As a person from the guilty nation to your south, I think you have no need to apologize for a period of self-centered reflection before action toward a degrowth future. Canada, and a majority of Americans (women, native peoples, people of color, people of different nations of origin, people who identify as non-binary, people with disabilities, and perhaps a few supportive white males) are victimized by a pair of narcissistic, sociopaths with Machiavellian political ideas, backed by heavy handed corporate benefactors. (The last part of the sentence is not mine, but I cannot remember who said it.) All of us need to follow a degrowth path, or as David Holmgren of Permaculture fame said it, "find a prosperous way down." (This comment tweaks a couple of readers of yours, but so be it.) That way down must include social justice for the above list of peoples. It must include recognition of planetary boundaries, some of which we have already crossed. This implies regenerative work, improving soils, prairies, forests, and allowing all polluted waters to heal. (Canada's biggest sin is the extraction of tar sands in Alberta and shipping it to us to burn. You have a few mining issues to clean up as well.) It rejects violence as a means to the end sought. This will not be easy for you, or us, but requires us to act before the semi-incoherent actions of the present US leadership makes near-term collapse inevitable. Keep pushing on this and recognize that there are a lot of Americans, not in power now, who are supportive.
No. Most will be victims. This is not about who voted, then you would be correct, it is about who will be victims. The women who voted will have their votes taken away if this power grab continues much longer.
I remembered the source of the Dark Triad; narcissism, sociopathy, and Machiavellianism. It was a Nate Hagens "Frankly" on The Great Simplification, Friday, February 14.
Many years ago, I was having dinner with neighbors in a little fishing town in Nova Scotia when the news broke that an American fishing trawler has "accidentally" wandered across the international boundary line that divides the Georges Banks into US and Canadian zones. The trawler was being chased by a ship from the Canadian Navy as it scurried back to safety in New Bedford. My neighbors were quietly cheering for the Canadian Navy while I was quietly cheering for the American trawler. It made for interesting dinner table conversation!
The most significant result of Trump II is making it plain for all to see that America cannot be trusted -- not as a friend, not as a neighbor, not as a business partner, and not as a political ally. The damage done by President Musk and Mini-Musk Donald will alter the relationship between the US and Canada for decades. As you correctly point out, the breach may actually make Canada stronger as it turns aside from the easy economic ties with the US and engages economically with other international trading partners.
Many in America are embarrassed and horrified at the actions of the putative president and who might be open to a new political alignment with Canada. We are seeing the echoes of the Civil War playing out all over again. America has been infected with the cancer of a plantation economy, which very well end up consuming the host.
As an American, I hope Canada, Europe, and the rest of the free world survive and thrive. We need your help defeating Musk, Thiel, Yarvin, and their appendages Trump and Vance.
Our PINO, Trump, is incapable of completing anything. He'll bluster and threaten, but ultimately accomplish very little. President Musk won't get much done either. Both of these clowns suffer from the same problem. They think they know everything about everything. I hope our neighbors to the North stand up to him.
There can be no successful bioeconomy without ‘hewers of wood’ and planters of trees. Of all the sustainable nature based materials that can act as feedstocks for the bioeconomy timber is the number one. Canada well placed (with a bit of helpful competition from the Scandinavians) to be the world’s first bioeconomy ie only those fossil fuels used that can in turn be offset by 2050. The economic benefits that would flow from such an achievement would be immense.
In my neighbourhood, sustainability and resilience looks like Tesla’s, solar panels from China, and manicured lawns. Until we reorient the transition to be the most beneficial to the lowest socioeconomic class as its first order of business, it will fail. The derision and open hostility to the bottom half of society with respect to energy transition is a tragedy and a complete missed opportunity. Sending rebate cheques to people who don’t see a future for their children is the most self-defeating policy I have ever witnessed. The speed at which our government is folding on its foundational economic principle by removing the consumer carbon tax only reinforces the sense this was a scam. I wonder if the tax collected was used only for resilience against fire, flood, efficiency and increasing biodiversity - actual material improvements in people’s lives instead of as punishment and social welfare, maybe the cause would have been seen as authentic.
I suspect Trump's bluster about Canada might have something to do with Trudeau's (poor) performance in office. I think the likelihood of a hostile takeover is extremely low. The US and Canada are deeply intwined in trade already; conflict will greatly impact both countries. I bemoaned Trump's provocative taunting, and recommend you don't get too worked up about it. We need to adopt sufficiency for many other reasons.
I've been expecting the energy costs and environmental impact of offshore manufacturing and related shipping activity to begin reducing that aspect of the global economy and encourage the development and regrowth of many nation's manufacturing sector. (and secretly hoping to see modern sailing technology applied to the transport of some of the remaining cross ocean trade!).
Now you’re talking like a real revolutionary. Enough instead of endless growth…not sure we should allow that sort of talk on the north AMERICAN continent.
I stopped reading Daily Kos a while back. One-sided and biased, and too angry and inaccurate in places. Contrary to the cartoon, it's possible that Musk's cost-cutting and discovery of wastage are positive developments, including for the environment.
As a person from the guilty nation to your south, I think you have no need to apologize for a period of self-centered reflection before action toward a degrowth future. Canada, and a majority of Americans (women, native peoples, people of color, people of different nations of origin, people who identify as non-binary, people with disabilities, and perhaps a few supportive white males) are victimized by a pair of narcissistic, sociopaths with Machiavellian political ideas, backed by heavy handed corporate benefactors. (The last part of the sentence is not mine, but I cannot remember who said it.) All of us need to follow a degrowth path, or as David Holmgren of Permaculture fame said it, "find a prosperous way down." (This comment tweaks a couple of readers of yours, but so be it.) That way down must include social justice for the above list of peoples. It must include recognition of planetary boundaries, some of which we have already crossed. This implies regenerative work, improving soils, prairies, forests, and allowing all polluted waters to heal. (Canada's biggest sin is the extraction of tar sands in Alberta and shipping it to us to burn. You have a few mining issues to clean up as well.) It rejects violence as a means to the end sought. This will not be easy for you, or us, but requires us to act before the semi-incoherent actions of the present US leadership makes near-term collapse inevitable. Keep pushing on this and recognize that there are a lot of Americans, not in power now, who are supportive.
"...and a majority of Americans...
Should read, many, not "a majority".
No. Most will be victims. This is not about who voted, then you would be correct, it is about who will be victims. The women who voted will have their votes taken away if this power grab continues much longer.
So women getting their bathrooms back are now victims? How are women going to have their votes taken away? Let me guess, they can't get ID's.
No anti-trans shit on my site please, nobody took any bathrooms away.
100%
I remembered the source of the Dark Triad; narcissism, sociopathy, and Machiavellianism. It was a Nate Hagens "Frankly" on The Great Simplification, Friday, February 14.
Many years ago, I was having dinner with neighbors in a little fishing town in Nova Scotia when the news broke that an American fishing trawler has "accidentally" wandered across the international boundary line that divides the Georges Banks into US and Canadian zones. The trawler was being chased by a ship from the Canadian Navy as it scurried back to safety in New Bedford. My neighbors were quietly cheering for the Canadian Navy while I was quietly cheering for the American trawler. It made for interesting dinner table conversation!
The most significant result of Trump II is making it plain for all to see that America cannot be trusted -- not as a friend, not as a neighbor, not as a business partner, and not as a political ally. The damage done by President Musk and Mini-Musk Donald will alter the relationship between the US and Canada for decades. As you correctly point out, the breach may actually make Canada stronger as it turns aside from the easy economic ties with the US and engages economically with other international trading partners.
Many in America are embarrassed and horrified at the actions of the putative president and who might be open to a new political alignment with Canada. We are seeing the echoes of the Civil War playing out all over again. America has been infected with the cancer of a plantation economy, which very well end up consuming the host.
As an American, I hope Canada, Europe, and the rest of the free world survive and thrive. We need your help defeating Musk, Thiel, Yarvin, and their appendages Trump and Vance.
Our PINO, Trump, is incapable of completing anything. He'll bluster and threaten, but ultimately accomplish very little. President Musk won't get much done either. Both of these clowns suffer from the same problem. They think they know everything about everything. I hope our neighbors to the North stand up to him.
There can be no successful bioeconomy without ‘hewers of wood’ and planters of trees. Of all the sustainable nature based materials that can act as feedstocks for the bioeconomy timber is the number one. Canada well placed (with a bit of helpful competition from the Scandinavians) to be the world’s first bioeconomy ie only those fossil fuels used that can in turn be offset by 2050. The economic benefits that would flow from such an achievement would be immense.
Wouldn't using fossil fuels be cheating? Or are you saying no more fossil fuels by 2050?
In my neighbourhood, sustainability and resilience looks like Tesla’s, solar panels from China, and manicured lawns. Until we reorient the transition to be the most beneficial to the lowest socioeconomic class as its first order of business, it will fail. The derision and open hostility to the bottom half of society with respect to energy transition is a tragedy and a complete missed opportunity. Sending rebate cheques to people who don’t see a future for their children is the most self-defeating policy I have ever witnessed. The speed at which our government is folding on its foundational economic principle by removing the consumer carbon tax only reinforces the sense this was a scam. I wonder if the tax collected was used only for resilience against fire, flood, efficiency and increasing biodiversity - actual material improvements in people’s lives instead of as punishment and social welfare, maybe the cause would have been seen as authentic.
I suspect Trump's bluster about Canada might have something to do with Trudeau's (poor) performance in office. I think the likelihood of a hostile takeover is extremely low. The US and Canada are deeply intwined in trade already; conflict will greatly impact both countries. I bemoaned Trump's provocative taunting, and recommend you don't get too worked up about it. We need to adopt sufficiency for many other reasons.
Yes! Excellent article.
I've been expecting the energy costs and environmental impact of offshore manufacturing and related shipping activity to begin reducing that aspect of the global economy and encourage the development and regrowth of many nation's manufacturing sector. (and secretly hoping to see modern sailing technology applied to the transport of some of the remaining cross ocean trade!).
Now you’re talking like a real revolutionary. Enough instead of endless growth…not sure we should allow that sort of talk on the north AMERICAN continent.
actually it seems to be everywhere this morning https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/17/2303811/-Cartoon-Rapid-unscheduled-disassembly?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_1&pm_medium=web
I stopped reading Daily Kos a while back. One-sided and biased, and too angry and inaccurate in places. Contrary to the cartoon, it's possible that Musk's cost-cutting and discovery of wastage are positive developments, including for the environment.
I just saw that!