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Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

washingtonstatestandard.com

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Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#261

Post by rurp »

FredPret wrote: post #56

I've seen two apocalyptic North American scenarios in fiction, and have previously dismissed both as ridiculous. 1. In the Fallout universe, the USA annexes Canada 2. In at least two Neal Stephenson novels (Snowcrash and Termination Shock), the USA has collapsed. I've never before thought that either of these would have a semi-realistic path to actually happening.

It's pretty wild. I'm someone who thinks that disasters and existential threats are seriously underrated by most people, but even still a decade ago I would have put the odds of a major US collapse in my lifetime at a low very number. Now though? I wouldn't even be surprised.

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#262

Post by riku_iki »

hmmm-i-wonder wrote: post #250
riku_iki wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and equipment vastly outclasses what any civilian can and will have even in the US. not really. In urban setting, it is still the same soldier on foot with rifle, unless military decides to level all cities in the country.

We will have to disagree on this. >unless military decides to level all cities in the country. See Gaza, most of eastern Ukraine. The existence of armoured equipment, air support, satellite monitoring and encrypted/EW resistant communications means civilian resistance is all but irrelevant. Civilians co-operating with an organized, funded and supplied military is one thing, but on their own its a laughable concept at…

I see your examples as in opposite direction.

In Ukraine, militia with rifles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_Defence_Forces_(Uk...) dug into the ground and stopped invasion of 1M army with thousands of armored vehicles, absolute superiority in artillery, airforces, tactical missiles and 100B annual budget.

In Gaza, Israel with all tech advantages struggles to efficiently police relatively small urban area for 70 years already.

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#263

Post by psychlops »

rayiner wrote: post #111
psychlops wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider that this is the point of all the machinations. The US having the reserve currency is a liability in many ways and the direct reason why it's a consumer not producer economy. Losing reserve status will be damaging to some parts of the american economy and create a boom in others. Take a look at what current tariffs are across the world. The US isn't necessarily bullying as equalizing.

And also think about which industries and constituencies are helped by the U.S. having the reserve currency, and which ones are hurt by that. What would it take for America to have more of a German-style economy than the current American one? Who would that hurt and who would that help?

I could be wrong, but think the German economy just broke last week when they blew the cap off their debt ceiling and kicked current day payments to future generations. Note that Germany protects its production with tariffs and VATs, the rough average I've found is 19-21%.

I think China is the one to watch. They have double the energy output of the US and are basically the production capital of the world for the foreseeable future unless something changes.

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#264

Post by bryanlarsen »

watwut wrote: post #180
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're using the pronoun "they" for the US. But this is by no means the case that there is a singular entity that has stated this policy. Right now the US is in a political crisis. It has elected a weak, narcissistic man without coherent or sensible policy who is for the short term without serious opposition. (Mainly because its own neo-liberal elite has done a garbage job of running the country for the last 30 years…

Trump is not weak. He has more power then any other previous president and completely loyal party behind him. He does not have e to even worry about laws at all. Plus, Trump will blame Biden, woke, women, democrats and especially Canada and EU for bad economy. And Trumps base will 100% believe him.

Powerful people "speak softly and carry a big stick". Trump spoke loudly, then swung the stick that was given to him and proved to the rest of the world that the stick was a lot smaller than they believed it was.

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#265

Post by soperj »

a-priori wrote: post #243
soperj wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've mixed up the two debaters (Brian Mulroney and John Turner), and the year (1988).

Ugh, yes you're right, I typed too fast and mixed things up. Thanks for the corrections.

for the record, I feel like everything else you've said applies!

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#266

Post by ForTheKidz »

soco wrote: post #246
ForTheKidz wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most countries in north america are more similar to each other than they are to the US or Canada, yes. That is precisely what I am saying. Canada is basically the colony that didn't bother.

My comment was meant to be ironic, but only now I learned that all those countries below the US are not "central america" the way I thought.

What you think the US is all the way on the down-side of the app? hell no. We're the center of the universe babee.

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#267

Post by rayiner »

diggan wrote: post #163
rayiner wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Civil rights is orthogonal to democracy. Creating a democratic country like the U.S. is the real achievement. Most countries never come close to accomplishing that.

According to the Democracy Index (article about it here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/democracy-index-dat... ) there are about 25 "Full Democracies", 107 Non-authoritarian regimes, and 60 authoritarian regimes. Fun fact: The US isn't counted as a "Full Democracy" by that index, so seems it's not as a great of an achievement as you seem to think. I'm looking forward to see how the ranking of the US changes…

What’s the basis of that index. Are they alleging US elections are rigged?

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#268

Post by 123pie123 »

maujun wrote: post #201
123pie123 wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why doesn't the US just print money instead of having to borrow money then print it? does any other country do it this way?

It is related to the general definition of inflation. Those with existing assets (including retired folks in the US) theoretically "lose" in this situation. You can split the US and see inequality arise from printing: (1) US federal govt vs non-govt entities (2) US citizens with assets vs US citizens without assets, (4) people who received money first vs people who last bits of the "trickle down". In various cases, c…

So the current system of loans/ bonds generally benefits the rich (or people with assests)?

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#269

Post by watwut »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #255
watwut wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trump is not weak. He has more power then any other previous president and completely loyal party behind him. He does not have e to even worry about laws at all. Plus, Trump will blame Biden, woke, women, democrats and especially Canada and EU for bad economy. And Trumps base will 100% believe him.

Au contraire. A strong leader does not need to rely on the kinds of tools Trump has been employing. The rise of someone like Trump to power reflects I think a fragmentation of consensus and weakening of legitimacy of the government. He's a reality TV star, an entertainer. Yes he has what seems like a blank cheque, but it's likely to backfire on him eventually.

No, you are doing a value judgement. Or using strong as a term of approval.

I am using "strong" as powerful and "can push for what he wants". Trump is absolutely that. There is no meaningful opposition.

He has control over DOJ, fired everyone involved in suits against him, hired loyalists. He is destroying law company that sued him and everyone is taking notes. Less opposition in the future.

He breaks law, courts already judged he can and when they don't, he attacks judges. They will fall.

The opposition has security removed while fans are made to hate them.

He is not weak. He is powerful. And saying he is weak just makes him more powerful

Re: Canada considering charging for road access from USA to Alaska

#270

Post by xyzzyz »

diggan wrote: post #163
rayiner wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Civil rights is orthogonal to democracy. Creating a democratic country like the U.S. is the real achievement. Most countries never come close to accomplishing that.

According to the Democracy Index (article about it here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/democracy-index-dat... ) there are about 25 "Full Democracies", 107 Non-authoritarian regimes, and 60 authoritarian regimes. Fun fact: The US isn't counted as a "Full Democracy" by that index, so seems it's not as a great of an achievement as you seem to think. I'm looking forward to see how the ranking of the US changes…

Sorry, but why exactly should we care about what some random score that some people invented and named Democracy Index says? It’s not like there is some universal agreement that maximizing the score in these people’s quiz is good or proper.
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