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In Canada, I saw how Trump is ripping North America apart – and how hard its bond will be to repair (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Relations between America and Canada have not always been peaceful. The US invaded Canada in 1775 and 1812, without success. During the 1920s and 1930s it drew up a more hypothetical invasion scheme, War Plan Red. In fundamental ways, fear of the US shaped Canada, encouraging its unification out of what had originally been disparate territories, and also the decision to site its capital in Ottawa, further from the border than its other eastern cities.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I haven't been able to speak to a ton of people outside my immediate bubble. But people seem to be tense when it comes to talking about the States invading Canada. Sure, some laugh at it, but I think most seem to be taking it seriously and are nervous. Everyone's demeanor has changed towards the states.

I find it hard to imagine what we would do if the states invaded. I don't think we would have enough time to mobilize any kind of substantial resistance unless NATO was able to immediately intercept. There's just far too much landmass, and the American army outnumbers us in every way.

I would like to think the American military would disobey. But who knows at this point.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

That's rather the million-dollar question, eh? I lived in Victoria for a time way back at the turn of the century, and Canada waved us in with a driver license and like two questions. This is literally straddling 1999-2000, so 9/11 hasn't happened yet. We had to go back and forth as I was working in Seattle, and she was working in Vic.

CBP was already a bag of dicks. I remember one time we finally crossed the border going south after unnecessary questions, and she turned to me and said, "What, they think I'm sneaking into your country to take advantage of your tremendous social programmes?"

The wild card overall is: What do the rank and file do when ordered to invade an ally? The military isn't a bunch of MAGA yahoos; they're trained to know when orders are illegal. Sorry to bring up Nuremburg twice in such rapid succession, but I have hope the first layer below political appointees will immediately put a stop to this.

The problem here is I see two outcomes: Full breakdown of the U.S. military as senior staff resign or ... instead of taking Canada, now we have a military coup. I never thought I'd say this, but we might need the latter.