back to article Ontario responds to Trump tariff by pitching Starlink deal into the trash

The provincial government in Ontario, Canada is hitting back at President Trump's 25 percent tariffs on the US' northern neighbor by scrapping a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the move at a press conference today during a campaign stop. The decision to abandon its deal with Starlink, …

  1. Bronek Kozicki

    Good

    n/t

  2. captain veg Silver badge

    Nice!

    (See above).

    -A.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

      I suspect the Canadians do Celine more authentically than Celon.

    2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

      And Hitler was just doing a Charlie Chaplin tribute act European tour that got a little out of hand.

      That's why Musk followed it up with the innocent explanation :

      “Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down!” “Stop Gőring your enemies! His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler! Bet you did nazi that coming,” Musk added.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Fr. Ted Crilly Silver badge

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        What's this, What's this!

        The North Minehead By-Election?

        1. Guy de Loimbard Silver badge

          Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

          Like what you did there!

          Minehead By Election, great sketch by those chaps!

    3. The Central Scrutinizer Silver badge

      Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

      Your sad attempt to justify his Nazi salute is what's really pathetic.

      My father was kidnapped by the Nazis and spent a large chunk of the war in a labour camp. Fortunately he survived intact.

      FU very much.

      1. The Central Scrutinizer Silver badge

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        The great anonymous coward has since deleted his Nazi loving post. Coward indeed.

      2. Irongut Silver badge

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        You're getting the wrong end of the stick here. El Reg are mocking Musk and the press who defended his Nazi salute along with reminding us what he did so we don't forget.

        I think that is admirable and I think my family who were bombed by Hitler would agree. Long may it continue.

        1. Tilda Rice

          Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

          And the "other side" will mock people like you and the majority lefty journos who are just idealogically opposed so can't be objective. Nobody except Musk himself will ever really know what was meant by it. That won't stop either "side" from having their 2p on it. And you and your ilk would have being spewing anti Trump anti Musk posts every hour of every day of every week into every single post on El Reg whether he did his mad gesture or not. Nobody needed reminding to post their toxicity here. You're all naturals. (And still musing "can't understand how we lost the election") Oh yeah, such a mystery :)

          1. Casca Silver badge

            Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

            You cant help yourself can you...

            Its you and beast666. A couple of real cult followers

          2. Zoopy

            Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

            "Nobody except Musk himself will ever really know what was meant by it."

            The same can be said regarding pretty much any communication.

            How confident one should be regarding Musk's true intent is a judgement call.

    4. DS999 Silver badge

      That's bullshit and you know it

      Because if anyone who is NOT a Nazi was accused of doing something that looked to people (especially Germans who are the most qualified to recognize it) like a Nazi salute that they DID NOT INTEND as a Nazi salute, they would not sit silent and let others defend them, then make their only comment a mocking post with "Nazi jokes" that no one found funny. They would not sit idly by while actual Nazis cheered this as the biggest thing for their movement in decades (there are MANY such posts on the social media platform that Musk owns)

      No they would immediately and loudly say THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT. They would apologize profusely for making a gesture that could be confused with a Nazi salute. They would say they hate Nazis, do not support them in any way, and want to see them all die a horrible and painful death.

      Musk did not do ANY of that. The only possible explanation is that Musk has decided to come out of the closet as a Nazi. Why now? Because Trump has been elected, and he's basically been handed the root password to the US government. He no longer has to pretend he is something other than he really is. The only reason he's mad about the backlash is because he knows it is going to further damage Tesla's brand and sales.

      1. Jamie Jones Silver badge

        Re: That's bullshit and you know it

        It's funny how the republican that copied it is now out of a job because of it.

        https://www.newsweek.com/pennsylvania-county-official-resigned-after-salute-video-2021155

        And that weird guy who was sacked from GB news had been sacked by the church for doing it too.

        https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/british-priest-calvin-robinson-elon-musk-salute-anglican-church-b1208076.html

        Maybe the OP should out then straight(!)

        1. DS999 Silver badge

          Re: That's bullshit and you know it

          What's funny is that republican county official resigned AFTER she apologized (though it sounds like few found her apologies sincere) She clearly made that video in response to Musk's Nazi salutes, hoping to either help the Musk apologists' story or because she felt emboldened to do a Nazi salute now that Musk had done it at Trump's inauguration. FAFO.

      2. Fr. Ted Crilly Silver badge

        Re: That's bullshit and you know it

        I hear you're racist now Father Ted...

    5. JLV Silver badge

      Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

      It's not all that pathetic when you watch the video of him doing it twice in a row https://youtu.be/-VfYjPzj1Xw?si=GGXp_bcMc2K34Cfl

      Honestly, I thought this was going to be one of those overhyped outrages where "it looks like". But this isn't really the case here. He's quite deliberate. Now, what we don't know is if he understood beforehand what this looks like. Or if he was just imitating happily some of his bosom buddies with... questionable historical and racial views.

      Maybe they take down their swastikas when he drops in for a round of beers in steins?

      1. Roland6 Silver badge

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        Bets on when Musk manages to grow a well manicured moustache….

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

          I prefer to think of it as a slug balancing act....

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        Prime Minister Netanyahu explained that Musk is perfectly innocent and is being unfairly smeared.

        Coincidentally the Israeli leader is also visiting Washington. I suggest the residents of Washington greet him with a similarly approved gesture.

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          1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
            Headmaster

            Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

            The ADL are not anti Semitic crusaders. They are hard right Zionist tools, and like netanyahu and the rest of the right wing in Israel, they use anti Semitism as an excuse to squash any criticism.

            Both myself and my Israeli Jewish girlfriend were labelled it just because we dared to recognise Palestine.

            Musk and trump are great supporters of netanyahu, both financially, and strategically, so they could goose-step around Autzwitz for all they care.

            1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

              Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

              The ADL also accused the British hifi company "Little Pink Triangle" (yes, the founders are gay) of holocaust denial because by claiming that gays were also victims of the Nazis - they were "denying the uniquely Jewish experience of the Holocaust"

              1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

                Re: denying the uniquely Jewish experience of the Holocaust

                I'm sure the 3.3 million Soviet POWs (scroll down to Table 3) and the 1.8 million Poles that were killed as well (among many others) would slightly disagree with that assessment.

                But hey, what's a little fact to stand in the way of ignorance ?

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        1. JLV Silver badge

          Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

          If you mean Nazi salutes, no, I think this has more of a Mussolini etymology.

          But it really really doesn't look all that kosher. I think anyone anywhere near vaguely careful would have avoided that particular look.

          But OK, go right ahead and tell us we all imagined it, we all conveniently forgot that Musk has profusely apologized and we all imagined him then doubling down and making "you did Na-zi that coming" jokes on Twitter (good for its shares btw) which got even the ADL annoyed.

          I don't dislike Musk in general. But his politics are a bit tainted at this point. Probably due to him having a very thin skin, despite his "free speech absolutist" claims. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/the-penthouse-marquee-hate-speech-allegation-1.7428625

          If I had to guess, it's a bit like JK Rowlings who got so much flak from the progressives that she went deep right. Interesting psychological phenomenon, but unlike drunk uncle Cletus ranting about minorities after too many beers these people have enough money and social media reach to influence a lot of other people.

          In this case, moving the Overton window to the point where Nazi-like salutes get defended by worthy commentards ;-)

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

          2. tiggity Silver badge

            Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

            @JLV

            Rowling was castigated as far right for standing up for women's rights.

            That "persona non grata" from people who should know better (last I looked, supporting rights of women & girls was supposed to be socialist & allowing fully intact men into spaces where women are naked used to be seen as a bad thing)

            Which doubtless led Rowling more rightwards as the "left" rejected her so she would have ended up in a more "right" leaning group on social media.

            Though in UK, "left" & "right" (in terms of Lab & Con) are almost identical anyway.

            1. TheWeetabix Bronze badge

              Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

              ???? Transphobia is *not* “women’s rights”. Its fucking transphobia. She got pinioned for being a transphobe.

              FTFY.

      4. pklausner

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        > He's quite deliberate.

        Exactly.

        Whatever you think of Musk, he's *not* stupid. So he deliberates and thinks: 'Oh, I do a Nazi salute and decorate it a wee bit so that the liberals get fooled.' Anybody believes Nazis won't like this because he thumps his breast before saluting? I have a bridge to sell you...

      5. Is there anybody out there?

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        I can't help but thinking of Dr Strangelove fighting to control his 'Nazi arm'. Of course that was hilarious, this isn't.

      6. DS999 Silver badge

        Re: Great pic *roll eyes*

        He is South African, and his parents were wealthy whites who owned an emerald mine. I'm sure now they try to claim they were among the "good" whites who were against apartheid but I'll bet his father was quite happy to be able to hire from a subclass at low wages with poor working conditions in his mine and didn't want that to end!

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    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Low earth orbit?

      Yes but they won't hold you hostage

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Low earth orbit?

        For the confused. It was a reply to a deleted post about Starlink's offerings

  6. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Musk

    Is an example of what Warren Buffet meant when he said, "Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.".

    1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Musk

      A beer, for you for mentioning that, and one for Mr Buffet for saying that in the first place

      And I think he's the one who got Bill Gates to join him in giving it all away...

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2p4p4l78zo

      1. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

        Re: Musk

        It’s easy to be generous when you are effectively in possession of unlimited wealth have tens of billions of £$€….. and no mention of the impact to and on others of how you gained your wealth…..

        When you are hand to mouth, putting something - anything - in the foodbank basket at Tesco’s or a donation to the local homeless centre is more impactful and of greater overall character.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Musk

          > is ... of greater overall character

          Probably; giving away what you can not really afford to lose.

          > is more impactful

          How? Even if it is a pathetic sum to a billionaire, 100 cans of beans has more effect than 1 can.

          Unless you mean "impactful" as "I did this good thing and it hurt me to do it, what a good martyr I am" or I can share this on social media and look amazing". "Greater overall character"???

          Giving is good. Just seems a strange additional claim to make.

  7. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Alert

    Nice SpaceX Cargo Dragon you have there

    Shame if the paintwork got scratched

    Whoopsadaisy

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadarm2

    1. seven of five Silver badge

      Re: Nice SpaceX Cargo Dragon you have there

      Do they have a marker pen rated for outside on the ISS? Could they paint a dick on the capsule?

      asking for a friend...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nice SpaceX Cargo Dragon you have there

        Ask the "stranded" astronauts what they did in their last EVA :-)

        Being stuck up there because EM is not able to send the next Dragon capsule on the expected schedule because he asked to remove the LIDAR system... and then having the gal to say it is because of NASA?

      2. TheWeetabix Bronze badge

        Re: Nice SpaceX Cargo Dragon you have there

        I believe plain spray-paint would work, though perhaps ask for less pressure in your can…

        Or you could always refocus the LIDAR. Just sayin…

  8. James O'Shea Silver badge

    beverages

    Hmmm... I wonder... does that include soft drinks? Is there a single eatery of any type in The Great White North which doesn't offer Coke or Pepsi? Perhaps the beverages are locally bottled.Perhaps the fact that they have to make payments to the Mothership might make that moot...

    Of course, alleged American 'beer' is right out. The Stupor Bowl is coming up, there will be lots of 'beer' ads, but those ads will be for products not available in Ontario. All that lovely ad money, wasted on the denizens of The Land Of White Bears. I understand that Fox has already sold multiple 30-second ad slots for $8 million and more. https://admeter.usatoday.com/story/sports/ad-meter/2025/01/29/super-bowl-commercial-cost-history/78032191007/ The top management of Miller and Bud will be crying into their 'beer'.

    Popcorn time. Canadian popcorn only, of course.

    1. doublelayer Silver badge

      Re: beverages

      No, just alcoholic ones. Ontario has a near monopoly on alcohol sales, especially to restaurants, so it can make that happen. Individuals can still purchase US-produced alcohol from independent stores, but restaurants generally aren't allowed to do that and then distribute it. It does not apply to soft drinks or any other US product.

      1. James O'Shea Silver badge

        Re: beverages

        That is a great pity. I wanted some rival to move into the soft drink business in Canada.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: beverages

          Ask Suntory.

          They will likely overflow the market with fine Japanese whiskies, and the associated soft drinks.

          What a treat!

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: beverages

      "Perhaps the beverages are locally bottled."

      Yes they are. Guinness does that too in certain parts of the world.

      It would make sense for Canada to require that SpaceX has a Canadian registered operating company located within Canada and maybe even in each province as well to be able to provide services to entities in Canada. Starlink isn't the only alternative and this seems to be a situation where the government is subsidizing connections for people living in low density areas. Since I expect that these people would have electricity, I'm not seeing why it wouldn't be better for the government to string some fiber along the same pylons if they're subsidizing service and keep the whole thing owned within the country.

      1. HereIAmJH Silver badge

        Re: beverages

        It would make sense for Canada to require that SpaceX has a Canadian registered operating company located within Canada and maybe even in each province as well to be able to provide services to entities in Canada.

        I think they should continue to cancel the contract, if a Canadian company can provide the service, just to show that actions have consequences. Chaos is the purpose of the tariff announcements. If they were simply a tool to force opponents to the bargaining table there would be no need to announce them until negotiations failed. The same with pulling the liquor out of stores. Just let the shelves sit empty for a week before putting things back.

        1. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: beverages

          "I think they should continue to cancel the contract, if a Canadian company can provide the service, just to show that actions have consequences. "

          There's also a difference when looking at price when it's the government spending the money. While it might be more expensive for a Canadian company to supply an internet connection, that company's profits will be subject to tax, their employees in the country will be paying tax, etc. Just the circulation of money in the economy stimulates more economic activity. Sending the money to Elon in another country removes that economic activity.

          Loss of control is also an issue. How would Canada regulate Starlink if it wanted to? If customers paid their fees to Starlink in the US and ground stations were on the US side of the border, Canada would have no way to place any restrictions or collect taxes which could mean that domestic providers could be squeezed out of the market. It's too easy to hide the Starlink dish if the service is banned. The government would find it really hard to purchase internet connections for their use if domestic companies have been forced out of the market.

      2. collinsl Silver badge

        Re: beverages

        Since I expect that these people would have electricity, I'm not seeing why it wouldn't be better for the government to string some fiber along the same pylons

        Why do you expect that? What if they have a town generator plant running off of natural gas or oil or geothermal or some such, or they have their own home generators or similar?

        Some of these places are pretty remote.

        1. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: beverages

          "What if they have a town generator plant running off of natural gas or oil or geothermal or some such, or they have their own home generators or similar?"

          The lash up would then be something different than running fiber all the way from a trunk to that location.

          Fast internet is not a deity given human right. If one chooses to live way out in the boonies, there are sacrifices to be made. That particular person could sign up for satellite service on their own money rather than their looking for a government subsidy to support their choice of residence. It can get very hot in the summer where I live, but I don't go begging for handouts to pay for my AC. It's also quite dry so an evaporitive cooler works very well and mine is solar powered (on my money with no grants). My choice of where to live, my problem to work through.

      3. Alistair
        Windows

        Re: beverages

        I'm not seeing why it wouldn't be better for the government to string some fiber along the same pylons if they're subsidizing service and keep the whole thing owned within the country.

        Firstly, Ice storms happen, and wind storms. We bury our comms as much as possible these days.

        Secondly, *all* of the EU would fit inside Ontario and Quebec. The distances involved in some cases are 600 to 800 Kms.

        Third, many of the more remote communities generate their own 'leccy, sometimes with small waste incineration plants, sometimes using renewables.

      4. TheWeetabix Bronze badge

        Re: beverages

        Outdoor fibre… in a country where places can go from -20 to +10 in an hour, while the wind blows at 50k the whole time. Ice an inch thick forming overnight. Hours of intense direct sunlight causing heating while gusts cool things back down. Places where the wind can roar at 80k with 120k gusts as *normal weather*. Hail. +40 summers, also with hail. Moose, bears, fucking squirrels.

        And this is the *nice* weather where most of us live (seriously, there are large communities and cities in all those zones), nevermind the crazy shit out in the sticks. -40 with a foot of snow an hour with 40k winds for three days straight, for instance. Never mind the winter is our HUMID season in the west half.

    3. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Re: beverages

      I guess it’s fuck Starbucks and way-hey Tim Horton’s.

      1. Robert Moore

        Re: beverages

        Unfortunately Timmies gout bought out, by a Canadian-American multinational. Who ruined them by making all their donuts in a factory, and just reheated in the storefront.

        So the take away is they are half American, but that is OK, because they suck.

  9. Lusty

    Love Canadians

    They are such straightforward people, they don’t play games and they have some pretty good moral fibre. This is a great opportunity for the rest of the world to reduce reliance on the USA and hopefully everyone will grasp that opportunity and tell Trump to shove it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Love Canadians

      I wish. Given that ties remained to the US economy even after the mortgage CDO scandal which proved you couldn't trust them (nobody involved went to jail), I don't have much hope there.

      That said, their comeuppance is already on the cards and they know it, that's why these robber barons are pressurisiong the world. They know they have four year to utterly empty the coffers in the US, and then they'll quickly walk away. Keep an eye out for forfeign purchases with US capital and the odd war here and there.

      After Trump II, there won't be much left of the US, yet the moronic well armed chest thumpers will still blame everyone else for what's going to happen - because that's the only play they have left to avoid facing their own stupidity.

      So yes, the world needs to disconnect, if only to avoid sinking with the ship. That National Debt (which Trump is planning to raise massively) will slowly become a massive problem. If you borrow big, the bank has a problem. But if you borrow big and spend even more, eventually the bank will say no. And they're heading towards that point, but on a global scale.

    2. Nematode Bronze badge

      Re: Love Canadians

      I can imagine that Canadians' dislike of being mistaken for an American will only increase.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good

    as a person of the USA, I strongly support the Canadian decision, and I expect most do. I'm also Happy to see ego tripper muskrat get put down a notch.

  11. Howard Sway Silver badge

    Can't imagine these tariffs are going to do Tesla sales much good either around the world

    Well worth Musk spending over $250 million to elect the guy who's going to completely screw all his businesses.

    1. Richard 12 Silver badge

      Re: Can't imagine these tariffs are going to do Tesla sales much good either around the world

      $290 million, and he now owns the US government Treasury.

      Very cheap for that amount of power.

  12. JLV Silver badge

    As a Canadian, we can all do our bit.

    - Starbucks

    - Amazon

    - Netflix

    - Tesla

    - vacations there

    - ...

    What we should not do so much tho is boo the US anthem at sport events. I know it is cathartic and I share the feeling. However, at the end of the day, these are ideal photo ops to plays into the hands of Trump's propaganda of an aggrieved and victimized USA. With Americans being as batshit rah rah as they are about their flag, this is unlikely to win over the hearts and minds of the people we need to tell Trump to fuck off, his own electorate.

    Be polite to Americans and aim your vitriol directly at the Orange Buffoon instead. After all, much as it sucks dealing with him north of the 49th, at least he's not in charge of our government and we don't have to worry about our democracy.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      The crowd did cheer and applaud the American team's players - just not the anthem of the country that is threatening to invade.

      1. collinsl Silver badge

        Problem is that's the bit which won't make it onto the news, the booing is the only clip they need. Even Colbert the other night had a clip of the booing and he was using that to attack Trump - no mention of the players being cheered.

    2. frankvw Bronze badge
      Megaphone

      To boo or not to boo

      " these are ideal photo ops to plays into the hands of Trump's propaganda of an aggrieved and victimized USA..."

      Not necessarily. Trump claims that taking the "strong stance" of slapping idiotic tariffs on America's main trade partners will Make America Great Again, and how much respect the US will earn from the rest of the world because of them. The truth is the exact opposite of that.

      Booing might not necessarily be the best way to express one's sentiments, but it does express them and sends a clear message to US citizens about what Trump is currently doing to their reputation beyond their borders. And such a signal needs to be given, since Americans by and large are notoriously oblivious about what the world beyond their borders is really like.

    3. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

      "... and we don't have to worry about our democracy."

      Unfortunately, Musk and X/Twitter is, just like he's doing with the UK, Germany and so on.

    4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      "propaganda of an aggrieved and victimized USA."

      And yet, they don't see the irony claiming to be "the best and strongest country in the world" while also playing the "aggrieved and victimized USA". Aww, the poor snowflakes :-)

  13. MachDiamond Silver badge

    Goodbye US auto manufacturing

    The Big Two make a lot of components and sub-assemblies in Canada and Mexico. We won't count Stellantis since they haven't been a US based company for many years. VW and Toyota build vehicles with more US sourced parts than Ford and GM. I'm concerned as I hold F stock and if they try and eat the tariffs to not need to crank up vehicle prices, my dividend will go down. I expect they will have to raise prices to stay in the black which means those cars will be less competitive, I don't make as much money and fewer cars sold might mean bankruptcy since the UAW won't allow the reductions in staff so the only way to make adjustments will be for a judge to order it while telling the "family" to go pound sand (bunch of useless parasites).

    Some of Mr Trumps ideas look pretty good on the surface, but once the knock-on effects are sorted, those ideas start looking horribly stupid in the way they're being sprung on people.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Goodbye US auto manufacturing

      Ford will get an exemption, Maga can't have F150s getting more expensive. The whole point of tarrifs is that the executive gets to decide who they apply to.

      Remember last time when he threatened tariffs on Mercedes built in America because he (pretended) to not like all those 'foreign' cars on Wall St.

      1. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Goodbye US auto manufacturing

        As long as the cost of a F150 is not equal to the cost of 4 F35, it should be fine.

        1. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: Goodbye US auto manufacturing

          "As long as the cost of a F150 is not equal to the cost of 4 F35"

          Next year's tri-cab model with 25cm of bed length might start getting really close.

    2. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Re: Goodbye US auto manufacturing

      Stellantis = Chrysler, so guilty as charged.

  14. ChrisElvidge Silver badge

    Timmy Hortons

    Who owns Timmy Hortons these days?

    1. JLV Silver badge

      Re: Timmy Hortons

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_Brands_International

      US & Canadian Based in Toronto. Enjoy your donuts.

      - Krispy Kreme is American though

      - McDonalds (Burger King belongs to the above RBI as well so might be a better artery-clogger).

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don't get angry

    If there's one thing politicians need to learn it is to laugh out loud at the moronic suggestions from the assembled US buffoons.

    Anger they can handle, but being made fun of? Not so much.

    1. IGotOut Silver badge

      Re: Don't get angry

      Or in case of Musk ...just ignore him.

  16. Tron Silver badge

    American Brexit.

    Trash relations with the neighbours. Stir up hate crime with populist bollocks. Trash cross-border trade. Damage the economy. Turbo charge inflation. Fill pockets. Have a good time at everyone else's expense. Walk away rich leaving a broken shell of a country.

    The UK should be getting a copyright fee off Trump for this.

    1. Wang Cores

      Re: American Brexit.

      It's utterly infuriating seeing it happen again, actually. And then the pricks mock us further with quantum* Nazi salutes.

  17. beast666 Silver badge

    Ontario un-cancel Starlink contract folding like a cheap deckchair along with the govt. of the 51st State.

    Too much winning.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Ontario said they would continue with Starlink if the tariffs were cancelled, the tariffs were cancelled, and they were true to their word.

      Presumably if this nonsense starts up again a month from now, Starlink will be re-used as part of the pressure to get the US to back down.

      Because it is the US that backed down.

      By the way, Trump demanded Mexico put 10,000 troops on the border, seemingly ignorant to the fact they already have 15,000 there. I guess 5,000 were sent home for a nice holiday and Trump celebrated that he got what he wanted.

    2. JLV Silver badge
      Trollface

      > The 51st State

      OK, let's forget the dubious economic rationale for tariffs.

      What's with stupidly parroting the dumbass 51st state idea? Who the fuck is cretin enough to want to take over neighbors that get along with them? You yourself? For what? To sound macho to your buds? How well did invading Iraq work out for y'all? Do you think a lot of the troops who were there would fancy their kids having to do the same again? All on the orders of Prez Chickenhawk Bonespurs? Seems to me the general sentiment of grunts there was that they were doing their duty but really really questioned the reasoning behind their mission. You volunteering to do the dirty work? Or just happy to stir the shit?

      How well is China gonna be contained if each and every one of the US's allies has to question who's worse to deal with, Xi or Trump? Do you want to join Putin in becoming a nation everyone hates?

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        It's making a big noise so Bubba in his trailer can feel like Rambo - and spends his next disability check on a Trump branded Invade Canada flag

        1. JLV Silver badge

          Bubba, possibly.

          Possibly also, Igor in St. Petersburg is paying off his Lada.

          Or, Ms. Yang in Ganzhou has to get her lil nephew in the CCP.

        2. Richard 12 Silver badge

          A check that won't arrive, because this Republican administration just stopped them all.

        3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

          "a Trump branded Invade Canada flag"

          ...stamped "Made in China", like the the other Trump Tat.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Do you want to join Putin in becoming a nation everyone hates?

        Becoming? That ship had sailed a long time ago, my friend.

      3. Casca Silver badge

        He is a kid who lives in his mothers basement. Or a grown up that is doing the same. Mental age 5

      4. collinsl Silver badge

        Besides which, Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories so either you make Canada the largest US state by far if you make it one state, or you make it 13 states (or 10 states and 3 territories if you want to treat them like Puerto Rico and Guam) which then all would most likely vote Democrat every election (since citizens living in full states would have voting rights). It's basically guaranteeing Democrat wins every election as the Canadian states would always tip the electoral college over to one side.

        Even if I'm not correct and they don't all vote Democrat would the Republicans want to risk that? Right now they have a finely balanced electoral college which often tips in their favour, skewing it heavily one way or the other would not go down well.

        1. JLV Silver badge

          The general gist of polling the minority of Americans who want to take over Canada is that they prefer NOT to grant full statehood so that problem is neatly solved.

          Honestly, I am at a loss to know if idiots like the OP here are actually whacko Americans - they could be. Or full on disinfo shitkickers on Putin/Xi's payroll. I know the MAGA Trumpies are real, but I would assume some of them are relatively capable to articulate some kind of grievance about "the Dems" or whatever, if asked. At least the ones in an IT forum like this one.

          On the other hand, people who day after day post trolling crap, without ever bothering to post well, anything IT-related, for the "lulz", without articulating anything (ex: "we need to tariff China to stop them developing LLMs with our GPUs"), but rather constant baiting? Are they trying to convince the other side in any way? Or just riling us all up? Certainly doesn't mind getting downvoted to oblivion, which would be disheartening to most of us. Doesn't even respond to most flames, just top-posts away drivel all day.

          Call me paranoid, but I've just finished reading Likewar https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38242140-likewar and the book is all about fake social media influencers, aka trolls.

          Now, what would such a troll's post look like, on the Register's forums? What would a fake Trumpy version look like? What would a fake overwoke version look like? Maybe don't assume it is necessarily a real American, Brexiter, whatever doing the talking.

  18. FrankSterle

    Trump likely fears looking impotent by failing to unilaterally intimidate and/or exploit via absurdly-unjust 25%-across-the-board tariffs against the relatively weak(er) nation, notably Canada, that resists his skewed concept of equality, the one typically giving him the lion’s share.

    How does/did that 25% money-grab go with at least some Americans? In one survey discussed on CBC radio in mid-January, most of the Americans polled who said they support Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods (albeit a minority opinion) suddenly change their minds if that tariff ends up costing them that much more for Canadian exports. The Only If It’s In My Own Back Yard mindset is depressingly alive and well, even between supposedly good neighbors.

    The school-bully analogy once again is warranted and befitting. Such a bully is especially angered by the relative weakling who in the least stands up to him. And this, unfortunately, goes beyond the U.S.

    I’ve noticed a particular irritation expressed by the governments of China and (increasingly) India when Canada’s government — unlike with, say, mighty American assertiveness — dared to politically challenge them, even when on reasonable grounds.

    Most recently, Canada dealt (at least somewhat) firmly with India’s government after Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh separatist, was assassinated in Surrey, B.C., last year. Undoubtedly already aware of the diplomatic furor likely to come, even at Canada’s expense, an investigation nonetheless resulted in Canada charging three Indian nationals for the killing.

    Besides a few other examples, China seemed particularly angered by it being the relatively weak Canada that on Dec.1, 2018, had arrested and held on house arrest Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive and daughter of the tech corporation’s founder. Considering that a U.S. arrest warrant obligated Canada to detain her, why didn’t Beijing publicly express similar bluster towards Washington D.C. and, most notably, the then first administration of Donald Trump?!

    Such nations’ governments apparently are feeling and expressing a growing sense of foreign relations and power-politics entitlement involving Canada, one that Canadians are expected to simply get used to.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blaming Canada

    Trump will simply (and unjustly) blame Canada for everything bad he's done.

    Link to South Park song lyrics, "Blame Canada":

    https://genius.com/Sheila-broflovski-blame-canada-annotated

    1. FrankSterle

      Re: Blaming Canada

      Many faithfully-following fans of Donald [Gimme’a Bl-w Jo-] Trump — including some Canadians! — still admire him as some sort of genius that resists/challenges the Deep State (etcetera).

      And then there's “the swamp” that Trump still claims he'll drain if re-elected — although he himself was and will again be a part of it. Since the Trump administration kowtowed to big fossil fuel, mostly via the recklessly significant loosening of environmental protections, he, far from genuinely trying to “drain the swamp”, actually wallowed in it.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Blaming Canada

        Drain the swamp / fill the swamp = it's just a sign convention

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The latest thing is the new Sovereign Wealth Fund that Trump has exec ordered into existence. Now that Musk has access to the Treasury they can transfer as much money as they want across to the SWF ("to ensure it is spent correctly") over which Congress has no control. Interestingly this will also reduce the influence of the project 2025 guys and of the other tech bros.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      The sovereign wealth fund belongs to the sovereign - obviously

    2. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      My gut feeling is unlawful acts can be blocked. Accountability probably not thanks to SCOTUS.

      Can of worms for US Legal system.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The real objective

    Trump wants to buy Canada so that America extends all the way from Florida to Alaska without break.

    And ultimately join with Vlad’s happy kingdom of Russia and also North Korea.

    The Trump Highway, Moscow to Miami. Pyongyang To Pismo Beach! (Via the DJ Trump bridge)

    What a bigly road trip!

    1. UnknownUnknown Silver badge

      Re: The real objective

      A wee Darién scheme 2. They are still nursing that hangover in Scotland..

  22. Jonathon Green
    Flame

    Meanwhile to the South…

    I Really hope the good people of Panama haven’t been wasting any time and that they’ve have got the demolition charges on all that lovely expensive canal infrastructure set, wired, and armed in case of unwelcome incursions.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Meanwhile to the South…

      Interestingly they don't need to.

      The canal locks are filled from a lake.

      Leave the locks open, open them in the wrong sequence or just open them too often after years of low rainfall.

      And the canal is inoperable for years

      1. Strahd Ivarius Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: Meanwhile to the South…

        you can just ask Evergreen to send a boat through the canal, they know what to do (and are Chinese to boost).

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Meanwhile to the South…

        "The canal locks are filled from a lake."

        A river was diverted to fill that lake so it's more than local rainfall filling the lake. The river was a major issue in the building of the canal as it really got going during the rainy season and would often cause problems/flooding. I believe that they've always had to bleed water from the system to keep it from flooding. It could take a very unusual and extreme few years of weather to make the Panama canal unusable.

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Meanwhile to the South…

          They have had a drought for a few years which has led to reduced traffic capacity .

          Interestingly searching for this story, Google returns page after page of links to a (legitimate) study showing that a lot of the Panama drought was due to el'Nino rather than climate change - all from sites called "climate truth", "carbon action", "global weather truth". Odd that all these new sites are suddenly at the top of the search results head of the BBC

  23. FuzzyTheBear Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Privacy and safety issues.

    This is a government contract. As such there's no guarantee that the Americans won't be using the network to gain access to vital private and confidential information. I totally vote for terminating US carriers of any kind of having access to Canadian internet traffic. They have proven to be the enemy and must be treated as such. My position about the USA is this : want to threaten us ? then you;re no longer a friendly country. We have to treat you as such, Yanks go home.

  24. Nematode Bronze badge

    What I get concerned about is wtf Trump is actually getting up to whilst distracting the rest of the world with aggressive try-ons like Mexico, Panama, Canada, Greenland, Gaza?

  25. Arthur Daily

    A BAD IDEA

    I lived in Australia. Whatever locally run satellite service run was a dud, compared with Starlink - which presently has no peers. (China is working on it). In fires and floods, or mobile towers crap out after 2 hours or so. I believe Canada is big, and outages occur there too, especially 100km from major cities. I get the backlash feeling. But better to impose an EXCISE on digital whatever's. Hey - that is not a tariff, and too bad we do make any. Copy what Thailand does - big on excise, and sneakily exempting narrow ranges that just happen to be produced locally.

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