I’ve said it before, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is the most underpaid U.S. emissary sent to a hostile nation and constantly surrounded by threats, bitterness, anger and hatred.
It would be easier to be U.S. ambassador to North Korea.
There is so much nuance inside this interview, it is remarkable.
Ambassador Hoekstra tries in his best diplomatic form to tell the two Canadians Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois about the underlying nature of the U.S-Canada trade conflicts. However, in typical Canadian fashion both indoctrinated interviewers are curiously stumped by the points Hoekstra presents. I am prompting this one because you also need to see the body/facial language. WATCH:
[SIDENOTE: The Canadians needed to turn off the comments on YouTube because Canadians are angry, bitter, abusive, vulgar and nasty in every comment section on the subject of U.S-Canada relations.]
Canada’s greatest strategic weakness is what Canadians call their greatest strength, pride.
There is a big difference between being proud and being prideful. The Canadian worldview is based on the latter.
♦ The U.S. and Mexico pick up trade agreement discussions on July 20, 2026. Not long after July 20th, sometime within the first two weeks of August there is a high probability the next shock to the Canadian system will come from Trump. However, it depends on how far out on the ledge cult leader Mark Carney is willing to take his believers.
On/around the end of August we will enter the ‘Trump playing with them‘ phase, just like Trump played with them in Jan, Feb, March ’25 over the 51st state stuff. President Trump will create turmoil because he holds all the cards for when he triggers the next sequence of events.
Essentially, the landscape is already set up. The bleachers are already built. The venue is already selected. The prideful Canadians have no concept of it.
At a point determined by Trump he will invite them into the gauntlet. There is no escape and only one way in.
Carney sits down at the table, Trump announces his demands, Carney balks, Trump glances to Greer, Greer hands Carney the formal exit paperwork and then suddenly everyone around Carney realizes what just happened. Trump set up a CUSMA trap.
A six-month countdown clock now ticks loudly. Trump repeats his demands. Carney looks around at his trade delegation, then asks for a few moments. They leave to huddle….
In the Canadian conference room, someone tells the group a six-month exit is now active. The walls are slowly closing.
If no terms are accepted, in six months all U.S. trade with Canada is immediately laissez-faire, no trade agreement backstops anything, meaning every trade is subject to the sectoral whims of the USA commerce department to outline the terms.
Carney asks his team what is happening. Trump tells them to take all the time in the world to think about it, and to give Jamieson or Howard a call if they have questions.
Trump and Greer then hold a press conference, telling the world the formal exit paperwork has now been issued. However, the U.S and Mexico already have a bilateral deal outlined and ready to begin, so U.S-Mexico trade is seamless. The only issue is Canada.
The following day analysts, economists, banking and finance experts begin running the numbers for Canada…… A slow and unstable Canadian economy collapse begins first with a run on the banks by Canadian dollar holders. Everyone needs to buy USD.
Europe and the U.K try to step in to assist by buying Canadian treasuries, but the risk is astronomical.
75% of Canada’s economy is based on trade that is now uncertain.
Suddenly the team around Carney look at things differently. They realize Canada doesn’t sell 75% of their output to the USA; the USA buys 75% of Canadian output.
In every economic relationship, the seller has no leverage. All leverage belongs to the buyer.
The seller can sell anything, but without buyers they are nothing. In a laissez-faire system suddenly U.S. buyers start to dictate terms and prices. The seller has no option. Life inside Canada is FUBAR.
The Chinese move quickly, buying up Canadian holdings for pennies on the ever-diminishing CAD.
The ‘shoe drops’ sometime after July 20th.
Canada cannot see the gauntlet.
♦ Canadians will willingly want China to buy their assets instead of Americans.
Why? Because the Canadian identity is defined by their main focus on ‘not being American.’ It’s all they know.
I can tell you specifically how it will materialize if you want, because I have already gamed this out. You might even make some money if you pay attention.
Toyota and Honda will do exactly what they have said they will do; they will exit Canadian manufacturing.
With full approval by Carney and the Canadian government, BYD and Geely will step in, purchase and take over those manufacturing plants to create vehicles in Canada (pennies on the CAD).
Canada will cheer because they will believe they just saved all those auto sector jobs. However, a few reality months later and suddenly it is all Chinese industrial operations bringing in Chinese workers to retool the factories.
Canada will end up paying unemployment benefits to Canadian workers, while Chinese factory workers prepare the facilities to manufacture BYD and Geely autos. The Canadian people will grit their teeth, yet do nothing because they accept their provincial government has already been corrupted by Chinese money.
Definitely time to stock up on popcorn.
Wonder when Great Britain will step in and make some waves about the “Canadian economic situation”. Will the Brits want to relinquish any ground to the Chinese? A very interesting dynamic as the Canadian economy continues to falter.
The Brits have already relinquished ground to the Chinese.
Approved by Parliament Chinese will construct what has been called a “mega” Embassy not far from Whitehall in the heart of London.. Near the British Deep State operations.
It wouldnt surprise me one iota of the Chinese and the Brits are joining forces against the new sovereign construct which has been underway since the beginning of President Trump’s third term.
Time was when I wouldn’t have entertained the possibility. But I’ve learned a lot since then; such as the world we thought we knew disappeared long ago.
You want popcorn to watch genuine and entirely preventable tragedy of people’s lives?
Sundance has this gamed out very logically.
Tragically…..but logically.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
Hard lessons coming for Canadians and their liberal governing overlords.
I’m mildly curious how their government controlled media will spin everything as a positive as their country implodes.
He is also spot on about there being a difference between pride and prideful.
A series of unfortunate events.
A series of unforced and self-induced errors.
Those pretentious glasses!! I just can’t.
I am half Canadian. I lived for 5 years in NFLD and brought me home a Newfie wife. I am telling all my Canadian family to save what you can and hope they can weather the storm. I can’t tell you how many people including family think I am nuts. I hate it that this is going to hurt them badly and most of them can’t see it. Trump is the devil to them, lol. Some of my family back in Canada get it and hate Carney and love Trump and would love to become the 51st state.
canada 51st state, very bad idea. 2 dem senators and all the stuck up french. US should drop to 49 states and eject Kali. The USA would be reborn and achieve heights unthinkable after slicing off that tumour.
Canada is such a beautiful Country, but once again, it shows you how Liberals can destroy anything.
Where in NFLD?
Newfoundland
Newfoundland?? I’m assuming.
Sorry, I thought you wrote : What is NFLD?, where’s my glasses??
You might think someone in Canada would read this and come to a realization that the prior agreement was a means to an end, and the end is approaching. It is too bad about Carney, the Canadian people deserve better than a WEF fraud.
And so do MAGA Americans in Massachusetts!
Ego is a very untasty dish. Politicians hate having to eat it. The only fear I have is that Canaduh will become a chinese province.
I have to believe Trump and his team has games this out. We will not have a Chinese province directly on our northern border, although it doesn’t seem so far fetched as it stands right now.
Canada may react by inviting the PRC to flood with soldiers in their suicidal haste to “oppose Trump.” They have already shown their minds are completely closed to reality, so they may attempt this, despite this being unlikely to come to fruition due to our reaction…
And pride is the deadliest sin.
Hoekstra is great. I love his interviews.
After listening to him read the percentages of how much of a given market Canada exports to the US, all I could think was Canada is so screwed.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Carney evidently failed to read, and believe, this. Now Canada gets to live it.
The hardest lessons in life are the ones that you learn by living through them. But you never forget them. They make you BETTER, or BITTER. Your choice.
I had the pleasure of meeting Pete Hoestra at an event in mid Michigan while he was chair of the MIGOP. Smart, kind, no-nonsense man.
The catnip is strong with this one, Sundance, but in the interest of US-Canadian relations, I am going to refrain from piling onto these two pompous buffoons who are circling the toilet bowl of irredeemable relevance awaiting a final flush…! 🙂
They used to say when the US sneezes, Canada comes down with double pneumonia.
Canadians are definitely not Americans. That’s why we should watch their problems like we watch any incompetent third world country. It is sad but you can’t help those that won’t help themselves. I am not optimistic but if Alberta and Saskatchewan become independent we should look to help them out.
At the end of the day it is going to boil down to this very simple take: Who exactly is going to miss who? I guess many Canucks are going to have to spend their winters in freezing cold Canada from now on instead of the warm USA. Well, they could go to Mexico and get gunned down by the cartels.
The psychology of excessive pride, often termed hubris, reveals a paradox: while intended to elevate the self, it systematically dismantles the hater’s relationships, decision-making capabilities, and mental well-being.
Hubris backfires primarily because it distorts reality and disables the individual’s ability to learn. This phenomenon, sometimes formalized as Hubris Syndrome, often emerges after a period of success or the acquisition of power.
Psychologically, hatred is often a reaction to inner pain rather than an external threat. It functions as a distraction from unresolved trauma, insecurity, and self-loathing.
Leadership in Canada is their own worst enemy.
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Potential backstop for Carney: US traitors.
Dems steal/R’s forfeit midterms. House impeaches Trump. Senate *convicts* – all the known/suspected Rino’s plus D’s reach supermajority threshold.
100% Positive Trump does NOT have 34 Senators loyal to him or MAGA. And lame duck last two years they don’t fear him.
That’s a more plausible than not scenario. And only the fear of 34 Senators that the voters will string them up from tall timber in their districts stands in the way.
What is out there that we can do to make them fear their voters?
And this scenario isn’t the only one. Judges already have demonstrated – and gotten away with – usurping executive powers. Tying up the legality of the judicial overreaches for two years in the courts without setting precedent with ruling is easy-peasy.
Not meaning to be a turd in the punchbowl, but, these are very real scenarios, since Sundance is laying out potential scenarios. Not all of them turn out so fairy tale-ish. Just sayin’.
Last February I visited some friends in South Africa and one friend told me that China had 25% of the automobile market locked up there.
Quite a few auto makers had closed their plants already.
Fast forward to today and that same friend is here visiting the US for work.
He recently told me last week that China now has 65% of the market in SA.
It’s only a matter of time he said until they own the whole market there.
That’s a country that Toyota and Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes all owned at one time.
He also said that every factory is Chinese now there except for the few automakers holding on.
The cars are very cheap.
He said a SA can buy one of those crap cars for around 15000 dollars but if the car breaks down the Chinese are the only ones that can fix them.
Canada is about to find out a very hard lesson that the US is a very wonderful country with a very forgiving people.
China, not so much.
Being a Canadian is embarrassing. Less about “prideful” and more about the volume of low IQ. I was just discussing the level of arrogance here. Another ex. Brady Tkachuk follows his brother out of this God-forsaken failing Country and instead of it becoming a teaching moment for Ottawa and the NHL, they instead do this:
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/sens-hold-promotion-inviting-fans-to-exchange-tkachuk-jerseys/
Unfortunately the US is dealing with spiteful, immature bitter Children.
Sad, but the concept of reap and sow is universal.
They actually believe they hold the cards. Like the US is going to go broke because they are boycotting the USA. It’s laughable. They claim to have boycotted FL last winter. I didn’t notice. None of us Floridians did.
It’s a population of 41 million people. Florida alone has half that. Hoekstra is basically calling them a bunch of foot stomping children and they’re oblivious. With these smirks on their faces no less.
He’s being diplomatic by saying we love Canada and they see that as him begging for Canadian business. He’s giving them enough rope and they don’t even know it!
looks like PH repeats several times that the U.S. buys 93% of Canadian Spirits, while Canada blocks the sale of U.S. spirits into Canada. The interviewers just don’t get it. PH plays the empathy card – how would you feel if you were us? Blank stares. PH repeats the figures. Gets back a few nods. The Canadian guy just can’t see it.
It’s like the scene from Monty Python’s The Holy Grail. The 2 guards stand at the castle entryway while a sword-wielding Knight charges. Both guards stand and nod. The Knight charges. One guard smiles and nods. The Knight charges. Smiling, nodding guards until the Knight is there lopping off heads.
Canada is in trouble.
Canadian pride.
“Pride goeth before the fall.”
OK, so where are the Chinese gonna sell their locally manufactured EVs?
In Canada? A market too small. A country too cold. No charging infrastructure. Outside urban centers, the people really love large trucks, real trucks (not cyber).
I think that after a notice of withdrawal is issued by the US President, there will be negotiations between Canada and the US and a bilateral agreement will be signed.
Selling the battery electric vehicles is secondary to the primary goal, exploiting the carbon credits for having manufactured them.
Getting some more money for the cars is just icing on the cake. Those are sold cheaply as they are heavily subsidized by other people’s money as the case with all the “green” mandates in the EU and elsewhere.
Those plans are likely on hold. The circumstances have changed rapidly.
China will stay with Chinese production and export for now.
Expect anchor babies.
The more Canadians talk the less I feel like tolerating them. Know your role ya big dummies.
Soft men make for hard times. Canada about to get a life lesson.
Professor Sundance is not only a brilliant, indepth thinker, he is also a graphic and illustrative writer.
Wow. Your (SD) unequivocal credibility and comprehensive understanding of the economic reality that awaits Canada combine to clearly describe the certainty of a disasterous outcome.
My empathy embraces the good people in Canada who will suffer greatly from the dire consequences of failed national leadership.