spidermike007

The current political and economic climate between Canada and the U.S. has made traveling to the U.S. less appealing for many Canadians. 66% of Canadians indicated that the situation has made the U.S. a less attractive travel destination. This sentiment is particularly pronounced among older Canadians, with 78% of those aged 60+ noting that U.S. travel has become less appealing. This aligns with our research, which shows that older Canadians express heightened concerns regarding the state of Canada-U.S. relations. The perception of former U.S. President Donald Trump has a major impact on these views. Among those with a negative opinion of Trump, 86% said the current political climate has made the U.S. less appealing, with 59% actively avoiding travel to the U.S. Over the past few weeks, tensions between Canada and the United States have intensified, spurred by President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs and the constant threat of annexation. This heated political landscape has ignited a surge in Canadian patriotism, which is now expressing itself in a very tangible way: through consumer behaviour. In other words, shopping choices, travel plans, and overall spending patterns are no longer driven simply by cost or convenience—political considerations are increasingly at play. As March break, family getaways, and summer plans draw near, this sea change in behaviour presents a pivotal moment for Canada’s domestic travel market. Tourism boards, local businesses, and destinations across the country have a timely opportunity to harness this sentiment, encouraging Canadians to spend their vacation dollars at home and reinforcing a spirit of unity in an era of heightened political and economic tensions. Younger Canadians were more likely to have U.S. travel intentions, with 42% of those aged 18-29 and 41% of those aged 30-44 either having booked or planning to book a trip. Families with children were also more inclined to travel to the U.S., with 51% of those with children under 12 and 46% with children aged 12-17 planning a trip. However, as the tensions between the U.S. and Canada have escalated, 56% of those who initially planned to visit the U.S. have either canceled or changed their travel plans. Of these, 39% have shifted to other countries (20%) or different locations in Canada (19%), while 17% have postponed or canceled their U.S. trips. Younger Canadians (63% of those 18-29 and 62% of those 30-44) and those with children (64% with kids under 12 and 72% with kids 12-17) are more likely to have altered their plans. In contrast, older Canadians are more likely to continue with their U.S. travel plans, with 32% of those 60+ planning to proceed despite the political climate. Those who find the U.S. less appealing as a travel destination cite a variety of reasons: 48% cite concerns about the political climate or leadership, particularly under Trump 46% mention disagreement with U.S. policies 43% express a preference for supporting Canadian businesses and destinations 43% are also concerned about the weak Canadian dollar The combination of political concerns, disagreements with U.S. policies, and economic factors like the weak Canadian dollar is driving many Canadians to view the U.S. as a less appealing travel destination. Older Canadians are more concerned about these factors, with 60% of those aged 60+ worried about the U.S. political climate (compared to 34% of those aged 18-29) and 53% concerned about the weak Canadian dollar (vs. 30% of younger Canadians). Those with a negative view of Trump are especially likely to cite concerns about the U.S. political climate (54%) and policies (51%). Tariffs are another factor affecting Canadians’ travel plans. While tariffs had not been implemented at the time of the survey, 28% of Canadians said they would still have concerns about traveling to the U.S. even without them. On the other hand, 24% of respondents said the removal of tariffs might make them more likely to visit, but that the political will still influence their decision. Only 18% of Canadians noted that, if tariffs were not implemented, they would be more likely to visit the U.S. Now that tariffs have been implemented, they are likely to further discourage travel to the U.S., with many Canadians already expressing hesitation even before their enforcement. A significant proportion of Canadians plan to avoid traveling to the U.S.. 71% of respondents indicated that they intend to avoid the U.S. for at least the next six months. Additionally, 23% of Canadians plan to refrain from U.S. travel for more than a year, with 28% of those aged 60+ and 27% of those who view Trump negatively among the most likely to take this approach. A further 32% said they would consider returning to the U.S. once the current situation improves, though no specific timeline was provided. This sentiment was particularly strong among those aged 60+ (39%) and those with a negative impression of Trump (36%). The significant number of Canadians planning to avoid U.S. travel highlights the growing impact of political tensions on travel decisions, with many indicating they will only return once the situation improves, reflecting a deeper shift in attitudes toward cross-border relations. This emotional undercurrent is shifting travel and buying patterns in ways we haven’t seen before. It’s not just feel-good rhetoric: Canadians are breaking old habits and forming new ones, motivated by something far more powerful than a good deal or a chance to earn loyalty points. Many Canadians now see their spending as a statement, whether that means choosing a cottage weekend in Ontario over a shopping trip across the border or picking local vendors instead of U.S.-based retailers. It’s rare to witness such a profound shift in consumer sentiment. Yet in this moment, Canadians are re-examining their everyday choices – from where to vacation to which brands they trust – and these decisions are fueled by deeply felt emotions. For Canadian tourism operators and DMOs, this is both a challenge and a remarkable opportunity: to meet consumers’ growing desire for authentic, homegrown experiences, and to solidify a new habit of supporting local that could endure long after the current tensions fade. Canada is the top country of origin for U.S. inbound international visitors each year. The U.S. welcomed more than 20 million Canadian visitors in 2023—nearly half the population of the country. Ninety percent of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the U.S. border, and the majority of Canadian visitors cross a land border on foot or by car. Border states like Washington, Michigan, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire are popular destinations for Canadian shoppers. Deranged Don. Making America less relevant and diminishing it's influence by the day. https://www.fodors.com/news/news/u-s-states-that-will-be-hardest-hit-by-canadas-travel-boycott

Trump lies when he says other nations will pay for them. He lies when he says companies will pay for them. Consumers will pay, so it becomes a tax. Be bold, big Don and for once be honest. It is a tax hike. And it could slow down the economy and result in a massive loss of jobs, and major inflation. Very dumb policy. It was the notion of taxing foreign nations that caught Mark Cuban's eye and he shared the quote to X, formerly Twitter, with his own addition asking: "Can someone explain to me how we would tax a foreign nation?" He continued in a thread, "A tariff is a tax imposed on foreign-made goods, paid by the IMPORTING BUSINESS (Walmart would be an example) to its home country's government. (USA) As an example , Walmart imports billions and billions of goods. If there is a 10 pct [percent] tariff, Walmart pays the US government 10pct on those billions, and guess who they pass that cost on to?" https://www.newsweek.com/mark-cuban-donald-trump-car-industry-tariffs-1946543

A PR puff piece for this hapless administration. She has accomplished next to nothing. That entire family is so toxic at this point. They hoped her youth would fool people into thinking that she was progressive. She is just a younger dinosaur. She is moving Thailand backwards at a breakneck pace.

Trump lies when he says other nations will pay for them. He lies when he says companies will pay for them. Consumers will pay, so it becomes a tax. Be bold Don and for once be honest. It is a tax hike. And it WILL slow down the economy and result in a massive loss of jobs, and major inflation. This is very dumb policy.

The deranged Trump policies continue to wreak havoc around the world. Even his own supporters are getting tired of his nonsense, and the Dow dropping substantially is Wall Street and the economy's way of slapping around this giant fool. A wave of frustration over prolonged inflation helped power Trump to victory in November, and a majority of respondents -- 58% -- said inflation would be a major factor in deciding their vote in future elections. But just 32% approved of the job Trump was doing on inflation. Views of the economy by households deteriorated this month to the lowest level in over a year, according to a widely followed survey by the University of Michigan. "He's just rushing a little bit. I think the whole thing with the DOGE is being rushed a little bit," said Gerald Dunn, a Republican 66-year-old martial arts instructor from Staatsburg, in New York State's Hudson Valley. "I like what he is doing but I think a lot of what he says is just BS. When he starts talking about annexing Greenland and annexing Canada, you know that's just smoke." "I struggle with things like picking a fight with Canada. Why are we picking a fight with Canada?" said Todd Wellman, a 49-year-old Republican from Indianapolis, who said he wrote in now-Vice President JD Vance as his choice for president in November. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-gets-middling-grades-americans-top-issues-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2025-02-23/

It certainly appears to a lot of people that both Musk and Trump are racists, however the argument that this guy made was pretty damn foolish. He should have just simply stuck to the facts, which are plentiful.

The US is guilty of betrayal. Trump knows no loyalty. Prior to the election many of his supporters knew that he adored dictators and despots and he had a lack of affection for democratically elected leaders, but did anybody guess that it would be this bad, so soon? Trump is a clear and present danger to the security of both the United States and the Free World and he must be stopped. The Senators and Congress members of his own party and the Democratic party must stand up and defend freedom and rational thinking, against this insane goon. From some of his speeches during the campaign: I will address inflation, I will bring the price of food down, I will make America affordable again. False. He has not even made the slightest effort to address inflation. I will solve the Ukraine crisis. I will get both parties to the table and I will get this resolved prior to my inauguration, if I am president elect it will happen quickly. False. The opposite has occurred. He is bowing down to Putin's dictates and making Zelensky into enemy number one. Now Trump is insisting that the U.S have access to 50% of the revenue from Ukrainian resources, and the right of first refusal on the sale of all Ukrainian resources. That's the equivalent of asking Ukraine to pay for war reparations from the damage inflicted by Russia. Ukraine is the victim, and Russia is the aggressor here, and Russia's being supported by China, and yet Trump is siding with Russia. Just another evidentiary point about Trump being one of the world's most dangerous men. I rest my case, your honor. Trump lied about his representative trying to meet Zelensky, while Zelensky was sleeping, when the media was covering the meeting that Zelensky was having with the representative. Just more fake news coming from the disinformation creep. Trump even went as far as to say to our European allies that if Russia attacked them he would not defend them according to the laws of the NATO alliance but rather he would encourage Russia to attack them if they were behind on their bills to NATO. That's the kind of ally you don't want to and you don't really need to have, isn't it? He is essentially making America less relevant by the day. Bizarre, insane, highly arrogant, inappropriate, unhinged and blatantly ignorant policy.

Here is what Trump has done for America!: Only 13 Presidents failed to get re-elected. Only 5 Presidents failed to win the popular vote. Only 4 Presidents have been impeached or resigned. Only 1 President has ever been criminally indicted. And only ONE President has done ALL FOUR. - DJT didn't lower taxes (He deferred them) - He didn't get Americans that healthcare coverage - He did not unite the USA, he divided it - He didn't lower prescription drug prices - He didn't get roads or bridges built He didn't decrease the deficit - He didn't end the opioid crisis - He made over 250 visits to his golf clubs costing us taxpayers $150 million - He didn't revive the coal industry - He didn't make covid-19 'disappear' He didn't make Mexico pay for the wall He is ranked the worst President in history He added $2 Billion a month in tariff costs to the American consumer He has a net-negative jobs creations for his administration He decreased corporate taxes, passing the tax burden to the workers He added $ 7.8 Trillion to the deficit - a full 25% of the total deficit He incited an insurrection against our government He is the only president to never achieve 50% approval. He didn't put "America first" and he sure didn't "Drain the Swamp... He left office with the worst job numbers of any President since the Great Depression with a net job loss over his term He is the first former president to be a CONVICTED FELON (34 times). The presidency is very much about character. Trump is a lowlife convicted felon.

Take the dog out, no excuses, no appeals. A vicious dog should never have preference over humans. Only overly woke, overly PC, and weak people think so.

It has been a long time since I've heard such a ridiculous bit of tripe, it takes years and years for manufacturers to retool and establish new manufacturing facilities in another country. If Trump was even moderately intelligent this would have been part of a Five-Year Plan to force American companies to relocate, but instead his blazing stupidity has set in motion a disastrous course of action that is absolutely impossible to implement. All he's doing is causing a huge tax hike for the American people, potentially decimating the economy, resulting in a huge spike in unemployment and massive inflation. But that's your boy you voted for him.

Time for this new leader to bring it on and inflict as much pain on the US as possible. I think that the entire world should stand up in mutual defiance of Trump. He is a blazing idiot, he is an absolute fool, he is incredibly ignorant, and he should be defied at every single opportunity. The world absolutely has to speak out and let them know that the creeps antics and stupidity will not be tolerated. Trump's arrogance knows no bounds, the US under his guidance is completely out of control, their influence is declining by the day, and Trump needs to be taught a very painful and very powerful lesson. The Canadians can lead the way. Bring on the pain.

Amazing how far behind the liberal party was prior to Trump starting his ridiculous antics and his back and forth tariff policies. They have defied all predictions and Trump has united Canada in a way we haven't seen in a very long time. May the US suffer for its indignities, and spectacularly ignorant behavior toward a close friend and allied nation.

Sounds like the very definition of Donald Trump.

For a very intelligent man Musk is an absolute moron, who seems to know very little about people, nor does he seem to have any compassion. It is very likely he's the least charitable man in the history of mankind, based upon his wealth. Same applies to Trump. They have that in common. He seems to have no problem inflicting pain and joblessness upon well-intentioned folks. He richly deserves all the push back that he gets and Trump was erroneous to an extreme extent by giving him this position and granting this incredible fool even more power than he already has. He has become a very obnoxious human being, and is despised throughout the planet. I never thought I'd actually sympathize with Marco Rubio but it's very easy to do that in this situation.

I've often found it rather bizarre that after lending somebody money, they grow to resent you and they end up finding ways to create problems instead of just dealing with the burden of repaying you, like responsible people should.

A suicide in prison should always be questioned, the likelihood of foul play is very high. Especially when it's a high-ranking cop who has the potential to spill the beans. Does Jeffrey Epstein come to mind, and is there even a 1% chance that was a suicide?

Always assume that she's 5 to 10 years older, and 5 to 15 kilos heavier, and that the photo is 5 to 10 years old. This is why when friends ask me for advice I always recommend spending no more than a couple of hours of your time getting to know somebody online, before meeting them. I know some guys that communicate with women that they've met online for months, sometimes years before meeting them. For me that just seems beyond the pale, where is the self-respect in that? You don't know who she is until you actually meet her, and spend significant time with her.

Any dog who bites any human being in a serious manner should be put down within 24 hours no questions asked, and no appeals possible. A dog should never be given priority over humans, and doing so is a sign of a broken society. Not only that but the owner should face a massive fine, there's just no excuse to have a poorly behaved dog who's aggressive toward others, especially defenseless children.

Petty squabbles over minor things here can become a really big deal, and you have a certain class of people who are very emotionally undeveloped and just don't know how to handle confrontation. Add to that incredibly poor policing, very poor police training, and a highly corrupt system, and it becomes a very combustible formula.

I really do find quite fascinating how offended Trump supporters get when you criticize him. Objectively speaking the man is likely the most offensive, most ignorant, and most ill informed politician of my lifetime. Every time he opens his mouth his incredible level of ignorance is on full display, he rarely ever talks about substance, and he spends the vast majority of his time name calling and criticizing everyone that he doesn't like. It is quite astonishing to me how MAGA has descended to a level where some of the less intelligent supporters are simply reduced to slogans, name calling as a juvenile tribute to their political Master, and memes rather than intelligent discussions. All Democrats are communist All Democrats are baby killers All Democrats support trans rights. All democrats are woke Do you know where we get our power from? We drink the blood of infants in basements of pizza parlors.

Shortly before the last election, Scott Bessent, now Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary, assured The Financial Times that Trump had no interest in reducing international trade and that his threats to impose sweeping, 20 percent tariffs on foreign goods were simply a “maximalist” negotiating position to be watered down during trade talks. “My general view is that at the end of the day, he’s a free trader,” said Bessent. A few weeks later, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked Howard Lutnick, now Trump’s commerce secretary, whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could become secretary of health and human services. “Of course not,” said Lutnick, treating the question as if it were absurd. During the transition, Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, acted indignant when Democrats asked Pam Bondi, now Trump’s attorney general, if she and the president-elect might consider blanket pardons for Jan. 6 insurrectionists. “I was the last member out of the Senate on Jan. 6,” said Tillis. “I walked past a lot of law enforcement officers who were injured. I find it hard to believe that the president of the United States, or you, would look at facts that were used to convict the violent people on Jan. 6 and say it was just an intemperate moment.” Just last month, Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas, who is both a Trump apologist and a supporter of Ukraine, insisted that when Trump trashes Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, it’s actually a sign of affection. “Trump tends to talk that way to his friends,” said Crenshaw. “He tends to talk nicer to his enemies. So if he’s talking to you that way, it still means you’re his friend.” Some of these men may have been deliberately dishonest, but I suspect there’s also a degree of self-deception at work here. In the four years Trump was out of office, an eerie amnesia about his erratic rule settled over the country, allowing people to project onto him hopes that were utterly untethered from reality. You might call this phenomenon, to appropriate a phrase, Trump derangement syndrome. truly believe that America’s capitalist system rewards merit rather than audacity and grift, the riches Trump has extracted from his office imply a measure of genius. He keeps winning. Surely he must know what he’s doing? It should be obvious, however, that extraordinary skill as a demagogue does not necessarily translate to wisdom as a ruler. If Trump’s lickspittles refuse to see that, it could be because facing up to reality — that they are party to the deconstruction of a once-great superpower — is at once shameful and frightening. Far easier to invent a Trump who isn’t there, a canny savant whose policy lurches are driven by some unseen strategic logic. Speaking at the New York Times DealBook summit in December, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said Trump had grown over the past eight years. “What I’ve seen so far is he is calmer than he was the first time — more confident, more settled,” Bezos said. Sounds like Trump derangement syndrome to me.

Such nonsense, the US is Canada's largest trading partner, can you imagine the US having to pay 25% tariffs on every good imported from Canada? Without Canada, Mexico and China the US would cease to exist as a nation, it would not survive. Trump is overreaching to a huge degree with his tariffs and his threats, and this simpleton is hellbent on destroying the US economy and perhaps taking the world down with him. He needs to be stopped. ASAP.

The least patriotic president in American history. You redefines the word coward. His former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired general, has alleged that Trump referred to Americans killed in World War I as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump has denied that allegation. The 74-year-old retired Army veteran was Trump’s superior—the first captain, or highest-ranking cadet—in Trump’s 1964 graduating class at the New York Military Academy. White said he witnessed up close Trump’s contempt for military service, discipline, and tradition, as well his ungoverned sense of entitlement, all helped along by his father Fred Trump’s generous donations to the school. “No, those remarks absolutely didn’t surprise me. In my dealings with him he was a heartless, obnoxious son of a bitch,” White told me in an interview over the weekend. According to White and other former classmates at the academy, Trump’s five years there, coupled with the disregard for U.S. military traditions he learned at his father’s knee, helps explain a great deal of the president’s reported contempt for those who fought, died, or were wounded in America’s wars, as well as his skeptical view of the need for the United States to fight in places like Vietnam and Iraq. According to the Atlantic magazine, during a trip to France to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 U.S. Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers.” Indicating that he didn’t understand why the United States had intervened at all in Europe in 1917, Trump also reportedly asked aides, “Who were the good guys in this war?” The Atlantic article, portions of which have been corroborated by the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and Fox News, also reported that when Trump aborted a visit to another World War I cemetery, blaming the weather, he remarked, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In addition, Trump reportedly said that the presence of maimed U.S. veterans would upset spectators at a military parade, commenting, “Nobody wants to see that.” Trump’s comments appeared to be in line with the attitude he reportedly evinced on Memorial Day 2017, when he visited the grave of 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, the son of his then-homeland security secretary and later chief of staff John Kelly. Standing at the grave of the younger Kelly, who died in Afghanistan in 2010, Trump reportedly turned to the secretary and said: “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” “This whole thing is as much about his disrespect for all types of service as about the military, but it was clear to me he saw value in claiming military bona fides,” said Michael D’Antonio, a Trump biographer. But the academy did leave Trump with his love of superficial military grandeur, especially parades and medals. In 2016, then-candidate Trump told a supporter who gave him a copy of his Purple Heart: “I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.” Trump’s apparent disdain for the military continues a long family tradition. His grandfather left Germany to avoid military service in the late 1800s, while his father never served. According to Mary Trump’s book, both Fred Trump Sr. and Donald Trump harshly criticized the decision by her father, the president’s older brother, Fred Trump Jr., to join the U.S. Air National Guard. Trump himself sought multiple draft deferments to avoid the Vietnam War. A number of Trump biographers have confirmed that Trump evaded the Vietnam draft, and he himself has admitted to the Washington Post, “I had a lot of deferments,” and he “always felt somewhat guilty” about avoiding service. What makes Trump different is that rather than justifying this subterfuge by questioning the war’s legitimacy, he impugned the intelligence and bravery of those who did fight, calling them suckers and labelling one of the most famous veterans, John McCain, a loser because he was captured and spent more than five years in a POW camp.” It’s real simple. His grandfather dodged the draft in Germany and his father never went in. And when I came back from Korea, in 1972, I ran into him in New York City and told him where I’d been, he didn’t give a flying rip<deleted> that I’d been to Korea. He made barfing noises,” White said. “I said, ‘Holy <deleted>, you are a piece of work.’”

Russia is a growing threat to the entire planet under this serial killing, genocidal despot dictator. They deserve all the criticism and pushback that they get, and America should be ashamed of itself for having a leader who supports this absolute maniac. And even more ashamed for not showing enough disapproval of his ridiculous daily antics.

Well Zelensky is obviously being a bit more thoughtful about the process this time around, and I can't imagine that he's actually looking forward to negotiations when his country is not being allowed to participate, being one of the two parties of this ongoing war! I'm very proud of Zelensky mouthing off to Trump and giving him an earful. Many around the world think that he made Trump and Vance look very foolish and that he deliberately baited them. Telling it like it is, and speaking truth to power. But as we know it didn't go too well, however I do not think Zelensky ever wanted that, as the mineral deal was a terrible deal for you his nation. There's no doubt right now that Trump's talk of sanctions against Russia are simply something that he got permission from Putin, in order to do well in advance, and something that's just simply for the sake of the cameras and his political base, as he's looking like an absolute goon to the extent that he bows down to Russia, and pays fealty to the Russian King. I don't expect much to come out of these negotiations, and I'm hopeful the NATO gets more deeply involved in the support of Ukraine against the serial killing genocidal dictator. My heart goes out to him for having to apologize to Trump, I can only imagine what it would be like to apologize to such an undignified, and ignorant circus clown.