He’s so slimy that everything he says will hurt him.

Conversely, I don’t imagine nihilistic choices ever feel particularly good or right.

Exactly correct. I was spiraling in depression about the hopelessness of it all until I decided to actually do something myself.

And then I realized that feeling of trying was at least part of what I was missing all along.

So I boycott, I protest, I volunteer, and dare to be vulnerable and admit I care — not in an ironic or smug way but actually care. And it feels great, especially these days when it feels like many others are beginning to as well.

I believe you. Perhaps I’m underestimating the effects of the positive energy coming from how many have joined us across the country and the world.

But my life experience is the opposite of what you describe. I let the devils of nihilism and cynicism cloud me, to rationalize and justify taking the easy route of inaction.

So my message here is not to you and folks like you who were ahead of me in this. You’re better than me. I looked down on people like you because your actions didn’t make a difference. Why should I, a rationalist, take irrational actions that don’t make a difference.

So my message here is to people like me, who have talked themselves out of doing something. To them I say: it feels good to act. And no one can take that away from me.

I’m not knowledgeable enough on this topic to prove you wrong or even argue — but Bombardier have an opportunity to try do so.

If they can’t, we must act urgently because if they won’t use their factories and their workers, someone else can. Because we have a lot to do.

They aren’t wrong to be concerned, this absolutely will wreak havoc on their business.

But also we cannot expect that their business in the US was poised to survive regardless. Theirs is the business the Americans are most specifically looking to move to their domestic manufacturing. Bombardier is fucked but they were fucked on November of last year.

So the question is not if we can keep their US contracts up, but what else they can be making with their facilities and workers. Crisis and change can be hard but it can be opportunity too.

Seize the reigns, Bombardier. You’ve got a good seat at the table and can contribute positively towards how we reshape our country’s industry and defence.

Our aggregate response may weaken them, and that is a great thing to see start to happen and I hope we see more of it.

But the point I’m trying to make is that you don’t matter to them. I don’t matter to them. If all Canadians and Europeans and Chinese stood together they’d feel it — but you and I cannot control what all of these people do.

But we can control what we do. And it feels good to do what’s right. Even if I was the only one boycotting to American travel and products, it would still feel good. Because it’s easy to forget the humanity— you’re a person not just a consumer. As a person it feels good to act, to be active, to not just go gentle into the night.

This work can and should and will continue, but it doesn’t need to be a cabinet level position right now.

We have our backs against the wall, and in my opinion we need to laser-focus on our absolute priorities right now.

Should we retreat from the progress made? Fuck no. Should we stop working on this? Also no.

But there is so much urgent work that needs to be done to completely retool and rework our economy and industry and national defence. We need our leaders to have focus to ensure that the steps we are taking are done with urgency and that the changes we implement are having the effects we want, and that side effects are mitigated.

So for today, for right now, I support this move. 100%

Don’t do this because it “sends America a message.” You are one person, your decision to spend tourist dollars has a negligible effect. You do not make a difference to them.

To whatever extent an aggregate message is felt by Americans, it will be spun by their King as justification for the preexisting messaging about how the world is against them. This messaging will almost certainly be successful — it’s always easier to blame others than look inward. Americans are not exceptional, and will respond to these messages the same way people did in the days of 1930s fascism and in modern China and Russia.

So no; don’t boycott America to send them a message.

Instead, boycott American tourism and products and companies for yourself. It will feel good for your soul. It feels good to stand up for yourself, to stand with your neighbours, with your countrymen, and with our allies around the world. In a world where we can feel like powerless pawns in a game played by evil behemoths — we can at least do what’s right and feel good about that.

Well said!

If he’s such an embarrassment, why’d they elect him twice? I’d say he represents them.

I followed your lead on this and re-submitted it without the pathetic commentary

https://lemmy.ca/post/40863201

Re-submitted without the related post’s asinine CPC shilling.

If this is the best excuse for spin that you conservative shills can come up with, I almost feel sorry for you because it’s so incredibly pathetic.

I don’t feel sorry for you though. Apply for a green card and gtfo out of my country, OP.

One of the first times I’ve ever believed anything he’s said.

Yes, lil PP, we know that you’d work against our treaty commitments, help burn the planet, and slash govt revenues in order to reward some oil execs.

For sure. For what it’s worth I’m pretty new too. If this place continues to grow it will be a bigger target for misinformation campaigns so it’s wise to be vigilant

Some of them might be real people.

Scapegoating is an extremely successful technique. Instead of dealing with the complexities of the modern world, the supposed strong man can just give people easy and reassuring answers.

Americans problems are not because of unchecked capitalism and the wilful dismantling of the scientific, legal, economic, and political systems designed to help them. It’s because Canada, led by its Mexican Drug Cartels, are taking advantage of them.

Never mind that it’s patently stupid. Never mind that the system of getting access to our raw materials for cheap so they could process them in their countries and their industries was overwhelming as good for them as it was bad for us.

Never mind reality — what matters is that an easy answer was given. It’s not them, they don’t have to confront any harsh truths, or take any painful looks in the mirror, or have to step out of their comfort zone. The Americans were given the answer to their problems by their King, and that answer is Canada.

So the “strong man” strikes at Canada to show how tough they are. And to no one’s surprise, Canada doesn’t take it lying down. We stand up for ourselves and hit back — saying that surely when they see pain they will stop and reflect.

But no, they don’t. Because our hitting back justifies our already-established status as villain. How dare Canada threaten to levy energy exports, says the King. The Canadians have no decency.

And so, feeling the pain we caused, the Americans listen to their King, and they blame us because that is the easy answer. They don’t have to think, they don’t have to pause the sportsball game or the reality tv marathon. It was Canada all along.

So yes — there may be bots and such, but make no mistake that the vocal opposition to Canada will only grow inside America as the trade war escalates.

Respectfully, I don’t think you want to go down this path.

Having a third party setting up a complex software with no commitment for ongoing maintenance leaves you in a bad spot when something breaks or needs updating. And even if this software is great; all technology stacks eventually need some maintenance.

So I think you need someone from your community to step up and be willing to take this on with at least an intention of being there for ongoing maintenance and support. Or, paying for a commercial service who will do this for you.

If you find that person, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll give them some pointers about how to get this up and running and answer some questions about best practices and such. I’m not familiar with Friendica but the setup seems relatively straightforward if you have a web host who supports running Docker containers.

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It is rare… rare enough that my only memory association on the topic is over 20 years old.

I feel and share your rage about the inaction by the American mainstream left.

My hunch that they’d change their tune before allowing their country to engage in outright war with Canada is nothing more than combination of a hunch and naive optimism.

We certainly can’t bank on my hunch — we need to prepare as if you’re correct.