Tag Archives: Politics

Cars, Culture, Government, Politics

Shuttering A Family Business

The US administration’s current tariff policy is gutting a family business. Not that most Americans would think about it. The push to re-patriate the automotive industry to the United States is supposed to “bring back” jobs lost to overseas countries. The truth is that in Canada, many of those jobs were created over a hundred years ago.

The Ford Motor Company of Canada, founded 1904

General Motors Company of Canada 1918

The Chrysler Corporation of Canada 1925

Kaiser Willys Jeep 1954

American Motors Corporation (Nash & Hudson) 1954

Honda Canada Inc 1986

Toyota Manufacturing Inc 1988

The Big Three were building and shipping cars to Canadians before WWII. Four, and five generations of Canadian families have worked in the factories, the shops, accessories and parts businesses feeding these successful companies. It’s in their DNA. They have taken loans to buy cars, mortgages to build homes, grow towns, and slogged to work for their families.

And why are these companies in Canada? Market opportunity. Historically, Canada had no native manufacturers to serve its consumers, and the automakers in Detroit and Japan saw the potential of exploiting this virgin market. This expansion wasn’t about finding cheap labor. This was about mining Canadian dollars.

Now we are led to believe that Canada is “ripping off” the United States by building cars and trucks in facilities that have been financed by Canadian manufacturers. I think it’s a fair bet that every investment that has been made on Canadian soil in the last seventy-five years has been supported by Canadian loans and a motivated labor force.

These industries existed decades before NAFTA. The current tariff action isn’t a market correction. It’s a government-driven, grand-theft-auto: generations of jobs and livelihoods stolen by Presidential edict.

I have to remind you, gentle reader, that Canada is not just a neighbor. It is a friend and ally. Canadians have pitched in whenever the need arose: Dieppe, Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iranian hostages, emergency 911-housing. Canadian first responders have convoyed to floods and tornados in the US heartland, quakes, hurricanes in the south, and to forest fires in the west.

Worse than a slap in the face, this is a stab in the back.

Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said it best: “The old relationship we had with the United States… based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation… is over.”

April 2, 2025 will be remembered as the shameful day the U.S. shuttered a family business.

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Culture, Economics, Government

An Open Letter to Michael Whatley, RNC Chair

Bait and Switch

Dear Chairman Whatley: I am staring at my Sustaining Member card for the Republican National Committee, and I am debating whether to return it to the RNC.

I am dismayed by President Trump’s transparent attempt to fool his electorate into believing he is imposing tariffs on Canadian exports to the USA just to stem the flow of illegal aliens and to stop the production of fentynyl. He revealed his real goal: to balance trade between our two countries.

You well know he announced his tariff plans were contingent upon Canada bearing down on illegal crossings and drug controls. When he was satisfied, the tariffs would go away. Canada responded and is working with US agencies to comply.

Now President Trump is accusing Canadian exporters of “ripping off” the United States over a $68 billion trade deficit. In a $762 billion trade relationship, this is a 9% differential. Never mind he negotiated this trade pact.

The outcome of this capricious and arbitrary action is that we have lost the best friends we could ever have. Canadians are rightfully angry and scalded by this abusive action and language. You will witness that our flag is lowered from Canadian businesses. The national anthem is booed at sports. Provincial governments are canceling contracts with US vendors. American sales people are refused entry to Canadian offices. One wonders how American tourists will ever be welcomed in Canada.

The numbing question over this infamy is whether Americans are even aware, and if so, do they even care? The tariffs have created 40,000,000 enemies without a single shot fired.

I would remind you of an important test for what we say, think and do. It is the operating rule of the Rotary International, here in Evanston, Illinois: The Four Way Test. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

I believe that the President’s treatment of Canada fails this test abysmally.

I am urging you to communicate my anger and disappointment to the President with respect to this ridiculous and deceitful tariff ruling.

Yours truly, Phil Brown, Libertyville, IL USA.

CC: KC Crosbie, CoChair; Kathy Salvi, Illinois State Chair; Dean White, Illinois National Committee Man; Rhonda Belford, Illinois National Committee Woman; Daily Herald, Chicago Tribune.

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Government, Politics, Sports

Performing Under Pressure

Pats & Pres

Number 12 couldn’t make it.

In the locker room~

“Everyone listen up! Step forward everybody who wants to go to the White House!

Scrambled scraping of chairs, shuffling and stamping of feet.  Clearing of throats and nervous coughing.

“Uh, not you Tom.”

Sometimes it’s just not in the cards, and my suspicion is that we didn’t get the whole story when the New England Patriots visited the White House, on their own, without star QB Tom Brady.

The official excuse from the Brady household was that he had a family commitment.  More likely, he was rushed to find one after a round of calls between the back offices of the NFL, Ted Wells, the White House, and of course, the Patriots.

Is there anyone who really believes Tom Brady blew off the President and the Oval Office for a family picnic?  This is the same NFL star who managed to leave town and his family for 12 games during the season,  including the SuperBowl.

Political writers suggested he was a staunch conservative and anti-Obama.  And would never show.

Really?

Keeping Up Appearances At The White House

My hunch is that the powers that be had set up their dance cards about two days after deflategate hit the news. There’s no way that the obsessive meeting planners at the White House only thought in February to ask the Super Bowl champs to visit.

More likely they cued the caterer and photographer last November, don’t you think?  They probably had brackets displayed across the kitchen wall for months.

And the adminions-in-charge would have their antenna up for any possible smudge that could sully a Presidential photo op.   Remember, Aaron Hernandez, another Patriot, was on trial for murder at the same time.

Without question, the President would have to tap dance a bit if the deflated football story didn’t turn out well.

And it didn’t.

Special investigator Ted Wells was assigned to the case February 14, and May 6 he delivered his verdict.

The timing was precisioned too. With the deftness of a Manhattan social maven, Wells stalled past March Madness. Got beyond the MLB spring opener. Stretched it through tax day. Slid through the White House visit.   Let the NFL draft event take place.  And then 4 days later dropped the hammer.

The President was spared the embarrassment of hosting a person who was under a cloud. But to be sure, they burnt his invitation.

Their hunch was right, and they probably had it confirmed by Wells, or NFL’s Roger Goodell, weeks before.

To save face everywhere, Tom Brady stayed at home to see the fam, because after all, when it comes to what counts, politics is definitely low  priority.

Or is it?

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