Canada, The 51st State of USA?

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Making Canada the 51st state of USA is easier said than done. Even if a referendum is held, the majority of Canadians will say no. Besides, do you think King Charles would approve it? OK, hold a referendum to reject the Monarchy and make Canada a Republic. If successful [ I doubt it ], then hold another referendum to join USA as the 51st State. 

Do you think Trump would actually invade Canada and annex it by force?  And UK would do nothing to help Canada resist Trump's invasion? Trump himself said no, he would take over Canada only by economic force, not military force. 

Anyway, no, I don't think Trump will succeed in making Canada the 51st State of USA. He only has 4 years to achieve his political "pipe dream". 

 

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*** Edi Lee for Peace

 

Australia and Canada

Australia's exports largely go to China and Canada's exports largely go to USA. Both Australia and Canada are politically dominated by the US of A, but would benefit economically to be friendly with China. At the present , Canada has rather poor relations with China, India and Russia, sigh ! 

Both Australia and Canada are trying to improve their relations with China, but are under political pressure from the US not to do so.

Edi Lee for Peace   *****   Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments  

USA, Canada and Winter Olympics 2022

More than 80% exports of Canada go to the U.S. and 70% of imports to Canada come from the U.S.  Canada is never fully 'independent' politically, economically, militarily and diplomatically. Uncle Sam is the big brother neighbor of Canada. 

When Uncle Sam blew the anti-China whistle, would Canada dare to not 'obey' and stand on the U.S.' side? 

This so-called diplomatic boycott led by the US against the upcoming Winter Olympics is a political demonization and smearing  against China using the same old lies, fabrication and accusation of China's failure in the US-defined human rights, freedom and democracy. 

Only 20 countries at the UN followed the US' political stand against China. 173 countries supported China and the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. 

So much political BS in this world !  I support all the athletes from China, Canada, the US and everywhere.  Peace!

Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments  ***  Edi Lee for Peace 

Steel and Aluminum

Donald Trump is an agitator. He has been stirring up all kinds of political, economic and military storms everywhere, and then his words and positions are ever changing from one day to another. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump is not only against China in her so-called unfair trading, but now he is also against Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU). So far it appears that he is good at breaking deals, but not making deals. I am waiting to see what he is going to do with the upcoming summit with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. I still wish him success in bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regarding Canada and U.S. relations, it just doesn’t make any sense for Trump to say that the U.S. is under threat and security risk of Canada. Why subject Canada to steel and aluminum tariffs? Please don’t give me a stupid answer of why not.

Peacekeeping Canada

In the news, Canada is deploying 600 troops as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.

My thoughts and comments:

Peacekeeping is what Canada does well. It is a worthwhile UN mission activity for world security.

Salute to Canada !

Edi Lee for Peace.

Obama in Canada

I watched U.S. President Obama give a speech in the Parliament of Canada. I must say that he is a great speaker. In musical terms, the analogy is that he is a great singer. Whether you give him a good song to sing or not, he can still deliver a great performance. That said, how many listeners ever try to analyze the lyrics of a song and see what it says? And whether the singer actually does what he or she sings? 

I agree that the U.S., Canada and Mexico, actually the whole world should reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy, and switch to using clean, green and renewable energy.

I disagree with Obama that he said gender equality is a universal value. I mean it 'should be' a universal value, but it is not. Many countries are still very backwards, ultra-conservative and unfair. They are still very misogynistic and discriminatory against women. Look at Saudi Arabia. If you are a woman, you are not even allowed to drive there.

Regarding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), I have talked about it before. Of course, Obama was trying to get Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada to come on side and have the TPP signed and rectified. Is the TPP good or bad for the U.S. and Canada? It depends who you are and whom you ask. If you are interested, you can read what I wrote about the TPP on August 1 and October 5, 2015 in my blog Fast Edi Thoughts and Comments.

Regarding global disputes and conflicts, I'm not sure Obama really meant what he said. Certainly every peace-loving person would choose to resolve such serious problems diplomatically and politically, not militarily. But the U.S. military actions everywhere in the world, and the ' let's drop a bomb ' U.S. foreign policy, just don't concur with what Obama said.

I would like to ask this question: when will Washington (and the world) learn that violence is a problem, not a solution? Being a pacifist, my position is that all disputes and conflicts must be negotiated and settled through peaceful means. No violence, No killing, No war. Thank you.

Water-Rich Canada

Today, March 22, 2016, is World Water Day. People living in Canada are very lucky, because Canada has 20% of the world's fresh water. Still, we must not take water for granted.

Water is life. People of many parts of the world don't have access to clean and drinkable water. Please be aware of this sad and ugly truth, and don't waste water.

New Government In Canada

Just finished watching the swearing-in ceremony of Canada's 23rd Prime Minister.

The cabinet chosen by Justin Trudeau, our new Prime Minister, consists of ministers with different backgrounds and attributes: 50 / 50 of men and women, young and old, natives  and minorities, able bodied and physically challenged, experienced and new parliamentarians, Canadians and Canadians. No more Stephen Harper's one-man band ! 

Go Canada Go !  

Refugees

Refugees arriving in Munich were met by welcoming crowds.Thumbs Up to Angela Merkel of Germany. Sorry but Thumbs Down to Stephen Harper of Canada.

Dear Prime Minister Harper, you said the root cause of the refugees was ISIS. No, please look back, way back, before ISIS came to existence. The root cause was Uncle Sam's Militarism and Interventionism, in meddling around with the affairs of other countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and more. You broke the vase, or helped break the vase, so you own it. There is no excuse not to fix it. Even if you think you did not break the vase, you must still help the refugees. Why? Many reasons, but here is one simple reason: because we are Canadians, and you are the Prime Minister of Canada.

    

Chinese Stock Market Crash ?

No, I don't think it was a Chinese stock market crash, but yes, it was a big drop which did affect the economies of the whole world, especially those of the resources-based exporting countries like Australia and Canada.

China's economy is slowing down. It doesn't want to buy your coal and oil, so what you gonna do? Even with the slow down, China's economic growth is still 7% more or less, an envy of many countries.

How well has Canada been doing economically? Not very well, but not very bad either. Election is on, so if you ask the leaders running for the Prime Minister's office, you'll certainly get different political answers. Tom Mulcair of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party (LP) will tell you that Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party (CP) sucks, but of course Stephen Harper will tell you that he's been doing a great job and you should continue to let him be your prime minister. 

The world economy is a big monster. Nobody is able to manage it alone. We should rather focus on our own personal economy, our own finances, to maintain and improve our ' financial health '. 

Ebola Vaccine

An Ebola vaccine created by medical scientists of the Public Health Agency of Canada appears to be 100% effective in protection. Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization said the vaccine could be a game changer.

I love this kind of good news. Congratulations to Canada!

World Cup Women Soccer

Have been watching World Cup women soccer. In the opening game, Canada beat China 1-0. Christine Sinclair's penalty kick was near perfection. She deserved the respect of the Canadian fans. Beware of the German team. The German girls are fast and make good passes. It is a good bet that Germany may become the Champion. Let's see !!!

Omar Khadr versus Stephen Harper

Omar Khadr is free on bail. Thumbs up to his lawyer Dennis Edney ! The argument of Stephen Harper's Government that setting Omar free would hurt U.S. and Canada relation has been rejected by the Court.

Examples are plenty, that Stephen Harper's get-tough-approach didn't seem to respect and care about Canada's constitution and judicial system, international laws, and the UN Charter. Our prime minister seems to be just following, copying, obeying and taking orders from Uncle Sam. He seems to have been Americanizing and militarizing Canada. He has made Canada join the American Fighting and Killing Club, whose war hawk leaders seem to have a never ending agenda for fighting, killing and wars. Canada under Stephen Harper's rule is not the same Canada of peace and peacekeeping that we used to know. Sometimes I wonder if Stephen Harper is a closet dictator and would-be war hawk, or what ?     

In the case of Omar Khadr, Stephen Harper's approach is typically an American macho-man approach, with little Canadian compassion and sensitivity. Omar was a child soldier. He was only 15 years old when he allegedly killed an American soldier in Afghanistan. Even if he did kill an American soldier, he was still only a child. He was labelled as a terrorist and illegal combatant by Uncle Sam, and certainly Stephen Harper concurred.   

This case of Omar Khadr smells strongly American, not Canadian. Stephen Harper had chosen not to seek extradition or repatriation, despite the urging of Amnesty International, UNICEF, the Canadian Bar Association, the Federal Court of Canada and other prominent organizations. What does this tell you about Stephen Harper and his not-so-Canadian way of treating Omar? Did all these respectable recommendations matter to him at all? Was pleasing Uncle Sam more important than everything else?

Omar's lawyer Dennis Edney accused Stephen Harper of being a bigot, but I won't go that far. However, I do feel that under Harper's Government, it seems that Canada no longer treats its citizens equally. In a few cases, Stephen Harper seemed to be biased and selective, in deciding which Canadian citizens to protect, and which just to ignore, when they got into troubles in foreign lands and needed help.  

There are 2 undeniable facts about the case of Omar Khadr: (1) Omar was a 15 years old child soldier. Calling him a terrorist or illegal combatant did not change the fact that he was only a minor at the time, and (2) Guantanamo Detention Center in Cuba was the hell hole and military base outside the legal system of Uncle Sam, where Omar was imprisoned, tortured and grew up. 

Regarding democracy, freedom, human rights and international laws, Guantanamo is a shame of Uncle Sam. Didn't Obama promise he would close it down in his first year of presidency ? ( please read my blog of Dec.16, 2013 titled Guantanamo Prison ). Omar said the plea agreement that he signed was completely created by the U.S. Government, and that he signed it only to escape the continued abuse and torture at Guantanamo Bay.

This case of Omar Khadr is not over yet. The story goes on, hopefully with positive development, and not with any more political interference.  

From Canada With Garbage

Canadian garbage angers Filipinos!

In the news, Filipino environmentalists protested that some 50 container vans of Canadian garbage were sitting at the port of Manila, and insisted that they should be sent back to Canada. Protesters complained that their country Philippines is not Canada's garbage dump.

Both the Governments of Philippines and Canada seemed to avoid responsibility, since it was a commercial shipment, a private business matter. What a stupid excuse !!! Canada refused to take back the garbage, which was relocated somewhere else locally. 

This kind of cross-border garbage business really stinks. It may be a profitable business, but is it moral and ethical ? Shouldn't our environmental concerns cover the whole world, the entire Planet Earth, and not just our own country?

Stephen Harper's Canada

First and foremost, I don't belong to any political party in Canada or anywhere. I don't blindly take side with one political party against another political party. I look at the issues and concerns rationally, and see how our leaders deal with them. Basically, I am a pacifist. I am pro-peace and anti-war. I am pro-diplomacy and anti-destruction. I am pro-negotiation and anti-nuke. I am pro-freedom and anti-fear. 

I am a Canadian. I love Canada, even the whole world. I am very concerned about the Harper Government's domestic and foreign policies. To put it bluntly, I don't like them. But do I still respect Stephen Harper? Yes, he is our prime minister. He is not all bad. Is he a good politician? Yes, he is. Is he a great statesman? No. 

Today's Canada is not the Canada that I used to know. Sad to see that Stephen Harper has joined the U.S. led Fighting and Killing Club.It is my opinion that Canada must not go into Syria to strike ISIS. However bad you think Syria is, it is a sovereign country. Call it a dictatorship, evil empire, or whatever, it is a sovereign country. Without the support of the Syrian Government,  it just doesn't make any legal and diplomatic sense, to go into Syria to fight ISIS or do whatever. Does Syria post a direct threat to Canada? No. Even if it does, the Canadian Parliament must first approve a declaration of war against Syria, before Canada should go into Syria. Have we learned anything at all from 911 and the illegal U.S. invasion of Iraq? Had there not been an Iraq War, there would not even have been ISIS. Do international law and the U.N.Charter mean anything at all ?    

Canada used to stand for Peace and Peace Keeping. What is Canada now becoming ? Now that oil price has dropped drastically, Harper and his gang can no longer boast that Canada is a super oil power. Alberta is moaning. Sorry, no more easy oil money! I feel very sad that Harper is turning Canada into a militarized and war-oriented country. 

I despise politicians who use moral justification in their military actions, to order the fighting of evil with evil, and killing of other human beings, including the innocent, all in the name of god and religion. Adding religion to politics only makes it stink even more.To me, war is the worst kind of organized crime. There is no true honor in killing innocent people, whether they are your enemies or your own countrymen. Can you tell me any war which was not messy, in which there was absolutely no injury or death of the civilians? You can't. Want to talk about moral high ground ? How about Thou Shalt Not Kill ? How about Love your neighbor ? How about Love your enemy ? So many religious and political hypocrites !!! 

Regarding fighting ISIS, I do not favor the military involvement of Canada. I support any humanitarian work, such as helping the refugees and displaced people, which Canada is very good at. I would like to see Canada return to its old peaceful way. Improving homeland security should focus on home soil, not by fighting and killing in foreign lands far away. Again, have we learned from 911 and the U.S. illegal invasion of Iraq? Don't tell me that you don't understand the difference between Defense and Invasion. To defend your country, you must focus on your homeland and its border, not by invading another country or engaging in fighting and killing people far away from home. 

In the past, if you held a Canadian passport, you would be welcome everywhere in the world. After 911, some American travelers pretended to be Canadians, to avoid being targets of the terrorists. Today, the terrorists treat Canadians the same as Americans. Why? Please do some thinking yourself and you will find the answer.

I love Canada, but not Harper's Canada. As said earlier, I don't belong to any political party, but I am hoping that Stephen Harper will not be re-elected in the upcoming election. But there is a good chance that I will be disappointed. He may win again!     
 

I Love Vancouver

I love Vancouver. It is one of the warmest cities in Canada.

10 of the 11 warmest cities in Canada are in British Columbia. The top 5 are Chilliwack, Vancouver, Abbotsford, Nainamo and Victoria, all in B.C. Annual average temperature in these Top 5 cities is approximately 10 C  ( 50 F ) or more.   

You have probably heard that Vancouver is always wet and rainy. This is quite untrue. It is rather a bias or false perception, not a fact. Yes, Vancouver can be wet and rainy, but it is not one of the rainiest cities in Canada. It is not even in the Top 10. The Top 5 rainiest cities in Canada are Prince Rupert, B.C., St. Johns, Newfoundland; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Terrace, B.C., and Saquenay, Quebec. These Top 5 rainiest cities in Canada have approximately 200 rainy days or more annually.  

Vancouver is one of the most liveable cities in the world. Typical complaint about Vancouver is the very expensive real estate prices and housing costs there. I would say that this is true, not a bias or false perception. But to say that Vancouver is always wet and rainy is quite untrue.

If you are financially well-off, where do you want to live?  

Top Mayor 2014

Naheed Nenshi beat out 25 other finalists and became the top mayor of the world 2014. 

Naheed is the mayor of Calgary, Canada. He was first elected in 2010 and became the first Muslim mayor of a major city in North America.

Congratulations !

Economic Freedom

In the news, the U.S. ranks 12 in a report of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation. These are the top five with the most Economic Freedom: (1) Hong Kong, (2) Singapore, (3) New Zealand, (4) Australia, (5) Switzerland.

Canada is (6), which is not bad. The falling of Oil Price and the value of Loonie is good news to some, but bad news to others. There is no perfect country on Earth. On the whole, Canada is still a great country to live in. What do you think ?

Canada and Miserable Humans

Canada may not be as neutral and peaceful as you think. It is only a joke that everything is made in China. Canada creates not only syrup and hockey stars. It also creates weapons and killing machines for profits. War is an extremely profitable business that Canada has now got itself into.

Forgive my cynicism about Canada's foreign policy, which now largely follows that of Uncle Sam. Let's talk policy is no more. Let's drop a bomb has become a life-killing but money-making policy. Diplomacy doesn't pay. Destruction does. Miserable humans !!!

North American Cops

Canadian cops are more gentle than American cops.

My disclaimer is this: a general truth is not an absolute truth. There are good cops in the U.S. just as there are bad cops in Canada. 

You can find police brutality in both countries, but racism seems to be a much bigger problem in the U.S. than in Canada.