SpankyMcFarland

This winter Newfoundland has had heavy snow and few thaws which should help reduce the risk of wildfires early in the summer but how the rest of the fire season goes will depend on the balance of rain and temperature.

What’s the government-free alternative?

After what they’ve just been through, the Iranians would be unwise to give up their uranium. Israel’s demands of Iran, and every other neighbour, will not stop with the end of Iran’s nuclear program.

I find SUVs these days are not built to last but I have a CRV on the premises from twenty five years ago that still runs. A truly great car.

The last American car I owned was a Chev Celebrity in the previous century. The rear axle snapped while I was turning off the TCH, fortunately at low speed. I’ve been buying Japanese and Korean cars ever since. First thing I noticed about the Camry - it was better in snow without snow tires than the Chev was with them.

I would see it as an expression of hope. Articulating our fears and desires is a step towards dealing with them.

As soon as Trump’s hatred of Canada became obvious PP should have played the long game, outdoing the PM in patriotic fervour and going after our common enemy. Instead he and his advisers just drove through the crisis on autopilot as if the game hadn’t changed, with predictable results. What he did doesn't distress me as I’m not a fan. I just think it was stupid.

I hope we agree that assisted dying should be available under certain circumstances? People shouldn’t have to depend on relatives, foreign travel or their own amateur efforts to avoid an agonizing death.

Trump and Trumpism posed a strategic problem for conservatives. Job one for them should have been to distinguish their brand from MAGA as ferociously as necessary, irrespective of any short-term loss of voters to the PPC or elsewhere. The model to be adopted was a new one, a struggle within a party, the party being Canada, where everybody has to pretend to be working together for a while. Thus the story lines critical of Carney should have been handled by others while fire from the leader should have been trained on the foreign threat and fiercer than anything Carney managed. That was the way to compete. PP failed to do that. We know how nasty he can be but on the Trump challenge he has been limp and lackadaisical. His heart isn’t in it and voters can see that.

What I am saying is, let the market decide. Let companies make cars here and we’ll see what people buy.

Long term, I find it difficult to believe that American car companies will compete with Chinese ones on price. There are legitimate criticisms of China’s manufacturing strategy at the moment but in the end we should be free to decide what to buy.

What should be the alternative? Nursing home care is inherently expensive. Somebody has to pay it.

That depends. If the doctor is paid by salary in the public system, then you’ll have to make sure they turn up for work as agreed and do what they’re contracted to do. In the UK and Ireland, some consultants have neglected their salaried posts in favour of their private ones. I’m in favour of a mixed system but workers have to be watched very carefully, human nature being what it is.

It wasn’t just by changing one leader. America went for Trump - again! - and that has made a crucial difference in Canada. Conservatives need to acknowledge that and deal with it if they want to get anywhere.

There is loyalty to the country in a time of grave peril. People don’t have to like Carney or his policies to see him as a necessary leader.

Carney has had a great ally in the White House, frightening Canadians and causing havoc around the world. Many people I know feel we benefit from a majority government that can make the decisions necessary to protect us from such chaos. As long as he can portray himself as a wartime leader he’ll be given the benefit of the doubt by voters on policies that don’t always look typically Liberal. On the left front, however, Lewis does have an opportunity if he can take it to win over disillusioned Trudeau fans. As for Poilievre, he remains unconvincing as someone willing and able to defend us from the dangerous nation to our south.

How is this federal politics? In a way, it’s a compliment to the mayor. Mamdani occupies a big part of some peoples’ heads.

Aren’t conservatives supposed to see the world as it is, devoid of wishful thinking? Cartels are an evil but they are not going to go away because we want them to. There is a massive market for illegal drugs where the laws of supply and demand hold just as they do with any other product. The prime cause for the cartels lives all around us. That is the grim reality which we have had decades to absorb.

50 years ago a British minister departed from his script and talked frankly about “an acceptable level” of violence in Northern Ireland: As long as a massive market exists for illegal drugs, suppliers will exist for that market. That’s capitalism, folks. Were I running Mexico, my priority would be to protect law-abiding civilians in my country. The cartel leaders would be put on notice - exceed the acceptable level of violence that we expect and we will replace you with somebody else. Abolishing the cartels is a fool’s errand. What should Mexicans slaughter each other in that futile cause?

On Taiwan, I think most politicians should not be too specific. Policy on that very sensitive matter is the president’s prerogative. The Chinese are on a hair trigger on this issue.

This foreign scandal would have nothing to do with us if we’d grown up and created an elected ceremonial head of state resident in this country. What an embarrassing anachronism. At this rate the Brits will abandon their ridiculous monarchy before we do! What happens then? Can we declare that Charlie is our king in perpetuity and leave him in charge? It would be a very Canadian solution and would make little difference to the number of visits from our head of state. The coins and notes etc. would never have to change either.

Jivani is the first example I would cite, a disgraceful performance. The MAGA/PPC wing has thrown its lot in with our enemies. Shame on them. Let them cheer for the US in the hockey. That’s all they’re good for.

So the court "has been swayed by foreign interests," eh? C’mon Trumpy, don’t be coy, give us the evidence on that QAnon-worthy accusation. You say you’re ashamed of some of the judges. Bear in mind that to be ashamed you first must be capable of shame.

I don’t mean to sound like I’m constantly fuming over this. Given our constitutional gridlock we’re probably stuck with what we have and that’s fine. I hope to see two developments: 1. A smaller, more ‘Scandinavian’ monarchy in Britain with less secrecy, pomp, wealth and people. 2. More emphasis on the GG as our de facto head of state.

Canada exploring trade options with China and every other country is something a hostile America under Trump is forcing upon us; we simply have to review all our relationships now that our closest friend has gone rogue. How any patriotic Canadian could find excuses for the US under such dire circumstances is beyond me.