You're praying to God to support the Anti-Christ? Are you hoping and praying they kill Jesus again?
The Donroe Doctrine
- Thread starter Ron in Regina
- Start date
Is this one of those Ben-Gvir rising from the ashes again three days later things? Iran could drop a nuke that they don’t have on Israel, and that guy would rise from the rubble and taunt Greta Thunberg, but I guess that’s a different story.
Jewish Supremacists absolutely abhor Christians and you too. Anti-Christ.
Ben-Givr and the rest of the Jew Power terrorists' days are numbered anyway.
BTW, youre confusing him and his son who most definitely nearly bit the kichel in Lebanon where he doesn't belong.
Frog of war I suppose if National Post is your defrogger.
Speaking of Frogs...
France bars Smotrich from country for ‘actively promoting annexation’ of West Bank
Britain, Canada, France, Australia and Norway announced on Tuesday they will sanction six Israeli right-wing terrorrist groups and one far-right activist, describing the measures as a "coordinated action" meant "to hold extremist settlers accountable" for "violence against Palestinian civilians."
Those targeted would face asset freezes and travel bans, which are meant to "disrupt the flows of finance" that have allowed them to "act with impunity in the West Bank," the countries said.
France also said it will sanction Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and bar him from entering the country for "actively promoting the annexation of the West Bank." Last week, Smotrich ordered the IDF to begin preparations to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar ahead of settlement construction in the area. In the U.K., Foreign Secretary Cooper for the first time issued official guidance explicitly advising businesses against trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
In Italy, prosecutors are investigating Israel's far-right police minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, over the treatment of activists who took part in last month's Gaza flotilla, a judicial source told Haaretz on Monday, adding that investigators are looking into allegations of kidnapping, torture and sexual assault of flotilla activists by Israeli authorities. On Friday, France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation into similar charges
In Israel, the Netanyahu government is completing a broad move for the wholesale legalization and budgeting of illegal outposts beyond the Green Line, some in enclaves deep within Area A, which is fully administered and secured by the Palestinian Authority, and Area B, where the PA shares defense duties with Israeli authorities.
As part of this move, the government passed a decision in an urgent telephone vote last week to allocate over 100 million shekels ($34 million) for the planning of outposts. In the coming days, it plans to approve the allocation of over a billion shekels for the establishment and development of the outposts under the definition of "temporary sites," even before they are fully legalized.
Last week's decision, which passed under the technical title of Planning Legalization of Locales, included a budget of 125 million shekels to promote "initial planning legalization for settlements in the rural area of Judea and Samaria [the West Bank], which the security cabinet decided to legalize by December 2025."
Fucking terrorists.
Yeah, on that flavour, though we’re hijacking this thread on the Donroe Doctrine when there’s other places for this topic:
The state of Israel is “the most successful land‑back project, the greatest decolonization project,” a New Zealand Māori activist told the first-of-its-kind Building Indigenous‑Jewish Friendship conference in Toronto.
“From my Māori perspective, a key point is that there was always a continuous Jewish presence in the land; they kept the fires burning, and that is what indigeneity looks like to us,” Dr. Sheree Trotter told roughly 70 activists, academics and community figures convened at Toronto’s Beth Torah synagogue on Monday.
“Indigeneity is demonstrated by historical, collective continuity with a distinct ethnic identity, language, culture, rituals or traditions, economic, social, legal, and religious and spiritual belief systems that predate subsequent invaders or colonizers,” LaForme told Temple Sinai congregants.
“In my view, Israel is the product of the greatest decolonization project in modern history, and this fact does not make it a colonial entity.”
Israel is 'the greatest decolonization project,' Indigenous leaders tell Toronto summit — National Post
The first-of-its kind Building Indigenous‑Jewish Friendship conference was the culmination of a weekend of Indigenous-Jewish programming
Petros, WTH are you talking about! Geesh, lay off of the weed.
Decolonization? I wonder what he did with his $7K nevermind that and free 20hr plane ticket plus $1500 a night hotel during World Cup to come see colonized downtown Toronto. He wouldn't be here bullshitting about decolonization if FIFA weren't in town.Yeah, on that flavour, though we’re hijacking this thread on the Donroe Doctrine when there’s other places for this topic:
The state of Israel is “the most successful land‑back project, the greatest decolonization project,” a New Zealand Māori activist told the first-of-its-kind Building Indigenous‑Jewish Friendship conference in Toronto.
“From my Māori perspective, a key point is that there was always a continuous Jewish presence in the land; they kept the fires burning, and that is what indigeneity looks like to us,” Dr. Sheree Trotter told roughly 70 activists, academics and community figures convened at Toronto’s Beth Torah synagogue on Monday.
“Indigeneity is demonstrated by historical, collective continuity with a distinct ethnic identity, language, culture, rituals or traditions, economic, social, legal, and religious and spiritual belief systems that predate subsequent invaders or colonizers,” LaForme told Temple Sinai congregants.
“In my view, Israel is the product of the greatest decolonization project in modern history, and this fact does not make it a colonial entity.”
Israel is 'the greatest decolonization project,' Indigenous leaders tell Toronto summit — National Post
The first-of-its kind Building Indigenous‑Jewish Friendship conference was the culmination of a weekend of Indigenous-Jewish programmingapple.news
Some people will say and do anything to get to World Cup.
What's next? UFO disclosure will say "Jews from Ukraine and Poland are God's chosen people and they're mad Christians cut off the BBQ lamb".
“Everyone’s working hard to make sure the bridge is open as soon as possible,” said Carney, on his way into a caucus meeting on Wednesday. “There’s no big drama if it takes a little longer, it’ll take a little longer.”
Carney’s comments come after he confirmed on Tuesday to reporters that the bridge, which has been financed by the Canadian government at a cost of $6.4 billion, would officially open this week.
The prime minister called the bridge a “symbol” of cooperation between Canada and the U.S. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the bridge opening, citing lack of compensation as the reason for his opposition.
Canada is expected to keep all the revenue from the bridge’s tolls until the government recuperates the costs of financing the project. Afterwards, the state of Michigan will equally share the profits.
Matthew Maroun, the billionaire owner of the almost 100-year-old Ambassador Bridge, has been opposed to the construction of a competing transportation corridor. Maroun’s company, the Detroit International Bridge Company Inc., has significantly lobbied the U.S. government on the issue.
'There’s no big drama' says Carney, as Gordie Howe bridge opening may face delays — National Post
The prime minister called the bridge a 'symbol' of cooperation between Canada and the U.S.
Gordie Howe International Bridge - Wikipedia
I just sent Trump an email telling him to give us 50% of the cost if he wants a "cut". Do you think I'll get a response? Hey, I'm trying to be proactive here! 
. I mean, come on, Carney isn't talking to him so somebody needs to tell him what the deal is. I'm just helping!!
. I mean, come on, Carney isn't talking to him so somebody needs to tell him what the deal is. I'm just helping!!
This bridge will jointly be owned by Canada and Michigan (not Trump or America). If via Trump 50% is paid by “America,” what percentage of ownership do you think he would want?
"Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues. We appreciate the efforts of workers on both sides of the border to get the bridge to its current state of readiness.”
Sources had previously told CBC a ribbon-cutting was planned for the bridge for Friday.
The bridge authority confirmed to CBC Thursday morning that the Friday event is no longer going ahead, with a cancellation notice sent to an invitee and seen by CBC saying, "the event on June 12 will not be proceeding."
apple.news
"Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues. We appreciate the efforts of workers on both sides of the border to get the bridge to its current state of readiness.”
Sources had previously told CBC a ribbon-cutting was planned for the bridge for Friday.
The bridge authority confirmed to CBC Thursday morning that the Friday event is no longer going ahead, with a cancellation notice sent to an invitee and seen by CBC saying, "the event on June 12 will not be proceeding."
Gordie Howe International Bridge opening delayed, bridge official says — CBC News
Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, according to the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
Wagers on it being July 4?This bridge will jointly be owned by Canada and Michigan (not Trump or America). If via Trump 50% is paid by “America,” what percentage of ownership do you think he would want?
"Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues. We appreciate the efforts of workers on both sides of the border to get the bridge to its current state of readiness.”
Sources had previously told CBC a ribbon-cutting was planned for the bridge for Friday.
The bridge authority confirmed to CBC Thursday morning that the Friday event is no longer going ahead, with a cancellation notice sent to an invitee and seen by CBC saying, "the event on June 12 will not be proceeding."
Gordie Howe International Bridge opening delayed, bridge official says — CBC News
Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, according to the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
BTW it's cool it's named after a guy from Saskatchewan.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which says Canadians deserve more information about the status of one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects. “Taxpayers always deserve transparency from those in power,” said Noah Jarvis, the federation’s Ontario director. “This is a bridge that is costing Canadian taxpayers $6.4 billion. This is not chump change.”
Windsor, Ont., residents express frustration, call for transparency after Gordie Howe Bridge opening delayed — CTV News
The postponement of the Gordie Howe International Bridge ribbon-cutting ceremony is drawing disappointment and frustration from residents of Windsor, Ont.
Delay in opening Gordie Howe Bridge could cost $7 million weekly
This estimate one week after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the opening of the bridge.
In January, American forces seized then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his compound in Venezuela in a dramatic overnight raid to face criminal charges in New York, and assigned Maduro’s then VP as acting President as long as she’s friendly to the US. The Trump administration relies on her transitional leadership with the expectation that she opens the country's petroleum reserves to U.S. investment and business interests.
Trump told The Atlantic that Rodriguez could face a fate similar to Maduro, who is being detained in federal prison in New York on narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges, if she doesn’t align with U.S. interests.
Anyway, the US military has killed the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in an airstrike, President Donald Trump announced on social media. "At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero," Trump wrote.
I wonder how many airstrikes Trump has authorized “inside” the United States itself against criminals or what have you?The U.S. Constitution guarantees that individuals accused of crimes—even gang members or cartel operatives—have a right to a trial. Airstrikes inherently constitute summary, extrajudicial executions, but that’s neither here nor there.
Trump posted footage of what appears to be the airstrike, showing a green building with a nearby shed being blown up, debris flying into the air. Trump said the military action was "coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well".
Under the Trump administration, US forces have launched dozens of strikes on boats they say are part of a large-scale operation to ferry drugs into the US, including those it claims are linked to Tren de Aragua.
More than 200 people have been killed in strikes since September, according to US media. But the military has not provided evidence that the attacked boats were carrying drugs or drug smugglers, sparking criticism of the operation and questions around its legality.
Instead of military bombings, domestic gangs (like MS-13 or Tren de Aragua operatives inside the U.S.) are handled via specialized law enforcement. The Trump administration operates the Homeland Security Task Force, a domestic and transnational criminal campaign that works alongside the Department of Justice, the FBI, and local police. Their strategy involves intelligence gathering, criminal indictments, asset seizures, and traditional tactical arrests—not military warfare.
The Trump administration has ‘expanded’ definitions of terrorism to label foreign cartels as enemy combatants, resulting in unilateral operations such as a Jan. 2026 military strike in Venezuela, and this strike targeting the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang in the Western Hemisphere.
Federal law, specifically Executive Order 12333, explicitly bans government-sanctioned assassinations. This ban can only be bypassed abroad under highly specific parameters of armed conflict or immediate foreign self-defense, which do not apply to domestic law enforcement.
en.wikipedia.org
The Trump administration has said the killings are lawful. In a statement to Congress last year, the White House said US President Donald Trump had "determined" that the US was in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels and that crews of drug-running boats were "combatants".
President Trump does not believe he requires Congressional approval to continue military actions against cartels past 60 days. His administration has maintained that the War Powers Resolution is not legally binding for these operations, and the Department of Justice has advised that the executive branch has inherent constitutional authority to act against these groups.
apple.news
Trump told The Atlantic that Rodriguez could face a fate similar to Maduro, who is being detained in federal prison in New York on narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges, if she doesn’t align with U.S. interests.
Anyway, the US military has killed the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in an airstrike, President Donald Trump announced on social media. "At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero," Trump wrote.
I wonder how many airstrikes Trump has authorized “inside” the United States itself against criminals or what have you?
The U.S. Constitution guarantees that individuals accused of crimes—even gang members or cartel operatives—have a right to a trial. Airstrikes inherently constitute summary, extrajudicial executions, but that’s neither here nor there.Trump posted footage of what appears to be the airstrike, showing a green building with a nearby shed being blown up, debris flying into the air. Trump said the military action was "coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well".
Under the Trump administration, US forces have launched dozens of strikes on boats they say are part of a large-scale operation to ferry drugs into the US, including those it claims are linked to Tren de Aragua.
More than 200 people have been killed in strikes since September, according to US media. But the military has not provided evidence that the attacked boats were carrying drugs or drug smugglers, sparking criticism of the operation and questions around its legality.
Instead of military bombings, domestic gangs (like MS-13 or Tren de Aragua operatives inside the U.S.) are handled via specialized law enforcement. The Trump administration operates the Homeland Security Task Force, a domestic and transnational criminal campaign that works alongside the Department of Justice, the FBI, and local police. Their strategy involves intelligence gathering, criminal indictments, asset seizures, and traditional tactical arrests—not military warfare.
The Trump administration has ‘expanded’ definitions of terrorism to label foreign cartels as enemy combatants, resulting in unilateral operations such as a Jan. 2026 military strike in Venezuela, and this strike targeting the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang in the Western Hemisphere.
Federal law, specifically Executive Order 12333, explicitly bans government-sanctioned assassinations. This ban can only be bypassed abroad under highly specific parameters of armed conflict or immediate foreign self-defense, which do not apply to domestic law enforcement.
Executive Order 12333 - Wikipedia
President Trump does not believe he requires Congressional approval to continue military actions against cartels past 60 days. His administration has maintained that the War Powers Resolution is not legally binding for these operations, and the Department of Justice has advised that the executive branch has inherent constitutional authority to act against these groups.
US kills leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang in airstrike, Trump says — BBC News
Niño Guerrero was killed in a "swift and lethal kinetic strike," the US President wrote in a social media post.
Canada paid for the entire Gordie Howe International bridge, used plenty of U.S. steel and labour to build it, and intends to split ownership with the state of Michigan. The Gordie, as locals call it, took six years to break ground, another six to construct, plus more than a year to inspect, and cost Canadians $6.4-billion in total. It was finally meant to open last Friday. Then Donald Trump threw a wrench in the plans.
Back in 1979, trucking magnate Manuel “Matty” Moroun purchased the Ambassador Bridge, making it the only international crossing in North America that’s in private hands. He then spent the next four decades ferociously defending his monopoly against assaults from governments and local residents, pouring tens of millions of dollars into legal, political and PR campaigns. (His actions led Forbes to call him “the troll under the bridge.”)
After Moroun gave hefty contributions to state lawmakers in the early 2010s, Michigan failed to advance legislation that would’ve helped fund the Gordie. Canada swallowed the full cost instead.
In February, Trump complained on Truth Social that the bridge “has virtually no U.S. content” and that Canada will reap all the benefits while America gets “absolutely NOTHING” in return. He insisted he would “not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them,” then suggested “we should own, perhaps, at least half of this asset.”
Moroun died at 93 in the summer of 2020, but his son Matthew has taken up the fight to stop the rival bridge. The family hired a lobbying firm with ace White House connections, Ballard Partners, which counts among its former employees Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and his ex-attorney-general, Pam Bondi. The younger Moroun also donated more than US$1-million to MAGA Inc. in mid-January – if the name didn’t tip you off, it’s a super PAC devoted to Donald Trump.
It’s not hard to understand why the Morouns want to remain the only bridge in town. Roughly US$300-million in trade moves across the Ambassador every day, and the family charges those vehicles at least twice the rate paid at publicly owned junctions elsewhere in Ontario. The bridge already lost its top spot as the busiest U.S.-Canada trade crossing last year: Trucks are increasingly choosing the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, 100 kilometres away, mostly to avoid shelling out the steep tolls.
And the Gordie isn’t just bigger and better connected than the Ambassador – with two more lanes and highway-to-highway access – it also said it will charge commercial vehicles far less.
Morning Update: The bridge that Trump stopped — The Globe and Mail
Also in today’s edition: A health breakthrough and Alphonso Davies’s hamstring
On Jan. 29, U.S. President Donald Trump – claiming poor, tiny Cuba posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the most powerful country in the world – signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from any country providing oil to Cuba.The largest foreign mining operation in Cuba is the Moa Joint Venture, which is a massive nickel and cobalt mining operation. The country and nationality of this operation are Canadian, primarily operated by the Toronto-based resource company Sherritt International.
Canada, which has had respectful relations with Cuba for 67 years, looked away, leaving it to United Nations experts to state the obvious: “There is no right under international law to impose economic penalties on third states for engaging in lawful trade with another sovereign country.”A U.S. presidential decree imposed new sanctions on companies doing business with the regime, significantly expanding the comprehensive embargo and making it akin to those aimed at countries such as Iran, Russia, and North Korea.
On May 1, the U.S. ratcheted up pressure in a new executive order, “imposing sanctions” on foreign companies invested in Cuba, which the Americans claimed were “responsible for repression in Cuba.”Within a week, Sherritt said that it would dissolve its partnership with the state-owned General Nickel Company, ending the Moa Nickel joint venture and other interests in electricity generation and natural gas.
Sherritt International, a large Canadian company with more than 30 years of experience in a successful international mining joint venture in Cuba, found itself directly in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs.
The Dallas-based company is headed by Ray Washburne, a major Republican fundraiser. There is nothing in the Gillon portfolio of retail and hospitality investments to indicate even the slightest familiarity with mining.Then, last week, Sherritt announced it would only suspend its joint venture in Cuba and was in talks to sell a controlling ownership stake in Sherritt to Gillon Capital, with the apparent blessing of the U.S. State and Treasury Departments.
What happened? Sherritt said it had “engaged constructively” with the U.S. Department of State, which confirmed it had no objections to Gillon assuming this new role with the company. “We were collateral damage in a larger policy objective for the United States,” Peter Hancock, Sherritt’s interim chief executive officer, told Bloomberg News.
Opinion: Why is Canada not standing up for Canadian businesses in Cuba? — The Globe and Mail
The ‘elbows up’ rhetoric rings false in the face of American aggression
Huh, another win for the U.S. and Canada's loss. This is getting interesting, for sure.On Jan. 29, U.S. President Donald Trump – claiming poor, tiny Cuba posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the most powerful country in the world – signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from any country providing oil to Cuba.
Canada, which has had respectful relations with Cuba for 67 years, looked away, leaving it to United Nations experts to state the obvious: “There is no right under international law to impose economic penalties on third states for engaging in lawful trade with another sovereign country.”
On May 1, the U.S. ratcheted up pressure in a new executive order, “imposing sanctions” on foreign companies invested in Cuba, which the Americans claimed were “responsible for repression in Cuba.”
Sherritt International, a large Canadian company with more than 30 years of experience in a successful international mining joint venture in Cuba, found itself directly in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs.
The Dallas-based company is headed by Ray Washburne, a major Republican fundraiser. There is nothing in the Gillon portfolio of retail and hospitality investments to indicate even the slightest familiarity with mining.
What happened? Sherritt said it had “engaged constructively” with the U.S. Department of State, which confirmed it had no objections to Gillon assuming this new role with the company. “We were collateral damage in a larger policy objective for the United States,” Peter Hancock, Sherritt’s interim chief executive officer, told Bloomberg News.
Sherritt, founded in Manitoba in 1927 for its copper prospects and which signed its first deal in Cuba in 1991 to acquire unprocessed nickel from a Cuban mine for processing in its Alberta refinery, will now no longer be Canadian-owned.
Opinion: Why is Canada not standing up for Canadian businesses in Cuba? — The Globe and Mail
The ‘elbows up’ rhetoric rings false in the face of American aggression
Somewhere between railing against OPEC in the 1980s, applauding Brexit in 2016 and winning the presidency in 2024, Trump started blurring the difference between a right-wing politics that insists on putting national identity above international institutions, and a purely American variant that wants to replace resolutions from the United Nations with edicts from Truth Social.
Trump’s rough strong-arming has worked well enough in a handful of countries. He endorsed the winning candidate for Poland’s presidency last year. In Latin America, Trump and members of his administration have helped anoint election winners in Argentina and Honduras — politically unstable, economically distressed countries that rely on U.S. assistance. His decapitation strategy succeeded in Venezuela.
Meanwhile Trump has continued to toy freely with European Union and NATO leaders. He all but ignores the UN and pays no political price for it. To understand why, let’s return to Canada.
In the winter of 2025, as Trump was menacing Canada’s independence and calling it the “51st State,” the former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper — no friend to his country’s ruling Liberal Party — made a rare appearance in frontline politics. At an event here in Ottawa, he declared it would be worth taking “any level of damage” to protect Canada’s freedom. “If I was still prime minister, I would be prepared to impoverish the country and not be annexed, if that was the option we're facing,” Harper said then.
It began even before Trump’s inauguration in 2025, with his campaign of bullying against Canada. The belittling taunts and tariff threats he aimed at Justin Trudeau that winter did not scare America’s neighbor into prostration. They inspired a patriotic backlash and created a new prime minister, Mark Carney, who preaches middle-power resistance to American economic domination.
Coercion toward Canada has primarily focused on trade policy and the ongoing negotiations regarding the CUSMA/USMCA trade pact, Unlike Cuba—which is facing direct economic isolation to force compliance—actions against Canada remain largely concentrated on continental trade renegotiations.
In his second term, Trump’s grasp of nationalist politics has slipped. He has underestimated the power of patriotism and national pride in countries other than his own. This serial miscalculation has undermined Trump’s trade wars and military adventures, aggravated the cost-of-living crisis, weakened the Republican Party and battered Trump’s bonds with the global right.
In Ukraine, Trump’s bid to push the country into a flimsy peace deal — while dressing down Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and grabbing for a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth — was such an insult to Ukrainian sovereignty that Zelenskyy, even at a political low ebb, faced no consequences for rejecting the terms.
Attempts to meddle with judicial decisions in Brazil, commandeer British and Spanish airfields and dictate military strategy to Israel have gone no better. Dispatching Vice President JD Vance to campaign in Hungary’s election did not save Viktor Orbán from a landslide defeat.
Perhaps most damaging to Trump, his expectation that he could decapitate Iran’s leadership, blast the country into submission and install a compliant proxy — all without using ground troops — led to a monthslong stalemate that spiked energy prices and sapped the global economy. It should not surprise any nationalist leader that Iran’s generals and clerics preferred months of American bombing over quick subjugation.
How many leaders — or voters — would say anything similar about preserving the regulatory authority of the European Commission or the treaty commitments of NATO? Trump’s appreciation for the special force of national pride and patriotic sentiment used to be one of his political superpowers. It remains one of the few things holding the Republican Party together.
apple.news
Trump’s rough strong-arming has worked well enough in a handful of countries. He endorsed the winning candidate for Poland’s presidency last year. In Latin America, Trump and members of his administration have helped anoint election winners in Argentina and Honduras — politically unstable, economically distressed countries that rely on U.S. assistance. His decapitation strategy succeeded in Venezuela.
Meanwhile Trump has continued to toy freely with European Union and NATO leaders. He all but ignores the UN and pays no political price for it. To understand why, let’s return to Canada.
In the winter of 2025, as Trump was menacing Canada’s independence and calling it the “51st State,” the former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper — no friend to his country’s ruling Liberal Party — made a rare appearance in frontline politics. At an event here in Ottawa, he declared it would be worth taking “any level of damage” to protect Canada’s freedom. “If I was still prime minister, I would be prepared to impoverish the country and not be annexed, if that was the option we're facing,” Harper said then.
It began even before Trump’s inauguration in 2025, with his campaign of bullying against Canada. The belittling taunts and tariff threats he aimed at Justin Trudeau that winter did not scare America’s neighbor into prostration. They inspired a patriotic backlash and created a new prime minister, Mark Carney, who preaches middle-power resistance to American economic domination.
Coercion toward Canada has primarily focused on trade policy and the ongoing negotiations regarding the CUSMA/USMCA trade pact, Unlike Cuba—which is facing direct economic isolation to force compliance—actions against Canada remain largely concentrated on continental trade renegotiations.
In his second term, Trump’s grasp of nationalist politics has slipped. He has underestimated the power of patriotism and national pride in countries other than his own. This serial miscalculation has undermined Trump’s trade wars and military adventures, aggravated the cost-of-living crisis, weakened the Republican Party and battered Trump’s bonds with the global right.
In Ukraine, Trump’s bid to push the country into a flimsy peace deal — while dressing down Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and grabbing for a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth — was such an insult to Ukrainian sovereignty that Zelenskyy, even at a political low ebb, faced no consequences for rejecting the terms.
Attempts to meddle with judicial decisions in Brazil, commandeer British and Spanish airfields and dictate military strategy to Israel have gone no better. Dispatching Vice President JD Vance to campaign in Hungary’s election did not save Viktor Orbán from a landslide defeat.
Perhaps most damaging to Trump, his expectation that he could decapitate Iran’s leadership, blast the country into submission and install a compliant proxy — all without using ground troops — led to a monthslong stalemate that spiked energy prices and sapped the global economy. It should not surprise any nationalist leader that Iran’s generals and clerics preferred months of American bombing over quick subjugation.
How many leaders — or voters — would say anything similar about preserving the regulatory authority of the European Commission or the treaty commitments of NATO? Trump’s appreciation for the special force of national pride and patriotic sentiment used to be one of his political superpowers. It remains one of the few things holding the Republican Party together.
The Most Surprising Miscalculation of Trump’s Second Term — POLITICO
He has underestimated the power of patriotic sentiment in countries besides the United States.
“The measures - which still await a vote of approval by the National Assembly - would open the door to private real estate development
(like golf courses owned by a U.S. President?) on the Caribbean island, transform state-owned businesses into private commercial ventures with shares and equity stakes and allow private banks to enter Cuba`s once state-dominated finance sector.”
apple.news
“In the conversation on The Axios Show, Trump also acknowledged the difficulty in finding a resolution to the Iran conflict was due to the fact that Tehran had a "more powerful" military and and is far away.
Trump's statements indicate the US thinking that Cuba could be easier to overpower, and also sparks concerns that it could be the next invasion being planned by the administration once a peace deal is finally clinched (?) in the Middle East.
"These places are close by. Whereas if you look at Iran, that's a very long trip... Venezuela is relatively close and Cuba is a hopscotch," he said.”
apple.news
“The Trump administration has repeatedly hinted about a "friendly takeover" of Cuba. Earlier reports hinted the US was expecting the possibility of a collapse of the regime in Havana as early as this summer.
Trump also did not offer any timeline for a probable Cuban operation, though he said, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who has roots in Cuba, is involved in the planning.”
(like golf courses owned by a U.S. President?) on the Caribbean island, transform state-owned businesses into private commercial ventures with shares and equity stakes and allow private banks to enter Cuba`s once state-dominated finance sector.”Cuba proposes sweeping reforms to socialist model amid US pressure — Reuters
Cuba`s prime minister on Thursday presented lawmakers with sweeping measures backed by the Communist Party and former leader Raul Castro that would privatize a vast swath of its socialist economy in a bid to survive punishing U.S. sanctions.
Trump's statements indicate the US thinking that Cuba could be easier to overpower, and also sparks concerns that it could be the next invasion being planned by the administration once a peace deal is finally clinched (?) in the Middle East.
"These places are close by. Whereas if you look at Iran, that's a very long trip... Venezuela is relatively close and Cuba is a hopscotch," he said.”
Trump Says Cuba Invasion Akin To Maduro Capture By US Possible — International Business Times
Trump's statements indicate the US administration's thinking that Cuba could be easier to overpower.
Trump also did not offer any timeline for a probable Cuban operation, though he said, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who has roots in Cuba, is involved in the planning.”