Fred, it's sad to say, but too many Americans are ill-informed and don't do any fact-checking on their own. Trump has remarked that he loves the uneducated (I'm paraphrasing). These uneducated MAGA supporters will believe anything that their "fearless leader and idol" tells them. And of course, the oligarchs with their multi-billions gravitate to Trump because they know that his economic "policies" match their selfish goals.
So, as Bev has already commented, your articles would be so useful if the uneducated cohort within MAGA could actually see them. Leading up to November's midterms, the Democrats have an enormous task to reach these people. Their needs to be a tsunami wave of support for the Democrats so they take both the House and the Senate. The current regime in the US needs to be held accountable for their corruption, chaos, and lies.
So are these perfectly expressed facts out there anywhere that many Americans can actually read them? They re in the kind of language they might understand if only they could see outside Fox…. Not disparaging Substack, I just dont know the reach of anything any more.
We Canadians of course need them too. It s not like we have actual media coverage any more.
Just keep planting the seed was what an old teacher told me when I was fulminating over something vital taking forever to sink into public consciousness.
A great article, Fred, with facts and solid conclusions. Canadians need to know this to counter the noise coming out of Washington. Good on you to aim at Americans who read and listen to non-Trump news sources. However, the American voter is drowning in conflicting stories about the election, Iran, and Epstein while panicking over rising gas and grocery prices. I think Trump will increase his emotional threats against us as distractions and Canada must not blink. Our survival depends on it.
Americans are being hit with so many competing stories that Canada barely registers.
That's exactly why I'm changing my approach.
Instead of reacting to every headline, I'm going to build a plain-English archive explaining why Canada matters to the United States and what Canada is actually accomplishing.
Facts don't expire, and that's the conversation I want to help grow.
This is a very good article, Fred. And it gels nicely with your previous tariff article. We have been “tolerated” as the junior trade partner for decades. Decades ago, Americans knew very little about our country due to their incredible trait of “exceptionalism”. Looking inward and rarely outward, unless it suited their purposes.
Decades later - today - l believe nothing has changed. They probably don’t even know or care about the extortion of “BridgeGate”. Sorry, but not sorry.
Seems to me we need to get this information to the USA public! November cometh! We wouldn't want the trumpet running on a platform that includes protecting the nation from them nasty Canadians!
Another nefarious thought; maybe Doug needs to cut a deal with Gavin to carry California (only) wine at the LCBO in return for promoting this information over the USA!
The old US multi-national corporate establishment had more political influence in the last fifty years ago than it does today. That influence has been usurped buy the Oligarchs , financial Privateers and Banker’s.
I believe at this moment the power of the buyer, outside the US market is being under valued by American trade value. It is still there, but until America’s customers wheel that power the US is not likely to fully recognize it. In other words, canada will have to use tariffs on American good as a leverage point at some point in these negotiations. In order for the American negotiators to recognize the modest strength and some of canada’s possessions.
I applaud your effort. I do question whether the USA has already lost its customer base.
The level of disdain and anger from Canadians at the threatened sovereignty, economic warfare, trashy talking points from WH and now Govenors blaming Canadians for changing buying patterns has caused an inflection point.
Our circle of family and friends will not return to USA products or travel. It is not temporary. This is a multi-generation recovery like Germany after WWII. And there is little awareness there is a trust and reputation problem within USA.
It is also not limited to Canadians avoiding USA products - it is global.
At the present time, any agreement signed with USA can’t be relied upon.
There is a long list of agreements and international law that are put aside. The list of human right abuses on USA soil grows daily. The dilution of its citizen rights and active voter suppression. The erosion of USA quality of life and education are measurable.
To rebuild global trust after World War II, Germany made committed efforts to Wiedergutmachung (Making good again) through systematic financial reparations to victims, deep integration into democratic European institutions, a steadfast constitutional commitment to peace and human rights, and profound cultural acts of political contrition and public remembrance acknowledging Nazi atrocities.
The erosion of global trust with the USA will require the same type of effort.
I see no awareness, aside from global USA brand leaders, that a major trust and reputation repair is required.
Focusing on its relationship with Canada (and it's consumers) does not step up to the scale of the problem.
The tariffs are a funding mechanism for the country with a $40 trillion dollar debt, and globally, economists have figured this out since 'liberation' day arrived. The theatre of Canada's dependence upon the USA has roots in supply chain, and economic integration built since the postwar alliances of democracy vs. communism were flogged in the post war order. This used to work, when the team captain (USA) didn't openly spite and castigate it's team players (countries with military and economic integration). The faults with a the system have been buried in history, but now show both the motivating factors, and faults.
Fred, it's sad to say, but too many Americans are ill-informed and don't do any fact-checking on their own. Trump has remarked that he loves the uneducated (I'm paraphrasing). These uneducated MAGA supporters will believe anything that their "fearless leader and idol" tells them. And of course, the oligarchs with their multi-billions gravitate to Trump because they know that his economic "policies" match their selfish goals.
So, as Bev has already commented, your articles would be so useful if the uneducated cohort within MAGA could actually see them. Leading up to November's midterms, the Democrats have an enormous task to reach these people. Their needs to be a tsunami wave of support for the Democrats so they take both the House and the Senate. The current regime in the US needs to be held accountable for their corruption, chaos, and lies.
Jerry, that's exactly why I'm shifting my focus.
I can't reach everyone, but I can reach the people willing to listen.
My job isn't to tell people what to think... it's to give them facts they can verify for themselves.
If enough of us keep sharing the truth, eventually it becomes harder for misinformation to survive.
One article at a time. 🇨🇦
So are these perfectly expressed facts out there anywhere that many Americans can actually read them? They re in the kind of language they might understand if only they could see outside Fox…. Not disparaging Substack, I just dont know the reach of anything any more.
Bev, that's exactly what I'm trying to change.
My goal isn't just to write for Canadians anymore.
I'm building articles that explain Canada to Americans in plain English, using facts they can verify for themselves.
I'll keep publishing on Substack, Facebook and anywhere else they'll travel.
I may not reach millions overnight, but if enough of us keep sharing truthful information, it spreads one reader at a time.
That's how movements grow. 🇨🇦
We Canadians of course need them too. It s not like we have actual media coverage any more.
Just keep planting the seed was what an old teacher told me when I was fulminating over something vital taking forever to sink into public consciousness.
Bev, your old teacher was a wise person. 😊
That's exactly what I'm going to do.
Keep planting seeds with facts people can verify, keep writing in plain English, and trust that over time those seeds grow.
That's a lot more productive than shouting at each other online.
A great article, Fred, with facts and solid conclusions. Canadians need to know this to counter the noise coming out of Washington. Good on you to aim at Americans who read and listen to non-Trump news sources. However, the American voter is drowning in conflicting stories about the election, Iran, and Epstein while panicking over rising gas and grocery prices. I think Trump will increase his emotional threats against us as distractions and Canada must not blink. Our survival depends on it.
Joanna, thank you.
I think you've put your finger on the challenge.
Americans are being hit with so many competing stories that Canada barely registers.
That's exactly why I'm changing my approach.
Instead of reacting to every headline, I'm going to build a plain-English archive explaining why Canada matters to the United States and what Canada is actually accomplishing.
Facts don't expire, and that's the conversation I want to help grow.
This is a very good article, Fred. And it gels nicely with your previous tariff article. We have been “tolerated” as the junior trade partner for decades. Decades ago, Americans knew very little about our country due to their incredible trait of “exceptionalism”. Looking inward and rarely outward, unless it suited their purposes.
Decades later - today - l believe nothing has changed. They probably don’t even know or care about the extortion of “BridgeGate”. Sorry, but not sorry.
Scott, thank you.
I think we've spent decades assuming our value was obvious.
It isn't.
That's become my new mission...
to help Americans understand what Canada contributes to their economy and to remind Canadians that we're far more than America's junior partner.
Facts are a lot harder to dismiss than slogans.
Seems to me we need to get this information to the USA public! November cometh! We wouldn't want the trumpet running on a platform that includes protecting the nation from them nasty Canadians!
Another nefarious thought; maybe Doug needs to cut a deal with Gavin to carry California (only) wine at the LCBO in return for promoting this information over the USA!
Jim, that's become my mission.
I'm done just reacting to the latest headline.
I'm building an archive that explains Canada in plain English... one fact, one article, one graphic at a time.
If Americans are told they don't need Canada, then somebody needs to show them the evidence that says otherwise. 🇨🇦
Quite humorous! Aside from the fact I don’t drink, I can’t even go that far…
The old US multi-national corporate establishment had more political influence in the last fifty years ago than it does today. That influence has been usurped buy the Oligarchs , financial Privateers and Banker’s.
I believe at this moment the power of the buyer, outside the US market is being under valued by American trade value. It is still there, but until America’s customers wheel that power the US is not likely to fully recognize it. In other words, canada will have to use tariffs on American good as a leverage point at some point in these negotiations. In order for the American negotiators to recognize the modest strength and some of canada’s possessions.
John, exactly.
Canada has spent years talking about how much we need the U.S.
It's time we started reminding Americans how much they sell to us, how many jobs depend on Canadian customers, and why Canada matters.
That's the education project I'm taking on. 🇨🇦
Too late. We're deeply insulted by the current administration!
Matt, I hear you.
That's why I'm focusing less on the insults and more on the facts.
The more Americans understand what Canada contributes...
and the more Canadians understand our own value...
the stronger our position becomes. 🇨🇦
I applaud your effort. I do question whether the USA has already lost its customer base.
The level of disdain and anger from Canadians at the threatened sovereignty, economic warfare, trashy talking points from WH and now Govenors blaming Canadians for changing buying patterns has caused an inflection point.
Our circle of family and friends will not return to USA products or travel. It is not temporary. This is a multi-generation recovery like Germany after WWII. And there is little awareness there is a trust and reputation problem within USA.
It is also not limited to Canadians avoiding USA products - it is global.
Linda, thank you.
I think you've highlighted something that doesn't get enough attention... trust.
Trade agreements can be renegotiated, but trust takes much longer to rebuild.
Whether buying habits change permanently remains to be seen...
but many Canadians have clearly started looking beyond the U.S. for products, travel and business relationships.
That's one reason I'm documenting these changes as they happen.
At the present time, any agreement signed with USA can’t be relied upon.
There is a long list of agreements and international law that are put aside. The list of human right abuses on USA soil grows daily. The dilution of its citizen rights and active voter suppression. The erosion of USA quality of life and education are measurable.
To rebuild global trust after World War II, Germany made committed efforts to Wiedergutmachung (Making good again) through systematic financial reparations to victims, deep integration into democratic European institutions, a steadfast constitutional commitment to peace and human rights, and profound cultural acts of political contrition and public remembrance acknowledging Nazi atrocities.
The erosion of global trust with the USA will require the same type of effort.
I see no awareness, aside from global USA brand leaders, that a major trust and reputation repair is required.
Focusing on its relationship with Canada (and it's consumers) does not step up to the scale of the problem.
Linda, that's a thoughtful perspective.
Rebuilding trust, if it happens, will take years, not months.
My focus is a little narrower.
I'm trying to build a factual record of this period... what Canada did, how we adapted, and why our relationship with the U.S. changed.
I think future readers will benefit from having that story documented in plain English.
The tariffs are a funding mechanism for the country with a $40 trillion dollar debt, and globally, economists have figured this out since 'liberation' day arrived. The theatre of Canada's dependence upon the USA has roots in supply chain, and economic integration built since the postwar alliances of democracy vs. communism were flogged in the post war order. This used to work, when the team captain (USA) didn't openly spite and castigate it's team players (countries with military and economic integration). The faults with a the system have been buried in history, but now show both the motivating factors, and faults.
Pete, that's why I'm launching this new series.
Too many Americans have no idea how important Canada is to their jobs and economy,
and too many Canadians underestimate our own value.
It's time we started telling that story with facts instead of slogans. 🇨🇦
Americans have no idea, they have been brainwashed since birth.