U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra appears for an interview on CBC News to share perspectives on U.S-Canada relations.  However, what happens within the interview is a case study on how Canadian media represent an extension of the Canadian government.

This example is exactly why the Canadian people have no reference point for information counter to the official propaganda policy from their government offices. Rebecca Zandbergen, host of CBC’s Ottawa Morning represents the voice of government in combative tone, condescending attitude and refusal to accept counter arguments.

The level of passive-aggressive condescension highlights why Canada has continued to lose position in a world where pretending has become devalued.  However, it’s clear why the Canadian people will be stunned when it all collapses around them.  They have no reference points. Ambassador Hoekstra should get hazard pay. WATCH (prompted):

I like how Hoekstra reminds Rebecca Zandbergen that the 51st state issue surfaced as an outcome of a discussion between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Trump in Mar-a-Lago that centered around NATO spending and reciprocity in trade via non-tariff barriers.  The points Ambassador Hoekstra makes at the end of this interview are exactly on point, and yet Zandbergen pretends not to understand them.

The American govt is not running anti-Carney advertising in Canada. Americans are not banning Canadian products. The American Government is not telling Americans not to travel to Canada.  The American govt has not banned Canadian companies from bidding on contracts.  These are all actions taken by the Canadian government.

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The EU President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Ireland to deliver remarks as Ireland takes their turn in managing the bureaucratic affairs of the EU Commission.  As part of her speech to the audience, von der Leyen notes one of the biggest challenges facing the EU is a housing and affordability crisis.

In the last 10 years, Europe has intentionally allowed around 50 million migrants to arrive and claim asylum.  The majority of the EU citizens did not want this migrant influx.  EU leadership is now declaring a “housing crisis” created by their own migrant policies.  WATCH:

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At this point in history, the European leadership is just making fun of European citizens.

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The funniest part of the MSNBC report about the issue is their claim that Pulte has not been in office long enough to know who the Deep State embeds are. “I have a real question of how he would know this. This isn’t a guy who is familiar with intelligence,” said the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing concerns about retaliation. “How is he going to get to the bottom of this and rely on any information with a matter of fidelity? It would be like me taking over a hospital and firing dozens of surgeons in a matter of days.” {source}

How could Pulte possibly know who to fire, they lament.  The likelihood of former DNI Tulsi Gabbard and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe coordinating with ADNI Bill Pulte to clean house, just isn’t something all these former intelligence officials can fathom.

These silos are supposed to work independently to protect themselves, they likely think.  The system is designed to keep each agency from coordinating action against the lower-level operatives, especially the liaison offices inside the ODNI.  Bill Pulte is doing something they are just not prepared for.

It’s a little funny when you think about it.  However, there were people in the comments section on CTH yesterday who were perplexed about Tulsi Gabbard visiting Washington DC to give a speech specifically about this issue.  Perhaps people will realize there is considerable coordination and transferring of information as this transition is underway.

[…] Both former officials noted that Pulte’s office itself does not collect intelligence. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence receives it from the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and 15 other agencies. He said that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, for example, would know of such a problem.

“If there really was any serious withholding of information, the guy who would know this is Ratcliffe,” said one of the former officials. “He is in the inner circle. He and his analysts would be the first ones to know. If anyone would know about that alleged claim, it would be him.”

DUH!

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Katharine Birbalsingh, argues that the West’s moral crisis began with the values we taught our children. She explores how schools, culture, and social media have shaped a generation to see the world through the lens of oppressor and oppressed—and why restoring duty, responsibility, and moral character is essential to the future of Western civilization. WATCH:

As I watched this remarkable speech, I realized what Birbalsingh describes is what does not exist in Russia. When you talk to a person in Russia about DEI, victim mindset or the various equities of personage emphasized in the modern, cultural ‘west’; a Russian person has absolutely no reference point to engage in the conversation.

Chapters:

00:00 A Moral Crisis in the West
02:04 How White Guilt Changed a Generation
03:47 The Values We Took for Granted
06:09 Teaching Children to See Oppressors and Victims
08:22 Why Young People No Longer Love Their Country
10:30 This Is a Civilizational Failure
11:35 Save Our Children, Save the West

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You might remember recent reports outlining how the economy of Canada has slipped into a recession, posting two consecutive quarters with a negative GDP outcome.  There are multiple reasons for this shrinkage, but the dominant factor is, well, quite frankly, Canadian politics and economic policy.

Meanwhile, in Mexico the opposite is happening.  Mexico’s economic activity grew 1.2% in April from the prior month, the national statistics agency said, compared with a revised increase of 0.6% in March and beating a forecast of a 0.9% increase in a Reuters poll of analysts. {source}

It is not coincidental to see the Mexican economy performing well, while the Canadian economy is contracting.  Despite their identical proximity to The United States, each nation is currently executing a fundamentally different set of economic policies.

The Canadian government has been exceptionally combative with the U.S.A, leading to friction, tariffs and economic back-and-forth measures between the two nations.

The Mexican government has expressly understood the nature of their dependency, admitted it, taken no action to diminish it, and purposefully set out to align itself with the interests of America.

Canada is combative. Mexico is collaborating.

It seems unlikely that the three nations can agree on major economic policies, as a trilateral partnership would need alignment in core areas like energy policy. Canada’s energy policy is fundamentally separate from those of the U.S. and Mexico, and this is an issue that can’t be resolved through a trade agreement alone.

A large part of Mexico’s economy relies on remittances from Mexican workers in the U.S. sending money back to their families. As long as the U.S. job market stays strong—and it’s only getting stronger in the industries where many Mexicans work—Mexico will continue to benefit from America’s economic growth.

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Barbara Boyd discusses three Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani winning upset victories in New York congressional primaries, framing the results as part of a long-term cultural project rather than a purely economic platform. She argues the DSA’s internal education centers on communist theorist Antonio Gramsci and his strategy of revolution through cultural “hegemony,” citing a deleted Instagram post from a group tied to one winner that called for the “total eradication of Western Civilization.”

Boyd highlights a newly published DSA platform proposing major constitutional changes, then links Gramsci to the Council on Foreign Relations’ “post-Trump world” series, noting CFR fellow Charles Kupchan opens with a Gramsci quote and attacks reindustrialization and tariffs. She claims British imperial networks historically sponsored Marx and later Gramsci, using communism and counterculture against rivals, and urges promoting Trump’s “American System” economics and an optimistic national culture ahead of the midterms. WATCH:

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The original indictment carried 17 counts against him.  Today, John Bolton has pleaded guilty to one felony of willfully retaining classified information.  The plea agreement includes a max term of 5 years prison, $2.25 million fine and forfeiture of his federal pension.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes made the announcement saying: “John Robert Bolton II plead guilty in federal court to the unlawful retention of national defense information…Mr. Bolton faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison followed by a term of up to three years of supervised release. He will also pay a fine of $2.25 million and will forfeit his pension.”

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Apparently, the fine is the income Bolton received from the book he authored using the classified information.

According to Politico the single charge plea “is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but under the terms of the deal, Bolton, 77, can withdraw his plea and go to trial if Chuang decides a sentence of more than five years is warranted.”

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers a post-meeting media briefing in Bahrain following talks with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers. Secretary Rubio begins with an outline of the U.S. crisis response to the requests from the Venezuela government, the Iran peace process, regional security, U.S.-Italy relations involving Giorgia Meloni, questions regarding JD Vance, and broader diplomatic priorities shaping Washington’s foreign policy agenda. WATCH:

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Against the backdrop of President Trump, Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth pointedly telling NATO of the U.S. intention to draw-down U.S. military operations from Europe, NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte flies to Washington DC to make the pro-NATO sales pitch directly to President Trump.

In one of the most transparent appearances in oval office history, a passionate, self-interested and professionally demure Mark Rutte pours on the praise for President Trump and puts on a massive sales pitch.  You can tell from President Trump’s demeanor, tone and general ambivalence, he too can see how over the top the praise and back-slapping is.

Secretary Rutte was intensely and diplomatically focused on not allowing any accurate criticism or statement of disappointment from President Trump be left unchallenged to frame the tone and context of the meeting by the media. This is quite a desperate spectacle to witness when you understand the stakes for Europe which were carried by Rutte. WATCH:

CTH readers can see through the professionally demure motivations of the NATO secretary, and it was obvious from President Trump’s response that Rutte was transparently playing to the U.S. audience and DC stakeholders.  That said, you’ve got to give Rutte credit for tap-dancing that fine line.

It was a great sales pitch, and President Trump was very courteous and respectful of the showmanship, but I doubt President Trump was moved much.  The G7 assembly in Turkey will be very interesting.

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It did not happen last night folks.  It took them another 15 years after they installed Obama to become the legitimate heirs to the political party formerly known as Democrats.

The progressive movement is now branded as “Democrat Socialists of America” (DSA), but those who have followed the arc of this group well understand every single member within DSA is from the Occupy Wall Street / Anarchy movement that preceded it.

Fingers are being pointed toward New York as the epicenter of the new Democrat Party Headquarters of DSA, which is a fitting location of focus given the OWS origin.

The front line of the DSA movement consists of 18 to 30-year-olds, mostly white, urban, upper-middle-income activists, carrying Macbooks with anarchist stickers and physical attire resembling a blend of hipster ‘grunge’ and skateboard beanie resistance.  They don’t shower much and love to talk about AOC and Bernie on Social Media.

Don’t belittle them, they are authentic.  They don’t misunderstand things; they bought into the nonsense and genuinely believe the popular narrative sold to them since High School that capitalism is horrible and Communism or Socialism is the preferred system of government.

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