USA Political Discussion Thread 2025

[VanCityNewb]

There are many different ways to subsidize a nation and to me, NATO is the big one. Think about it, numerous countries with much smaller GDP’s pay at least 2% toward NATO. Again, I’m not a fan of the NATO concept, but if you’re going to play, a country needs to pay. Not paying because the US will protect you is a subsidy. You bring up GDP to debt ratio as a percentage when the US GDP is almost 13 times larger. The vast majority of businesses in Canada and America are run on credit. If your comparison was valid the percentage of debt should be at least 13 times higher for the United States. You are comparing apples to oranges. We both know that even during the Biden four years the exchange rate stayed around 70 cents to the dollar and Trump had nothing to do with it then. The American economy is performing much stronger than Canada and most of the world, which is the reason Trump can simultaneously hit multiple countries with Tariffs. Like I wrote, it’s a perfect storm and at least for now, all the stars are aligned. Due to the size of the US alone, all the talk about Canadas ability to inflict pain on the US is complete nonsense. For every study that the climate is changing due to fossil fuels, I can show you a study that indicates it is actually climate evolution. I compare it to your war machine comment, the climate scam is meant to generate money. In this country, democrats have handouts, social programs and fear. They cannot run on policy.

You don't know what a subsidy is. The US does NOT subsidize Canada. What you're talking about isn't paying 2% of anything to NATO, nor to any other country - it's investing in your own country's defense. That's not and never will be a subsidy. You're just repeating dumb trump lies and it sounds idiotic, because anybody with half a brain already knows it's not true.

And again, no country needs to do any such thing. Because again, it's a guideline, and not a rule. So nobody NEEDS to do anything to ensure they hit that mark.

And the US doesn't protect Canada and never has. But Canada is ALWAYS chipping in to help the US in it's countless entanglements around the world.

The US can hit everyone with tariffs, because they'll just give all the industries devastated by them billions and billions of dollars in borrowed money. But of course that's a lose lose situation for the US, which becomes your classic lose lose lose, when you factor in lowering taxes at the same time so that you're just hemorrhaging money all over the place. In every aspect, it hurts the US more than any other one entity.

Of course you're also denying proven climate science. Because you're anathema to literally all facts.

Again, Democrat states are the ones contributing more money to the federal government than they take, because they support red states with federal welfare money. It's also why California has to contribute so much money to fund the fiscally irresponsible red states. And it's why Democrat presidents have to work to fix the economy and ballooning deficit that every Republican leaves behind.

You're just repeating the same lies, over and over, and ignoring all of the mountains of evidence that prove you wrong, time after time.

 

[Motorman]

You don't know what a subsidy is. The US does NOT subsidize Canada. What you're talking about isn't paying 2% of anything to NATO, nor to any other country - it's investing in your own country's defense. That's not and never will be a subsidy. You're just repeating dumb trump lies and it sounds idiotic, because anybody with half a brain already knows it's not true.

And again, no country needs to do any such thing. Because again, it's a guideline, and not a rule. So nobody NEEDS to do anything to ensure they hit that mark.

And the US doesn't protect Canada and never has. But Canada is ALWAYS chipping in to help the US in it's countless entanglements around the world.

The US can hit everyone with tariffs, because they'll just give all the industries devastated by them billions and billions of dollars in borrowed money. But of course that's a lose lose situation for the US, which becomes your classic lose lose lose, when you factor in lowering taxes at the same time so that you're just hemorrhaging money all over the place. In every aspect, it hurts the US more than any other one entity.

Of course you're also denying proven climate science. Because you're anathema to literally all facts.

Again, Democrat states are the ones contributing more money to the federal government than they take, because they support red states with federal welfare money. It's also why California has to contribute so much money to fund the fiscally irresponsible red states. And it's why Democrat presidents have to work to fix the economy and ballooning deficit that every Republican leaves behind.

You're just repeating the same lies, over and over, and ignoring all of the mountains of evidence that prove you wrong, time after time.

I want what you’re smoking!
https://www.aol.com/democratic-partys-image-weakest-position-160020589.html

 

[GeeBeeP]

GDP, the Dow and the NASDAQ have little to do with the standard of living or quality of life for citizens.
The “economy” might be fine according to the markets. But a large segment of the population is living paycheck to paycheck, not knowing of they will have a job or a place to live next month, your country is a shithole.
And nobody thinks it will happen to them…until they go to work and there’s a sign on the door…

As I write the Dow is down 890 points. Even the markets are catching on to the fact that Trump is screwing everybody, not just the average consumer/citizen.

 

[VanCityNewb]

I want what you’re smoking!
https://www.aol.com/democratic-partys-image-weakest-position-160020589.html

Oh cool. All of your repeated lies, one after another, don't matter... Because you found somebody's random opinion about something that's completely unrelated to anything said here at all.

👏

 

[westwoody]

Its incredibly sad to see the dismantling of US science

Today NASA announced it will eliminate the Office of the Chief Scientist. There are many other cuts as well.
Trump is giving the US space program over to Musk it seems.

 

[masterblaster]

Today NASA announced it will eliminate the Office of the Chief Scientist. There are many other cuts as well.
Trump is giving the US space program over to Musk it seems.

Nobody blows up rockets better than Elmo.

 

[Crookedmember]

Nobody blows up rockets better than Elmo.

The headline in The Beaverton was:

Tragedy over Florida: Elon Musk not on exploding rocket

 

[carvesg]

My father was a scientist so I had the privilege of seeing “big science” firsthand.
We went to Brookhaven and it was amazing how many countries were co operating on large projects. CERN involves dozens of countries, not just European.
No country can do big science on their own nowadays. The US is well on its way to being shut out and it’s actively destroying its higher education system.
Instead of high tech crown jewels like the Lockheed Skunk Works and Cal Tech, americans will top out at making shitbox Dodge Rams.

Sad that overly conservative thinking will slow down progress as they don't see the connection between fundamental science and leaps in applied science/technology.

Today NASA announced it will eliminate the Office of the Chief Scientist. There are many other cuts as well.
Trump is giving the US space program over to Musk it seems.

Sadly if you go online and look at the comments on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram from Russian and Chinese bot farms which triggers the gullibles is mindboggling...which erodes the support for NASA and any scientific research. It becomes a race to the bottom fuelled by the religious, gullible and uneducated people which a good portion of Congress listens to.

No political support = no money

The power of the internet at its worst !

 

[Motorman]

First, based on some of the comments, as a person educated in Canada,, the Canadian education system failed. It use to be sooooooo superior to the American system, now it’s debatable. Be that as it may, switch directions, does any Canadian taxpayers think for one second that the government in Canada does not contain a ton of waste and fraud? Do the people in BC believe Musk is sooooo bad for revealing waste? I use to be involved with a company that provided security contractors to Iraq. The contract stipulated the US would provide everything, but ammo. Prior to deployment, two outhouses were ordered. The PAID invoice for two shitters indicated $760k. Think about that!! …….I understand many on this thread do not have a pot to piss in, but there is also a ton of guys that can afford top shelf whiskey. It is obvious who has money and is here for sex. I am not here to be the tenth person in line. I can afford to be first. I am not here to make people mad. I am here for several reasons, first is to gage everyday people’s opinions. I can google until my fingers fall off, but to make money, it is important to get a feel of the land. I know…….whatever, Trump is a Nazi, felon and racist. I happen to think Canadians, after feeling extreme economic pain, will change their socialist opinion. As an investor, I want to time it to my advantage. I don’t NEED the money, it is more of an ego thing. I am not young, but I am extremely comfortable. However before I die, I would love to know someone benefited from my life experience. Have a great night!

 

[marsvolta]

GDP, the Dow and the NASDAQ have little to do with the standard of living or quality of life for citizens.
The “economy” might be fine according to the markets. But a large segment of the population is living paycheck to paycheck, not knowing of they will have a job or a place to live next month, your country is a shithole.
And nobody thinks it will happen to them…until they go to work and there’s a sign on the door…

Well with the Trump market... Even people with money are feeling it now.

 

[marsvolta]

First, based on some of the comments, as a person educated in Canada,, the Canadian education system failed. It use to be sooooooo superior to the American system, now it’s debatable. Be that as it may, switch directions, does any Canadian taxpayers think for one second that the government in Canada does not contain a ton of waste and fraud? Do the people in BC believe Musk is sooooo bad for revealing waste? I use to be involved with a company that provided security contractors to Iraq. The contract stipulated the US would provide everything, but ammo. Prior to deployment, two outhouses were ordered. The PAID invoice for two shitters indicated $760k. Think about that!! …….I understand many on this thread do not have a pot to piss in, but there is also a ton of guys that can afford top shelf whiskey. It is obvious who has money and is here for sex. I am not here to be the tenth person in line. I can afford to be first. I am not here to make people mad. I am here for several reasons, first is to gage everyday people’s opinions. I can google until my fingers fall off, but to make money, it is important to get a feel of the land. I know…….whatever, Trump is a Nazi, felon and racist. I happen to think Canadians, after feeling extreme economic pain, will change their socialist opinion. As an investor, I want to time it to my advantage. I don’t NEED the money, it is more of an ego thing. I am not young, but I am extremely comfortable. However before I die, I would love to know someone benefited from my life experience. Have a great night!

US military spending is famous for waste/fraud/whatever... but DOGE won't find much. because the US is ruled by Big Oil and Big Military.

Pentagon touts $80M in DOGE cuts, but public receipts don’t add up

actually, lets just throw more money at it!

GOP stopgap funding bill boosts defense funding over FY24 levels

when will Idaho ditch socialism and start giving California back their money?


you keep talking about the homeless in California... you claim its because of their socialist policies... that makes no sense at all. its because of their lack of socialist policies. right? because they wouldn't be on the street if there was more socialist money for them.

you know where else there is a lack of socialism? wherever wealth is accumulated in a small number of hands. take a look at the map below and tell us how excited you are to have the US be more like any of the countries with a Gini index above 40.

 

[Harmony-bc]

US military spending is famous for waste/fraud/whatever... but DOGE won't find much. because the US is ruled by Big Oil and Big Military.

Pentagon touts $80M in DOGE cuts, but public receipts don’t add up

actually, lets just throw more money at it!

GOP stopgap funding bill boosts defense funding over FY24 levels

when will Idaho ditch socialism and start giving California back their money?

View attachment 117590
you keep talking about the homeless in California... you claim its because of their socialist policies... that makes no sense at all. its because of their lack of socialist policies. right? because they wouldn't be on the street if there was more socialist money for them.

you know where else there is a lack of socialism? wherever wealth is accumulated in a small number of hands. take a look at the map below and tell us how excited you are to have the US be more like any of the countries with a Gini index above 40.

View attachment 117591

They also have the same problem with homelessness and addiction that vancouver has. Vancouver gets a lot of people from all over Canada because our weather doesn’t dip to crazy -40. It’s a lot easier to be homeless in a big city with nice weather.

California is sunny all year round. Who wouldn’t want to live outside in year round sunshine compared to other states? It is definitely not because of socialism. Poverty wouldn’t be a thing if socialism was done right.

If you’re in LA, walk around the streets and ask everybody where they’re from. I bet you, very few are from California. Same with Las Vegas and Miami.

 

[carvesg]

First, based on some of the comments, as a person educated in Canada,, the Canadian education system failed. It use to be sooooooo superior to the American system, now it’s debatable. Be that as it may, switch directions, does any Canadian taxpayers think for one second that the government in Canada does not contain a ton of waste and fraud? Do the people in BC believe Musk is sooooo bad for revealing waste? I use to be involved with a company that provided security contractors to Iraq. The contract stipulated the US would provide everything, but ammo. Prior to deployment, two outhouses were ordered. The PAID invoice for two shitters indicated $760k. Think about that!! …….I understand many on this thread do not have a pot to piss in, but there is also a ton of guys that can afford top shelf whiskey. It is obvious who has money and is here for sex. I am not here to be the tenth person in line. I can afford to be first. I am not here to make people mad. I am here for several reasons, first is to gage everyday people’s opinions. I can google until my fingers fall off, but to make money, it is important to get a feel of the land. I know…….whatever, Trump is a Nazi, felon and racist. I happen to think Canadians, after feeling extreme economic pain, will change their socialist opinion. As an investor, I want to time it to my advantage. I don’t NEED the money, it is more of an ego thing. I am not young, but I am extremely comfortable. However before I die, I would love to know someone benefited from my life experience. Have a great night!

Was the shitters supplied by Halliburton by any chance ? Since Dick was involved without being involved...

Yes every government wastes money and everybody has stories about wasted expenditures and roads to nowhere but no government gets their audits done by a guy that is in conflict of interest from the get go . What most of us have a problem with Musk is that there's a lot of arrogant yapping but no real result so far. So much of his incredible finds have been debunked that it's not even funny anymore. And since most governments have very inflexible contracts with leeway hovering around 5% to 7% must of us know that Musk & Co are going after programs and not really contracts since the meat is in the untouchable Department of defense known for the $ 70,000.00 hammer and $100 paper clip . Programs with huge budgets you know them even better than we do and the question everybody is asking themselves is ....are they really going to go after the most vulnerable people? Or retirees that could see their social security cut to give the wealthiest bunch tax breaks when the budget is so far in the red .

Our governments waste of money but you need trained forensic accountants to do that tracking not someone who improvises for show, people sworn in to make sure they themselves are accountable , proper contract tracking numbers and dates of approval and cancellation, etc ... Just you know.... a normal reliable procedure.

 

[marsvolta]

Was the shitters supplied by Halliburton by any chance ? Since Dick was involved without being involved...

Yes every government wastes money and everybody has stories about wasted expenditures and roads to nowhere but no government gets their audits done by a guy that is in conflict of interest from the get go . What most of us have a problem with Musk is that there's a lot of arrogant yapping but no real result so far. So much of his incredible finds have been debunked that it's not even funny anymore. And since most governments have very inflexible contracts with leeway hovering around 5% to 7% must of us know that Musk & Co are going after programs and not really contracts since the meat is in the untouchable Department of defense known for the $ 70,000.00 hammer and $100 paper clip . Programs with huge budgets you know them even better than we do and the question everybody is asking themselves is ....are they really going to go after the most vulnerable people? Or retirees that could see their social security cut to give the wealthiest bunch tax breaks when the budget is so far in the red .

Our governments waste of money but you need trained forensic accountants to do that tracking not someone who improvises for show, people sworn in to make sure they themselves are accountable , proper contract tracking numbers and dates of approval and cancellation, etc ... Just you know.... a normal reliable procedure.

the real problem with people like Trump and Musk is that... they are only human.

Why rich people tend to think they deserve their money

“It can get people who are winning at the game of life — who have more money, who have more privilege, who have more power — to think about their resources as things that they deserve; to be less likely to think that inequality is a problem, because after all, they deserve what they have; and as a result, to be less willing to do things about it,”

If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich? Turns out it’s just chance.

"... the wealthiest individuals are not the most talented (although they must have a certain level of talent). They are the luckiest."

 

[GentlemanJack69]

Way too time consuming to provide an education on a forum, but read the attached. Briefly, the only positive thing of a weak currency is it makes exports less expensive, conversely imports are more expensive. A weak currency is also the sign of a weak economy. Regardless, did I misunderstand you to be a financial advisor? Of course no country would want to attack Canada because it would mean war with the US. Why would your government be a member of NATO without supporting it? Canada is rich in natural resources , yet no country would attack it……because everyone loves Canadians. You cannot possibly believe that crap? You are like my former girlfriend, you make excuses for everything. Have a good day everyone!
https://www.reuters.com/markets/chi...fs-some-canada-farm-food-products-2025-03-08/

The article you posted supports my assertions. Canada imposed tariffs on China - in support of the USA. Now because the USA has started a trade war with China, they are signaling to us that it would be a good idea to remove our tariffs from them to show that we are more willing to trade with China Instead of the USA. Canada doesn't care about Chinese EV's... that's the USA. We have been supporting USA trade initiatives every time because we truly value our trading relationship. Trump is telling us that we should trade with someone else. China is saying that if we stop following USA trading policies they will be willing to help us against you.
Canada has always been careful to keep our dollar lower than the USD, it incentivizes our trade with the USA - which is our number one trading partner. We don't care about the dollar value, we care about the jobs the economic activity generates.

Yes. I have been in the financial industry for 30+ years. I'm not bothered by your offhand suggestion that I don't understand finance, what I am doing is engaging in debate over the USA political situation including the financial side of it. If you don't agree with my points I suggest you work a little harder to disprove them, or here's a thought.. you might find you agree with them if you consider them logically.

Canada is a part of NATO because we believe in the democratic values and cooperation that is inherent in the agreement made through NATO. How is Canada not supporting NATO? If your talking point is that we don't support NATO because we haven't increased our military expenditures that point is moot. It's not a requirement, it's a target.
Part of the reason why no one is attacking Canada is because we have good relations with a large number of countries. Part of the reason why no one is attacking Canada is because logistically it would be a nightmare to effectively move troops and military resources to Canada, and maintain supply lines (for everyone except the USA). And you're right part of the reason is that we have allies who would assist us - potentially the USA, but like I said, we're not counting on Trump.
Yes, we're rich in natural resources,.. a great incentive to build good relations with us. Attacking us would end up costing more than you'd realize and in the end would be a disaster for any country that chose to attack us.

Try talking with your girlfriends.. I find that women usually have reasons for making excuses. It might be because you have bad breath, or it could be because she's tired that you don't take her seriously when she tries to explain something to you. Regardless, that's a topic for a different part of the forum and has no place here in the USA political thread.

Have a great night.

 

[thevalleydude]

I am abdicating my position for a while as a pro Trump voice on the board as, while I support much of what he is doing in the US he is screwing Canada with these chaotic on again off again tariffs and coincidentally bringing life to the possibility of yet another 4 years of Liberal rule under yet another WEF supporting PM who.... while he says he will drop the Carbon tax is on record as saying he will just supplement it with the same thing under a different name. The Liberal party should be dead and buried and Trump has given it mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Will wait and see how the election plays out.

I will let that Landrover guy off the bet as a result..

 

[MRGREEN]

The banker vs the wanker.

 

[GeeBeeP]

Agreed, but the more supply, the less price, which will benefit consumers. Canada is attempting to protect family dairy‘s and Trump is trying to get American farmers more money. They both put their constituents first, as they should.

There has always been a debate about the differences between Canadians and Americans, most of it humourous. But the subject of supply management hits a very true point.

Lower prices are not the most important factor in some cases. A statement which many of my American friends can not wrap their heads around. (We also believe that the wealthy should pay their fare share in taxes too!!)

Many Canadians, myself included, will accept paying a little more than rock bottom for dairy products when their are broader societal benefits as a result. Supply management helps provide stability of not only consumer pricing but for the producer. It allows smaller scale family farms to survive and provide local employment, and helps to stabilise supply chains. In the long run prevents the need for governments to subsidise the industry by buying up excess supplies and providing the massive agricultural subsidies that we see in the US.

Many Canadians believe that stability and fairness are more important than the very man for himself philosophy that many Americans espouse.

 

[Motorman]

The article you posted supports my assertions. Canada imposed tariffs on China - in support of the USA. Now because the USA has started a trade war with China, they are signaling to us that it would be a good idea to remove our tariffs from them to show that we are more willing to trade with China Instead of the USA. Canada doesn't care about Chinese EV's... that's the USA. We have been supporting USA trade initiatives every time because we truly value our trading relationship. Trump is telling us that we should trade with someone else. China is saying that if we stop following USA trading policies they will be willing to help us against you.
Canada has always been careful to keep our dollar lower than the USD, it incentivizes our trade with the USA - which is our number one trading partner. We don't care about the dollar value, we care about the jobs the economic activity generates.

Yes. I have been in the financial industry for 30+ years. I'm not bothered by your offhand suggestion that I don't understand finance, what I am doing is engaging in debate over the USA political situation including the financial side of it. If you don't agree with my points I suggest you work a little harder to disprove them, or here's a thought.. you might find you agree with them if you consider them logically.

Canada is a part of NATO because we believe in the democratic values and cooperation that is inherent in the agreement made through NATO. How is Canada not supporting NATO? If your talking point is that we don't support NATO because we haven't increased our military expenditures that point is moot. It's not a requirement, it's a target.
Part of the reason why no one is attacking Canada is because we have good relations with a large number of countries. Part of the reason why no one is attacking Canada is because logistically it would be a nightmare to effectively move troops and military resources to Canada, and maintain supply lines (for everyone except the USA). And you're right part of the reason is that we have allies who would assist us - potentially the USA, but like I said, we're not counting on Trump.
Yes, we're rich in natural resources,.. a great incentive to build good relations with us. Attacking us would end up costing more than you'd realize and in the end would be a disaster for any country that chose to attack us.

Try talking with your girlfriends.. I find that women usually have reasons for making excuses. It might be because you have bad breath, or it could be because she's tired that you don't take her seriously when she tries to explain something to you. Regardless, that's a topic for a different part of the forum and has no place here in the USA political thread.

Have a great night.

You posted opinion, not fact. Did you fail to read the attachment which described how currency markets work? Apparently you also failed to read the attachment that described the reason some currency’s are weak. Brief recap, weak currencies are due to lack of confidence in a specific economy. Canada intentionally keeping its currency weak is 100% ridiculous. As you can see in the attached graph, Canada did not ALWAYS keep its currency weak. Between 2010 and 2015, it was about 1 to 1, sometimes higher, which was due to the US housing crisis that caused a weak economy for the US. That is factual data. The only major country that wants a weak currency is China. That is because it exports more than any other nation and exports are its bread and butter. I trade currency almost every single day and make enough money to have fun. Maybe your reading comprehension isn’t up to par. The article I previously attached specifically indicated China is retaliating against Canada for the EV tariff. You should become a politician, you pull stuff out of nowhere and attempt to convince people you know what you’re talking about. The financial industry can mean a bank teller. I am not attacking you, but your knowledge is very limited, or you’re just playing , I don’t know. To answer your question about NATO, 1.3%…….6th from the bottom of 32 countries, which is the bottom 18% of members, is not exactly support. Maybe you can understand a video!

 

[Motorman]

In other words, Canada blinked! https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/11/ont...harge-says-lutnick-agrees-to-trade-talks.html

I think that’s a good thing for everyone, but this is exactly what I previously meant, nobody can trust a politician on either of the border. After Ford acted like a tough guy and placed a 25% tariff on electricity, he did not expect Trump would respond with a 50% tariff on steel, which within days, would have ruined the Canadian economy. This is exactly why Premier Danielle Smith didn't want to ban exports of Alberta's oil to the US. She knows she would lose and she would look like the fool that Premier Ford looks like now because he couldn't back up his rhetoric with action. US and Canadian politicians put Canada in this mess. US politicians didn’t want to rock the boat and Canadian politicians, instead of diversification of trade, they took the easy route by thinking the gravy train will never end. Again, it is not Trumps fault, the stars aligned and the Canadian economy is extremely weak…….because of too much government spending. If interest rates in Canada continue getting lower, it is called stimulus, which is a red flag for an economy in trouble. Canada has zero good options. I think a new trade deal will be signed, which will prevent a Canadian depression, but the deal will certainly be better for the American taxpayer.

Now I will tell you how to make money. First, I am hoarding the loonie by dollar cost averaging. I started at 70 and it got as low as 66 to USD. Unless Canadian politicians come to their senses, I believe it will drop as low as 60, maybe lower. Easily within 5-7 years, after the smoke is cleared, I know it will bounce back to 90, maybe 1 to 1, especially if Republicans lose in 2028. I suggest everyone on this forum, do the same. Get cash at the bank and stick it away……I made a killing doing it with the JPY. The next part is not available to you. If the Loonie drops to 66, I will go real estate shopping in downtown Vancouver. Because of the weak economy and exchange rate, I think I will get something nice at fifty cents to the dollar. Don’t blame Trump, he warned everyone months before he got elected, but Trudeau did not take him seriously and failed to prepare! I hope everyone has a great day!