While I think Delta Foxtrot Tango (DFT) uses a lot of hyperbole to get his points out there, I don't think this would happen. However, I do think that he's serious about this kind of stuff. DFT uses it as a destabilizing tactic in negotiations, a false flag to distract from his real agenda or other issues that fall to the background, and a way to keep himself getting the limelight to feed his narcissistic soul. The big issue is that he doesn't have any limiters around him during this term in office. So he throws it out and there are people who will work to make it happen, even if he doesn't really mean it. And that is the scary part. For Americans and any other country he hones in on.
US citizen here and I’m sorry. Just so, so, so sorry. I’m beyond horrified at the way we are treating our allies. I’m doing everything in my power to fight the dumpster fire our country has turned into. Many of us are fighting with phone calls to congress, protests, and boycotts. We will continue to! I just hope when this is over, Canadians will be able to forgive us.
Margaret, I get it—you’re sending postcards from the edge, but let’s not mistake turbulence for a plane crash. The U.S. and Canada remain strong allies. Passionate engagement is great, but manufactured outrage burns energy better spent on real solutions. Less dramatic apologies, more constructive action—that’s the way forward.
So what's in this dumpster that's burning? How has your life changed since Trump took office?
You live in a delusional world. Everything you said above are 2025 talking points. You call it manufactured outrage which is patronizing at a minimum. You want to have conversations and then insult other commenters. It’s like you think you have all the answers and anyone that disagrees with you is wrong and dumb. Oh, wait…that describes Trump and Muskie. The grifter has sure suckered you!
Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.
-SOCRATES
You do you and we will send postcards and call our senators and representatives.
My point wasn’t to dismiss your concerns as fake, but to remind you that facts and what’s actually happened matter far more than the outrage machine that’s based on ‘what could happen’ or manufactured fears. Hyperbole tends to drown out the real issues, and we get caught up in the noise.
If I came off smug, I genuinely apologize—that wasn’t my intention. But I don’t think I have all the answers, and neither does anyone else—whether it's me, Trump, Musk, or anyone else. We're all just trying to make sense of it, and I’m focused on cutting through the nonsense to focus on what we can actually do.
I’m still curious—what exactly is in this “dumpster fire” for you? Has your daily life really changed since January 20th, or are we just reacting to the online echo chamber? That’s where I’m coming from—seeing what’s real versus what’s being spun for clicks. I'll keep thinking, questioning, and searching for solutions, while you do your thing. We may never see eye to eye, but let's keep the conversation about facts, not fear-mongering.
You're the newspaper guy, right? What is the right word for your pursuit of my comments? You said hate was incorrect because you don't know me. I'm just middle class IT guy from middle America, so pardon my ignorance.
Your point wasn’t to dismiss her concerns yet that is precise what you did. You must be socially awkward. That’s the only explanation I kind find. I know people like that. When you talk to them and they make what they feel is a snarky point they often accidentally let you see their smirk.
Millions of peoples lives have changed and that affects everyone. my retirement account has really changed, my daughters life has changed my 80 year old mothers life has changed, my best friends transgender child's life has changed. Most importantly our hearts have changed. And that may prove to bring about the most damage in the end. And I care about that. I sell real estate for a living, I pay a lot of taxes and I care very much about something besides myself. It turns out self satisfaction is NOT the end goal in life.
Barbara, that's exactly why I asked—not to pry, but to gain perspective. I genuinely want to understand. I don’t want to intrude, but you mentioned that things changed without saying how it’s impacted anyone’s life. I think the only way we truly step out of our own bubbles and gain real perspective is by sharing our experiences honestly, rather than getting caught up in triggered outrage. It helps us see things from a different angle and move forward with more empathy.
My retirement account is still slightly up since January 1st, which is a small positive. My youngest grandson, though a bit behind, has still been making progress since his birth during the pandemic. As for my daughters, they've both made the decision to undergo sterilization, largely influenced by their concerns about the world they see today, especially with the fear of things like the Handmaid's Tale becoming a reality.😢
How much is fear of what might happen destroying peoples lives more than what has happened? If there is manufactured fear, who is benefiting from it?
Darrell, alright, you finally got me— I just checked, my retirement’s down as of today, March 14, 2025. Markets twitch, and I’m not immune. Happy now?
But here’s the rub: you’re still hellbent on painting me as some scheming jackass who doesn’t give a damn, and I’m sick of it. I asked about people’s lives—Barbara’s, yours, anyone’s—not to flex or fake it, but because I care.
My daughters are opting out of parenthood over this world’s mess, my grandson’s struggling, and I’m still grinding in real estate, not exactly sipping martinis on a yacht. I’m not here for self-satisfaction—I’m trying to understand, to connect, not to be your punching bag.
You caught a dip in my account—fine, gloat if it makes your day. But this constant crap about me not caring, lying, or ‘mansplaining’? It’s lazy and wrong. I’m not your cartoon bad guy—I’m a person, same as you, wrestling with the same chaos. Quit twisting my motives into something they’re not and talk to me straight, or don’t bother. I’ve got enough on my plate without your sanctimonious sideline commentary.
I guess a 2.5 month stock free fall counts as a dip in March. I caught either a lie or someone completely unaware.
As for mansplaining, what else would you call it? You constantly “enlighten” us on everything we don’t understand and get wrong. I AM talking to you straight but you don’t like the accountability, even when someone else like Margaret or Barbara or all the others talks to you straight. You minimize their opinions. You even said somewhere else that your wife thinks your words are mean; perhaps you might consider her opinion.
You paint yourself buddy, I just respond to words you write. Normalize your behavior and I will happily STFU.
I wasn’t going to dignify this with a response but I changed my mind because you flipped me from “manufactured outrage” to actual RAGE.
It doesn’t matter how MY life has changed since Inauguration Day! Why would you even ask that? What about the starving children who aren’t going to get the food that’s rotting in containers. Ask about their lives!!
The aid workers stranded with no way home and no funds. No question about their lives??
The Ukrainians who died in the bombs Russia sent as soon as we stopped sharing military intelligence, and the soldiers who died without enough supplies to defend themselves, want to ask them how their lives have changed??
The horror of being in a country that’s being invaded by another country, and finding out a great country who was helping you is abandoning you. That’s life-changing!!
The peanut farmers with warehouses of peanuts no longer needed to make mana—a packaged and shelf-stable nutrient-dense food that’s safe for people on the verge of starvation to eat. Their lives definitely just changed plus all the people who will need mana and not be able to get it. Dying is definitely a change that even gaslighting can’t dismiss.
The federal workers who got locked out of their email accounts and not given the proper termination forms so not only are they no longer employed but they can’t file for unemployment due to not having the required paperwork they need in order to file. Why don’t you ask them how their lives have changed???
The illegal immigrants who are only guilty of a civil offense—yes, coming into the US without authorization is a civil offense not a criminal one—who were sent to Guantanamo Bay, the prison we sent our worst terrorist criminals to! Not only is that inhumane, but certainly falls under the category of cruel and unusual punishment since they are only guilty of a civil offense! Let’s go talk to them about how their lives changed— oh wait CNN interviewed one and he said it was hell. He never committed a since crime in the US because he was detained on entry. Just shipped to Gitmo after 9 months of detention here, like he was wasn’t even a human being with certain inalienable rights. Betcha his life has changed! All of those people sent to Gitmo will have psychological scars for the horrible, terrible crime of just wanting a better life.
I could go on. The main way my life has changed is I don’t sleep much anymore. But I’ll live with that. Dunno what kind of person it would make me if I was sleeping soundly while my country was being run by Apartheid Musk and the President in Name Only DJT, a cabinet of Fox News retirees and a bunch of useless congressmen and senators.
It amazes me the people like yourself who can’t be bothered to care or act unless something happens to impact your own life. Guess what. In this administration, unless you’re a billionaire, something is coming for you, and when it does, I’ll be here to help you cope.
Margaret, first off, thanks for responding even with the heat—I know it took guts to push past the flip from ‘manufactured outrage’ to full-on rage, and I respect that.
I’ll stick to what holds water from my view: federal workers locked out of emails without termination forms is a legit disaster; it’s clogging unemployment claims, and that stings. Peanut farmers with unsold stock? Checks out—mana’s aid-linked, and if funding’s frozen, they’re in a bind. I’m not unscathed either—my retirement’s down, my daughters are rattled, and sleep’s dodging me too.
But here’s the sieve: Ukrainians dying because intel vanished overnight? That’s fear-bait—aid’s shifted, not cut; Russia’s been relentless either way. Immigrants sent to Gitmo for civil offenses? CNN’s got no hard evidence—it’s a chilling story, but unproven. Food rotting for starving kids, aid workers stranded? Juicy hypotheticals, not facts on the ground yet. I feel your fire, but piling on apocalypse previews doesn’t solidify them. I asked about your life to bridge, not blank out—I’m in real estate, not a billionaire bubble. Musk, DJT, Fox relics?
Sure, it’s a freak show, but I’m not buying every horror pitch whole.
We can tussle over what’s urgent—foreign messes or home-front woes—without casting each other as evil or self-obsessed. I’m not your foe for digging into what’s real; what’s actually pressing on you, past the panic script? Thanks again for stepping up.
This all started with outrage over an alternate reality story of the US invading Canada. Sorry if my, as the wife calls it "bullet pointy" approach reads mean. Its a symptom of too many years in corporate IT.
I don't like Trump either, but I dislike our press more.
Guess you’ve made another friend. Mr. Mansplainer to the ladies. Even your wife apparently thinks you are mean. As Margaret said:
“It amazes me the people like yourself who can’t be bothered to care or act unless something happens to impact your own life. Guess what. In this administration, unless you’re a billionaire, something is coming for you, and when it does, I’ll be here to help you cope.”
Every word from trumpers mouth is a lie . Was before election and now after. Threatening Canada is one of his dumbest ideas. Americans will pay for his stupidity and arrogance, out of their pockets and by significant reduction of Americans reputation outside USA. He’s actually an insult to morons. Wake up America. He wants to and is acting like a true dictator! So many executive orders!! He’s enjoying using that loophole! Trumper and muskrat have to go!! The USA aluminum smelters are running at max capacity now so why penalize Americans by adding tariff( ie , a penalty on Americans) on imported aluminum. For steel, well you cant build new steel plants overnight, it takes years , so trumpers billionaire buddies should build new plants instead of hiding income, then add tariff . But then by that time trumps term will have expired and he will get booted out if the old man lives until then. Yes, Canadians are pissed!!
Another comment: about the NYT chart article, I really fought to find this data a couple of years ago, but for those children of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the data showed that they permanently lost earning potential FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. In watching the way our youngest have not bounced back in learning, I fear that the longest lasting effect our society will have is how our children will have their potential stunted for their entire lives.
I suspect this is not just our children but the world wide cohort of children. It will be up to those who were adults and those born after COVID-19 to carry the load.
This falls under the “be careful what you wish for” category. “I’m voting for him because he’s not a politician!” You’re right…he’s an extremist. AI makes this even scarier. He’s like Voldemort…we can’t even mention his name now.
I agree with Margaret Pickard totally. If anyone is interested in a postcard protest - here's something a friend sent me. Feel free to share and you can use it to voice your feelings about annexing Canada (pro or con) if you wish:
On March 15th, many people will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired. Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math. No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say. So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin. Prepare for March 15th, 2025, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail. Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to: President (for now) Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 It might just be enough to make him crack or at least stress him out.
Thank you for sharing. I am headed to the Post Office (while we still have the USPS) for some stamps. Butter and Silly Billy…I will send a few on your behalf.
You first. Model the way for us. Btw, I didn’t give you a stamp, I used it on a postcard letting #DFT know how you feel about him. Wasn’t that nice of me?
Bill, like you I have dual citizenship by descent, my mother was born in Canada. As the days go by I have more and more sympathy for Canadians and feel more embarrassment about being a US citizen. Trump is trying to do away with the trade agreements he created in his first four years of chaos. The question is WHY? What threat does Canada pose to the US? Time to switch beers to Labatts and Molson.
Canadians know their beer so with great regret I need to alert you that Labatt Brewing Co Ltd is owned by Anheuser-Busch and Molson is now part of a merger in 2005 to form the Molson Coors Brewing Company. If you want a more "Canadian" beer you can try Quidi Vidi Brewery which is a microbrewery (there are other ones as well; Quidi Vidi just happens to be my favourite) or Sleemans which is a Japanese owned Canadian brewery. The beer market is a great example of how international business knows few geographical boundaries.
Lorraine, thanks for the education. Don't think I'll be able to get Quidi Vidi here in North Carolina but we did enjoy it last year on our visit to Newfoundland. Take care and stay strong.
Well done on the geography! I lived in Newfoundland for 11 years and I am pleased you were able to visit the province as it is truly unique in North America. This is how relationships between our two countries are forged and strengthened. There needs to be more knowledge and understanding of each nation's issues and concern.
We spent about three weeks RVing in NL last spring. The main reason for the visit was the Iceberg Festival in St. Anthony and we had a wonderful time. We know of two couples here in our community who will be RVing in NL this summer, for one couple it will be there third trip. It's a long trip from NC but well worth it.
I think Trump says anything that occurs to him, or repeats any idea a sidekick passes on. Some are just babbling (no brake between brain and lips), some are for effect (let’s see what happens), and some may actually be serious (at least to him). Not very “Presidential” but he is what he is (and always has been), he got elected (a fact that he uses to ok all those “ideas”), and we just have to shake our heads and see what happens. If you react to every hare brained post you will go crazy.
the "discussion" about Canada is total 💩 and it's not gonna happen.
however, gotta post a good side:
The number of migrants passing through the Darién Gap, a treacherous jungle pathway through Panama and a major thoroughfare for migrants, has fallen to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from a Panamanian migration agency. The dramatic decline mirrors the rapid decrease in the number of migrants attempting to illegally cross the southern border of the United States since the beginning of aggressive enforcement actions against illegal immigrants by the Trump administration.
So, that "treacherous" pathway has in the past killed human beings! Migrants have been vulnerable to cartels. Children have been vulnerable. Trump has followed thru on a promise, which was at the top of many voter's list of what they wanted for our country.
We bask in your wisdom (smelly as it is), as well as your ability to sidestep an issue that is obviously important to many people. Your attempt to change the narrative is priceless and obvious.
I don’t know if he’s serious, but it’s (really) bad optics and a ridiculously bad idea. I would’ve preferred that option. As a lifelong Republican, I’m praying they will wake up and purge the party of Magaism and Trumpism. And if that will never happen, I pray a new truly conservative political party will rise up and replace it. This is a living, waking nightmare. He’s ruining our international friendships and alliances, and potentially destroying our economy. Now, to be equal opportunity, I think the progressives have been ruining our nation socially and morally for a while now, but the hatred and vitriol has got to stop, fences need to be mended, and we need to restore the sort of US AID that was actually helping desperate people AND creating good will towards the US. I guess the silver lining of all this is it drives me to regular, daily prayer for people and situations that I was only praying for here and there.
Hope everyone has a blessed and wonderful weekend, and can actually relax.
Americans: BELEIVE IT. As a Canadian I can tell you average citizens are fed up with Trump's rhetoric and we want the disrespect to stop. Look at what he has done to your population. He verbally attacked your politicians until they fell into line as sycophants and grovelers. Those that did not submit to his bullying found their careers destroyed. BUT those people maintained their dignity and their will to fight against a dictator. They survived, just as Canadians will survive. No we would not do well in a military invasion but guess what -- will will fight anyway just as Ukraine has and is fighting against dictator Putin. In the trade war Canadian is the under dog but we will fight anyway and we will inflict damage as much as possible in retaliation. What is wrong with American people who do not understand that EVERYONE loses in a trade war? What is wrong with American people who celebrate the loss of employment by fellow citizens who are part of Musk's government purge? Americans have lost their humanity which is why you must BELEIVE Trump when he repeatedly says he will take over Canada. So "toque off" Trump. And because I am Canadian, I wish everyone a good day.
Let’s talk tariffs and ditch the polite gloss. Before the trade war kicked off, it wasn’t “everyone hurt” by tariffs—just the Americans catching the short end.
Before Trump’s 2018 tariffs, Canada wasn’t exactly a free-trade angel.
Under NAFTA, most U.S.-Canada trade flowed tariff-free, but Canada guarded its turf. Dairy? Up to 270% tariffs on U.S. milk. Cheese at 245%, butter at 298%, chicken at 238%—all legal under supply management. Elsewhere, Canada’s average tariff on U.S. goods hit 4.2% in 2017, topping the U.S.’s 3.5% (source: WTO). Lumber flowed cheap to the U.S., but Canada still ran a $50 billion CAD trade surplus.
Trump’s 25% steel and 10% aluminum duties in June 2018 didn’t come from nowhere—Canada’s protections gave him a target. They hit back with $16.6 billion CAD in retaliation, but pre-Trump, they’d been quietly stacking the deck. Free trade had strings.
So, next time someone spins NAFTA as a golden age of mutual sacrifice, check the numbers. Canada wasn’t hurting—they were hustling. The tariff war just leveled the scoreboard.
Let's not forget who negotiated the current version of NAFTA, or USMCA: Trump himself. He proposed it and the other countries agreed. It isn't their fault that Trump gave them a good deal. Trump made his bed in his last term, so he better lie in it and stop complaining. It's basic economics: free trade without tariffs lowers prices for Americans.
Trump didn’t “give” Canada and Mexico a sweetheart deal with USMCA—he clawed back leverage NAFTA let slide. USMCA tightened rules of origin (62.5% North American content for cars, up from 50%) and opened Canada’s dairy market by 3.6%, cracking their 270% tariff wall. Free trade sounds nice, but pre-2018, Canada’s protections jacked up U.S. consumer prices—$2.4 billion extra annually on dairy alone (USDA data). Trump’s not whining; he’s fixing a rigged game. Economics isn’t just “no tariffs, low prices”—it’s who pays the spread.
Why don’t you show everyone your data in a side-by-side comparison from the documents of NAFTA and USMCA, because the last time I looked they were nearly identical. Another example of Trump fixing something that wasn’t broken.
I’ll take your challenge and lay out some data—straight from the texts and economic breakdowns.
NAFTA and USMCA aren’t “nearly identical”; they’re cousins, sure, but with real differences Trump pushed for. Let’s do a side-by-side on key points you’re doubting:
Rules of Origin (Autos): NAFTA required 62.5% North American content for tariff-free cars (NAFTA Chapter 4, Annex 401). USMCA bumps it to 75% (USMCA Chapter 4, Article 4.5), plus 40-45% from workers earning $16/hour (Annex 4-B). That’s not a tweak—it’s a lever to keep more production here. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) estimated this adds 28,000 auto jobs over six years—not earth-shattering, but not “identical” either.
Canada’s Dairy Market: NAFTA left Canada’s supply management untouched, with tariffs up to 270% on U.S. dairy over tiny quotas (NAFTA Annex 302.2). USMCA cracks that open—3.6% more market access for U.S. dairy, poultry, and eggs (USMCA Annex 2-B). USDA pegs pre-USMCA dairy price distortions at $2.4 billion/year to U.S. consumers. That 3.6% isn’t free trade nirvana, but it’s a dent in a wall that’s been up since the 90s.
Economic Impact: ITC’s 2019 report projected USMCA boosts GDP by 0.35% ($68.2 billion) and adds 176,000 jobs after full implementation. NAFTA? No sunset clause, no labor wage rules, no digital trade chapter—USMCA’s got all three (Chapters 23, 31, 19). Same skeleton, sure, but the meat’s different.
Trump didn’t invent these issues; he renegotiated a 25-year-old deal that economists like Chad Bown have called “tilted” against U.S. leverage. Was it broken? Depends who you ask—U.S. dairy farmers bleeding from Canada’s tariffs wouldn’t say it was humming along. As for felonies, that’s a courtroom story, not a trade data point. Show me where the numbers are wrong, and I’ll listen.
How about you start providing data for your bluster?
Your statistics are partially correct. Dairy products had a limit where free trade on American diary goods applied up to a limit -- after the limit (which was what Trump signed off on) then the high tariffs applied. In other areas Canadian received stiff tariffs. Each country fought for those products most important to each country. It was a trade off where each country did well on what was important to them and each country compromised in other areas. Trump was the one who signed the deal. Trump also was the one who broke this deal before it expired. Please consider the full tariff agreement and not cherry pick some statistics.
The dairy quota limits you mention? They predate USMCA—NAFTA let Canada cap U.S. imports at 1-2% of their market, then slap 200%+ tariffs. Trump didn’t “break” that; he inherited it and pushed for more access (3.6% now). Every country fought dirty—U.S. took hits on textiles (8.3% avg. tariff from Canada) while Canada banked lumber surpluses. I’m not cherry-picking; I’m showing the scales weren’t balanced. Trump signed USMCA to rewrite, not rubber-stamp, a deal that wasn’t expiring but was bleeding us dry.
You seem to think that tariffs are paid by the exporting country. They are paid by the importing country. So, the milk tariff made U.S. milk more expensive in Canada and the tariff money was paid to the Canadian government by the Canadian importers. It didn’t cost us anything except for lost sales. I never heard the diary people complaining they were going broke because Canada wasn’t buying. No, other countries tariffs do not bleed us dry as we don’t pay them. We pay the tariffs that have been imposed by our government on the goods we import.
You’re right—tariffs hit importers, not exporters directly. Canada’s 200%+ dairy tariffs raised prices for their consumers, not ours, and padded their government’s pockets. But lost sales do cost us—U.S. dairy exports to Canada were capped at $150 million pre-USMCA (USDA, 2017), a fraction of potential. “Bleeding us dry” isn’t about tariffs we pay; it’s about market access denied. Trump’s USMCA bumped that to 3.6%, gaining $200 million annually (USTR, 2020). It’s not bankruptcy—just opportunity stifled by Canada’s wall.
True that. When costs increase prices go up. Otherwise, there would be no point in selling a product at a loss. It’s just common freaking sense. Some people just don’t understand.
Darrell, tariffs have long been political, predating Trump. Historically, the 1828 "Tariff of Abominations" sparked Nullification debates, showing their divisive nature. Trump’s approach echoes this, using tariffs strategically to leverage trade deals and protect domestic industries, not just for politics. Data shows his 2018 tariffs cut U.S.-China trade deficits slightly, though not without costs. They’re tools, not blessings or curses—effective or not depends on execution, not sentiment. Disagreeing’s fine, but pinning their politicization solely on Trump overlooks centuries of precedent.
Respectfully, let’s dig deeper than hashtags and examine more than the politically driven hate of characters.
About two months after President Trump announced he would send up to 30,000 migrants to Guantanamo Bay, an expansive tent city on the naval base sits vacant. Hundreds of troops are still deployed to the base to guard the facilities and prepare them for use, even though the nearly 300 migrants who were briefly detained on the island in two separate structures are now gone.
Mired in operational and legal challenges, the president’s plan to send the “worst criminal illegal aliens” to Guantanamo Bay is unraveling. U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for military operations at the base, has started making plans to draw down from the roughly 1,000 military personnel deployed there in the coming weeks, a defense official said. The operation has so far cost at least $16 million, according to lawmakers who recently toured the naval base.
The defense official added that the administration is planning to repurpose 195 large tents, which are each lined with about a dozen or more cots, since they have sat unused for weeks. The small groups of migrants who were flown to the island on costly military aircraft and chartered civilian planes were moved only weeks later, two U.S. officials said, adding that no more flights were currently scheduled to carry migrants to the naval base.
The Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security have struggled to come to an agreement on the division of their responsibilities on the base, people familiar with the operations say, setting the stage for finger pointing as the administration struggles to fulfill Trump’s stated vision for Guantanamo.
Trump is the one that decided to use Gitmo and ramp it up because of his claims to deport millions on day one. Now he is, as per usual, flip flopping. His thoughts and ideas coming out of his mouth are like someone that ate too many beans and has bad gas. 🤢🤢🤢
Trump’s Gitmo plan was ambitious, but the snag’s not flip-flopping—it’s bureaucracy. Southern Command and DHS can’t align, and $16 million later, it’s stalled. Same old Trump bad, overlooking the bureaucracy, obstructionists, or the root cause of four years of open borders. That’s not bad gas; it’s the system choking. Deportation’s the goal—logistics hit a wall.
I used blue because that colors everything in your world. Your political affiliation prevents you from seeing anything as it is or considering any other perspective—if the sky were red, you’d call it a Republican conspiracy. 💙
I keep asking you for verifiable data but you never come through. Don’t try to turn this on me. You are the one spouting nonsense. I always give a citation. You just get silly when you have nothing.
Let me know when you figure out what BYH means. Hint: it’s a southern thing.
Now, I have better things to do with my time so you can have all the last words you want, as long as you pucker up and send that air kiss - of hug, your choose.
While I think Delta Foxtrot Tango (DFT) uses a lot of hyperbole to get his points out there, I don't think this would happen. However, I do think that he's serious about this kind of stuff. DFT uses it as a destabilizing tactic in negotiations, a false flag to distract from his real agenda or other issues that fall to the background, and a way to keep himself getting the limelight to feed his narcissistic soul. The big issue is that he doesn't have any limiters around him during this term in office. So he throws it out and there are people who will work to make it happen, even if he doesn't really mean it. And that is the scary part. For Americans and any other country he hones in on.
DFT…I love it!!! Can anyone use it???
By all means! I got it from someone else, of course. Most of the time it is Foxtrot Delta Tango. :-) There are a ton of shirts available with it. Haven't got one yet, but the Gulf of Mexico one is my favorite. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=foxtrot+delta+tango+shirt&adgrpid=1338108156354167&hvadid=83632035107768&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=87854&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-83632908031037%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=11361_13517634&mcid=09013a47405c3b58a23e4b1fa1c03766&msclkid=8d10f74d80df1a8614fa9099aa020338&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_23wq04gytj_p
I now own a Gulf of Mexico t-shirt AND hat. And I live in a red state. I wear them proudly. When anyone compliments it I know…
I don’t get it. What does Delta Foxtrot Tango have to do with DJT?
Replace his middle name with an adverb. Or just change it to Foxtrot Delta Tango.
US citizen here and I’m sorry. Just so, so, so sorry. I’m beyond horrified at the way we are treating our allies. I’m doing everything in my power to fight the dumpster fire our country has turned into. Many of us are fighting with phone calls to congress, protests, and boycotts. We will continue to! I just hope when this is over, Canadians will be able to forgive us.
Between you and Ken you have 48 likes and counting. Wonder how high it will go. I’ve never seen that much!!
Margaret, I get it—you’re sending postcards from the edge, but let’s not mistake turbulence for a plane crash. The U.S. and Canada remain strong allies. Passionate engagement is great, but manufactured outrage burns energy better spent on real solutions. Less dramatic apologies, more constructive action—that’s the way forward.
So what's in this dumpster that's burning? How has your life changed since Trump took office?
You live in a delusional world. Everything you said above are 2025 talking points. You call it manufactured outrage which is patronizing at a minimum. You want to have conversations and then insult other commenters. It’s like you think you have all the answers and anyone that disagrees with you is wrong and dumb. Oh, wait…that describes Trump and Muskie. The grifter has sure suckered you!
Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.
-SOCRATES
You do you and we will send postcards and call our senators and representatives.
Bless your little ❤️
My point wasn’t to dismiss your concerns as fake, but to remind you that facts and what’s actually happened matter far more than the outrage machine that’s based on ‘what could happen’ or manufactured fears. Hyperbole tends to drown out the real issues, and we get caught up in the noise.
If I came off smug, I genuinely apologize—that wasn’t my intention. But I don’t think I have all the answers, and neither does anyone else—whether it's me, Trump, Musk, or anyone else. We're all just trying to make sense of it, and I’m focused on cutting through the nonsense to focus on what we can actually do.
I’m still curious—what exactly is in this “dumpster fire” for you? Has your daily life really changed since January 20th, or are we just reacting to the online echo chamber? That’s where I’m coming from—seeing what’s real versus what’s being spun for clicks. I'll keep thinking, questioning, and searching for solutions, while you do your thing. We may never see eye to eye, but let's keep the conversation about facts, not fear-mongering.
You're the newspaper guy, right? What is the right word for your pursuit of my comments? You said hate was incorrect because you don't know me. I'm just middle class IT guy from middle America, so pardon my ignorance.
Your point wasn’t to dismiss her concerns yet that is precise what you did. You must be socially awkward. That’s the only explanation I kind find. I know people like that. When you talk to them and they make what they feel is a snarky point they often accidentally let you see their smirk.
XOXOXO 💋 #34
I thought he said he was in real estate a couple comments ago? Now he’s a middle class IT guy? Huh. I think we are being trolled.
Yeah, that’s why I’ve been dealing with him the way I have. They always slip up.
Millions of peoples lives have changed and that affects everyone. my retirement account has really changed, my daughters life has changed my 80 year old mothers life has changed, my best friends transgender child's life has changed. Most importantly our hearts have changed. And that may prove to bring about the most damage in the end. And I care about that. I sell real estate for a living, I pay a lot of taxes and I care very much about something besides myself. It turns out self satisfaction is NOT the end goal in life.
Barbara, that's exactly why I asked—not to pry, but to gain perspective. I genuinely want to understand. I don’t want to intrude, but you mentioned that things changed without saying how it’s impacted anyone’s life. I think the only way we truly step out of our own bubbles and gain real perspective is by sharing our experiences honestly, rather than getting caught up in triggered outrage. It helps us see things from a different angle and move forward with more empathy.
My retirement account is still slightly up since January 1st, which is a small positive. My youngest grandson, though a bit behind, has still been making progress since his birth during the pandemic. As for my daughters, they've both made the decision to undergo sterilization, largely influenced by their concerns about the world they see today, especially with the fear of things like the Handmaid's Tale becoming a reality.😢
How much is fear of what might happen destroying peoples lives more than what has happened? If there is manufactured fear, who is benefiting from it?
You don’t care what she think. You immediate into mansplaining mode as if she is a moron. She shared legitimate concerns and you trivialize them.
Also, we know you are outright lying when you say your retirement account is slightly up since January 1.
#34 💋
Darrell, alright, you finally got me— I just checked, my retirement’s down as of today, March 14, 2025. Markets twitch, and I’m not immune. Happy now?
But here’s the rub: you’re still hellbent on painting me as some scheming jackass who doesn’t give a damn, and I’m sick of it. I asked about people’s lives—Barbara’s, yours, anyone’s—not to flex or fake it, but because I care.
My daughters are opting out of parenthood over this world’s mess, my grandson’s struggling, and I’m still grinding in real estate, not exactly sipping martinis on a yacht. I’m not here for self-satisfaction—I’m trying to understand, to connect, not to be your punching bag.
You caught a dip in my account—fine, gloat if it makes your day. But this constant crap about me not caring, lying, or ‘mansplaining’? It’s lazy and wrong. I’m not your cartoon bad guy—I’m a person, same as you, wrestling with the same chaos. Quit twisting my motives into something they’re not and talk to me straight, or don’t bother. I’ve got enough on my plate without your sanctimonious sideline commentary.
I guess a 2.5 month stock free fall counts as a dip in March. I caught either a lie or someone completely unaware.
As for mansplaining, what else would you call it? You constantly “enlighten” us on everything we don’t understand and get wrong. I AM talking to you straight but you don’t like the accountability, even when someone else like Margaret or Barbara or all the others talks to you straight. You minimize their opinions. You even said somewhere else that your wife thinks your words are mean; perhaps you might consider her opinion.
You paint yourself buddy, I just respond to words you write. Normalize your behavior and I will happily STFU.
I wasn’t going to dignify this with a response but I changed my mind because you flipped me from “manufactured outrage” to actual RAGE.
It doesn’t matter how MY life has changed since Inauguration Day! Why would you even ask that? What about the starving children who aren’t going to get the food that’s rotting in containers. Ask about their lives!!
The aid workers stranded with no way home and no funds. No question about their lives??
The Ukrainians who died in the bombs Russia sent as soon as we stopped sharing military intelligence, and the soldiers who died without enough supplies to defend themselves, want to ask them how their lives have changed??
The horror of being in a country that’s being invaded by another country, and finding out a great country who was helping you is abandoning you. That’s life-changing!!
The peanut farmers with warehouses of peanuts no longer needed to make mana—a packaged and shelf-stable nutrient-dense food that’s safe for people on the verge of starvation to eat. Their lives definitely just changed plus all the people who will need mana and not be able to get it. Dying is definitely a change that even gaslighting can’t dismiss.
The federal workers who got locked out of their email accounts and not given the proper termination forms so not only are they no longer employed but they can’t file for unemployment due to not having the required paperwork they need in order to file. Why don’t you ask them how their lives have changed???
The illegal immigrants who are only guilty of a civil offense—yes, coming into the US without authorization is a civil offense not a criminal one—who were sent to Guantanamo Bay, the prison we sent our worst terrorist criminals to! Not only is that inhumane, but certainly falls under the category of cruel and unusual punishment since they are only guilty of a civil offense! Let’s go talk to them about how their lives changed— oh wait CNN interviewed one and he said it was hell. He never committed a since crime in the US because he was detained on entry. Just shipped to Gitmo after 9 months of detention here, like he was wasn’t even a human being with certain inalienable rights. Betcha his life has changed! All of those people sent to Gitmo will have psychological scars for the horrible, terrible crime of just wanting a better life.
I could go on. The main way my life has changed is I don’t sleep much anymore. But I’ll live with that. Dunno what kind of person it would make me if I was sleeping soundly while my country was being run by Apartheid Musk and the President in Name Only DJT, a cabinet of Fox News retirees and a bunch of useless congressmen and senators.
It amazes me the people like yourself who can’t be bothered to care or act unless something happens to impact your own life. Guess what. In this administration, unless you’re a billionaire, something is coming for you, and when it does, I’ll be here to help you cope.
Margaret, first off, thanks for responding even with the heat—I know it took guts to push past the flip from ‘manufactured outrage’ to full-on rage, and I respect that.
I’ll stick to what holds water from my view: federal workers locked out of emails without termination forms is a legit disaster; it’s clogging unemployment claims, and that stings. Peanut farmers with unsold stock? Checks out—mana’s aid-linked, and if funding’s frozen, they’re in a bind. I’m not unscathed either—my retirement’s down, my daughters are rattled, and sleep’s dodging me too.
But here’s the sieve: Ukrainians dying because intel vanished overnight? That’s fear-bait—aid’s shifted, not cut; Russia’s been relentless either way. Immigrants sent to Gitmo for civil offenses? CNN’s got no hard evidence—it’s a chilling story, but unproven. Food rotting for starving kids, aid workers stranded? Juicy hypotheticals, not facts on the ground yet. I feel your fire, but piling on apocalypse previews doesn’t solidify them. I asked about your life to bridge, not blank out—I’m in real estate, not a billionaire bubble. Musk, DJT, Fox relics?
Sure, it’s a freak show, but I’m not buying every horror pitch whole.
We can tussle over what’s urgent—foreign messes or home-front woes—without casting each other as evil or self-obsessed. I’m not your foe for digging into what’s real; what’s actually pressing on you, past the panic script? Thanks again for stepping up.
This all started with outrage over an alternate reality story of the US invading Canada. Sorry if my, as the wife calls it "bullet pointy" approach reads mean. Its a symptom of too many years in corporate IT.
I don't like Trump either, but I dislike our press more.
Guess you’ve made another friend. Mr. Mansplainer to the ladies. Even your wife apparently thinks you are mean. As Margaret said:
“It amazes me the people like yourself who can’t be bothered to care or act unless something happens to impact your own life. Guess what. In this administration, unless you’re a billionaire, something is coming for you, and when it does, I’ll be here to help you cope.”
“ I’ll stick to what holds water from my view:….”
— so sayeth butters
Every word from trumpers mouth is a lie . Was before election and now after. Threatening Canada is one of his dumbest ideas. Americans will pay for his stupidity and arrogance, out of their pockets and by significant reduction of Americans reputation outside USA. He’s actually an insult to morons. Wake up America. He wants to and is acting like a true dictator! So many executive orders!! He’s enjoying using that loophole! Trumper and muskrat have to go!! The USA aluminum smelters are running at max capacity now so why penalize Americans by adding tariff( ie , a penalty on Americans) on imported aluminum. For steel, well you cant build new steel plants overnight, it takes years , so trumpers billionaire buddies should build new plants instead of hiding income, then add tariff . But then by that time trumps term will have expired and he will get booted out if the old man lives until then. Yes, Canadians are pissed!!
Another comment: about the NYT chart article, I really fought to find this data a couple of years ago, but for those children of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, the data showed that they permanently lost earning potential FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. In watching the way our youngest have not bounced back in learning, I fear that the longest lasting effect our society will have is how our children will have their potential stunted for their entire lives.
I suspect this is not just our children but the world wide cohort of children. It will be up to those who were adults and those born after COVID-19 to carry the load.
This falls under the “be careful what you wish for” category. “I’m voting for him because he’s not a politician!” You’re right…he’s an extremist. AI makes this even scarier. He’s like Voldemort…we can’t even mention his name now.
I agree with Margaret Pickard totally. If anyone is interested in a postcard protest - here's something a friend sent me. Feel free to share and you can use it to voice your feelings about annexing Canada (pro or con) if you wish:
On March 15th, many people will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired. Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math. No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say. So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin. Prepare for March 15th, 2025, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail. Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to: President (for now) Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 It might just be enough to make him crack or at least stress him out.
Thank you for sharing. I am headed to the Post Office (while we still have the USPS) for some stamps. Butter and Silly Billy…I will send a few on your behalf.
Hey, if you’re covering stamps for me and Silly Billy, maybe toss one in for reality—it could use a boost.
Reality is me signing your card with your avatar. Already addressed a few.
Bless your little heart. 💙💗🖤💛
oops…I felt an air kiss again.
Thanks for the free stamp, but maybe it’s time to grow up and leave the grade-school bullying behind.
You first. Model the way for us. Btw, I didn’t give you a stamp, I used it on a postcard letting #DFT know how you feel about him. Wasn’t that nice of me?
💋 🥰
Got my stack ready to go in the mail tomorrow!!
How is annexing Canada, or Greenland, or Panama, any different from annexing Crimea or Ukraine? What has our country devolved to with this madness?
As Margaret said, I am just so, so sorry. I, too, and beyond horrified.
#Delta Foxtrot Tango (DFT)
US citizen — it's an offensive, awful, pointless idea.
This is frightening:
Musk Met This Week With General Who Leads N.S.A. and Cyber Command, an N.S.A. Spokesman Says
The talks suggest that the effort to shrink the size of the federal work force could soon turn to a critical arm of the intelligence community.
— NYT
Bill, like you I have dual citizenship by descent, my mother was born in Canada. As the days go by I have more and more sympathy for Canadians and feel more embarrassment about being a US citizen. Trump is trying to do away with the trade agreements he created in his first four years of chaos. The question is WHY? What threat does Canada pose to the US? Time to switch beers to Labatts and Molson.
Canadians know their beer so with great regret I need to alert you that Labatt Brewing Co Ltd is owned by Anheuser-Busch and Molson is now part of a merger in 2005 to form the Molson Coors Brewing Company. If you want a more "Canadian" beer you can try Quidi Vidi Brewery which is a microbrewery (there are other ones as well; Quidi Vidi just happens to be my favourite) or Sleemans which is a Japanese owned Canadian brewery. The beer market is a great example of how international business knows few geographical boundaries.
Lorraine, thanks for the education. Don't think I'll be able to get Quidi Vidi here in North Carolina but we did enjoy it last year on our visit to Newfoundland. Take care and stay strong.
Well done on the geography! I lived in Newfoundland for 11 years and I am pleased you were able to visit the province as it is truly unique in North America. This is how relationships between our two countries are forged and strengthened. There needs to be more knowledge and understanding of each nation's issues and concern.
We spent about three weeks RVing in NL last spring. The main reason for the visit was the Iceberg Festival in St. Anthony and we had a wonderful time. We know of two couples here in our community who will be RVing in NL this summer, for one couple it will be there third trip. It's a long trip from NC but well worth it.
The COVID results on education are devastating! Long lasting.
I think Trump says anything that occurs to him, or repeats any idea a sidekick passes on. Some are just babbling (no brake between brain and lips), some are for effect (let’s see what happens), and some may actually be serious (at least to him). Not very “Presidential” but he is what he is (and always has been), he got elected (a fact that he uses to ok all those “ideas”), and we just have to shake our heads and see what happens. If you react to every hare brained post you will go crazy.
the "discussion" about Canada is total 💩 and it's not gonna happen.
however, gotta post a good side:
The number of migrants passing through the Darién Gap, a treacherous jungle pathway through Panama and a major thoroughfare for migrants, has fallen to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from a Panamanian migration agency. The dramatic decline mirrors the rapid decrease in the number of migrants attempting to illegally cross the southern border of the United States since the beginning of aggressive enforcement actions against illegal immigrants by the Trump administration.
So, that "treacherous" pathway has in the past killed human beings! Migrants have been vulnerable to cartels. Children have been vulnerable. Trump has followed thru on a promise, which was at the top of many voter's list of what they wanted for our country.
We bask in your wisdom (smelly as it is), as well as your ability to sidestep an issue that is obviously important to many people. Your attempt to change the narrative is priceless and obvious.
Bless your little 🖤
We’ll be a country solely full of rightful citizens, fully to blame for this idiot.
I don’t know if he’s serious, but it’s (really) bad optics and a ridiculously bad idea. I would’ve preferred that option. As a lifelong Republican, I’m praying they will wake up and purge the party of Magaism and Trumpism. And if that will never happen, I pray a new truly conservative political party will rise up and replace it. This is a living, waking nightmare. He’s ruining our international friendships and alliances, and potentially destroying our economy. Now, to be equal opportunity, I think the progressives have been ruining our nation socially and morally for a while now, but the hatred and vitriol has got to stop, fences need to be mended, and we need to restore the sort of US AID that was actually helping desperate people AND creating good will towards the US. I guess the silver lining of all this is it drives me to regular, daily prayer for people and situations that I was only praying for here and there.
Hope everyone has a blessed and wonderful weekend, and can actually relax.
Americans: BELEIVE IT. As a Canadian I can tell you average citizens are fed up with Trump's rhetoric and we want the disrespect to stop. Look at what he has done to your population. He verbally attacked your politicians until they fell into line as sycophants and grovelers. Those that did not submit to his bullying found their careers destroyed. BUT those people maintained their dignity and their will to fight against a dictator. They survived, just as Canadians will survive. No we would not do well in a military invasion but guess what -- will will fight anyway just as Ukraine has and is fighting against dictator Putin. In the trade war Canadian is the under dog but we will fight anyway and we will inflict damage as much as possible in retaliation. What is wrong with American people who do not understand that EVERYONE loses in a trade war? What is wrong with American people who celebrate the loss of employment by fellow citizens who are part of Musk's government purge? Americans have lost their humanity which is why you must BELEIVE Trump when he repeatedly says he will take over Canada. So "toque off" Trump. And because I am Canadian, I wish everyone a good day.
Let’s talk tariffs and ditch the polite gloss. Before the trade war kicked off, it wasn’t “everyone hurt” by tariffs—just the Americans catching the short end.
Before Trump’s 2018 tariffs, Canada wasn’t exactly a free-trade angel.
Under NAFTA, most U.S.-Canada trade flowed tariff-free, but Canada guarded its turf. Dairy? Up to 270% tariffs on U.S. milk. Cheese at 245%, butter at 298%, chicken at 238%—all legal under supply management. Elsewhere, Canada’s average tariff on U.S. goods hit 4.2% in 2017, topping the U.S.’s 3.5% (source: WTO). Lumber flowed cheap to the U.S., but Canada still ran a $50 billion CAD trade surplus.
Trump’s 25% steel and 10% aluminum duties in June 2018 didn’t come from nowhere—Canada’s protections gave him a target. They hit back with $16.6 billion CAD in retaliation, but pre-Trump, they’d been quietly stacking the deck. Free trade had strings.
So, next time someone spins NAFTA as a golden age of mutual sacrifice, check the numbers. Canada wasn’t hurting—they were hustling. The tariff war just leveled the scoreboard.
Let's not forget who negotiated the current version of NAFTA, or USMCA: Trump himself. He proposed it and the other countries agreed. It isn't their fault that Trump gave them a good deal. Trump made his bed in his last term, so he better lie in it and stop complaining. It's basic economics: free trade without tariffs lowers prices for Americans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States–Mexico–Canada_Agreement#:~:text=All%20sides%20came%20to%20a,Canadian%20prime%20minister%20Justin%20Trudeau.
Trump didn’t “give” Canada and Mexico a sweetheart deal with USMCA—he clawed back leverage NAFTA let slide. USMCA tightened rules of origin (62.5% North American content for cars, up from 50%) and opened Canada’s dairy market by 3.6%, cracking their 270% tariff wall. Free trade sounds nice, but pre-2018, Canada’s protections jacked up U.S. consumer prices—$2.4 billion extra annually on dairy alone (USDA data). Trump’s not whining; he’s fixing a rigged game. Economics isn’t just “no tariffs, low prices”—it’s who pays the spread.
Why don’t you show everyone your data in a side-by-side comparison from the documents of NAFTA and USMCA, because the last time I looked they were nearly identical. Another example of Trump fixing something that wasn’t broken.
Maybe that’s why he has 34 felony convictions.
#DFT #34
Darrell,
I’ll take your challenge and lay out some data—straight from the texts and economic breakdowns.
NAFTA and USMCA aren’t “nearly identical”; they’re cousins, sure, but with real differences Trump pushed for. Let’s do a side-by-side on key points you’re doubting:
Rules of Origin (Autos): NAFTA required 62.5% North American content for tariff-free cars (NAFTA Chapter 4, Annex 401). USMCA bumps it to 75% (USMCA Chapter 4, Article 4.5), plus 40-45% from workers earning $16/hour (Annex 4-B). That’s not a tweak—it’s a lever to keep more production here. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) estimated this adds 28,000 auto jobs over six years—not earth-shattering, but not “identical” either.
Canada’s Dairy Market: NAFTA left Canada’s supply management untouched, with tariffs up to 270% on U.S. dairy over tiny quotas (NAFTA Annex 302.2). USMCA cracks that open—3.6% more market access for U.S. dairy, poultry, and eggs (USMCA Annex 2-B). USDA pegs pre-USMCA dairy price distortions at $2.4 billion/year to U.S. consumers. That 3.6% isn’t free trade nirvana, but it’s a dent in a wall that’s been up since the 90s.
Economic Impact: ITC’s 2019 report projected USMCA boosts GDP by 0.35% ($68.2 billion) and adds 176,000 jobs after full implementation. NAFTA? No sunset clause, no labor wage rules, no digital trade chapter—USMCA’s got all three (Chapters 23, 31, 19). Same skeleton, sure, but the meat’s different.
Trump didn’t invent these issues; he renegotiated a 25-year-old deal that economists like Chad Bown have called “tilted” against U.S. leverage. Was it broken? Depends who you ask—U.S. dairy farmers bleeding from Canada’s tariffs wouldn’t say it was humming along. As for felonies, that’s a courtroom story, not a trade data point. Show me where the numbers are wrong, and I’ll listen.
How about you start providing data for your bluster?
Great point. You are a true conservative and not one of those MAGA 2025 morons.
Your statistics are partially correct. Dairy products had a limit where free trade on American diary goods applied up to a limit -- after the limit (which was what Trump signed off on) then the high tariffs applied. In other areas Canadian received stiff tariffs. Each country fought for those products most important to each country. It was a trade off where each country did well on what was important to them and each country compromised in other areas. Trump was the one who signed the deal. Trump also was the one who broke this deal before it expired. Please consider the full tariff agreement and not cherry pick some statistics.
The dairy quota limits you mention? They predate USMCA—NAFTA let Canada cap U.S. imports at 1-2% of their market, then slap 200%+ tariffs. Trump didn’t “break” that; he inherited it and pushed for more access (3.6% now). Every country fought dirty—U.S. took hits on textiles (8.3% avg. tariff from Canada) while Canada banked lumber surpluses. I’m not cherry-picking; I’m showing the scales weren’t balanced. Trump signed USMCA to rewrite, not rubber-stamp, a deal that wasn’t expiring but was bleeding us dry.
You seem to think that tariffs are paid by the exporting country. They are paid by the importing country. So, the milk tariff made U.S. milk more expensive in Canada and the tariff money was paid to the Canadian government by the Canadian importers. It didn’t cost us anything except for lost sales. I never heard the diary people complaining they were going broke because Canada wasn’t buying. No, other countries tariffs do not bleed us dry as we don’t pay them. We pay the tariffs that have been imposed by our government on the goods we import.
You’re right—tariffs hit importers, not exporters directly. Canada’s 200%+ dairy tariffs raised prices for their consumers, not ours, and padded their government’s pockets. But lost sales do cost us—U.S. dairy exports to Canada were capped at $150 million pre-USMCA (USDA, 2017), a fraction of potential. “Bleeding us dry” isn’t about tariffs we pay; it’s about market access denied. Trump’s USMCA bumped that to 3.6%, gaining $200 million annually (USTR, 2020). It’s not bankruptcy—just opportunity stifled by Canada’s wall.
Show us citations and sources for your data as long as they aren’t from a far right, MAGA, 2025 website. Government data. We are waiting.
XOXOXO
True that. When costs increase prices go up. Otherwise, there would be no point in selling a product at a loss. It’s just common freaking sense. Some people just don’t understand.
Tariffs are political. Trump has made them that way.
Bless your 💛
#FDT
Darrell, tariffs have long been political, predating Trump. Historically, the 1828 "Tariff of Abominations" sparked Nullification debates, showing their divisive nature. Trump’s approach echoes this, using tariffs strategically to leverage trade deals and protect domestic industries, not just for politics. Data shows his 2018 tariffs cut U.S.-China trade deficits slightly, though not without costs. They’re tools, not blessings or curses—effective or not depends on execution, not sentiment. Disagreeing’s fine, but pinning their politicization solely on Trump overlooks centuries of precedent.
Respectfully, let’s dig deeper than hashtags and examine more than the politically driven hate of characters.
Mansplaining again and missing the point. Bored and waiting for your wife to get home?
The only thing strategic about trump tariffs is his need to feel like a tough guy and to build hotels in Gaza.
Butter my toast and burn the buns.
#34
From the Wall Street Journal
About two months after President Trump announced he would send up to 30,000 migrants to Guantanamo Bay, an expansive tent city on the naval base sits vacant. Hundreds of troops are still deployed to the base to guard the facilities and prepare them for use, even though the nearly 300 migrants who were briefly detained on the island in two separate structures are now gone.
Mired in operational and legal challenges, the president’s plan to send the “worst criminal illegal aliens” to Guantanamo Bay is unraveling. U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for military operations at the base, has started making plans to draw down from the roughly 1,000 military personnel deployed there in the coming weeks, a defense official said. The operation has so far cost at least $16 million, according to lawmakers who recently toured the naval base.
The defense official added that the administration is planning to repurpose 195 large tents, which are each lined with about a dozen or more cots, since they have sat unused for weeks. The small groups of migrants who were flown to the island on costly military aircraft and chartered civilian planes were moved only weeks later, two U.S. officials said, adding that no more flights were currently scheduled to carry migrants to the naval base.
The Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security have struggled to come to an agreement on the division of their responsibilities on the base, people familiar with the operations say, setting the stage for finger pointing as the administration struggles to fulfill Trump’s stated vision for Guantanamo.
————————————
I think the military term for this is FUBAR…
Great example of how the government can't do anything efficiently. Thanks Biden for giving it such a big problem to solve.
What a simpleminded comment. Sigh…
Trump is the one that decided to use Gitmo and ramp it up because of his claims to deport millions on day one. Now he is, as per usual, flip flopping. His thoughts and ideas coming out of his mouth are like someone that ate too many beans and has bad gas. 🤢🤢🤢
Bless your 💚
Oh Bully,
Trump’s Gitmo plan was ambitious, but the snag’s not flip-flopping—it’s bureaucracy. Southern Command and DHS can’t align, and $16 million later, it’s stalled. Same old Trump bad, overlooking the bureaucracy, obstructionists, or the root cause of four years of open borders. That’s not bad gas; it’s the system choking. Deportation’s the goal—logistics hit a wall.
Bless your 💙
Trump bureaucracy.
Still don’t know what BYH means, do you.
Hugs and 💋 💋 💋
Tell yourself whatever you need to sleep at night.
Now you are copying my bless your heart. How original. Do you even know what that means?
Oh Bully,
I used blue because that colors everything in your world. Your political affiliation prevents you from seeing anything as it is or considering any other perspective—if the sky were red, you’d call it a Republican conspiracy. 💙
If you really knew me you would know green is my favorite color.
#FDT #34 #DFT
Hugs and kiss
You prove the point, over and over again.
Grow up. Find some data. Come back with a point other than Trump triggers you.
I keep asking you for verifiable data but you never come through. Don’t try to turn this on me. You are the one spouting nonsense. I always give a citation. You just get silly when you have nothing.
Let me know when you figure out what BYH means. Hint: it’s a southern thing.
Now, I have better things to do with my time so you can have all the last words you want, as long as you pucker up and send that air kiss - of hug, your choose.
#34
Bless your heart
#FDT