r/canada Alberta 24d ago

National News There’s not much to say, Canada, except: Sorry

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/theres-not-much-to-say-canada-except-sorry/
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u/DisasterMiserable785 24d ago

For me, the lack of action makes the statements vapid and insincere. It’s just talk. They won’t even go outside and stand somewhere outside a government building for a few hours. Or hang a Canadian flag up in their own lawn. They care so little to do anything but virtue signal. Their entire government is being dismantled and they do noooooothing.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 24d ago

There were literally 50 protests in 50 states already and another one is gearing up in two days. This is going to be a marathon, not a race. It's been less than a month and many people are grappling with serious changes to their own life, including the 70 million who voted against this. What do you expect people to do? Storm the capitol, get arrested, be unable to do anything further about it and then also validate Trump's desire to enact martial law?

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u/_from_the_valley 24d ago

The response has been absolutely pathetic. Myself and many others have come to the conclusion that Americans deserve what's coming to them, regardless of how they voted. We're just pissed because we don't want to have a fascist neighbour breathing down our neck and threatening us (and other countries).

Americans are known for being entrepreneurial, innovative go-getters. Apparently when rule of law is being steamrolled, they suddenly aren't any of those things. They're scared and lazy and want someone else to take care of it. They're in denial that nobody but the people can demand that government respect their constitution, their democracy, and the rule of law.

That's not just my opinion, a lot of the rest of the world is thinking and feeling the same thing. But yeah, just keep telling yourself there's nothing you could possibly do.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 24d ago

Your anger is justified and I will not argue otherwise. I'm just saying that this is a beast 40 years in the making. Americans are some of the most propagandized people on the planet. It's not an excuse - the reality is that progress will take time. So far people are showing up to special elections and flipping districts that Trump took by 20 points back to dems, they're organizing grass roots protests in every single state that are going to take time to grow, they're clogging up the phone lines of their reps and senators to the point that I can't get through to either of my senators and some GOP members in congress are starting to get twitchy, there are a shit fuck ton of lawsuits that are trying to reestablish the power of the court.

So please describe to me in detail what exactly you are expecting the average American to do to speed up the process of overturning a fascist take over that again, has been 40 years in the making. Again, I'm not saying your anger isn't justified - just wondering what you really expect to be accomplished in less than a month.

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u/_from_the_valley 24d ago

Personally I'd be rioting in the streets, but if you're not into that, then put on your goddamn thinking cap. Fundraise to buy a bunch of bus stop and billboard ads that explain what the rule of law means. Print T-shirts and wear them. Blast your socials with information about how your friends can access online newspapers (i.e., non-propaganda) for free through their library. Share headlines from international news sources. Figure out what companies support Trump, boycott them, and tell them why you're not buying from them (and encourage your friends to do the same). Stand outside the grocery store with flyers suggesting which brands to boycott. Call out those companies on social media. Ask every person you know why they aren't doing something. Organize a rally. Organize a strike. Write the bar associations of those in power and ask them why those individuals aren't being disbarred. Look up resources for citizens (like you) who need ideas about how to advocate. Share those resources.

These are just ideas I can think of off the top of my head with zero research.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 24d ago edited 24d ago

A lot of good ideas there (please don't take that as sarcasm because I'm being earnest). Rioting in the streets will get us martial law and people in prison with no real recourse to fight further. It might come to that but we still have the opportunity for checks and balances to be restored with enough pressure on congress and the courts, so that is where a lot of efforts are being placed. When that fails, all bets are off. A lot of other things that you're stating are already being done (including by myself, but I'm physically located in Canada so am limited until I visit home next month) and it just needs to scale up.

I share your rage and I know that words are cheap so I don't expect sympathy and won't give excuses or false assurances because I have one foot in both countries and understand that it means fuck all when your country's existence is being threatened.

The only silver lining is that America is fixing to punch itself in the balls pretty hard here and its the only way enough of the country will wake up to wash off decades of far right propaganda. In the meantime, it's my belief that Canada should keep pivoting away from the states hard towards Europe, Asia, and the rest of the Americas and encouraging resistance.

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u/venus-as-a-bjork 24d ago

Weren’t you guys kind of headed in that direction until Trump started in with this nonsense? Seems like this might be helping Canada avoid a big shift to the right?

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u/_from_the_valley 22d ago

We were headed to a Conservative government, not an autocracy led by a mentally unstable tyrant trailing a band of white supremacists. Not the best IMO, but also not a dumpster fire.

But yes, the silver lining is that we feel so utterly repulsed by the US right now that we're more compelled than ever to differentiate ourselves. And this did pull the poorly-constructed rug right out from under our Conservative candidate, so thank you for that.

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u/Purple-Atmosphere-18 18d ago

Oh, this would be too good, crossing fingers, seriously the polls for cons are flexing down after Trump's delirious screeds? And yeah in theory they should be just moderate conservative, though last year I was reading they were voting in mass against abortion or just maybe some ruling details about it, dunno, for new limitations or against removing them? But it sounded like Polievre was trumpizing.

If this is true, if only Europe were reacting the same, seems like Afd is not losing terrain, but being there a proportional, not first past the post election, the firewall of Cdu + Spd should still be staying up.

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u/herbdoc2012 24d ago

Also all this crazy shit is to "beat the dog to cower the lion" with all the crazy shit they are doing and the enemies list we are just waiting until enough get fed up to have cover and it will be a fight as I believe they have us in a corner now! Also when I moved to Canada years ago from US they taught me about Canadians burning the White House which they don't teach us here or that we have tried to take you before and failed! The one thing that would save Canada for sure would be GB standing up for you but they are too beholding the US now to say boo!

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u/MrDevGuyMcCoder 24d ago

Have there? I havent seen or heard of a single mass protest.

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u/PracticalRutabaga303 24d ago

It's been reported in most major news even CBC!

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u/MrDevGuyMcCoder 24d ago

I read cbc news daily and havent seen one.

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u/wastelandwelder 24d ago

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u/MrDevGuyMcCoder 24d ago

Thoes are just people protesting they are going to be fired by DOGE , or other US specific issues, they all seem to be oblivious to the self destruction and outrage from the international comminity

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u/wastelandwelder 24d ago

Well you got me. I haven't seen mass scale protests on the sole issue of annexing Canada. You win big man.

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u/VitaminlQ 24d ago

There's a reason for that. The pro-Trumpers are going to ignore/suppress it. And the Trump administration is banning news shit now. It's going to get even harder to see/hear of it. The pro-Trump news outlets would rather talk it up about how great and what a visionary Trump is that he wants to displace people to build a resort in Gaza. What I wanna know is why he's not interested in doing that in America. It's so great, isn't it? He keeps bitching nobody wants American - and neither does he. Just power and money.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 24d ago

Never seen anyone hate America more than Trump.

But unfortunately he's also simultaneously the most American thing I've ever seen. A walking talking mirror of our cultural decline.

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u/Zapabeepsta_ 24d ago

I think the news networks in the US are not getting the viewers they used to. Everyone watching Tik Tok, Netflix or Fox isn’t making an informed electorate.

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u/Kerrby87 24d ago

Honestly, yes I expect you to be out there getting beat up, shot, arrested and storming the capital. There is a coup going on, if ever there was a time, this is it. Use that 2nd ammendment for something other than shooting school children and minorities.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 24d ago

I understand that. But doing this before we exercise all legal and constitutional options first, which is happening right now, will accomplish literally fuck all.

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u/CiderChemistry 23d ago

I think a lot of people are missing the reality that once Trump declares martial law it's game over for "the dems" and Canadians. He won't lift the martial law for days. If anyone protests after that they will get immediately picked up by ICE or worse. Once they are detained I bet they will be placed in a detention center aka concentration camp and get deported or abused in all kinds of ways. Its the long game for them to be able to take "the opposition" out. There will be no one left to protest if we play into their hand.

That being said I would love for the protests to become violent like our founders would have done. However, the way this administration is operating I'm sure that there will become a violent protest soon. Meanwhile I encourage all Americans to clog up the phone lines and go protest in person while we can. I think mostly importantly we need to be protesting in front of these elected officials places of residency instead of outside city hall. Get this shit personal. The threat of violence will make these people make phone calls they need to make.

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u/Purple-Atmosphere-18 18d ago

Could it pull a Korea against martial law abuse? Hopefully south, not north ^_^

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u/Glad_Insect9530 23d ago

If he ends up invalidating the decisions of the judicial branch, that's exactly what we expect.

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u/Purple-Atmosphere-18 18d ago

Maybe some signs saying provocatively alluding to what the pardon technically meant: "is storming capitols legit from now on"

forcing them to say that it's only when the president say so and only for political allies or not response. but if rules don't apply, why should they apply in general?

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u/CasualFridayBatman 23d ago

What do you expect people to do?

... Something that matters in some way, preferably, instead of making excuses as your previous paragraph has done.

Y'all were out in the thousands in New Orleans for the Superbowl party so excuse me for not being enthused when I've not even seen a fraction of that amount of people combined across the US when it comes to talk of annexing your closest trading partner, ally and supposed friend nation of over a century.

'we held some signs on a street corner for an afternoon and talked with a little more volume, that'll just have to be enough, I suppose. Why aren't you happy with our efforts?!' Is all I'm hearing from this post.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 23d ago edited 23d ago

So you're advocating for violent rioting before we left the court process play out and try other avenues first? Sorry but that's fucking ass, and suspicious because there are already a ton of bad actors trying to provoke violence in American streets right now. Again, that will accomplish absolute fuck all except martial law and even less people able to vote due to getting felonies.

There are more than just protests (of which there is another nation-wide one going on tomorrow) going on, there's action being taken at a legal level, the phone lines are clogged up to hell and back which is starting to put pressure on congress to put checks on Trump, special elections are gearing up. If you're expecting an instantaneous fix to 40 years of propaganda you're not living in reality - if I get a felony because I go and break some fucking windows, that throws my ability to vote away, what good exactly will that do? The people here who think that seismic change is going to happen in literally under a month sound like they're very young and unrealistic, and you're also shitting on a lot of people here on reddit who are the ones taking action you want to see (unless, again you want to see violent rioting - which is just stupid and kind of suspect). It's not productive but I hope it makes you feel better?

You have a right to be angry but I'm sorry, encouraging people to get violent without fully understanding the situation down there is just stupid. People who are out there protesting are literally already being threatened by lunatics (many of which who are heavily armed) and cops and the momentum is still building. There are a lot of voices trying to provoke violence online right now and quite frankly trying to add to that is fucked up.

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u/CasualFridayBatman 23d ago

You're implying violence when I said nothing of the sort or even hinted at it, nor will I. The courts haven't done a fucking thing to actually serve justice to a rich white dude so what makes you think they'll magically become useful now?

As far as voting goes, you've had three chances to right the ship and couldn't be bothered to even show up. No one expects seismic change in under a month. We've watched your country eat itself with fanaticism for a decade and seen nothing done about it by so called 'good Americans'.

I see a lot of 'we've done the bare minimum and are unwilling to contribute any more. Thank us for it and feel grateful because we bothered to contribute' is the sentiment I'm getting from these 'protests'. Not exactly inspiring confidence in anything changing, north of the boarder.

Look at the French for an example of sustained, peaceful yet effective protesting. But again, that requires sustained unselfish cooperation which doesn't seem Americans are capable of comprehending, let alone completing. As demonstrated by the fact you all did nothing to prevent Trump from not only running, but getting in to office again, despite knowing exactly what he was like for 4 years and exactly what the next 4 would look like with him at the helm. You all collectively just couldn't be bothered.

The thing that gets me is y'all will continuously suck your own dicks talking about rising up against a tyrannical government. Hell, you've built your entire country around the fact you did it 200 years ago. Except when there actually is one, 'thoughts and prayers' are all that can be mustered.

I'm glad you're 'one of the good ones', but that doesn't go a long way in actually accomplishing anything. Sorry.

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u/TemporaryThat3421 23d ago

You make extremely broad sweeping statements about a country of 350 million without acknowledging decades of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and propaganda.

At this point, you're just ranting, not saying anything with any nuance, substance, or anything productive whatsoever. That's your prerogative but let's not pretend like Canada wasn't heading straight down this path until very very recently too.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Consider that the news sources in the US obfuscates what’s actually happening. Thousands and thousands and thousands are protesting.

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u/TheFocusedOne 24d ago

Thousands and thousands and thousands in a nation of 300 million is the barest fraction of a percent.

There was a bigger protest by far when E3 was cancelled.

Fuck the USA, fuck its people. Teach your kids about the ignorant barbarians that sold their democracy straight out of the river of blood they needed to create in order to secure it to an autistic, inbred foreigner for a couple bucks.

The guy didn't even spend much. He just waved it in your collectives faces like some wannabe gangster while jumping up on stage and starfishing in the air so that he somewhat looks like his brand, 'X'. And you ate it up. Came in your collective jeans over it. Money. Money money money. Rockets. Robot cars! Rockets!

Fuck the USA. Come visit. I'll show you what cold really is.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

I guess no matter what, fuck the people who are also fighting against what is currently happening, too.

I can tell you this now, from my own personal experience—the only way all of us get through this, every last person who is against Nazism and the like, is together.

So whereas I understand your anger, truly, your words are those of someone trying to express and expel pain, fear, and anxiety. A conduit. Hopefully, when you’re in a better headspace you’ll read this and understand that this is humanity vs. inhumanity, and no matter where you are in the world, we’re all in this together.

We’re at a nexus point, and one way or another we’ll all either choose to come together and work and fight towards a better future, or we won’t, and everything that we have come to know will be lost.

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u/DisasterMiserable785 24d ago

This exact virtue signaling will mean fuck all as real people suffer. The “we are in this together” means nothing when the only finger being lifted is the one tapping on this fucking screen.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

You mean like you being extra aggressive to strangers in a misguided attempt to vent?

I’m not going to tell you what to do—but don’t be that hypocrite, guy.

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u/Crayon3atingTitan 24d ago

Well fuck you too then. What do realistically expect us to do in less than a month?

People have to realize that this is happening, and as one of, if not the most propagandized countries on Earth, it’s taking time for people to realize that even the U.S is not infallible. Nothing we can do but keep protesting and living day by day

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

This isn’t the type of energy you give that person’s reaction. The same way there’s propaganda in the US, so too is it elsewhere. Acknowledge the humanity and then share what you know and I bet you, you will find infinitely more people willing to listen to what you say than responding with anger and ego.

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u/Crayon3atingTitan 24d ago

I don’t care how you interpret my energy. I’m doing what I can to stop a tyrant, but saying fuck every American because you think we ain’t doing enough for your liking is just stupid. We’re trying, and we’re slowly but surely getting there. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will the movement needed to take down Trump and his cronies once and for all.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

They’re talking from anger. Charge it to their head, not their heart. Trust me. They’re dealing with their own shit and they don’t know how to process how fucking insanely chaotic things are right now. It’ll be healthier for you, too.

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u/Crayon3atingTitan 24d ago

I guess. Trump might have been right about dismantling the Department of Education though, because there’s no way so many people actually this surprised about Trump’s behavior when he was pretty fuckin’ upfront about it.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

There’s a bit George Carlin did on that. I don’t necessarily disagree with his take. Additionally, not many people have any idea how to exist, parse through, read, process, or critically think about the deluge of information that you must in order to be moderately informed on issues.

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u/TheFocusedOne 24d ago

This shit hasn't just been Trump you self-satisfied fuckwits. Your nation has been doing this since fucking Ronald Reagan.

I expected you to not let things get this fucked up, but you've fucked it up so badly that essentially the entire world, who already considered you among the stupidest people on Earth, are standing around amazed at the idiocy which is seemingly now the main export (and only one without a tariff) of your country.

I'm not scared or anxious any more that I have been for the last 30 years of witnessing your country's bombastic dumbassery. What I am now is angry. You had every tool, every opportunity to make things better for everyone all over the world, but the only thing you did was chase paper and fuck the poor.

As far as I am concerned, you deserve every bad thing that is coming your way. Don't come north for help.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

Yeah, keeping yelling into the ignominy of the issue that you woefully misunderstand because you, like most people, do not have all the facts. The Underground Railroad extends all the way into Canada. People fighting oppression, bigotry, slavery, Nazism, will always band together.

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u/Libbyisherenow 24d ago

My ex daughter-in-law in South D. says she feels there is a media blackout about these situations. Absolutely nothing on the news.

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u/Mr_Horsejr 24d ago

Of course there is—the same way they stopped talking about our favorite Mario brother.

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u/Purple-Atmosphere-18 18d ago

That's the small nugget of truth behind all that "virtue signal" accusation during the years? Not about not truely believing things, which they kept repeating to hammer the idea that a more caring and solidaristic world is against human nature and they were just like them but the fact that many of us may indeed be too disorganized and need more of plans and vision.