Donald Trump is not joking about making Canada the 51st state, Justin Trudeau warns in hot mic comments

[woodscientist@sh.itjust.works]

That's a nice and noble idealism, but what evidence do you have for it? Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, and look how that turned out for them. There is a reason Zelensky has been pushing so hard for NATO membership. It's easy to idealistically reject nuclear weapons when you're a nation that is comfortably protected by the nuclear umbrella of a friendly allied superpower. It's easy to tut-tut, scoff, and say "bombs do not protect from bombs." But I have yet to see a nuclear-armed nation ever face an existential threat of invasion from a hostile outside power. Despite how much you might claim they are useless, nuclear-armed countries sure do tend not to get invaded. Notice how Trump routinely talks about invading Iran, but no one talks about toppling the North Korean regime anymore? Or why haven't the Western powers come riding to Ukraine's aid like they did Poland in World War Two? Despite your idealism, as a practical matter, it is not possible to invade and annex a nation that has a nuclear arsenal.

Nuclear weapons, despite how distasteful they are, are the international relations equivalent of "high fences make good neighbors." Canada has been protected by a nuclear arsenal for generations. But they've had the luxury until now of pretending they aren't.

[outlierblue@lemmy.ca]

When Pearl Harbour was attacked we declared war on Japan before America did

Must be nice having allies like that. Those are the kind of friends you should hold on to and not inflict ridiculous tariffs on or anything like that.

[canadaplus@lemmy.sdf.org]

Oh, you do mean that. TIL, wow.

Wikipedia makes it sound like they basically just decided to do it really fast to make a point. I suppose already being in a state of total war also helps.

[x00z@lemmy.world]

https://archive.ph/whrZo

[ubergeek@lemmy.today]

An M1 Abrams tank can drive that distance in an afternoon.

Just one thing...

No, it can't. Took us 16 days to drive a squadron of them from Kuwait to Baghdad. Most of the time they spent on flatbed tractor trucks, because of the a) fuel consumption per mile (Like 15 gallons per mile or so) and b) maintenance. Those things throw tracks bad on asphalt. But, they slow down a lot on dirt.

[ubergeek@lemmy.today]

Bombs do not protect from bombs

So, why are we letting Russia run roughshod over Europe?

guns do not protect from guns

Dead nazis agree.

[zib@lemmy.world]

American here. You're definitely not a moron. Too many of our own people are for not taking the orange idiot seriously. He may be tremendously stupid, but he has more than enough malice and greed to make up for it. And the people staffing his regime are honestly worse.

[ubergeek@lemmy.today]

France has maintained those since the founding of NATO because they side eye us in all things

Historically, the US shat on France every time we got the chance. Started about 2 years after they financed our revolution.

[ubergeek@lemmy.today]

I'll oppose my own government then. With force, if required.

[someguy3@lemmy.world]

I really don't think you can not give 41 million people the vote.

[revan343@lemmy.ca]

Eh...maybe our 4th territory instead. If we ever have a stable enough government, we can reopen the constitution and consider province status for individual states on a case-by-case basis

[hikingvet@lemmy.ca]

They would try.

[rentlar@lemmy.ca]

CBC source for the audio in question:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6oe91Ar5C5s

[hikingvet@lemmy.ca]

Hans Island isn't a colony.

St. Pierre and Miquelon has more direct ties to the French government.

[whoisearth@lemmy.ca]

I'm in the GTA. I'm ready to die for my country. Are Americans ready to say the same when their president gives them the order because rest assured you do not want to fuck with us Canadians. We are deeply embedded in your country. You would see terrorism the likes of which you have only seen in your nightmares. 9/11 will seem like happier times.

Seriously as a Canadian I want them to try.

[kibiz0r@midwest.social]

[pivot_root@lemmy.world]

Thank you for adding more detail.

Yeah, I'm running under the pessimistic assumption here that incorporating Canada into the United States would not be done fairly or reasonably if it happened. I suspect that they would get a pittance in terms of political representation, justified by the xenophobic and nationalistic guise that "all those Canadian immigrants shouldn't be influencing American politics." Probably using talking points like,

• They haven't been here the whole time.
• They don't understand our politics.
• They have a different (read: socialist) culture.
• They're the newest State(s)

[usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca]

No need to invade. The US can just tamper with our elections enough to get people in power that'll just roll over and give them everything

[quill7513@slrpnk.net]

we're the worst friends to have

[allonzee@lemmy.world]

Canadians are not as pathetic as us Americans, who've been rolling over for 50 years.

They will fight.