The ongoing tension between Donald Trump and Canada took an unexpected turn when Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested a counteroffer to Trump's remarks about
  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
    253·
    1 个月前

    Following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation announcement on Monday, Trump claimed credit for the decision, saying that people in Canada “love” the idea of becoming a U.S. state. This prompted Ford to make his own comments about acquiring U.S. territories.

    …snip…

    Canadian MP Charlie Angus rejected the idea outright, pointing to differences in the nations’ laws. Angus stated on X that Canada has rules preventing “sexual abusers” from becoming leaders, a clear reference to allegations against Trump.

    I would love to have seen Trump’s face when he heard that rejection.

      • xmunk
        65·
        1 个月前

        I don’t mean to be depressing but envying Canada for its spectacular rail service would be inadvisable.

              • xmunk
                20·
                1 个月前

                I have! VIA is actually worse and it’s so fucking disappointing.

                I will grant that I’ve never actually lost my seat on VIA due to overbooking (fuck Amtrak) but VIA’s pricing is so fucking horrible that it’s pretty much made itself irrelevant outside really short journies like the St. Lawrence valley cities.

              • hobovision@lemm.ee
                10·
                1 个月前

                I’ve ridden Amtrak but I’ve also seen videos about how Via Rail is basically unusable. Amtrak has improved significantly in the past decade as well, while Via seemingly regressed (again, Via info is based on other people’s experiences, not mine).

          • xmunk
            1·
            1 个月前

            I grew up in Boston with the T - Skytrain is rather pleasant to ride but has absolutely horrible coverage. It connects to only a single university and it’s VCC - there is no connection to neither SFU nor UBC and in terms of commuting it’s only really relevant to New West and a narrow slice of Burnaby… there’s also no skytrain link to North Vancouver (I’m not counting SeaBus - while it’s a treat to occasionally ride it it’s slow as ass).

            • AbsentBird@lemm.eeEnglish
              2·
              1 个月前

              It has service every 3 minutes, fully autonomous, and the coverage has been expanding consistently. The T started in 1889, it’s got a hundred years head start on SkyTrain.

        • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
          56·
          1 个月前

          Compared to the US, Canada may as well be Japan in terms of rail.

          It’s ironic that the US was ultimately born and raised on expansion of rail, but because cars became so profitable and lucrative, US passenger rail is a constant afterthought, if it’s even an option at all.

            • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
              8·
              1 个月前

              If you’ve ever ridden Amtrak, you probably know what the big problem is: most rail lines in the US give extreme priority to freight, and the freight operators basically own all the track. As a result, Amtrak is constantly late – sometimes very late, since it needs to wait for freight to do its thing.

              Couple that with Amtrak rates being sky high, plus the fact that it’s extremely slow even without the freight waiting, and it’s a much deeper story than how much track exists.

              • Oascany@lemmy.world
                7·
                1 个月前

                Riding on VIA is incredibly expensive, on occasion 3-4 times the price of a flight. Incredibly inconvenient, checked luggage and weighed carry-on and all that jazz, despite being a literal railway. Incredibly slow, it’s faster to drive to Toronto from Vancouver. VIA is absolutely awful and I will never ride it again until it’s fixed. On the other hand, AmTrak from Vancouver to Seattle is not awful. Both are miserable on a world stage but it’s like putting the bottom two against each other.

                • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
                  3·
                  1 个月前

                  That does make sense.

                  Related to my original comment, I’ve been on a Japanese Shinkansen many times. It is a shockingly different experience. Comfortable, clean, no fuss, and relatively inexpensive. From Tokyo to Kyoto in about 2 hours (roughly 450km distance).

                  Once you leave the high speed train, you’re greeted by a subway system also second to none. Get virtually anywhere you need to in the city without the need for a car. A 45 minute ride tends to be $3-4.

                  Even in cities with relatively limited subway systems (limited for Japan – still extensive in many comparisons), like Kyoto, the bussing system is actually fantastic. Equally clean, and you can even use the same touch card you use for rail.

                  European trains are pretty great too. Maybe not as nice as Japan, but e.g. the German ICE is pretty clean and also affordable. Sure, DB is famous for being late too, but not Amtrak levels of late.

                  I guess that was just a ramble. All to say: what wonderful things our “modern” countries could do if we didn’t idolize fighting amongst ourselves.

    • 👍Maximum Derek👍@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      17·
      1 个月前

      I’m an Oregonian whose been craving a trip to Victoria, BC so I support the plan where I don’t need a passport to do so. And I assume this would come with a box set of Kim’s Convenience and/or Schitt’s Creek?

      But I think the GDP of those states is higher than the whole of Canada (and most of Europe). So how about we go it our own way but set up one of those fun free-trade, free movement unions with our francophonic friends.

    • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      1 个月前

      …aight, just give the rest of us some fair warning first. I live deep in Y’all Qaeda territory, and I don’t want to miss that boat!

      • Cheems@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 个月前

        First off as ambassador to the Upper peninsula of Michigan. We do not want to be part of Wisconsin. The whole of Michigan would be good with being part of Canada. And we request Minnesota as a plus one.

      • bitchkat@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 个月前

        Why the fuck would you want to do that to Canada. Wisconsin can suffer the consequences of that which they helped bring forward. They got all the Foxconn money rolling in.

  • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.worldEnglish
    63·
    1 个月前

    How about if we buy Alaska and throw in Minnesota and Minneapolis at the same time?

    Joke’s on them—Minneapolis is in Minnesota, so they’d only be getting two regions instead of three. Sell them quick before they catch on!

  • Glytch@lemmy.world
    57·
    1 个月前

    Please sell Minnesota/Minneapolis to Canada. Please. I would much rather be Canadian.

        • bitchkat@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          1 个月前

          Its weird. I had UHC for several years and had no problem with them covering anything. I kind of wonder if they treat locals differently because their employees would be affected?

          • Test_Tickles@lemmy.world
            7·
            1 个月前

            It is possible that some VP paid a fortune to have someone determine the maximum distance that an angry mob was willing to travel and now they make sure to only screw over people inside that boundary just enough to keep it sub angry mob levels.

          • samus12345@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            1 个月前

            Which several years? The CEO who was offed recently drastically increased the rate of denials within the last few years.

  • JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
    261·
    1 个月前

    I live in Massachusetts and would totally support seceding and going to Canada.

    Can RI come along too? You won’t have to worry about their terrible driving, they’d never drive out of the region.

  • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.zipEnglish
    18·
    1 个月前

    So we’re just actually gonna do the Michael Moore United States of Canada vs Jesusland thing?

  • Professorozone@lemmy.world
    18·
    1 个月前

    Not to nitpick but Ford offered to buy Minnesota and Minneapolis but Minneapolis is a city IN Minnesota. I think it would come with. Kind of like whip cream.

    • WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world
      5·
      1 个月前

      While stories like this might make Doug Ford seem like a pretty cool guy, rest assured that he’s an idiot. And a terrible Premier.

      Frankly I’m surprised he’s not bending the knee for Trump. The two have a lot more in common than they do differences.

      • Professorozone@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 个月前

        Good to know. Thanks. Not up on Canadian politics. US politics keeps me pretty busy these days. You know, mostly cringing in fear.

    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 个月前

      Idk it’s basically like the cities and a whole lot of nothing. He might have just been like throw in the rest of Minnesota, but no deal without Minneapolis.

  • bitwaba@lemmy.world
    18·
    1 个月前

    Watch out about offering to buy something. Sometimes they force you to go through with it.

    Ask Elon.

    • ryathal
      2·
      1 个月前

      Or they add a lot more to the deal. New Orleans wasn’t worth the rest of it.

  • Fridgeratr@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    9·
    1 个月前

    Please take Wisconsin. Too many idiot rednecks that vote against their own interests and a broken ass government here