
I thought Uzi was Canadian? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/894 "2025-03-15T17:58:38Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > It sounds like the propaganda is working pretty well, and the groundwork is getting set. > > Canada is already getting divided into the: > > 1. I will fight against it > 2. It can never happen, so why worry > 3. If it happens it’s good > 4. I want to make it happen There is no evidence the latter two groups are growing and plenty of evidence group two is shrinking. So far it’s NOT working. I am quite heartened by the Canadian response. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Bush the Younger was following the fucking rules. Trump has torn the rulebook into shreds and thrown it into the fire. Exactly. Plenty of folks showing they’re falling for normalcy bias when it comes to Trump’s actions. Bush 2.0 actually went to the UN. He got a de facto declaration of war from Congress, rather than using the War Powers Resolution act. Bush 2.0 was a fool and a bad President, but he demonstrably respected the Constitution and the rule of law. He was 99.9% more similar to Barack Obama, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, and his father than he was to Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/895 "2025-03-15T18:00:18Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > I thought Uzi was Canadian? Technically. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/896 "2025-03-15T18:09:01Z")
Let’s not make this stuff personal, folks. Please remember this is P&E, not the Pit. Thanks. Just a general note, shall we say. RickJay Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/897 "2025-03-15T19:16:43Z")
Also not being Canadian or American I would 100% prefer living in Canada to living in the USA, just having universal health care makes the decision pretty easy. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/898 "2025-03-15T19:55:07Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Trump is violating a trade agreement which he himself designed, praised, and signed on to. He certainly praised and signed it. He of course isn’t nearly bright enough to have participated in its design. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/899 "2025-03-15T19:57:13Z")
A point. I should have said that he claimed to have designed it. At least, as I recall it. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734/900 "2025-03-15T20:46:15Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > in no sane world Well, lucky for Trump, we’re in no sane world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-declares-economic-war-on-canada/1013734.md?page=46)