How do you tell an American Secretary of State “get screwed” without telling him to get screwed? Ask the Canadians. They have pulled off that feat to a tee. The likes of John Cleese or any other great wit could not have come up with something better than this. The image you see above is of the *red carpet* that was rolled out to receive Marco Rubio to the G7 summit today. What’s that you say? That’s your old beach towel, how did it get to Quebec? I’ve been saying for years that there’s an interdimensional portal that whisks away socks, it must be grabbing bath towels now. But I can tell you I have wiped muddy boots on more imposing *carpets* than this one. Take the hint, L’il Marco. This is a sign of things to come. Your boss has managed to piss off the polite, pacific Canadians and they will let you know about it.
Canada — mocked by Trump as 51st state — rolls out (small, icy) red carpet to greet Rubio as he arrives in Quebec for G7, with Canada’s deputy protocol director and US diplomats greeting him pic.twitter.com/W2vNFXO3Yw
— Shaun Tandon (@shauntandon) March 12, 2025
And I know what you’re thinking. Is the annexation of Canada on the docket? Or Rubio just ignores the fact that he’s working for a psycho who talks about that very thing day and night? It must be interesting trying to do actual diplomacy and government with Mad King Donald running his mouth in the background, like somebody’s crazy uncle in the home, that nobody wants to talk about. But when “the home” is the Oval Office, how long can you avoid talking about it?
Marco Rubio has said he is not planning to discuss Donald Trump’s threat to “take over Canada” during a visit to Quebec, as Washington’s top diplomat arrives to the backdrop of a raging diplomatic crisis and trade war.
The US secretary of state arrived on Wednesday for a two-day summit with other foreign ministers from allied G7 countries at the river resort of La Malbaie, the first such gathering since Trump retook power with his “America first” agenda.
When asked en route by reporters about Trump’s repeated comments on making Canada the 51st US state, Rubio said Washington was working on a number of issues, including defence and Ukraine.
“We’re going to be focused in G7 on all of those things. That’s what the meeting is about,” he said. “It is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada.” […]
Rubio says he wants the G7 to be “constructive” but Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy has left Washington’s longtime allies scrambling. European countries descended further into a tit-for-tat trade war with the US on Wednesday after Trump’s tariffs on all US steel and aluminium imports took effect.
Relations with Canada have reached a particular low, and Canada announced billions of dollars more in retaliatory tariffs on Wednesday.
Rubio will be arriving in a country that has united around opposition to Trump and his hyper-nationalist US ideology. At recent hockey matches with US teams, the US national anthem has been booed, while US-made bourbon whiskeys are being removed from shop shelves.
The outgoing prime minister, Justin Trudeau, whom Trump has mocked as a “governor”, has called the US tariffs “dumb” and gone on the offensive with a “Team Canada” approach to the southern threat.
What I want to know about is what Rubio thinks of a worldwide movement to boycott the U.S. Oh yes. Such things are being discussed. I can’t blame anybody for not wanting to sell goods here, perform here, treat us like a nation of civilized beings when we have that demented orange-hued boor at the helm. It makes sense to me.
*********
Times are tough and are going to get tougher. The American electorate did the stupidest thing, ever, and we’re all suffering for the fraction of the plurality that decided to send Trump back to Washington. Media outlets nationwide are suffering a crash in views, not just us. We’re determined to hang in there but we need a little help from our friends. Thank you. Ursula
The world won’t even have to boycott US products.
The tariffs on importing steel and aluminum will make products made in the USA and then marketed outside it, too expensive.
For example, Boeing’s aircraft, including its flagship 787 Dreamliner, could cost up to $40 million more per plane in the worst-case scenario due to the ongoing trade tensions brought on by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap, the largest aircraft leasing company in the world. Aercap owns nearly 600 Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 aircraft, (buying 150 Boeings last year), and over 1000 Airbus aircraft of various types, so it’s safe to assume that Mr Kelly knows what he’s talking about.
“”A Boeing 787, the price will go up by $40 million,” Kelly said. “No one’s going to want to pay that.”
“In a worst case scenario, what would happen over time is that Boeing would end up with the United States, about 20% to 25% of the global market. Airbus would end up with the rest of the world, about 75%-80% of global markets, because no one can afford to pay those numbers.”
Boeing is but one of the US corporations that are going to be severely impacted by the US’ steel and aluminum tariffs. Consider the list: GE, Caterpillar, John Deere, Whirlpool, General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Otis Carrier, Textron, LockheedMartin, not to mention the many construction companies that use large amounts of steel. The spot price of steel and aluminum in the US has risen significantly in the last few days. This is no way to run a railroad. Oh yes, I forgot to include BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, etc.
And before anyone says Trump doesn’t care, Boeings are made in Washington State, yes, Washington is indeed a Blue state, but what about South Carolina where 787’s are assembled, along with Kansas and other Red states where many components for all Boeing aircraft are manufactured. Boeing is a leading manufacturer a great nation called the UNITED STATES of America which is much more than just a loose federation of Red and Blue states.
Crippling American exports doesn’t seem to be especially smart does it?
More like especially stupid.
There is a very old phrase for doing something now for a tiny gain, while ruining your future.
Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
I gasped when I saw Trump mess with the price of steel. I don’t even want to think about the long range effects of this.
🤣 Ursula!! She shoots; she scores!! Rolling out the red bathmat!! 🤘
Either that, or Voice Of Reason is right and it IS his old beach towel. :))
Never forget that defining description of whatever Trumpler does: it all makes sense when you realise he’s working for Vladimir Putin.
There’s lists floating around here in Australia after the aluminium tariffs and accusations of dumping when Australian imports are maybe 2% of the market where there’s local equivalents of US products for common grocery items