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OTTAWA — It’s the world’s most awkward breakup.

More than a year after U.S. President Donald Trump casually joked about absorbing Canada and repeatedly threatened debilitating tariffs on its goods, many Canadians are convinced their former pals to the south have lost the plot.

New results from The POLITICO Poll suggest a lasting chill has settled over the world’s former bosom buddies. Americans are rosy as ever about their northern neighbors, but Canadians don’t share the love.

Their message to America: It’s not us, it’s you.

Canadians don’t see Trump’s America as merely an annoyance, the survey found. They consider the superpower next door the world’s greatest threat to peacetime.

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[-] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

It’s not “kinda hate”.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 5 points 12 hours ago

Trump casually joked about absorbing Canada

It was never a joke.

The man doesn't know how to make a joke.

The closest to humour he gets is when he is punching down, like the bully he has always been.

[-] umbrella@lemmy.ml 1 points 13 hours ago

better late than never. welcome to the club!

[-] mrdown@lemmy.world 5 points 20 hours ago

I hated it since the Iraq war.

[-] Bubbaonthebeach@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

I think many Canadians are simply fed up with the charade that America is our friend. They never have been. Not under any President. Trump might be completely inept and therefore making it obvious, but America has always considered Canada to be theirs. Only an independent country so long as we toe their line. We must always support them and come to their aid but may never surpass them in any way. For that we must always try to keep a friendly posture so that they have no "excuse" to invade us.
Of course that is all about government. There are many individual people who might like Canadians. Be family. Be friends. Doesn't change the nature of their government though. It truly believes that the world is theirs to do with as they wish and Canada is just a small country in that equation. America is and always has been the country that many people recognize Russia or China to be. We have to find a way to live with them but it would be a huge mistake to go back to thinking that they are actually friends or even allies.

[-] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 120 points 1 day ago

casually joked about absorbing Canada

Fuck off with this bullshit. It wasn't a joke. I'm so sick of the media normalizing Trump's crap.

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 55 points 1 day ago

To be clear:

  • Trump specifically said he wasn’t joking

"I'm really not trolling. Canada is an interesting case.… I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state."

  • Trump said he wanted to use economic warfare to “acquire” Canada.
  • Trump said the US needs to “acquire” Canada.
  • The US government is meeting with and likely funding separatists
  • The US government was doing this last time Trump was in power

This is exactly what Russia did before annexing Crimea. This is not idle threats, not a joke, and not to be taken as some obscene bargaining position.

[-] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 28 points 1 day ago

Politico is owned by Axel Springer, a conservative media holding company. Of course they’re going to normalize trump’s lunacy as “joking.”

[-] DarylInCanada@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago

Considering that it has been less than 100 years that America has been considered our ally (the entire purpose of Confederation in 1867 was to form a strong Canada that could defend itself against the American foe), the needle has been pointing to 'enemy' longer than it has been pointing to 'ally'. History will regard the 'friend' part as just a brief interlude.

I am afraid Americans in general do not look at Canadians as 'friends', they look at us as 'customers'.

[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

The majority of Americans view Canada as our closest and most trusted ally. Maga fascist are the exception to that rule apparently.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 points 13 hours ago

Don't try to correct them, when someone tells you they hate you, believe them, and start hating them back for it.

[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

If there is a legitimate reason to hate perhaps, but I find it hard to hate someone back when both parties have no reason other than propaganda to hate each other.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 1 points 13 hours ago

Nope. If you hate me, I hate you. Caring why is an unaffordable luxury.

[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago

When you have a third party telling you to hate each other I think this breaks down.

Think of someone who has been taught to hate gays realizing there is no reason to.

If you hate me for a made up reason even you don't understand I will point it out to you. The ruling class has been using hate and division to control us for far too long and I am done with their stupid games.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 points 12 hours ago

The ruling class is a problem that needs to be dealt with. I've got Canadians saying they're going to hate me forever. So I now hate Canadians forever. They're not gonna let that wound heal? neither will I. The bed has been shat, and it wasn't my asshole that shat it.

[-] DarylInCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Why does this read so much like a conversation between two chatbots? Neither is listening to the other, just responding,

Because all anyone does anymore is talk across purposes?

[-] Nils@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago

It will be really hard to be friends again when at least 70 millions USA citizens voted for this in 3 different occasions. And only a few did a thing to prevent it.

Going back to USA would be like a spouse who keeps going back to an abusive partner.

I hope we improve our friendship with the rest of the world for some peace of mind.

[-] WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

As far as I’m concerned, the US’s do-nothing “resistance” is a bigger problem than the MAGA trash.

[-] LeFantome@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I have tired of hearing how many voted for him. How many did anything to stop him? How many are doing anything now?

That is what matters. Lines have been crossed.

[-] hddsx@lemmy.ca 52 points 1 day ago

As an American this hurts. None of the US allies (former allies?) have done for the US what Canada has. Canada has gone so above and beyond whenever the US has had a crisis (ie. 9/11).

Like how stupid do you have to be to ruin that? And it’s not just POTUS. There have literally been Canadians who were arrested by ICE. Yet, people like Newsom are still trying to entice Canadians to visit the US. Sure, nothing could happen. But if something happens, you could get deported to some random country before you can mount a defense even though Canada shares a land border.

It’s selfish and is a stark juxtaposition against how the Canadians treated Americans. It’s beyond fucked.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

how stupid do you have to be to ruin that?

This stupid

[-] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 35 points 1 day ago

As a Canadian this also hurts. A lot.

I don’t want to hate the US, I don’t have issues with a lot of the American people, but I can’t see the actions of the US government as anything less than an adversary and an existential threat.

The thing about existential threats is you have no choice, you cannot ignore them, because even a 10% chance has immense costs, and the expected value of what you should commit to covering them is massive.

Honestly it feels a lot like what Russia did before annexing Crimea and before the war in Ukraine. Down to meeting with and funding separatists, mass propaganda campaigns, etc.

[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

The fascist plague is in Canada too, and Canada has to take action to protect itself from it. Just recently there was a police-led Nazi rally in Toronto. There was another one earlier last year at Christie Pits too but they got pushed out by counter protesters. It's in government as well, all the cons are trying to bring American politics to Canada

Canada needs to take action before it's too late

[-] deeferg@lemmy.ca 3 points 14 hours ago

The fascist plague is in Canada too

Yeah, we know, and it's been an attempt at the US government to get their bullshit up north, and exactly why the Conservatives lost so hard last election. The people up here at least get out and vote when we see the Conservative party aligning with Trump, and in Alberta aligning with "US Separatism".

Any link to that Police-led Nazi march you're mentioning? Didn't read anything on that.

[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Basically any poll that maps Trump's favorability by Canadian political party damns the cons for what they are.

I believe it was this protest/counter protest. The protesters were Canada First nazis. Here's a relevant Reddit thread

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

We have a Christo-Nazi fucking up a school board in Hamilton on an anti-woke agenda the Wine moms love. She's been working with local Nazi, Paul Fromm.

[-] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

I don’t have issues with a lot of the American people

I have a serious issue with about 2/3rds of them. 1/3 voted for the orange sack of mayo and another 1/3 just shrugged.

[-] Redvenom@retrolemmy.com 4 points 1 day ago

1/3 voted for the orange fuck and another 1/3 just shrugged...TWICE

[-] cheat700000007@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

As a Canadian with elderly American family this hurts. I want to visit them but don't want to go down there.

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[-] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 34 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

"casually joked" - No sir. PM gave DT the benefit of the doubt by casually joking about trading for California or Vermont, but DT never laughed. DT only doubled down by repeating 51 many times over many months.

[-] Ghostie@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That’s what he does. If you think he is joking, he’ll double down. If you react like he’s being serious, he’ll say he was only joking and but then double down later.

[-] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

He doesn't know what a joke is. He can make fun of someone but he can't make an actual joke

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[-] otter@lemmy.ca 38 points 1 day ago

"Stronger: 7%"

😐

That's not even a partisan issue, and yet

[-] 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 day ago

7% of canadians are traitors, apparently

Since they love trump and his policies so much, we should send federal agents to round them up for treason

[-] IndridCold@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 day ago

7% of canadians are traitors, apparently

Look at any poll. There is always a low number of 5-10% that believe in the weirdest shit. Flat earth. Alien abduction. Anti-science nonsense, Homeopathy, etc.

10% of any civilized population are complete fucking idiots.

[-] WizardofFrobozz@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Lizardman’s constant.

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[-] ZiggyTheZygote@lemmy.ca 32 points 1 day ago

Any person, anywhere in the world, with a little bit of judgement and political understanding, can see that the US has been a threat to the world for decades, masquerading as the beacon of freedom and truth. It brought nothing but war, consumerism, destructive and unfair capitalism, pollution, hollywood propaganda, corruption, terrorism, racism, and many more. Of course we can't deny the good things that came out, or the good people who fight against these things. They are the ones that matter.

[-] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 29 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

i'm american and i hate america. usa is 100% the greatest fucking threat to the planet. it has been for decades, but only now that it's officially fascism has it become obvious and right in everyone's face. diplomacy was stopping the states before. now, nothing is.

Everyone should hate our government. Our government is letting people die on top of the ones it's killing. As well those who voted for this...thing.

[-] greyscale@lemmy.sdf.org 17 points 1 day ago

They've made themselves a Pariah State, not just a Rouge or Failed state.

[-] Apollo98@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 day ago

God forbid they make themselves a Mauve state.

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[-] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 day ago

When I started teaching 35 years ago, I posed the question, "Should Canada join the U. S." as a writing assignment. Back then, around 50 % were in favour. Over the years, it was nearly a linear descent. When I retired, I would get maybe 1 in a class of 30 that would be for it.

[-] uienia@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

All of the former allies of the US hates the US now. With good reason.

Also Russia loves the US now. With good reason.

[-] mrdown@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

All rushed to express how proud they was that they help killing inocent civilians in Afghanistan. They welcomed the surrender plan for Palestinians. They welcomed marco rubio deranged speech in Munnich

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this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026
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