It's time to take the gloves off!

It’s Time for Canada to Play Hardball on Trade – Starting with Our Natural Resources... Because Trump is Playing Us!!!!

By Allan W. Janssen

As Donald Trump floats back into the political spotlight with talk of a renegotiated U.S.-Canada trade deal "within 30 days," Canadians would be wise not to hold their breath. We've been here before—empty deadlines, bluster at the podium, and a looming threat of tariffs aimed at our industries, jobs, and sovereignty.

But what if—for once—Canada were the one to lay down the terms?

Let me be clear: Canada is not a vassal state. We are a resource superpower. Our hydroelectric dams light up American cities. Our oil keeps U.S. refineries humming. Our lumber frames their homes. Our potash grows their food. And our rare earth minerals will one day power their electric vehicles and smart bombs.

If Trump and his entourage of economic nationalists want to weaponize trade again, it's time Canada responded in kind—with something they can't ignore.

The Power We Hold

Imagine a 50% export tariff on Canadian oil, gas, electricity, potash, lumber, and rare metals headed south. Overnight, fuel prices rise, construction slows, and Midwestern farmers feel the pinch. The American supply chain, already fragile from global shocks, would be hit squarely where it hurts: inputs.

This isn't about starting a trade war. It’s about defending ourselves in one that Trump has already signaled he's willing to reignite.

Canada has long played the polite partner. We've endured steel and aluminum tariffs, Buy America schemes, softwood lumber disputes, and thinly veiled threats to our dairy sector. We’ve met these provocations with reason and compromise—sometimes too much of it.

But what if we flipped the script?

Retaliation Isn't Reckless—It's Rational

The World Trade Organization may frown on unilateral export tariffs. Fine. Let’s build strategic pricing mechanisms, carbon border adjustments, or export quotas that achieve the same goal. Let’s use climate goals, energy security, and market stability as the rationale—because they are.

And let’s not just prepare these measures quietly behind the scenes. Let’s signal them publicly. Because the mere threat of retaliation—when backed by real economic muscle—can be more effective than the act itself.

This isn’t economic brinkmanship. It’s economic realism.

Diversify, But Don't Disarm

Yes, we must accelerate LNG terminals to Asia. Yes, we must strengthen our internal east-west pipelines and transmission infrastructure. Yes, we must decouple from American overdependence wherever possible. But we must also be prepared to use the power we already have—now, not 20 years from now.

Let the Americans know: if no trade deal is reached within 30 days, Canada is prepared to impose strategic export controls. We are not begging for fairness. We are demanding it.

A Sovereign Country Acts Like One

To be a serious country in today’s world, you need more than resources—you need the courage to use them. Just as the U.S. uses its dollar, military, and markets to enforce its interests, Canada must be prepared to use its natural resource dominance to protect its own.

Let’s stop being polite. Let’s start being powerful.

Will Tariffs Hurt Boeing and Help Airbus?

By Allan W. Janssen

The global aviation market isn’t just about wings, engines, and aerodynamics—it’s also about politics, protectionism, and power. With all the recent “crap about tariffs” in the air again, we’re left wondering: could these trade wars seriously hurt Boeing, while giving Airbus a free ride?

How Tariffs Damage Boeing

1. Increased Production Costs

Boeing relies on a global supply chain. Tariffs on imported aluminum, titanium, semiconductors, or sub-assemblies raise production costs. When tariffs hit suppliers in countries like China, Canada, or the EU, Boeing eats the costs—or passes them on to customers, weakening its competitiveness.

2. Retaliation from Trading Partners

When the U.S. enacts tariffs, trading partners retaliate. In the past, Europe and China have both slapped duties on U.S. aircraft, making Boeing jets more expensive overseas. Airbus, being European, sidesteps that problem in its home markets—and sometimes even in foreign markets angry at the U.S.

3. Risk to Export Sales

Boeing’s business model depends on exports—over 70% of its aircraft go to non-U.S. buyers. Trade friction makes international governments and airlines think twice about big orders, especially when the political risk seems high. Airbus looks safer by comparison.

4. Fallout from the U.S.-China Trade War

China is one of Boeing’s biggest markets. But when U.S.-China relations go cold, China uses aircraft orders as leverage. It delays or cancels Boeing orders—and often rewards Airbus instead. The bigger the tension, the bigger the win for Airbus.

5. WTO Disputes and Global Blowback

Boeing and Airbus have spent decades fighting at the WTO over government subsidies. Tariff escalation gives the EU an excuse to re-engage legally and economically—putting Boeing in the crosshairs while Airbus continues to receive broad political and financial support from European governments.

Why Airbus Wins in a Tariff War

1. Diversified European Supply Chain

Airbus spreads its manufacturing across France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. This makes it less exposed to any one country's economic shocks or tariffs. While Boeing may face steel or tech tariffs from multiple countries, Airbus keeps flying under the radar.

2. Political Support and Stability

The EU backs Airbus as a strategic industrial champion. In a trade war, European governments double down on supporting Airbus through loans, subsidies, and procurement preferences. That keeps Airbus stable even in choppy international waters.

3. Orders from Countries Tired of U.S. Politics

In today’s geopolitical climate, many countries want to reduce dependence on the U.S. Airbus becomes the natural alternative: apolitical, diversified, and reliable. Nations like India, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia have recently shifted new orders toward Airbus for this very reason.

The Bottom Line

If the United States pursues more aggressive tariffs and protectionist policies—especially under a second Trump administration—Boeing could find itself caught in the jet wash of politics. Every retaliatory measure from China or the EU makes Airbus look like a safer, smarter option.

It’s not just about who makes the better plane. It’s about who can sell more of them in a world where politics and trade matter as much as engineering.

And right now, Airbus has the advantage.

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This post originally appeared on Allan’s Canadian Perspective and is syndicated on Children of the Divine. To support independent analysis and creative philosophy, follow Allan’s work on Medium and Substack.

EVERY CANADIAN AND AMERICAN SHOULD READ THIS!

 War

By Allan W. Janssen

Donald Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to a punishing 50% is not just an attack on our workers—it’s a slap in the face to one of America’s most dependable allies. 

The move is economically irrational, diplomatically reckless, and strategically short-sighted. 

But let’s be clear: Canada does not need to respond with fury. 

We need to respond with focus.

We are not powerless. 

In fact, we are holding many of the cards.

Canada is more than a quiet neighbour. 

We are a foundational pillar of North America’s energy, resource, and security architecture. 

U.S. states depend on us every day for hydroelectricity, natural gas, softwood lumber, potash, critical minerals, and clean drinking water. 

Our pipelines heat their homes. 

Our forests build their cities. 

Our electricity lights their nights.

We could shut off the tap. 

But we shouldn’t.

Instead, we should play the long game—and play it smarter.

A Better Kind of Retaliation

Rather than matching chaos with chaos, Canada should implement a layered strategy that hurts where it counts, without abandoning our values or alliances.

Start with targeted counter-tariffs, precisely aimed at Republican strongholds. 

This isn’t new. 

It worked in 2018, when Canada slapped tariffs on bourbon, motorcycles, and ketchup, products close to home for Trump-aligned industries. 

If the tariff man wants a fight, we should make sure his voters feel it.

Then, move to export leverage. 

Canada should review and potentially restructure electricity and resource contracts, especially to U.S. states that benefit from below-market rates. 

If Ontario or Quebec were to renegotiate nighttime electricity exports to New England under a new premium pricing model, the message would be clear: you want to double our tariffs, you pay double for our power.

A border carbon adjustment is also overdue. If Canada imposes a climate-linked fee on imports like American steel and oil, we align with our environmental goals and the global economic consensus, while pushing back on artificially cheap, high-emission goods from across the border.

Let’s not forget legal tools. The USMCA and WTO were written to handle this kind of arbitrary trade aggression. 

Canada should immediately file a formal dispute and rally allies like Mexico, the EU, and Japan. 

Let Trump explain to the world why he’s sabotaging a rules-based system he helped rewrite just five years ago.

Economic Leverage, Not Economic War

Some might argue for more dramatic action. 

Shutting down power lines to New England for a few hours on a weekend would certainly grab headlines. 

But that’s a move better suited to dictators than democracies. 

Canada’s strength lies not in its silence... but in its stability. 

We do not win by matching bluster, but by mastering consequence.

A power disruption could escalate tensions into a full-blown trade war, risking Canadian jobs, U.S. retaliation, and a collapse of trust that would take decades to rebuild. 

It’s a bluff we don’t need to play—because our strength isn’t in threats, it’s in leverage, law, and logic.

A Sovereign Nation, Not a 51st State

Trump has floated ideas that insult Canadian sovereignty, ranging from absurd suggestions of “annexation” to more recent comments questioning our role in NATO. 

These are not the words of a partner; they are the postures of a bully.

Canada must stand tall—not to provoke, but to remind our American friends: the relationship is mutual, not one-sided. 

And if respect is withdrawn, so too must our favours.

Our retaliation should be precise, principled, and patient. 

Let the world see Canada for what it truly is, not just the United States’ neighbour, but its equal in courage, conscience, and capability.

Sunday Morning not so Funny! An open letter to the American people!

 ALLAN:

Canadians claimed to be America's closest friend and ally, yet days before tariffs were set to begin, they were already booing America's anthem at sporting events. 

Will they stop pretending... and admit they were never our friends to begin with?                               

***

Let's let Cate answer this one:

Did you actually expect Canadians to respond positively to Trump disregarding a trade agreement (that HE negotiated btw) and put 25% tariffs on Canadian imports? 

What about stating outright that “Canada meant to be our 51st state”. 

Let’s not forget disrespecting our Prime Minister by repeatedly calling him governor. 

Then, of course, there is saying Canada is one of the nastiest countries to deal with. Lies about Canada charging 250% tariffs (sometimes more depending on the day he’s speaking) on American dairy products. 

What about his incessant lies about “subsidizing Canada”? 

Oh, and what about threatening to redraw the border between our two countries??

You say Canada should admit we were never a friend to the US. 

Let me put this simply for you. 

We have viewed you as our closest friend and ally for a century. 

We thought of you as brothers and sisters. 

We answered the call, again and again, for any support you needed from us. 

This isn't a joke to us. 

We're not overreacting. 

We don't think he's just spouting these lies to cause chaos or negotiate a deal. 

We wholeheartedly believe that our closest ally and friend is about to bring violence across our border, economically destroy us, and eliminate our way of life.

Jesse Watters on Fox News said he was personally offended that Canadians did not want to become American. 

Well, guess what? 

Most Canadians are personally offended that Americans have such little respect for Canada as a country that they would assume we would be “honoured” to be taken over by the United States. 

Yes, I said taken over. 

Let’s call it like it is. 

Stop softening it by using the word annexation. 

What Trump is suggesting by “annexing Canada” and “redrawing” the border between our two countries is an act of WAR! 

Is that how friends treat each other?

We won’t even discuss the disrespect Trump showed our PM. 

One can only imagine what Trump would do if we consistently referred to him as Premier Trump. 

His arrogance and intentional disrespect towards the Canadian Prime Minister was disgraceful and unfitting of the office of the President.

Let’s discuss those dairy tariffs, shall we? 

The reality is the Canadian Dairy Industry runs under supply management, so it’s all about managing the supply for the Canadian market... BUT there is an 18% allowance for imports and most of that 18% comes from the US. 

That is tariff-free. 

IF more than 18% is imported into Canada THEN there is a surcharge on CERTAIN dairy products and in SOME CASES that is 250%. 

Even the US Dairy industry has said that has never actually happened. 

In many categories, notably including milk, the U.S. is not even at half of the zero-tariff maximum. 

Trump also made another claim that is simply false. 

He told reporters that the situation with Canadian dairy tariffs was “well taken care of” at the time his first presidency ended, “but under Biden, they just kept raising it.” 

In reality, Canada did not raise its dairy tariffs under then-U.S. President Joe Biden. 

Simply put, Trump’s assertion that Canada kept hiking its dairy tariffs when Biden was in charge is, as usual, a LIE! 

Trump just has his knickers in a twist because we have supply management policies in place that support Canadian farmers and protect its dairy, egg and poultry industries from foreign competition. 

So yes, there is a 250% tariff after the quota has been exceeded, BUT it has never actually been exceeded, so that tariff has never actually been used. 

Lastly, the tariffs Trump is so busy denouncing were negotiated by Trump himself in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA/CUSMA. 

The agreement Trump touted as “the best trade deal ever made”. 

PS: The US have exactly the same over tariffs in place.

Canada (and PM Trudeau’s associates) nasty?? 

That is laughable. 

Those that Trump considers "nice" are doormats that roll over and agree with everything he says. 

The minute someone says no, Trump reacts like a petulant child and has a tantrum; he threatens tariffs and spouts misinformation hoping they will bend to his will. 

Guess what? 

Canada will not. 

Canada considers it a compliment that we are considered “nasty”. 

It means we have self-respect. 

Trump has directly threatened Canada’s sovereignty and the Canadian economy. 

Trump has ridiculed Canadian leaders and insulted the Canadian people, all without provocation. 

Canada has been a staunch ally and the largest trading partner for the US. 

In return we are directly threatened by the US President. 

Many Americans downplay Trump’s rhetoric, but Canadians don’t. 

Canadians also know the people of the US put that racist, xenophobe in office and actions have consequences. 

His lies, appeals to patriotism, and incitement of violence must be stopped before it is too late. 

If you don’t the consequences are on you, the American people, and no one else!

And as for this nonsense about the U.S. “subsidizing” Canada because we run a trade surplus with it. This claim explains why Trump has gone bankrupt so many times. 

He has no clue how economics works. 

Subsidizing means giving something for nothing. 

A trade deficit is not a subsidy. 

We sell more to the US than we buy from the US. 

That is a trade deficit. 

Claiming it is a subsidy is like like claiming that you subsidize McDonald’s when you buy and eat a burger. 

Did McDonald’s buy anything back from you? 

Do you stand in the parking lot afterwards and scream that you should own the McDonalds because you have been subsidizing them every time you buy a Happy Meal?

Canada has never been your friend you say? 

Canada sends firefighters, waterbombers and linesman every time there is a natural disaster in the US. 

Canada has a history of offering financial aid and providing food and other relief supplies to the United States following natural disasters, often working through organizations like FEMA (which Drumpf is closing) and the Canadian Red Cross. 

For example, in 2017, after Hurricane Harvey, Canada delivered over 27,000 pounds of relief goods to FEMA and thus to American citizens. 

In 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, the Canadian Forces participated in a relief operation named Operation UNISON, dispatching ships carrying humanitarian supplies to the Gulf Coast. 

Canada hosted thousands of Americans when planes weren’t allowed to land in the US on 9/11. 

Canada spent billions and lost hundreds of soldiers supporting the US in Afghanistan. 

Canada rescued US Teheran embassy staff and smuggled them out … the list goes on. 

As a thank you Canada gets threatened with 51st state and redraw the border nonsense. 

Who is not being the friend here?

So your little feelings are hurt because Canada is booing the American national anthem at sporting events and you don’t think we are your friend. 

Canadians are not booing the American people, their teams or their players (except those who put our flag on their dressing room floor and/accuse us of cheating), we are booing your government and their unjustified policies. 

Pull your head out of your ass and see what’s really happening!

Cate McEachern