Comparisons

[robkelk]

I didn't know whether to post this in "Russian lawmakers authorize Putin to use military force outside the country", "Meanwhile, in Canada...", or "The Imperial Presidency", so I started a new thread for it.

Zelenskyy describes Canada-U.S. tensions as 'strange,' draws comparison to Ukraine and Russia

It's the kind of thing that'sonly obvious after somebody points it out... so, no tl;dr here. You'll have to go read the article so that it can be pointed out.


"It's very dangerous [when] there are some problems between neighbours and we [Ukraine and Russia] are the example."
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[Labster]

I think I've made this point before: the only rational explanation for things like renaming Lake America, or demanding control over Canadian trade policy is to force a choice between vassalage and annexation.  Given that it's Trumpworld we should of course include some non-rational explanations too, like 'guy doesn't know wtf he's doin' and 'humiliating people makes them like you more' and 'Doug Ford is a socialist menace'.  I will note that there is very little appetite among the common man of America for a trade war with Canada, or really with any country other than China.  But the President calls the shots regardless.

To see parallels with Putin's campaign in Ukraine is pretty understandable, since his war goals are to annex the Donbas and subjugate the remainder of Ukraine.  There isn't all that much popular support in Russia either, where military recruitment is still far below casualties (army gets smaller).  The top guy runs the war how he wants, anyway.

Like Ukraine, I believe Canada can defend itself, especially if it takes a Candu approach.

[robkelk]

I see what you did there.