(If) Canada Buys the SAAB Gripen!

Well kids, it looks like Canada is about to cancel Trump's F-35's and replace them with the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen E!

BUT!

Only if they let us change the jet's model number to... FU - 47!

Trump the Drumpf!

 Allan said: Trump just released this picture of himself depicted as Jesus and healing the sick... is this a cause for concern? 

Is he totally nuts?

Sal-9000 said: These posts raise legitimate questions worth thinking through carefully.

What the images show: AI-generated imagery depicting Trump in a messianic/Christ-like pose healing the sick, and a Trump tower on the moon — both posted to his Truth Social account.

Is it concerning? Reasonable people across the political spectrum have noted genuine worries here:

• Political leaders portraying themselves with religious/divine imagery have historically been associated with authoritarian personality cults — it's a well-documented pattern.
• It blurs the line between political identity and religious devotion in ways that can be manipulative toward religious supporters.
• The moon tower image suggests grandiose self-mythology that goes well beyond normal political branding.

The other side of the argument:

• Politicians have long used symbolic imagery, and supporters often create and share flattering art.
• Some supporters view it as a harmless celebration or humour.
• Social media posts aren't necessarily a reliable window into someone's actual psychology.

On "is he nuts" — that's a question I'd push back on framing that way. Diagnosing someone's mental state from social media posts isn't reliable, and mental health framing can actually distract from the more grounded political concern, which is about power, accountability, and the normalization of messianic self-presentation by a sitting president.

The more useful question is probably: what does it signal about how he wants his supporters to relate to him? 

That's a political question with a pretty clear answer!!!

(P.S. Drumpf is healing Jeffrey Epstein!)

Opinion: America needs Canada more than it’s willing to admit!

There is something almost comical about the current state of American politics regarding Canada. The country that shares the world’s longest undefended border with the United States and has been its closest trading partner for decades is now being treated like a rival. 

Tariffs, threats, and political posturing have replaced decades of steady cooperation. 

The noise has been loud enough to make people forget the basic facts.

Peel back the rhetoric, and a different picture emerges. 

Canada is not just a neighbour. 

It is, in many ways, a lifeline! 

From the oil that heats American homes to the minerals that go into smartphones and fighter jets, the US relies on Canada far more than its current political stance would suggest! 

This piece breaks down exactly why that is, and why pushing Canada away may be one of the most self-defeating things America could do right now!

***

According to US Census Bureau data, Canada was the top destination for US goods exports in 2024, absorbing $350 billion in American products! (That makes Canada the largest buyer of American goods in the world. Canada buys more from American businesses than the UK, France, China, and Japan combined!)

The US-Canada trade relationship is valued at roughly $700 billion annually, making it one of the largest bilateral trade flows anywhere on the planet. 

Framing this as a burden on America is simply not supported by the numbers!

In 2023, 60% of all US crude oil imports originated in Canada, up from 33% a decade earlier. 

Canada’s crude oil exports to US refineries account for 24% (~1/4) of total US refinery throughput!

This is not a minor contribution. The Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions, in particular, are deeply connected to Canadian oil through pipeline and rail networks. 

Many US refineries were specifically designed to handle a mix of light and heavy crude oils, and upgrading them to process different grades would require prohibitive capital expenditure!

Canada is America’s most critical partner for minerals security!

AND:

A February 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that the US is 100% import-reliant for 12 of the 50 minerals identified as critical by the US Geological Survey... and more than 50% reliant on imports for another 29 identified critical minerals!

Canada supplies 21 of those critical minerals, the same number as China!

BUT: 

Unlike China, Canada is a stable democratic ally with no history of weaponizing its mineral supply. (The United States has invested more than $70 million in Canadian critical minerals projects under the "Defence Production Act!")

The auto industry on both sides of the border is the same! 

A typical vehicle assembled in Canada contains 50-60% US-made components, and auto components routinely cross the border six to eight times during production. 

Canada’s auto sector directly supports 125,000 direct jobs and contributes over $16 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, and over 90% of Canadian-made vehicles are exported to the United States!

Disrupting that integrated supply chain does not bring jobs back to Detroit. 

It raises prices for American consumers and slows production on both sides!

***

Analysts estimate that a 100% tariff on Canadian imports could raise inflation by 1.5-2% almost immediately, with energy and auto prices rising sharply given Canada’s role as a top supplier of crude oil, natural gas, and auto parts!

***

A February 2025 survey by The Harris Poll for Bloomberg News found that around 60% of Americans believe high tariffs could raise consumer prices! 

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board criticized the tariffs on Canada as making no economic sense!

Canada has just met the NATO defence spending target!

The Government of Canada achieved NATO’s 2% of GDP defence spending target in the 2025-26 fiscal year, marking a significant milestone in Canada’s approach to national defence and collective security.

This was buoyed by a $9.3-billion surge and internal accounting changes, fulfilling Prime Minister Mark Carney’s promise under intense allied pressure. 

Canada also committed to investing 5% of GDP in core defence capabilities, and in defence- and security-related dual-use investments, by 2035!

NORAD cannot function without Canada!

Exercise VIGILANT SHIELD 2026 is a bi-national command post exercise between Canada and the United States designed to assess and enhance the readiness of NORAD and US Northern Command to defend North America from attack across all domains, including air, land, maritime, space, and cyberspace.

Canada’s geography is irreplaceable for radar coverage, early warning systems, and Arctic surveillance. 

Canada is backing this commitment with an $81.1 billion multi-year investment to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces, with funding ramping up to modernize Arctic infrastructure and advance NORAD modernization!

The Arctic is a strategic frontier, and Canada controls the gateway!

As climate change opens Arctic shipping lanes, the area is becoming one of the most contested regions in the world. (Russia has constructed military bases along its Northern Sea Route, and its Northern Fleet is its largest!)

***

Canada is the United States’ primary strategic partner in the North American Arctic, with NORAD embodying the long-standing, shared commitment to monitor, patrol, and protect the aerospace domains and maritime approaches to North America.

Canada is not just a trading partner. It is an American backstop!

When a crisis hits, whether a pandemic, a geopolitical shock, or an energy disruption, Canada is the country right next door with the resources, the infrastructure, and the long-standing institutional ties to respond alongside the US!

The two countries share mutual security commitments under NATO, maintain a close intelligence partnership as members of the Five Eyes, cooperate on continental defence through NORAD, and coordinate frequently on law enforcement efforts across their shared 5,525-mile border!

The cultural break is worse than the trade war! 

Canadians don’t see Americans as friends anymore!

SATURDAY MORNING CONFUSION!!!!!

 

Put this in your pipe and smoke it... MAGA!

SATURDAY MORNING CONFUSION # 2!

AFTER DRUMPF!!!

 When Trump leaves office:

The Department of War will go back to being the Defense Department.

The Trump Kennedy Center will go back to being the Kennedy Center.

The Gulf of America will once again be the Gulf of Mexico.

The unfinished East Wing (it won't be finished by the end of Trump's term) will be rebuilt by the next president, and it will not be a ballroom.

Federal agencies packed with unqualified loyalists will fire those people and rehire the career experts Trump fired.

The Department of Justice will go back to enforcing the law instead of protecting the president.

Scientific agencies like NOAA, the EPA, and the CDC will go back to publishing research without political interference.

The U.S. will re-align with its allies and not with its enemies.

The presidential pardon power will stop being used as a rewards program for loyalists.

Inspectors General will go back to investigating corruption instead of getting fired for it.

The White House press room will go back to having briefings, with real journalists and not podcasters.

U.S. foreign policy will stop revolving around flattering dictators.

And the world will progress as though Donald Trump never existed.

AND CANADIANS STILL WON'T GO THERE!!!!

Rachel Maddow talks about Trump... Trade and Canada! (And Jon Stewart too!)

THE RESULTS OF DRUMPF's TRADE WAR!

 

CHECKMATE DONALD!

THANK YOU... DONALD!

🎵 LETTERS... We get lots and lots of letters!🎵

Dear President Trump,

As a Canadian, I would personally like to thank you for the tariffs and disrespect you have directed at Canada. I haven’t seen Canadians so cohesive in my lifetime. As a Canadian, I hate to say it, but it is all because of an American = you!

For too long, Canadians have allowed the US to take the lead in our economy and our politics. our trade, our culture and our foreign policy. For too long, Canada has been content to suckle at the hind teat of America for our defence, at the expense of our own military industrial capability and NATO commitments. We have been laggards.

For too long, easy commerce between our nations has made us complacent about developing new trade partners. Your tariffs have awakened our listless nation to a world of possibilities -including the People's Republic of China. Personally, I think moves in that direction are a bad idea (even Russia quit importing Chinese cars), but only your zeal has pushed us in that direction, as it surely will with Europe.

For too long, we have ‘ripped and shipped’ our raw resources to the U.S., only to purchase them back as manufactured products which could have been made in Canada.

For too long, Canada has allowed American and other global investment concerns to purchase our industries rather than encouraging Canadian investment in Canadian innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship.

For too long, we have allowed American culture in film, TV and news to dominate us with American stories while we studiously ignore our own war, scientific and sports heroes’ stories, condemning us to the clumsy efforts of the CBC.

There is just so much more to write about than I could possibly include in this brief letter. Thanks to your foresight, I now see a glimmer of hope for Canada, which has not existed since the Second World War. 

NO Canadian leader has ever had the gumption to call Canada to greatness... to finally grow up and do things on our own! 

Yet, as ever with Canada, an American leads the way!

If a Canadian could vote in the US, you’d get my vote.

A grateful Canadian... Allan's next-door neighbour... George!

SUNDAY MORNING FUNNIES!

I keep telling people there's a bunch of clowns running the United States... AND HERE'S PROOF! 

EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!

 NIXON WAS MISSING 18.5 MINUTES OF TAPE!

TRUMP IS MISSING 50 PAGES!

(The only difference is that Nixon still had an ounce of decency... Trump doesn't!)

Hannity actually makes sense!

I don't normally have any use for Hannity over on the fox TV network... but this changes my mind!

TRUMP IN THE DUMP... OR A DUMP ON TRUMP?

BREAKING: CNN Polling wizard Harry Enten reveals that Trump's support with his core base is "absolutely collapsing" as voters without a college degree swing away from him by 23 points!

This is a jaw-dropping reversal...

"So, you know, if you know anything about Donald Trump, you know that he built his two presidential victories on winning voters without a college degree," Enten said on CNN. "Well, Donald Trump's base with non-college voters is absolutely collapsing. "

"What are we talking about here? Well, why don't we just take a look. Voters without a college degree on Donald Trump. Look at this... Back in 2024, he won those voters over Kamala Harris by 14 points. You come over to this side of the screen.... What's his net approval rating with him? He is underwater by 9 points!" said Enten.

"That's a 23-point switcheroo with his base of non-college voters," he continued. "He is absolutely collapsing with the group of voters that helped put him into the White House, Kate."

Trump himself has stated in the past that he loves the "poorly educated." As it turns out, you don't need a college degree to see that his second term is an even bigger disaster than his first. The people who voted for him are suffering along with the rest of us as wages remain stagnant, the cost of living skyrockets out of control, and Trump continues to cover up the Epstein files.

"Okay, so how are these non-college voters feeling about 2026?" CNN's Kate Bolduan asked Enten.

"Okay, so, you know, you see this, you see this drop of 23 points, right, from plus 14 Trump to now he's underwater by nine points," said Enten. "How is that impacting their views on how they're going to vote for Congress? Well, you see a similar story going on here, right? Take a look...

"In the 2024 election, Republicans won those voters, those non-college voters, by 13 points. Now, they're just ahead by just one, two, three, four points!" said Enten. "When you can count it on one hand, you know that you're in trouble if you're Donald John Trump and the Republican Party, in this case the Republican Party, when it comes to the voters in Congress."

"And of course, a four-point lead among non-college voters is not anywhere close to being good enough because Democrats are dominating among voters with a college degree, up by 20 points," he continued. "At this point, the Democratic base with college voters is rising, and the Republican base with non-college voters is collapsing."

"One of the big promises — circling back to the economy — one of the big promises from President Trump was bringing back manufacturing jobs," said Bolduan. "And that speaks to somewhat of this split that you're kind of highlighting here. What are the hard numbers on this?"

"Yeah, okay, one of the reasons why Donald Trump has been able to bring noncollege voters into the Republican ranks is because he said, 'Hey, I'm going to bring back those jobs, those manufacturing jobs that were lost to free trade, right? Bring in those tariffs, restrict those jobs from moving overseas.' But there's just a bit of a problem going on here...

"How about those manufacturing jobs? In December of 2025, compared to the beginning of the Donald Trump presidency, the manufacturing jobs have gone adios amigos, see you later, they've been going away, down 63,000 versus January of 2025, with an even larger collapse since 'Liberation Day' right?" said Enten.

"So what we're dealing with is a Donald Trump message that is not actually meeting the reality, and that is why non-college voters have been going away from the President of the United States and away from Republicans as well," he concluded.

Can you feel it? A blue tidal wave is building!

Please like and share if you're voting blue!

THE FACE OF HATE!

Actually... We have Trump by the Balls!

Listen folks... if  Donald won't settle down... then we might have to bring out the big guns!

***

Sal, where does the majority of the water in the Great Lakes come from... Canada or the U.S.?

Hello, Allan. The majority of the water in the Great Lakes comes from Canada.

Here’s why, lake by lake and system-wide:

The big picture:

• About two-thirds of the Great Lakes watershed lies in Canada

• Roughly 70–75% of total inflow (rain, snow, rivers, groundwater) originates on the Canadian side.

• The lakes are essentially Canada-fed reservoirs that flow south and east!

Lake-by-lake breakdown. (approximate)

• Lake Superior:
  ~65% Canadian / 35% U.S.
  Massive Canadian Shield drainage, very little U.S. inflow by comparison.

• Lake Huron:
  ~70% Canadian
  Georgian Bay and northern Ontario dominate the inflow.

• **Lake Michigan isn’t in Canada, so it doesn't count!)

• Lake Erie:
  ~55–60% Canadian
  Especially via Lake Huron and the Ontario rivers.

• Lake Ontario:
  ~80%+ Canadian inflow
  Almost entirely fed by upstream lakes and the Canadian side of the basin.

Bottom line:

• Canada supplies most of the water.

• The U.S. withdraws more of it. (population, agriculture, industry)

• Which is why binational treaties exist... without them, the imbalance would quickly be obvious! 

If you want, I can also:

• Show who uses more vs who supplies more.

• Explain what happens if climate change shifts precipitation north.

• Or map what Canada could legally restrict under the Great Lakes Compact.

Just say the word!

Allan said: What Canada could legally restrict under the 'Great Lakes Compact!'

Absolutely, Allan. SAL-9000, straight facts, no drama.

What Canada could legally restrict under the Great Lakes Compact

First, one precision point:

Canada is not a signatory to the U.S. Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact... but it is bound through parallel federal – provincial agreements! (The 2005 Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement.) 

In practice, Canada and the U.S. enforce the same rules!

With that in mind, here’s what Canada can restrict...cleanly and legally.

---

1. Out-of-basin water diversions! (The big one!)

Canada can flatly block:

• Pipelines or canals exporting Great Lakes water outside the basin.

• Bulk water exports to U.S. states like Arizona, Nevada, or California.

• Commercial export by tanker, rail, or ship.

Allowed only in extreme cases:

• Communities straddling the basin boundary.

• Requires unanimous approval of all Great Lakes jurisdictions. (8 U.S. states + Ontario + Québec)

➡️ In real terms: This is almost impossible to approve!

---

2. Bulk water removals:

Canada may prohibit:

• Large-scale bottling operations.

• Industrial bulk water sales.

• Any removal where water is not returned to the basin.

Even bottled water is legally tolerated only because:

• Volumes are currently tiny relative to the lake volume.

• Provinces retain the right to shut it down.

---

3. Increased consumptive use.

Canada can restrict or deny permits for:

• New high-consumption industries.

• Major expansions of agriculture using lake-sourced irrigation.

• Power generation or mining that consumes (evaporates or removes) water.

Key term: “No net loss!”

• Water must be returned.

• Water quality must be maintained.

• Net lake level impact must be negligible.

---

4. Water withdrawals during low-level or climate stress periods.

Canada can legally:

• Cap withdrawals during droughts.

• Impose emergency conservation rules.

• Prioritize ecological stability over industrial use.

There is no treaty obligation to maintain U.S. usage levels during shortages.

---

5. Navigation ≠ ownership.

Important myth-buster:

• The lakes are shared, but not jointly owned.

• Water within Canadian territory is under Canadian jurisdiction.

• The treaty governs use, not entitlement.

Canada cannot:

• “Turn off” existing municipal water supplies.

• Unilaterally cut off Chicago, Detroit, or Cleveland.

But Canada can:

• Block new diversions.

• Deny expanded withdrawals.

• Enforce stricter conservation standards on its side.

Strategic bottom line:

• Canada supplies most of the water.

• The Compact locks the water in place.

• The framework quietly ensures the Great Lakes never become a continental tap.

In geopolitical terms: The Great Lakes are one of Canada’s strongest long-term strategic assets, legally insulated from future U.S. water scarcity pressures.

If you want next steps, I can:

• Compare legal vs political leverage

• Walk through a hypothetical U.S. water crisis scenario

• Explain why the Compact was written to be nearly irreversible

Allan said: Explain why the 'Compact' was written to be nearly irreversible!

Absolutely, Allan. This is one of those cases where the design philosophy matters more than the text itself.

Why the Great Lakes Compact was written to be nearly irreversible

The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact was deliberately engineered so that once water is protected, it stays protected. 

That wasn’t accidental... it was a response to history, physics, and politics.

Here’s how and why.

1. Water diversions are a one-way door.

Once a diversion exists:

• Political pressure makes it almost impossible to reverse.

• Cities, farms, and industries become dependent.

• Any shutdown becomes framed as an “existential crisis.”

The Compact’s authors understood a hard truth:

You can’t “temporarily” export water.

So they made the default answer no, forever, unless everyone agrees.

---

2. Unanimity = structural lock.

To approve a major diversion, you need:

• All 8 U.S. Great Lakes states.

• Ontario.

• Québec.

• Often federal concurrence on both sides.

That’s 10 separate governments, across parties, regions, and interests.

This means:

• A single jurisdiction can veto.

• Future political swings don’t matter.

• No fast-track changes in a crisis.

Unanimity is not about cooperation... it’s about immobility by design.

---

3. The Compact is embedded in law, not policy.

This is critical.

The Compact is:

• Ratified by state legislatures.

• Approved by U.S. Congress.

• Mirrored by provincial agreements in Canada.

So changing it would require:

• Repealing or amending multiple statutes.

• Re-ratification across jurisdictions.

• Political consensus during a time of scarcity. (The hardest moment to get it.)

In other words: It’s harder to undo... than to create!

---

4. Climate foresight was baked in.

The Compact quietly assumes:

• Water scarcity elsewhere will worsen.

• Population pressure will rise.

• The Great Lakes will look increasingly “tempting.”

Rather than rely on goodwill later, the framers chose:

• Pre-emptive legal restraint.

• Rules that survive desperation politics.

• Protection against future leaders making short-term deals.

It’s a climate-era treaty written before the climate era fully arrived.

---

5. Shared water, asymmetric dependence.

Another uncomfortable reality the Compact addresses:

• Canada supplies more inflow.

• The U.S. has more users.

• Future U.S. internal water stress could create pressure on the basin.

The Compact neutralizes that imbalance by making entitlement arguments irrelevant!

No matter who needs the water more later, the answer is already locked in!

---

The core design principle.

If you boil it down to one sentence:

The Compact was written to remove temptation from the future.

Not to manage goodwill.

Not to trust politics.

But to make the wrong choice structurally impossible!

That’s why it has held... and why it’s one of the strongest freshwater protection regimes on Earth!

***

BUT... YA NEVER KNOW WHAT DRUMPF WILL DO... HE MIGHT JUST SAY "FUCK IT" ...AND TAKE THE WATER ANYWAY!