# Welcome to the Canadoper Café, 2025! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410 "2024-12-31T21:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/141 "2025-01-24T02:13:47Z")
We should have always had nuclear weapons. Now it’s too late. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/142 "2025-01-24T02:26:48Z")
You know what, I don’t think I want to post here anymore. Most of this website are Americans, and they are saying next to nothing about their government threatening a century-long ally. I have not seen a single one really object beyond acknowledging tariffs will cost money. I bet most will go along with an invasion. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/143 "2025-01-24T02:39:09Z")
I am starting to feel the same way. Just jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/144 "2025-01-24T03:18:25Z")
I had long assumed there would be something in either ‘Politics and Election’ or ‘Great Debates’ - I rarely go into those fora because it’s not my politics/election, and I find the debates generate more heat than light. Maybe I should start one and see how it goes… ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/145 "2025-01-24T03:27:44Z")
I’ve already cut back on my visits and posts to a Canada-centric message board elsewhere. It’s been invaded by American fans of Trump. You can imagine what they are saying to we Canadians. I’ll stick around here. I like the Thread Games, at least. But yeah, I do wonder what our American friends here think. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/146 "2025-01-24T03:48:02Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > But yeah, I do wonder what our American friends here think. To be fair to American Dopers, they’re probably more concerned about their own country right now, and justifiably so. The fact that the US has become hostile (not just to us, but to pretty much every country except Russia,not to mention hostile to many of its own residents and citizens) will involve economic impacts to Canada that many Americans don’t fully appreciate. And Canada’s retaliatory tariffs won’t be great for anyone because a trade war, just like a military war, isn’t good for either side. But there’s now a dangerous and unstable idiot in charge of the US government, so what can you do. From what I’ve seen in the news since the inauguration, every action he’s taken has been mind-boggling stupid by any objective criterion regardless of one’s ideology, and every one has been backed up by a ridiculous pack of lies. US policy is now completely detached from reality, and based entirely on the delusions of a lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/147 "2025-01-24T04:53:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Most of this website are Americans, and they are saying next to nothing about their government threatening a century-long ally. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I am starting to feel the same way. Just jokes. > [@Spoons](#): > > But yeah, I do wonder what our American friends here think. > [@wolfpup](#): > > To be fair to American Dopers, they’re probably more concerned about their own country right now, and justifiably so. As an American who follows this thread because I’m interested in what happens in Canada, I can say that most of us are just terrified at this point. I’m 69 years old and never dreamed I’d be living out my “golden years” in such a horror show. But if you read my posts, you probably think I’m not serious about anything because snark is my default position to deal with it all. Lots of people are coping through humor. I am concerned about you guys. You don’t deserve to have to suffer because we elected a vile moron. None of the rest of the world does either. I don’t know what we could say that could help you. I wish I did. But we can’t even help ourselves right now. I still think of you as allies. I hope that your government will be strong enough to fight back and that you can stop the disease that has infected our country from overtaking yours. And I for one like having you guys around here. Don’t let Trump divide us. > [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I had long assumed there would be something in either ‘Politics and Election’ or ‘Great Debates’ … Maybe I should start one and see how it goes… I think that’s a good idea and that you will be surprised by how much people do care. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/148 "2025-01-24T04:53:13Z")
This just popped up in P&E. Maybe we’ll get some reaction there: > [@Retaliatory tariffs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retaliatory-tariffs/1013322): > > People are saying that when Trump raises tariffs on various countries, they will likely retaliate by raising tariffs on American goods. Why? Trump’s tariffs are likely to hurt both sides. Wouldn’t other countries raising tariffs just make the problem worse? What would Canada gain by doing this? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/149 "2025-01-24T05:08:46Z")
See also this thread in GD: > [@Should Canada Quit the Five Eyes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-canada-quit-the-five-eyes/1013323): > > The Five Eyes is an intel-sharing group: Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Why should Canada be sharing national security intel with the United States, the country that now poses the greatest threat to our national security and sovereignty ? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/150 "2025-01-24T05:42:24Z")
A lot of good questions have been asked. No one has all the answers, but here are some partial answers better than what I could do. Only about 25% of Americans support these tariffs against Canada, and about 50% oppose. It’s not like Dopers can change that. Tariffs are more popular with Trump supporters. About 15% of Americans say they are up for invading Canada too. > **[Canada has what the U.S. needs. How the country can fight back in a trade war](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-canada-us-trump-tariffs-trade-war-strategy/)** > > As political and business leaders scramble for a response to Trump 2.0, a brash yet risky idea has taken hold: Use America’s dependence on Canada’s natural resources to level the battlefield > **[Americans oppose Trump’s tariff against Canada 2:1; support drops further...](https://angusreid.org/trump-tariffs-border-canada-us-trudeau-exports-imports/)** > > Three-in-five Canadians support retaliatory tariffs, ban on critical exports if Trump threat materializes January 16, 2025 – When President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, all eyes in this country will be watching to see how he follows... > **[Support for Trump’s Policies Exceeds Support for Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/us/politics/trump-policies-immigration-tariffs-economy.html)** > > A new poll found the public is sympathetic to the president-elect’s plans to deport migrants and reduce America’s presence overseas. > **[Tariffs will harm America, not induce a manufacturing rebirth](https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/01/21/tariffs-will-harm-america-not-induce-a-manufacturing-rebirth)** > > Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs will make the world poorer—and America, too  ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/151 "2025-01-24T14:41:33Z")
@Northern_Piper @RickJay @ everyone else - I totally get that you feel that way. May I humbly request - if you do leave, please get in touch with me via social media, or take note of my e-mail address. Even though we have not always agreed, I value your opinions highly, and I need to hear from intelligent people who are coming from a different perspective. I’m at - FB - https: [//www.facebook.com/doug.macnaughton](https://www.facebook.com/doug.macnaughton) or https: [//www.facebook.com/DougMacNaughtonOfficial/](https://www.facebook.com/DougMacNaughtonOfficial/) IG - https: [//www.instagram.com/dougmacnaughtonofficial/](https://www.instagram.com/dougmacnaughtonofficial/) Blue Sky - @dougmacnaughton.bsky.social and I’m pretty sure my e-mail address is in my SDMB profile. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/152 "2025-01-24T15:01:19Z")
I can understand despair at not enough Americans reacting negatively to how Trump is treating Canada, but consider this: Short of an actual invasion, everything Trump will do will likely be even worse for them than it is for us. Aside from the inflationary issues involved in a trade war, and the effects that will have on businesses and workers on both sides of the border, they have to deal with the prospects of massive deportations, suppression of political dissent, partisan prosecutions for people who get on Trump’s bad side, the further erosion of their democracy and civil rights, and all that. Their plate is full already, so I’ll give the non-MAGA Americans a bit of slack for not taking on yet another thing to be outraged by. For the MAGAs, did we really expect anything better? ---
**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:** [January 24, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/153 "2025-01-24T16:52:58Z")
Well, this should be entertaining. And by “entertaining”, I mean “infuriating”. > **[Ford says he'll trigger an election and wants 'largest mandate in Ontario's...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/livestory/ford-declares-he-will-trigger-an-early-ontario-election-next-wednesday-9.6622301)** Just what we need just as Trump is gearing up. Good going, Doug Fucking Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/154 "2025-01-24T16:57:33Z")
I have family in Canada and this makes me sick to my stomach. We are due to have a family reunion in Canada this coming July. I am heartsick, frustrated and completely perplexed at this bonkers administration. I hope this does not happen. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/155 "2025-01-24T18:21:00Z")
Hop over to the thread I just started in Politics and Elections, if you like - [US Dopers - how do you feel about Trump's threats to Canada?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-how-do-you-feel-about-trumps-threats-to-canada/1013348) I’m awfully tempted to start a similar thread in The Pit, just so I can let loose and tell people what I really think… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/156 "2025-01-24T22:30:59Z")
America will be kept busy with their own chaos as we can see. I don’t think it’s about cars and soft wood lumber. I think he wants to take over our dairy industry, (tried to get inroads last negotiations, was thwarted by Freeland!) US could easily do so. He wants the NW passage, minerals and above all else water. And he doesn’t want any pesky Canadian concerns about the environment, or being observant to our First Nations. Water is where it’s at, especially if you don’t intend to address climate change. Canadians are right to be concerned. And wise to be aware, on the ground Americans aren’t going to be able to help, only watch. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/157 "2025-01-25T16:01:03Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Just what we need just as Trump is gearing up. Good going, Doug Fucking Ford. My sister is in provincial politics and predicted this last summer, almost to the week. It’s a stupid, stupid time for a pointless election. > [@Horatius](#): > > Short of an actual invasion, everything Trump will do will likely be even worse for them than it is for us. An across the board tariff will absolutely be worse for us. Without any doubt. It’ll be harmful to the US economy but crushing to ours - we are talking about a huge increase in the unemployment rate, HUNDREDS of thousands of job losses, people losing their homes. It’ll be devastating. Likely the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/158 "2025-01-25T16:57:05Z")
Loblaw’s would like to reassure Canadians that they will continue to rip off customers at every opportunity, regardless of whether they can blame US tariffs or falsely blame the Carbon Tax. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2025, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/159 "2025-01-26T05:44:45Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Just what we need just as Trump is gearing up. Good going, Doug Fucking Ford. I agree it’s a terrible time for an election. Now we have both the federal and Ontario governments in turmoil just as Trump starts to fuck around with us. I thought we were better than that. At the same time, I don’t have the hate for Rob Ford that many do. I think he’s been a competent leader and his defense of Canada’s sovereignty in terms of retaliatory tariffs and other actions like cutting of energy supplies to the US I think has been commendable. I liked the back and forth between Ford and Fox News host Jesse Watters some weeks ago, where Ford categorically rejected any notion of Canada merging with the US, and Watters seemingly expressed amazement that anyone would not want to be part of such a wonderful country. Then Watters unintentionally revealed one of many reasons for it: “then I guess it will have to be a hostile takeover”, he said. Yeah, this is exactly the culture we do **not** want to be part of. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410/160 "2025-01-26T15:16:55Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > At the same time, I don’t have the hate for Rob Ford that many do. I think he’s been a competent leader and his defense of Canada’s sovereignty in terms of retaliatory tariffs and other actions like cutting of energy supplies to the US I think has been commendable. I think you’re referring to Doug Ford. I don’t have any particularly strong feelings about the snap election. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welcome-to-the-canadoper-cafe-2025/1012410.md?page=9)