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Canada’s Free Ride Is Finally Over
American Thinker ^ | April 15, 2025 | Charlton Allen

Posted on 04/16/2025 8:30:15 AM PDT by george76

President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports triggered the usual response from Ottawa. First under Justin Trudeau and now under his successor, Mark Carney, Canada’s political class didn’t just protest—they retaliated, slapping on symbolic countermeasures and ...

Outrage as policy—the Canadian default setting when Washington asserts leverage. But beneath the indignation lies a more straightforward truth: Canada had it coming.

Canada has basked in American economic and military protection for years while shirking its responsibilities.

Regarding trade, defense, energy, and foreign policy, successive Liberal governments have treated the U.S.-Canada relationship as a one-way arrangement—Washington provides the muscle, and Ottawa collects the perks. That indulgence is over.

...

Canada has dodged NATO spending commitments, neglected Arctic defense, appeased Beijing, and let its military atrophy into a paper force. The Canadian Armed Forces are in such disrepair they can barely police their airspace—much less contribute meaningfully to allied operations abroad.

...

Canada remains among NATO’s worst defense underperformers.

...

Chinese influence permeates Canadian politics, universities, and critical infrastructure. Intelligence services have confirmed Beijing’s election interference. Huawei lingered long after other democracies cut ties. Yet, Canada’s government has pledged to advance relations with Beijing rather than confront the CCP’s malign reach.

...

Canada stopped acting like a reliable partner long ago.

...

The Royal Canadian Navy—once a credible force and symbol of national resolve—has withered into a ceremonial fleet. Aging hulls, recruitment shortfalls, and

...

The Free Ride Ends Here

Mark Carney may speak with a banker’s composure, but his government inherits Trudeau’s failures—and the runway is nearly gone.

Canada has failed in trade, defense, and alliance credibility. Now, it is being held to account for the first time in decades.

That’s the new reality in U.S.-Canadian relations. And it’s long overdue.

Real allies don’t ride for free.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; China; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: canada; freeride; nato

1 posted on 04/16/2025 8:30:15 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

Replace Canada with Greenland.


2 posted on 04/16/2025 8:38:43 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; ...

p


3 posted on 04/16/2025 8:39:28 AM PDT by bitt (<img src=' 'width=30%>)
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To: george76

If it wasn’t for USA, China or Russia would have seized Canada by now.


4 posted on 04/16/2025 8:40:10 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: All

FTA—Canada has basked in American economic and military
protection for years while shirking its responsibilities.

Regarding trade, defense, energy, and foreign policy, successive Liberal governments have treated US-Canada as a one-way arrangement—Washington provides the muscle, and Ottawa collects the perks.

That indulgence is over.......courtesy of Trump’s tariffs.

...


5 posted on 04/16/2025 8:42:56 AM PDT by Liz (This then is how we should pray...."Our Father, who art in heaven......" )
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To: george76

Good article! Frankly, I am tired of the people I know from Canadastan throwing all their “free healthcare” and other luxuries in our face while deriding our way of life and how we run things. I also hear the same thing from libs defending Canada making it sound like some utopia. Them days are over thank God.

I get a chuckle out of someone who kind of twisted the words from “O Canada” and changed the phrase “we stand on guard for thee” to “who stands on guard for thee”. THE UNITED STATES you dumbasses... ha ha ha


6 posted on 04/16/2025 8:43:30 AM PDT by copaliscrossing (The truth is always your friend.)
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To: george76

Not quite over.

The US is still subsidizing Canada’s cheap pharmaceuticals...


7 posted on 04/16/2025 8:43:41 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: george76
Screw Canuckistan, good and hard.

They richly deserve it.

8 posted on 04/16/2025 8:49:48 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
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To: Tell It Right

6-12 months from now if the tariffs remain, Canada will come crawling back asking for forgiveness because their economy will be in a depression.

Canada’s GDP is slightly higher than Florida’s and 70-80 of the foreign trade is with the USA, take most of that away and Canada’s economy goes into free fall.

After this upcoming election Canada will stop the chest thumping and come to the table as true partners, if not Canada is in real trouble


9 posted on 04/16/2025 8:54:55 AM PDT by srmanuel
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To: george76

We in Florida and in other states, get a lot of ‘snowbirds’ from Canada. That’s an ‘import’ of sorts. So, lets tariff those snowbirds too, perhaps with $100 ‘tariff’ per trip into the U.S.


10 posted on 04/16/2025 9:06:46 AM PDT by adorno ( )
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To: copaliscrossing

Europe North(Canada) is every bit as arrogant as Europe Proper.


11 posted on 04/16/2025 9:15:10 AM PDT by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
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To: adorno

For the first half of the 30+ years I lived in Central Florida my condo community was about 70% snowbirds, but as of 2000 that number approached 0%. So, I’m not sure that “snowbirds” is still a thing in FL(?)


12 posted on 04/16/2025 9:21:11 AM PDT by The Duke (Not without incident.)
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To: unclebankster

Canada’s problem is everything east of Manitoba.


13 posted on 04/16/2025 9:28:59 AM PDT by kaktuskid
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To: george76

So yah wanna act tough? Close the F@#$in border. Just for 48 hours. Just to watch the illegals and fentanyl pile up.


14 posted on 04/16/2025 9:37:49 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: The Duke

Plenty of snowbirds still coming to Florida, especially the beach areas. Even our winter weather is better than the summer weather to them. However, with Florida R/E getting more expensive in the last few year, they’re not coming as often. Florida has become almost NY-like expensive.


15 posted on 04/16/2025 9:42:50 AM PDT by adorno ( )
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To: mewzilla

*


16 posted on 04/16/2025 10:21:18 AM PDT by Taffini ( Mr. Pippen and Mr. Waffles do not approve and neither do I)
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To: kaktuskid

Canada’s problem is everything east of Manitoba.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And west/southwest of a line that passes from Chilliwack through to Squamish.... Actually, that might be to generous given the drugs that are made in labs out in the boonies.
https://bc-cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2087&languageId=1&contentId=85957


17 posted on 04/16/2025 1:09:30 PM PDT by hecticskeptic
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To: george76

It appears America has been fueling socialism in the entire western world for the past 50 years. Now we’re broke and the bill is due in all these socialist Utopias that have gotten fat off our largess. Socialis has run out of other people’s money to paraphrase Maggie Thatcher.


18 posted on 04/16/2025 1:12:05 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: adorno

$100/day! Canadians are parasites.


19 posted on 04/16/2025 8:08:48 PM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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