Politics

[Brent in Az]

 

[Hank2211]

My guess is Americans drink a whole lot more Crown Royal than Canadians drink Jack Daniel’s and Tito’s Vodka.. and the US distillers have already figured out how to deal with the shrink associated with the Canadian market..

I think it will be a whole lot harder for the Canadian distilleries to adjust… they’re losing a significantly larger market…

Americans that drink crown are typically very loyal to the brand.. but if it becomes inaccessible or priced higher than the true “premiums” brands, there are lots of American ryes to turn to…

Fear not, mdwest! As always, the devil’s in the details.

Diageo, which owns the Crown Royal brand, will continue to distill and age it in Canada, but has moved at least one bottling plant to the US. And it’s being reported that the sale of bulk Canadian whisky (ie., not bottled for consumer sale) is not subject to any new tariffs or the ban. So Diageo can continue to move Crown Royal across the border as before, and bottle it in the US, and you can keep enjoying the great taste of Canada!

 

[fourfive8]

Circular firing squads only help the other side win

 

[Russ16]

Fear not, mdwest! As always, the devil’s in the details.

Diageo, which owns the Crown Royal brand, will continue to distill and age it in Canada, but has moved at least one bottling plant to the US. And it’s being reported that the sale of bulk Canadian whisky (ie., not bottled for consumer sale) is not subject to any new tariffs or the ban. So Diageo can continue to move Crown Royal across the border as before, and bottle it in the US, and you can keep enjoying the great taste of Canada!

This is correct. Bulk whiskey has been exempted. That means crown royal and fireball are both going to be available as they are bottled here.

86% of imports by value will be impacted 69% by volume.

For whiskey specifically it is 50% by value and 20% by volume.

Hank did strike an important point several of the companies that own their brands are not Canadian and a few are US companies.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

The ones it will hurt the most on both sides are the smaller to mid sized distilleries

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Bang on, and Foxi you do us a huge disservice when you claim that most of us idolize DT. I for one have never voted for him in a primary, but have reluctantly voted for him in the generals as the alternatives were much worse.

This is a sentiment that I’ve seen a lot on the forum. I think there are very few here who genuinely idolize him.

 

[Mekaniks]

View attachment 791410

Yeah, no one is crazy enough to commit this early.

Rubio needs to shop the job for awhile. If he is seen as a potential threat to Trump's choice (whoever that may be) he will be vilified and beaten down before the real campaigning even starts.....

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Yeah, no one is crazy enough to commit this early.

Rubio needs to shop the job for awhile. If he is seen as a potential threat to Trump's choice (whoever that may be) he will be vilified and beaten down before the real campaigning even starts.....

You mean Trump might revert back to calling Rubio, “Little Marco?”

Personally, I like Rubio much more than Vance. I also think Mike Pompeo is interesting and smart.

 

[Pheroze]

The ones it will hurt the most on both sides are the smaller to mid sized distilleries

I am amazed at the genuine incompetence on display by the Canadian government. The background is that Canada makes up 1.5% of the USA $28 trillion economy. So, let’s pretend Carney is an intelligent negotiator. And, he wants to diversify away from the USA. Why would you telegraph the intention for years and antagonize the USA? We are much more attractive to investors if we can spend a few years trading with the USA, while quietly building our resilience by reducing interprovincial trade barriers and growing our resource sector. The short term deals Trump prefers would work well in that situation. Why this fixation on long term deals? How does that benefit “Canada Strong” A bad deal today, a less bad deal tomorrow and a better one after that. The entire approach to this relationship has been like an adolescent, not a competent financial expert.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

https://qz.com/hunter-biden-laptop-memecoin-crash-debut-090926

 

[Brent in Az]

Yeah, no one is crazy enough to commit this early.

Rubio needs to shop the job for awhile. If he is seen as a potential threat to Trump's choice (whoever that may be) he will be vilified and beaten down before the real campaigning even starts.....

I imagine Trump will endorse Vance since he's a loyal Trump yes man.
We'll find out if Rubio runs by the registration deadline?

 

[Russ16]

I imagine Trump will endorse Vance since he's a loyal Trump yes man.
We'll find out if Rubio runs by the registration deadline?

You’ll know well before the registration deadline. He’ll need to be laying groundwork and raising money.

 

[Mekaniks]

You’ll know well before the registration deadline. He’ll need to be laying groundwork and raising money.

Yup, and the GOP Presidential Convention will just be forgone formal party to raise money

 

[spike.t]

Interesting attitude they have on being open about their hacking experiments....

On a remote island, these GPS hackers are preparing for an invisible war

Energy grids, data networks, stock markets: how easy is it to shut down our modern world by attacking the systems that synchronise time and space? Meet the jammers finding out.

www.bbc.com

 

[spike.t]

And yet more to make to you nervous about AI....seems more people at the top are coming out nearly daily with warnings....

AI is becoming harder to control – can humans stay in charge?

AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried

www.bbc.com

Anthropic researcher believes more than 10% chance AI 'could kill all humans'

It is the latest in a series of increasing warnings about the safety threat posed by artificial intelligence.

www.bbc.com

 

[Foxi]

Bang on, and Foxi you do us a huge disservice when you claim that most of us idolize DT. I for one have never voted for him in a primary, but have reluctantly voted for him in the generals as the alternatives were much worse.

Guys.
Maybe the word “idolize” is a bit too strong a translation—sorry—but you hardly ever hear a critical word about him here; it's always the others who are doing everything wrong.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Guys.
Maybe the word “idolize” is a bit too strong a translation—sorry—but you hardly ever hear a critical word about him here; it's always the others who are doing everything wrong.

President Donald Trump is an asshole, a hugh asshole!

• I would not leave him alone with any female.
• He acts like a childhood schoolyard bully that antagonizes weaker children.
  • Trouble is that otherwise intelligent people don't ignore him.
  • But then, everyone needs someone to hate. It's our tribal instinct.

Trump is a poor excuse for a human being but,

• Trump is very effective as President!
• Trump's policy decisions don't always please me, but they do more often than not.

I had to use ChatGPT as I can't remember as all of this because month after month, Trump gets shit done!

Trump's Major accomplishments supporters can point to​

1. Immigration and border enforcement

• Dramatically tightened asylum and border policies.
• Expanded immigration detention and deportation operations.
• Illegal border crossings fell sharply from the levels seen during the Biden administration.
• His 2025 legislation provided roughly $45 billion for immigration detention and substantially increased enforcement funding.
• The administration says 2025 produced negative net migration; independent estimates also show a very large reduction in immigration.

2. Large tax-and-spending legislation

• Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025.
• It included major extensions/expansions of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, changes to deductions and credits, and substantial increases in immigration and defense spending.
• It also reduced or changed several federal social programs.
• This is probably his most significant piece of domestic legislation in his second term.

3. Deregulation

• His administration has aggressively rolled back Biden-era regulations involving energy, environmental policy, labor, finance, education and other areas.
• He has used executive orders and agency action extensively to change federal policy.
• By May 2026, Trump had signed 259 executive orders in his second term, illustrating the scale of the effort.

4. Energy policy

• Trump reversed many Biden-era restrictions on oil, gas and fossil-fuel development.
• He emphasized increased domestic energy production and reduced environmental regulation.
• His administration has also pushed to expand energy infrastructure and domestic mineral production.

5. Trade policy

• Trump fundamentally changed U.S. trade policy by imposing substantial tariffs and using tariffs as leverage in negotiations with China, Canada, Mexico, Europe and other countries.
• The administration has negotiated new trade arrangements and sought commitments for foreign investment in the United States.
• However, the economic results are very controversial: tariffs have also increased costs for some American businesses and consumers, and the Supreme Court struck down Trump's use of IEEPA for the broadest 2025 tariffs.

6. Federal government restructuring

• Trump and DOGE pursued a major reduction in the federal workforce and attempted to eliminate or shrink agencies and programs.
• This has produced substantial changes in the federal bureaucracy, although many of the actions have been challenged in court.

7. Foreign-policy pressure on allies

• Trump substantially increased pressure on NATO countries to spend more on defense.
• He has pushed allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense.
• His administration has also pursued a much more transactional approach to foreign relations.

First-term accomplishments​

If you include Trump's 2017–2021 presidency, the list gets considerably longer:

• 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — major reduction in individual and corporate taxes.
• USMCA — replacement of NAFTA with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
• Operation Warp Speed — accelerated development and production of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Three Supreme Court justices appointed: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
• Major deregulation across energy, environmental and financial sectors.
• Increased defense spending.
• Abraham Accords, establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states.
• Withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement.
• Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and movement of the U.S. embassy there.
• Creation of the Space Force.
• Significant pressure on NATO members to increase defense spending.
• Major criminal-justice reform through the First Step Act.
• Before COVID-19, unemployment reached very low levels and the economy experienced substantial job growth.

But there are important qualifications​

Some of Trump's biggest claims are not straightforward accomplishments.

For example, tariffs have protected some domestic industries but have also increased costs and generated retaliation. The 2025–26 tariff program has been particularly disruptive.

Likewise, while border crossings have fallen dramatically, the economic and humanitarian consequences of mass deportation are disputed.

And on foreign policy, Trump's record is mixed. As of August 2026, Reuters reported unresolved problems involving Iran, Gaza and Ukraine, making it difficult to characterize his second-term foreign policy simply as a success.

Bottom line​

If you judge Trump primarily by conservative policy objectives, his record is substantial:

✔ Lower taxes
✔ Much tougher immigration enforcement
✔ Much less regulation
✔ More fossil-fuel development
✔ Higher defense spending
✔ Tariffs and protectionism
✔ Smaller federal workforce
✔ Conservative judicial appointments
✔ More pressure on NATO allies

If you judge him by economic outcomes, deficits, inflation, foreign-policy stability, institutional norms or the effects of tariffs, the assessment becomes considerably more negative or mixed.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

President Donald Trump is an asshole…

Did you ever have a boss, mentor, drill instructor that rode you like a $10 whore? You remember the type who you hated at the time. Years later most of us realize they rode us hard, very hard to shape our character into what we are today. My hardest mentors in life including my father, USMC leaders, and those in my post-Marine Corps business career were who shaped me.

Now step back from the present and view what the USA was during Reagan’s presidency or even during Clinton’s time. Where are we today? When the majority of citizens had to choose between continuing down a path to becoming a third world country or fighting for what we once were, we chose a leader despite his numerous flaws.

Trump, when you don't want America to become a shithole country!

 

[Pheroze]

Interesting, the summary I read about his speech did not include anything about Canada. Was there any discussion at the conference?

 

[WAB]

Guys.
Maybe the word “idolize” is a bit too strong a translation—sorry—but you hardly ever hear a critical word about him here; it's always the others who are doing everything wrong.

I would suggest that you haven’t been reading the posts of many of us on the forum if you think that there has not been any criticism of our President.