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Comment by tharmas | Hacker News Reader

On trade imbalances: Trump expects Canada, a country of 40 Million people, to buy as much goods from the USA, a country of 300+ Million people. And if you subtract the oil that the USA buys from Canada, Canada has a trade SURPLUS with the USA. That is, apart from selling oil to the USA, Canada buys MORE from the USA than the USA buys from Canada, a country roughly one tenth the size.

This trade war isn't about righting trade imbalances. It's about the USA exerting leverage over countries that it can get away with. Just like a Mafia Don.

Or to quote a crude summary from Peaky Blinders: "Big $ucks small".

That's the philosophy of the Trump Administration in a nutshell.

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Have you seen (or read) "Cloud Atlas", by David Mitchell? It's worth watching. And I think the phrase from the movie "the big eats the small" encapsulates this administration's behavior. It's simply exploitative, even predatory (for e.g., if you're homeless in Washington D.C. right now.)

I think that the attitude that "the big eats the small", and its consequences (that is: the trade war and the accompanying uncertainty for business, slashed science funding, tax cuts that lead to more debt for the country, and all the other potentially disasterous policy decisions) America and the world will pay a very heavy price.

Thanks for the recommend. I have considered watching it. Just haven't gotten around to it.

I guess the proper term is "Social Darwinism". Trump will do whatever he can get away with. That's his only code.

Supposedly architect Andrew Tesoro did some work on one of Trump's golf courses. He invoiced Trump for $140,000. Trumps lawyers offered $50,000. They threatened to drag it out in the courts otherwise. He agreed to charge $50k. Trump didn't pay. Tesoro contacted Trump. Trump offered half that, $25,000. Tesoro got $25k. Trump's transactions are all about leverage.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2016/07/13/this...

What would you recommend Canada do now, other than get the US to change its mind? This seems like the reality now

Invest heavily in the Electricity grid. Both AI Data Centers and The Transportation Grid (Electric Vehicles, Batteries). These two sectors are only going to grow and they require massive amounts of electricity.

Peak Oil is going to happen soon 2020-25. China's oil demand in 2025 dropped from previous years. Even in the "drill baby drill" USA refineries are closing do to falling demand in the USA.

The private sector does not see new pipelines as economically viable. Trudeau had to step in to finish the Trans Mountain twinning. Existing pipelines that go to the USA are only at 75% capacity. If Canada wants to ship oil to Europe or Asia they should ship it by rail. It would be foolish to spend money on new pipelines when overall demand for oil is declining. And by the time these pipelines would be completed Peak Oil would be a done deal.

Develop more trade with Asia and Europe (which the current govt appears to be trying to do). A big problem is this emerging multipolar world means the USA is going to increasingly pressure Canada to become even more of a vassal state.

This youtube channel has excellent information about Canada's Engergy Future: Energi Media https://www.youtube.com/@EnergiMedia/videos

Just before the plandemic, China put in an offer on everything that Alberta could produce, and that deal never got past the first stage, and then, we kidnaped the daughter of the guy behind Huawie, all the rest of the anti China stuff and now we are here, watching Trump fly out to entertain Putin......perhaps Canada can put together a very special surprise for both of them

It was never about trade imbalances.

Trump wants Canada to help more with policing the illegal drug trade.

It's not really about illegal drugs from Canada - not a lot of illegal drugs coming in from there. It's about intimidating Canada and attempting to annex parts of it.

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