Let me preface this post with the admission regarding Cuban politics; I know only what I read and what I have, personally, observed since 1995 and our first visit to the country. Conversations with Cubans must be handled with absolute diplomacy. You are warned not to discuss politics. There are ways around this but it isn’t a wise conversational choice.
I love Cuba; I love the people. The dignity, the pride…it is unmatched. In the face of over 50 years of an American Imperialist embargo, they continue to stand up in the face of a most criminal action. Cuba is a sovereign nation, drives American oligarchs crazy. It isn’t that there are tremendous natural resources, it isn’t that it is a country rich in, well…anything really; it is that they have stood up to the U.S.
Cuba is not a terrorist state, it never has been. They haven’t invaded or bombed other sovereign nations, something the U.S. cannot claim. Is it a perfect nation? Hell no. There is poverty, there are stunning shortages, electricity is cut off for the vast majority of the day, for most Cubans but they go on. They survive when they should be entitled to thrive.
Cuba is an example for Canadians. They have stood strong against the embargo at tremendous socio-economic cost. While Cuba has no real natural resource stockpiles, they are still managing. Canada, on the other hand, has untold wealth in natural resources. We are in a far better position to stand against American expansionism.
The hypocrisy of the U.S. is absolutely stunning; the world has been told they cannot trade/import with Cuba because the U.S. says so….meanwhile? Russia is trading and importing although amounts are down due to Russia’s own socio-economic position. Funny how nothing is said to Russia about the defying of the American embargo.
In all fairness, it is difficult to trade with Cuba as they do have a cashflow problem, payment for goods is unreasonably slow, if at all. This starts to head into a topic that I would be best served avoiding.
Canadians are at the top of the tourist food chain in Cuba; we love the country. Absolutely, the weather and the beauty of the beaches are one reason, the people and the history are another but for many, a bonus is this is a way to quietly send a big old F.U. to the United States.
Bottomline, fellow Canadians, if a tiny nation, 90 miles from the U.S. can stand up to the bully, so can we, with our resources, our reputation and our allies. It won’t be easy but we are more than capable of establishing trade relations across the globe and diversifying reliance on the global bully, a bully who has managed to, in just a few weeks, become a global pariah, a joke and the object of increasingly mistrust. The American reputation as a global leader has sunk, time to set a new global leader afloat. We are not spoiled for choice; there are many global leaders more worthy of our allegiance.
This is not an election to which I look forward. I have to vote strategically in order to help prevent the mini-Maga Pee-Pee Poilievre from gaining office.
I have nothing but the highest regard for Mme. DeBellefeuille. She works, tirelessly, within our region; she champions the causes of the older Québeçois(e). If there is a community event, she is there; quiet, supportive and unassuming. I have voted for her, in each Federal election but sadly, I cannot, in the upcoming one.
Voting my conscience, my ethics have always been my guide with regard to elections;
Who do I trust?
Who will do the most for the citizens and the riding?
Who has a positive track record?
Mme. DeBellefeuille checked all the boxes for me but thanks to that diapered-convicted felon-traitorous thing, inhabiting the oval office? I have to vote strategically. Québec cannot afford to see Pee-Pee Poilievre gain office; he is little more than a Traitorous Trump wannabe. He will sell Canada out, in a heartbeat. He has no real platform, he has no ethics and what is more telling is that he refuses a security clearance. His backroom lackies are busily trying to clean up his rep. Forget it. He was cozy with the Klown Konvoy, he is buddy-buddy with known racists, he has NEVER held a real job. He has no idea what it is to be a Canadian.
So, I have to vote Liberal. I will hold my nose but this is something that must be done, in order to put an end to the delusions of a felonious traitorous swine, masquerading as the leader of a former ally.
I am sorry Mme. DeBellefeuille, but in order to protect the Québec identity, we have to strengthen the Canadian position against the U.S.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. To look back on the life I’ve had the privilege to lead. And to reflect on how much this country we all love so much has grown and changed over the course of the nine decades I’ve been on this Earth.
This year, I’ve also decided to give myself a birthday present. I’m going to do something in this article that I don’t do very often anymore, and sound off on a big issue affecting the state of the nation and profoundly bothering me and so many other Canadians: The totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
I have two very clear and simple messages.
To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world – and make no mistake, that is what we are – to join the United States?
I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world – when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.
We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially with public health care – that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.
This may not be the “American Way” or “the Trump Way.” But it is the reality I have witnessed and lived my whole long life.
If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don’t know a thing about us. You don’t know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up – both times – years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.
We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.
We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds.
We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.
And that leads me to my second message, to all our leaders, federal and provincial, as well as those who are aspiring to lead our country: Start showing that spine and toughness. That’s what Canadians want to see – what they need to see. It’s called leadership. You need to lead. Canadians are ready to follow.
I know the spirit is there. Ever since Mr. Trump’s attacks, every political party is speaking out in favour of Canada. In fact, it is to my great satisfaction that even the Bloc Québécois is defending Canada.
But you don’t win a hockey game by only playing defence. We all know that even when we satisfy one demand, Mr. Trump will come back with another, bigger demand. That’s not diplomacy; it’s blackmail.
We need another approach – one that will break this cycle.
Mr. Trump has accomplished one thing: He has unified Canadians more than we have been ever before! All leaders across our country have united in resolve to defend Canadian interests.
When I came into office as prime minister, Canada faced a national unity crisis. The threat of Quebec separation was very real. We took action to deal with this existential threat in a manner that made Canadians, including Quebeckers, stronger, more united and even prouder of Canadian values.
Now there is another existential threat. And we once again need to reduce our vulnerability. That is the challenge for this generation of political leaders.
And you won’t accomplish it by using the same old approaches. Just like we did 30 years ago, we need a Plan B for 2025.
Yes, telling the Americans we are their best friends and closest trading partner is good. So is lobbying hard in Washington and the state capitals, pointing out that tariffs will hurt the American economy too. So are retaliatory tariffs – when you are attacked, you have to defend yourself.
But we also have to play offence. Let’s tell Mr. Trump that we too have border issues with the United States. Canada has tough gun control legislation, but illegal guns are pouring in from the U.S. We need to tell him that we expect the United States to act to reduce the number of guns crossing into Canada.
We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage, insisting that it is an international waterway, even though it flows through the Canadian Arctic as Canadian waters. We need the United States to recognize the Northwest Passage as being Canadian waters.
We also need to reduce Canada’s vulnerability in the first place. We need to be stronger. There are more trade barriers between provinces than between Canada and the United States. Let’s launch a national project to get rid of those barriers! And let’s strengthen the ties that bind this vast nation together through projects such as real national energy grid.
We also have to understand that Mr. Trump isn’t just threatening us; he’s also targeting a growing list of other countries, as well as the European Union itself, and he is just getting started. Canada should quickly convene a meeting of the leaders of Denmark, Panama, Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to formulate a plan for fighting back these threats.
Every time that Mr. Trump opens his mouth, he creates new allies for all of us. So let’s get organized! To fight back against a big, powerful bully, you need strength in numbers.
The whole point is not to wait in dread for Donald Trump’s next blow. It’s to build a country and an international community that can withstand those blows.
Canadians know me. They know I am an optimist. That I am practical. And that I always speak my mind. I made my share of mistakes over a long career, but I never for a moment doubted the decency of my fellow Canadians – or of my political opponents.
The current and future generations of political leaders should remember they are not each other’s enemies – they are opponents. Nobody ever loved the cut-and-thrust of politics more than me, but I always understood that each of us was trying to make a positive contribution to make our community or country a better place.
That spirit is more important now than ever, as we address this new challenge. Our leaders should keep that in mind.
I am 91 today and blessed with good health. I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life.
We’re back; we spent 2 weeks in Cuba. I am not going to discuss the socio-economic situation. I am still processing it.
We came back to a political shitshow. I am floored by the lack of action by the Democratic party; I know there are protests and the media, CNN – MSNBC – ABC are NOT covering them. Why? Because the current administration has made it clear that any anti-government reporting will have them barred from press conferences. Meanwhile, the Russian asset in charge, has permitted Russian media into the oval office. (The lack of capitalization is on purpose – the offices do not deserve respect anymore.)
Canadians understand what is going on. Putin is running out of money to fund his criminal action in Ukraine; required minerals, fossil fuels are depleted. The Putin asset pocket lint in charge of the country to our south, also wants our minerals and fuels; Elonia wants our lithium but Canadians understand our assignment. We are not going to cave.
The lack of comprehension of Canadians, within Washington, is astounding. The willingness of that government, in its entirety, to bend over to Russia is proof positive that the oval office has been infiltrated by Russian assets.
We will never be a “Friend” to the U.S. again. Canadians do not forget. We do, however, have to thank the puppet master in Moscow and his marionettes in Washington; they have ignited the flame of Canadian nationalism, pointed out that diversification of our trading partners is required. Showed us that our ports of import/export must be expanded, updated and ready for global trading.
Putin Pocket Lint president is already backing down on his ridiculous tariffs. Will those tariffs impact Canadians, absolutely but the real negative impact will be felt by the american public who don’t seem to grasp who pays for those tariffs. Ignorance isn’t bliss, it leads to bankruptcy and the annihilation of farming, ranching, manufacturing and commercial interests across the board.
Whatever, at least they can still buy their stupid hats (manufactured in China) and read their trump bibles as they stand in line at soup kitchens, in the dark, because financial relief has been withdrawn and Canada has added surtax to fuel and electricity. Слава Україні!
Canadians do have to thank that Dumbass Donnie for making us realize that we need to buy Canadian or failing that, from anywhere except the U.S.
Wal-Mart for example, yes, it is an option that is close to many of us but there is a Canadian option, Giant Tiger, owned and operated by a Canadian, Gordon Reid. We are using Giant Tiger, now and Wal-Mart only for our prescriptions, Access Pharma, while operating out of a Wal-Mart store is Québecois owned and operated.
While Giant Tiger is quite a bit further for us to go, in a pinch, they also have online shopping.
I’ve closed down all my Amazon subscriptions as they screwed us over, big time, closed warehouses across Québec, putting, at last estimate, over 4000 people out of work. This number includes the subcontractors doing the deliveries.
Yes, this is going to be very inconvenient for me, as we live in a rural area and running out for items is not a fun thing but my pride as a Québecoise Canadian is far stronger than any sense of inconvenience and again, there is always Giant Tiger.
When buying our fruits, vegetables, meats or sundries, we now check if the product is American; if it is, it goes back on the shelf.
We don’t do the “fast food” thing, older digestion….but when we are on the road, on the way to Giant Tiger 😁; we will stop at A&W, a Canadian company, using Canadian products.
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