PM to Establish Team

I Contacted the Prime Minister

Before recent events reached their current critical mass, I contacted Prime Minister Trudeau, urging a shift to a ‘wartime footing’ -- a coordinated national response to mounting external threats. I saw the need for all hands on deck, as Canada faced a perfect storm: escalating economic aggression from the U.S., internal political instability, and the accelerating disruption of AI.

The warning signs were there. The rapid advancement of AI is still catching many off guard, but the more immediate and pressing concern was the resurgence of U.S. tariffs and, more alarmingly, increasingly credible rhetoric about annexation. These aren’t just distant possibilities; they are active threats that demand a strong, unified response.

I never expected that a private citizen’s letter would directly influence national policy, but I felt compelled to take a stand. Interestingly, just weeks later, Trudeau established the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, which I only discovered through team member Arlene Dickinson, who referred to it as ‘Team Canada.’ While I obviously can’t claim credit for the understandable coincidence, it was a relief to see movement in the right direction.

Now, more Canadians recognize the urgency of pulling together. I understand why Trudeau resigned—the pressures of the job, compounded by relentless political hostility, are immense. Still, I wish he had stayed the course. With the stakes so high, a leadership race and federal election are dangerous distractions. Right now, there is no one on the political landscape who could have delivered his devastating Feb 2, 2025 response to U.S. tariffs—exactly the kind of leadership we need in this moment. 

Below is the letter I sent to the Prime Minister, along with the official response:

Prime Minister | Premier Ministre <[email protected]>	Mon, Dec 30, 2024 at 12:16 PM
To: "******@gmail.com" <*******@gmail.com>
Dear Mr. Trower: On behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your email of December 18, 2024. Thank you for taking the time to write. The Prime Minister always appreciates hearing from people on the issues that are important to them. Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. Once again, thank you for writing. [xxxx] Executive Correspondence Officer / Agente de la correspondance Executive Correspondence Services / Services de la correspondance de la haute direction ------------------- Original Message ------------------- Date : 2024/12/18 4:42:54 PM Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, Canada faces a perfect storm. Rapid AI advancements, economic threats from the U.S., and internal divisions demand urgent action. Your government has prepared us with early investments in AI and infrastructure, but the scale of current challenges requires a shift to a wartime footing. Key threats include: AI Disruption: AI is advancing faster than expected, reshaping economies and jobs worldwide. We must act now to protect Canada’s future. Economic Aggression: Trump’s proposed tariffs and rhetoric on annexation are serious threats. A strong, unified response is critical. Internal Divisions: Provincial leaders must align with federal foreign policy to safeguard national unity. Proposed Actions: Declare a wartime footing and assemble a team aligned with this mission. Expand AI initiatives to include workforce retraining and economic protections. Unite Canadians by framing AI and foreign threats as common challenges. Assert federal leadership in international and domestic relations. Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity are at stake. This is a moment for decisive leadership.

The Gloves Are On The Ice

From Ralph Nader -- "Why did Trump—on Inauguration Day no less—praise President William McKinley as a role model? Ominously so. McKinley took over with armed force Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines, killing many natives in these defenseless regions. McKinley launched the American Empire to which megalomaniac, lawless Trump wants to add the Panama Canal and Greenland." -- "Don’t think he is kidding. The U.S. Navy can take control of the Panama Canal in short order. While mineral-rich Greenland, a quarter the size of the U.S. with less than 60,000 residents, can be seized by the U.S. air base already located there and easily fortified for that purpose. This is what the criminal madness inside Trump’s ego meant when he unfurled the phrase “make America grow again” -R"

Trump has made threats of military action against other countries including Greenland (under NATO by association with Denmark). He has made similar veiled threats against Canada. He has violated our trade agreement in a way that harms all of North America. He has violated the law in less than two weeks in office. He has horribly injured the U.S. Federal civil service. Prior to the worst aviation disaster in decades, "Trump FIRED the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard, and disbanded the Aviation Security Advisory Committee" He may not have caused that accident but he has definitely made a system capable of such a crash even less safe than it was.

Friends and family have resolved to stop buying anything from America. A friend shared this site: https://madeinca.ca/

Someone suggested that a formal analysis predicts Canada and Canadians will simply capitulate—because Trump’s ego eclipses Trudeau’s. Below is my response to them, followed by an examination of how, even without factoring in the chaos of Project 2025 and a growing, FAFO-aware public, the current situation is damaging for Canada but exponentially worse for the United States.

"I have a feeling you don't know many Canadians.

The gloves are on the ice.

No argument about the size of Trump's ego, but that won't keep the lights on. It wasn't sufficient to stave off his bankruptcies or criminal convictions or keep the price of eggs down or even the supply of eggs there at any price. It won't make him suddenly able to read.

Canadians have already hardened their resolve, so to some extent there is no going back. We will be injured but everybody I know and on social media around me is dead firm. We expect to deal with a hit and we are prepared for it.

You have your trade war in spades. Good luck with that.

Trump has put the fox in charge of the henhouse with respect to the U.S. treasury. It is truly bizarre, but it looks like he and Musk are going to loot the treasury. They have already attempted to entirely cut off the economic oxygen to 80 million people and they are threatening to do it again. It was not turned back on for some ...

Millions of people in the U.S. are already hurting after less than two weeks of Herr Trump.

Tell me true: Do you think that Trump and his sad gang of misfits can properly manage a (formerly) $30T economy?"

Here’s a structured breakdown of why the claim that Canada will "submit" under U.S. economic retaliation is flawed:

1. Canada Will Take an Economic Hit, But Not Collapse

• Yes, Canada will be injured—trade wars always hurt both sides.
• Resolve matters—Canadians expect pain and are willing to take it, meaning Trump's coercion tactics will fail.
• The assumption that Canada will "fully submit" ignores history. Economic hardship does not always lead to political collapse—if anything, it often solidifies resistance.

2. The U.S. Will Suffer Just as Much—If Not More

• The Northern U.S. states depend on Canada for energy, manufacturing, and food. If Canada raises energy prices and redirects exports, U.S. businesses and consumers will feel immediate pain.
• Supply chains cannot be restructured overnight—U.S. industries are deeply integrated with Canada.
• U.S. inflation will spike if Canada removes critical goods from its market.

3. U.S. Oil Independence is a Fantasy

• Trump can't wave a magic wand and make the U.S. energy independent overnight.
• The U.S. still imports 3.8 million barrels per day, and Canada is its top supplier.
• Cutting off Canadian oil means either:
  • Massively higher costs for American refiners (who are optimized for Canadian crude).
  • Buying from hostile nations (Russia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia).

4. The Canadian Dollar Will Drop—But That’s Not All Bad

• A weaker Canadian dollar actually boosts exports because Canadian goods become cheaper for foreign buyers.
• If Canada shifts trade to the EU, Mexico, and Asia, those partnerships become more profitable.
• The real question is whether the U.S. dollar remains stable given Trump’s fiscal chaos. If the U.S. loots its own treasury, the USD itself could be at risk.

5. Trump Is Already Failing at Economic Management

• Within two weeks, Trump has already:
  • Created massive financial instability.
  • Enacted disastrous policies that hurt Americans.
  • Facilitated outright corruption at the Treasury.
• His track record on bankruptcy and mismanagement speaks for itself.
• Egg shortages, surging costs, and instability are already hitting U.S. consumers.
• If the U.S. collapses into internal chaos, Canada’s suffering will pale in comparison.

Final Thought

Clark Swanson's argument rests on the assumption that Trump is competent, that Canada is weak-willed, and that economic power guarantees victory.

• In reality, Canada has leverage, U.S. consumers will revolt against Trump’s trade war, and Trump's own policies will deepen America's internal instability.
• This isn't 1950. Global trade is diversified. Canada has options.
• Trump’s economic chaos will likely backfire spectacularly.

CERB as proxy for UBI

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was a temporary financial relief program introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide income support for individuals who lost work due to government-mandated closures. While CERB shared some characteristics with Universal Basic Income (UBI)—such as direct, unconditional cash transfers—it was fundamentally different in both design and purpose. Unlike UBI, which provides ongoing, unconditional financial support to all citizens regardless of employment status, CERB was a targeted, emergency response measure with eligibility criteria, time limitations, and a defined purpose of income replacement rather than economic restructuring. CERB required recipients to have had prior employment income ($5,000 in the previous year), was available only during a defined crisis period, and ended as the economy reopened.

Critics of CERB claim that it discouraged work, but empirical data suggests that its primary effect was economic stabilization, preventing a collapse in consumer spending while enabling Canadians to focus on health and safety. This analysis evaluates CERB’s economic impact using data to assess whether it incentivized joblessness or functioned as a necessary safeguard during an unprecedented crisis.

Economic Stabilization

CERB was instrumental in maintaining consumer spending during the pandemic-induced economic downturn. Without such support, many Canadians would have faced severe financial hardship, leading to decreased spending and further economic decline. According to Statistics Canada, workers who received CERB lost an average of $8,100 in employment income, which was largely offset by $7,600 of financial assistance from the program, effectively replacing 95% of lost income (Statistics Canada, 2024).

Employment Dynamics

The pandemic led to significant job losses due to mandatory closures and health concerns. CERB provided temporary support to those unable to work. Research indicates that there was a lack of evidence of any short-term work-disincentive effect from CERB (McMaster University, 2022).

Program Design and Impact

CERB was designed as a temporary measure, providing $500 per week for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers (Canadian Tax Foundation, 2020).

While some raised concerns about potential work disincentives, analyses suggest that CERB did not significantly discourage work. A study found that 40% of CERB recipients pursued training or education opportunities during the benefit period, indicating proactive engagement in skill development (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2023).

Addressing Concerns

While some critiques highlight potential disincentives, it's important to consider the broader context. The Fraser Institute noted that the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), which followed CERB, had clawback provisions that could create work disincentives for certain income levels (Fraser Institute, 2020). 

However, these concerns are more pertinent to CRB than to CERB itself.

Conclusion

CERB was a necessary intervention to support Canadians during an unprecedented crisis. Evidence suggests it effectively replaced lost income and did not create significant work disincentives. The program's design aimed to provide immediate relief, contributing to economic stability and allowing individuals to focus on health and safety during the pandemic.

References

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. (2023). CERB: More than just an income program. Retrieved from https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/cerb-more-than-just-an-income-program/

Canadian Tax Foundation. (2020). CERB: From Emergency to Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.ctf.ca/EN/EN/Newsletters/Perspectives/2020/3/200308.aspx

Fraser Institute. (2020). Trudeau government creating harmful work disincentives for many Canadians. Retrieved from https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/trudeau-government-creating-harmful-work-disincentives-many-canadians

McMaster University. (2022). A Framework for Evaluating Canada's COVID-19 Income Support Programs. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9400823/

Statistics Canada. (2024). The role of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240523/dq240523d-eng.htm

Slavery in America

Trump recently rescinded an executive order by Joe Biden to stop renewing federal contracts with 'for profit' prisons. By rescinding Executive Order 14006 of January 26, 2021, (January 20, 2025) Trump has, in essence, reactivated Federal 'for profit prison' contracts whereby people are literally enslaved. Handy, considering they are going to round up millions of people designated as 'illegal'. 

One of the most evil things that Biden did was participate in putting an extra million or so people into 'for profit prisons' where, according to the 13th Amendment, making them into literal slaves is just swell and that's what they do. 

In 2021, Biden signed an Executive Order that provides "... The Attorney General shall not renew Department of Justice contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities ..."

Now that it's back on, slavery, already a thing, will continue and almost certainly expand in the United States. A little background on the alleged elimination of slavery in the United States:

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, did not fully abolish slavery because of the “exception clause”, which allows slavery and involuntary servitude to continue as punishment for a crime:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Why Was This Exception Included?

1. Political Compromise: The amendment needed support from former slave-holding states and white Northern politicians who feared too much disruption to the existing economic order.
2. Economic Interests: The South's economy relied on forced labor. Ending slavery entirely would have dismantled its economic system. Allowing forced labor in prisons provided a workaround.
3. Revenge & Control: After losing the Civil War, Southern elites sought ways to reassert white supremacy by criminalizing Black existence and forcing them back into servitude.

How Did This Lead to a New Form of Slavery?

After the 13th Amendment, Southern states exploited the loophole to create “slavery by another name” through:

• Black Codes (1865-66): Laws criminalizing “vagrancy” and unemployment, specifically targeting newly freed Black people.
• Convict Leasing: States leased out prisoners (mostly Black men) to plantations, railroads, and factories in conditions often worse than slavery.
• Jim Crow Laws: Segregation and disenfranchisement kept Black people economically and politically powerless.

Legacy & Modern Impact

• Mass Incarceration: The U.S. disproportionately imprisons Black and brown people, then forces them into unpaid or extremely low-paid prison labor.
• Prison-Industrial Complex: Private corporations profit from cheap prison labor, making modern prisons functionally equivalent to forced labor camps.
• Ongoing Disenfranchisement: Felony convictions strip voting rights, continuing the suppression of marginalized groups.

Conclusion

The 13th Amendment deliberately left a backdoor open for forced labor, ensuring that slavery could persist under a different name. Today, its legacy still fuels racial and economic injustice. True abolition would require removing the exception clause and dismantling the exploitative prison system.