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Canada's real GDP growth has been flat for a decade and its cost of living, especially of housing, has exploded, to the point that the median home price in Cana

by _zagj 1y ago

Canada's real GDP growth has been flat for a decade and its cost of living, especially of housing, has exploded, to the point that the median home price in Canada is almost $700k. The idea that Canadians in general (not just the rich boomers who own a home and maybe a condo on the side, and live off generous pensions) are better situated to weather a trade war with the US than Americans is the height of delusion. Trump may have stupidly launched a trade war against the whole world, but his underlings cleverly engineered it as a prisoner's dilemma, where while it's in the interest of the world collectively to unite against the US, it's also in the interests of the individual to defect, and the sooner, the better, since the US made it clear that the longer you wait, the worse terms you'll get. Canada should have made a deal early, e.g., before the UK. This will become painfully obvious soon enough.

FranzFerdiNaN 1y ago
There was a deal. It was signed by Trump in his first term. He tore it up like it was nothing. You cant make a deal with Trump. He changes his position weekly, depending on what he saw on Fox News or who he last talked to.
- _zagj 1y ago
  > He tore it up like it was nothing. From what I understand, goods exempt under the USMCA are still exempt. EDIT: > You cant make a deal with Trump. He changes his position weekly, depending on what he saw on Fox News or who he last talked to. If you really believe he's an unpredictable Nixonian "Madman theory" president personified, then perhaps needling him with "TACO" (in effect mocking him for offering reprieves to facilitate further negotiation, and daring him to take threatened aggressive action up to and including bombing other countries) probably isn't the smartest track to take, especially knowing how much he values strength and how image-conscious he is.
  - watwut 1y ago
    The worst thing you can do is to allow Trump to feel strong and that you are weak. Because is always abuses it to the maximum and always tries to bully for more. He is unpredictable madman. But, he also tend to back off from challenge and daring him with aggressive action makes him back down.
    - _zagj 1y ago
      > Trump to feel strong and that you are weak Trump (and the US) is strong, and Canada (and other individual trading partners) are weak. How is that not painfully obvious at this point, especially given Europe's recent capitulation? Take the best deal you can get and hope he spares you from the kind of public humiliation to which he subjected Europe. Face it, orange reddit was wrong (again) about how this would play out. Oh, I mentioned Canada's flat real GDP growth. It's also worth noting that 40% of their GDP is just real estate--a massive bubble and shell game.
      - watwut 1y ago
        Europe was un-strategic there, simple as that. Trump will take advantage of that. But, USA is getting weaker and weaker ... and will continue to fall further. That being said, practically EU promised things it likely wont deliver, because structurally cant. And the tariffs on cars are at its benefit. So like, there is nice chance Trump will look strong (which is bad), but wont get much in the practical terms (and that is fully deserved). Trump is fearful when challenged, he backs down. That is a fact. It does not even matter as much who is objectively strong or not. Trump nor current American leadership deals with facts. They are all about feelings.
        _zagj 1y ago
        > But, USA is getting weaker and weaker Relative to China, perhaps. But surely not relative to Europe or Canada. > Trump is fearful when challenged, he backs down. That is a fact. Have you not been paying attention to the last nine years of American politics? Are you confusing him with LBJ?
- belter 1y ago
  [1] - "...The USMCA is the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved. There’s never been anything like it. Other countries are now looking at it, but there can’t be a border like that because, believe it or not, that is by far the biggest border anywhere in the world, in terms of economy, in terms of people. There’s nothing even close..." - Trump commenting on USMCA deal - January 29, 2020 [1] - https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-signing-ceremony-united-states-mexico-canada-trade-agreement/ https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/re... "...Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area? Who made these decisions, and why?..." - Trump commenting on USMCA deal - March 11, 2025

by _zagj 1y ago

FranzFerdiNaN 1y ago

There was a deal. It was signed by Trump in his first term. He tore it up like it was nothing. You cant make a deal with Trump. He changes his position weekly, depending on what he saw on Fox News or who he last talked to.

_zagj 1y ago
> He tore it up like it was nothing. From what I understand, goods exempt under the USMCA are still exempt. EDIT: > You cant make a deal with Trump. He changes his position weekly, depending on what he saw on Fox News or who he last talked to. If you really believe he's an unpredictable Nixonian "Madman theory" president personified, then perhaps needling him with "TACO" (in effect mocking him for offering reprieves to facilitate further negotiation, and daring him to take threatened aggressive action up to and including bombing other countries) probably isn't the smartest track to take, especially knowing how much he values strength and how image-conscious he is.
- watwut 1y ago
  The worst thing you can do is to allow Trump to feel strong and that you are weak. Because is always abuses it to the maximum and always tries to bully for more. He is unpredictable madman. But, he also tend to back off from challenge and daring him with aggressive action makes him back down.
  - _zagj 1y ago
    > Trump to feel strong and that you are weak Trump (and the US) is strong, and Canada (and other individual trading partners) are weak. How is that not painfully obvious at this point, especially given Europe's recent capitulation? Take the best deal you can get and hope he spares you from the kind of public humiliation to which he subjected Europe. Face it, orange reddit was wrong (again) about how this would play out. Oh, I mentioned Canada's flat real GDP growth. It's also worth noting that 40% of their GDP is just real estate--a massive bubble and shell game.
    - watwut 1y ago
      Europe was un-strategic there, simple as that. Trump will take advantage of that. But, USA is getting weaker and weaker ... and will continue to fall further. That being said, practically EU promised things it likely wont deliver, because structurally cant. And the tariffs on cars are at its benefit. So like, there is nice chance Trump will look strong (which is bad), but wont get much in the practical terms (and that is fully deserved). Trump is fearful when challenged, he backs down. That is a fact. It does not even matter as much who is objectively strong or not. Trump nor current American leadership deals with facts. They are all about feelings.
      - _zagj 1y ago
        > But, USA is getting weaker and weaker Relative to China, perhaps. But surely not relative to Europe or Canada. > Trump is fearful when challenged, he backs down. That is a fact. Have you not been paying attention to the last nine years of American politics? Are you confusing him with LBJ?
belter 1y ago
[1] - "...The USMCA is the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved. There’s never been anything like it. Other countries are now looking at it, but there can’t be a border like that because, believe it or not, that is by far the biggest border anywhere in the world, in terms of economy, in terms of people. There’s nothing even close..." - Trump commenting on USMCA deal - January 29, 2020 [1] - https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-signing-ceremony-united-states-mexico-canada-trade-agreement/ https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/re... "...Why would our Country allow another Country to supply us with electricity, even for a small area? Who made these decisions, and why?..." - Trump commenting on USMCA deal - March 11, 2025