So sorry to hear this. Always loved reading his work.

Zohran Mamdani has surged in the past few weeks of New York City’s mayoral race, Michael Powell writes. “But transmuting socialist dreams into electoral victory is a tricky business, and governing by those principles is trickier still”:

The disinformation on fentanyl is particularly concerted: nossalk.org/2025/05/19/d...

Kash Patel's "get to stepping" criticism of Canada is just the latest in an organized campaign by the Trump administration to convince Americans that Canadians are responsible for the fentanyl crisis afflicting the US. For a sample: nossalk.org/2025/05/19/d...

This is the latest in a concerted campaign since November to convince Americans that Canada is a major contributor to their fentanyl crisis. Trump, Vance, Navarro, Hassett and now Patel have all “blamed Canada.” Time to start calling it out for the Nazi-style große Lüge that it is.

Trump on the purpose of the PM's visit: “I don’t know. He’s coming to see me. I’m not sure what he wants to see me about, but I guess he wants to make a deal.” A month ago Trump was bragging that leaders were "kissing my ass" in order to make a trade deal. (www.theguardian.com/us-news/vide...) /2

Trump's interview with Time shows his Inaugural Address promise that the US would again be a "growing nation," one that "expands our territory" and "carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons" is still on the agenda. See my opinion piece in the latest Round Table: nossalk.org/2025/04/25/d...

From a negotiating perspective, racing to the White House to offer concessions is not the best strategy. That’s what Trump is counting on, but domestic pressure on him to compromise will continue to intensify, particularly if major US trade partners use this moment to match his tariffs.

Dear countries hit by Trump's tariffs: Now is the time to retaliate. If you instead start with concessions, Trump will simply pocket them, claim victory, and demand more. He will bend in the face of the economic and political costs at home - and they are now mounting.

“So unbelievably stupid, incompetent and insane.”

Canada’s travel advisory for the US needs to go well beyond the present highly ambiguous “Take normal security precautions.”

The Chief Penguin of Heard and McDonald in the “humiliation chair” (h/t @kevinmilligan.bsky.social)

It’s 9am TFT time here, and citizens are already gathering to protest Tariffs by the United States. Our plain clothes Officer Penguins are attempting to maintain calm, but unfortunately we keep losing them in the crowd.

Why would Canada want to ‘reward’ the Trump administration with even the perception of acquiescence in continuing through with these purchases? Not a commentary on whether CAF or DND needs these F-35. The perception in DC would be a win. Why would Ottawa ‘give’ them that?

This Substack needs to go to every Liberal and CPC candidate. Ask why their leaders are making tax cuts the most important campaign issue instead of the annexationist threat — which will require huge tax *increases* to deal with effectively. Make this make sense.

For those who think the way out of the annexationist threat is a renegotiated trade agreement, this by @bhaggart.bsky.social is a reminder that we should just skip this bit of psychodrama, since we won’t be able to trust any “treaty” signed by this admin. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

At a time when Canada needs MASSIVE investment to transition away from the US, to build new facilities and transpo towards our ports, to rebuild our military, to build HOMES, to rebuild science and post-sec ed... to see the two main parties jump on *tax cuts* for their campaigns is depressing.

The UK Germany, Denmark and Finland have issued advisories warning about travel to the US, and Canada should too. We often go to the US in the summer but this year? Forget it, not worth it.

This is *exactly* what is needed given the existential threat posed by the Trump annexationist agenda. But our governors need to begin leveling with us: stop pretending that facing down Trump can be done on the cheap. We need to spend seriously on defence; we will need to be taxed seriously…

and all those partners in these new negotiations will have confidence that the US will abide by the results, said nobody

“The specific association of Canada with fentanyl is a big lie that allows Americans to shift responsibility away to a chosen enemy and enter a world of geopolitical fantasy.”

Canada, alone. (That is not a lamentation, just a statement of fact).

Agree 100%. NATO Sec-Gen Mark Rutte surely must be regretting his decision to appear on the “Oval Show” in order to suck up to Trump and have a good laugh — and then have to sit there silently while Trump babbled on about two NATO members: annexing Canada and seizing territory from Denmark.

Piece on F-35 fighter and the dependencies that come with it. ioplus.nl/en/posts/can...

I am seeing the same thing in my time in Berlin and last week's visit to Stockholm. Europe is taking defense more seriously not because they are giving into Trump but because they see the Russian threat more clearly and they can't trust the US to show up if needed.

The reported decision of the Trump administration to cut off upgrades for the jamming systems used in Ukraine's F-16s adds weight to the concern of @bhaggart.bsky.social that the F-35s Canada is purchasing could too easily be "bricked" by an administration that is increasingly hostile to Canada.

Some thoughts on the proposal that Canada should cancel its agreement with Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, and the U.S. government for the purchase of 88 F-35s: nossalk.org/2025/03/07/w...

So well-deserved! Congratulations, Phil!

This 👇

Hard truths that Canadians and the rest of the world have yet to fully register: Trump is waging economic war against Canada and is serious about using economic force to "break" and hopes to eventually annex it. Either we react forcefully to this aggression or fade away as a country.

Exactly right: there is no negotiating with the US — because Trump “doesn’t believe that Canada should exist as a country separate from the United States.”

An excellent discussion of Canadian foreign and defence policy options. That is why we need a Royal Commission — to take this kind of discussion to the national level.

By continuing to insult Canadians and threaten Canada’s sovereignty and economy, Trump is simply reinforcing the determination of Canadians and their leaders to stand up to him. Also, notice what’s not in this message: anything about fentanyl, the stated reason for these tariffs.

"Canada alone" by @kimnossal.bsky.social was rather prescient.

The anger in this country right now is intense and widespread. Canadians are experiencing Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement as an unprovoked assault and hostile act, which it was.

And when turning off the taps, remind Americans that their president has said on numerous occasions that the United States needs *nothing* from Canada…

Willy-nilly, #ThirdOption is back: “Canada can pursue a comprehensive, long-term strategy to develop and strengthen the Canadian economy and other aspects of its national life and in the process to reduce the present Canadian vulnerability” reviewcanada.ca/magazine/202...

Trump’s economic assault on Colombia is meant as a demonstration project to intimidate. What it’s actually demonstrating is that the United States represents a clear and present danger to every country in this hemisphere. A hostile power. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/w...

New at Debating Canadian Defence: open.substack.com/pub/philippe...

In this piece, @radiofreetom.bsky.social recalls a 1965 novel about a US president who wants to make America greater than it has ever been; Canada and Scandinavia feature prominently in his plans. Like the fictional President Mark Hollenbach, Trump also has plans to expand the US. ...2

In this piece, @radiofreetom.bsky.social recalls a 1965 novel about a US president who wants to make America greater than it has ever been; Canada and Scandinavia feature prominently in his plans. Like the fictional President Mark Hollenbach, Trump also has plans to expand the US. ...2

Excellent advice from @acoyne.bsky.social on how Canada should respond to Trump’s wrecking-ball politics. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/a100335...

This is @radiofreetom.bsky.social’s advice to his fellow Americans. But it is just as useful for Canadians. For if we Canadians react to “every piece bait he throws in front of [us]” by panicking, we indeed “will lose our bearings.” We shouldn’t fall for the trollery of America First.

Some quick trade facts: Canada buys more from the US than China, Japan, France and the UK combined 1/5 of the oil used in the US is from Canada. 25% tariffs could mean a jump of 50 to 80 cents a gallon. US Trade with Canada supports approx 8 million U.S. jobs. That's ten times more than China.

Now is not the time to indulge the fantasy that we will be better off dealing with an America First administration on our own. There is a reason that “safety in numbers” is such a common guiding precept for smaller states in global politics.

Unorthodox times call for unorthodox measures. The threat from the incoming America First administration is profound enough to warrant our political leaders securing a mandate now to deal with that threat rather than waiting until some time next year.

I was hoping that this 2023 speculation on the impact of the return of Trump would become an historical curiosity in November. Instead, American voters have plunged us all into the post-American era.