He has a core guiding ideology of American exceptionalism and imperialism. America first. God bless America, specifically. Not that he understands any of this, most of it comes from intuition and having the worst scourge of mankind whispering policy pitches in his ears, but I'd say that much is very consistent. It's just that it got so worse from one term to another that it looks like a departure - but to anyone paying attention to the things he tried in his first term, this is a continuation.
Edit: for instance, he signed the NAFTA deal he's complaining about, but it wasn't because he liked it, he signed because that's the best his team was able to negotiate. They told him to sign, he signed it. But the same dumbasses that advocated for the tariffs back then, advocated for them again this time. So once again, he just nods and signs, as long as his team says the right MAGA words. The moderates were expelled from his team because Trump wants to be even MAGAy than before. It's the same ideology, with less checks and balances.
He's more like Eric Adams. It happens to be that he's a conservative suburbanite but his guiding principle is having power and making money, there's no ideology mixed in
Canada does not need to join the EU to increase trade and partnerships. More trade agreements and joint projects. The EU is a complicated political structure and joining it is unnecessarily complicateted.
If anyone feels alienated, deal with it. I’m not saying this to make an enemy but neighbors will get no cookies or pats on the back for doing the absolute minimum, then coming here tell us “on behalf of half of us, I’m sorry” and that “this is not us”. Yes it is, face it and deal with it. Do more and to better.
You didn’t ask “what matters”, but “what to do”. I can tell you the things I do, but they’re all groups in my city so unless you move here it doesn’t help much. But you can look for the equivalents where you live: strong towns, vision zero, proportional representation, antifascism, buying local, defense of the public library, volunteer with a local party… the list of options on how to get organized and on what specific areas is endless.
Pick any of the things you already told that matters to you and go work on it. Not even talking about Canada anymore, you’re the one using learned helplessness to weasel out of putting in the work. Go on about not having the time to act on these things, after telling us that you care about them so much.
Great question. Step one is educating yourself on how to answer this question yourself, but better ask this of you local groups, I’m not from Seattle so can’t help you figure this out. But the short answer is to organize.
Cool story but that is what Americans chose, yes. It’s your representative. Americans might not hate Canadians, but Americans only love themselves and will eventually learn that this leads you to behave selfishly and be hated.
Me neither but that's not what's happening. The petition is not the basis for the action. The basis for the petition is the basis for the action, and the petition is a tool to demonstrate public support for the action.
I won't be signing it, though. This will help no one and I'd rather spend our political capital on things that do.
Conservatism used to be about fiscal responsibility and political stability
And at which point in time was this not a euphemism for cutting social services and resisting social reforms? Only the most radical segment of the left is revolutionary, most of progressive politics always has been incrementalist social democracy inside the frames of modern capitalism. Conservatism has always been about resisting whatever that other force for progress is pushing.
It is the fault of their home countries that their schools don’t meet that standard.
We cannot and should never compromise high standards of education.
These two things are generally unrelated. Higher education institutions around the world don't have many incentives to get these accreditation stamps in the first place, and it's mostly bureaucracy, nothing to do with the actual standards of these institutions. My engineering degree was much, MUCH harder to get than it it would have been in Canada. The bar to graduate at my uni is way higher than the average university here - but in the end it's a pile of paperwork that no one cares to make it easier.
A friend of mine is finishing his 3 year journey towards his P Eng and it's insane to think that the quality of his education has anything to do with this, it's one of the best engineering schools of the continent.
Eh, I can't help but be a little bit hopeful, but remember that whenever the Liberals pick their new leader, "Fuck Trudeau" will be updated into "This person is just Trudeau again but worse". It's just that this is not very effective until the actual person is chosen.
But as always, what we need to do doesn't change. Get out and vote. Convince reasonable people to vote.
Just take something we import very little and slap a -200% tariff