One of our Substack community, Adam, framed Trump’s presence at his latest convention in terms that Led Zeppelin fans would appreciate (When The Levee Breaks):
“Going down, down, going down, going down, down, going down...”
Today is the second and final day of Trump’s “Trumpapalooza” event in Dallas, where his desperate accomplices are scraping together enough people to fill a smallish venue in a city of 1.3-million people.
We’re talking about a need for maybe 20,000 attendees here. 10,000 if you spread them out.
Dallas-Fort Worth has 450,000 registered voters. Consider that half of them are Republican, Donald should have 225,000 enthusiasts to draw from. But his economic policies – the main voter draw – are only popular with 33% of voters (an all-time low). That would leave him with 74,250 potential attendees. But considering that even two-thirds of the Republican politicians do not want to get contaminated by being seen with Trump, that reduces the potential crowd , and leaves 22, 275 willing subjects as potential seat-fillers.
Trump needs them all – every single supporter – to fill his stadium. That never happens with any event. Even if – as has happened here – Trump’ lackies are offering free tickets.
When Trump finds that out, he’s going to have a diaper-load.
Speaking of which, among the little warning signs you probably noticed in your search for things that would ring Trump down, is the small matter of toilet paper.
People are soon going to have to spend twice the money on a roll of toilet paper.
Every moment Trump can talk about Canada is a media moment devoid of child rape and forever wars, so you knew this was coming.
There is a great video explanation of the TP issue called “crap just got more expensive”… Bit crude…But the bottom line (as it were) is that Trump is screwing up the American people in his consistent ignorance.
80% of the toilet paper used in America comes from Canada.
And you can say that “America produces toilet paper too,” which is true, but 90% of the paper pulp used in that process comes from Canada.
Now both paper and pulp will have a 50% Canadian tariff.
(Canada is just trying to keep up with Trump’s tariffs, dollar-for-dollar; Canadians greatly regret this inconvenience. Sorry. When this is all behind us, you can have a free crap on us. No…wait…)
This seems to be a Trump move, in fact, when you consider that the first big toilet paper shortage was caused by Covid, and how Trump messed up the response to that infection.
Above the toilet paper issue, literally, is the light-bulb in the bathroom.
And in every other room.
It is well-known that Canada supplies the US with hydro power and oil.
But a lessor-known source is also at play.
Nuclear generators produce the nation’s single largest source of carbon-free, low-emission electricity, making up roughly half of all clean energy on the grid.
Most of that come from Westinghouse reactors.
Two Canadian companies—Brookfield Asset Management and Cameco—jointly own Westinghouse Electric Company.
Brookfield Asset Management: Owns a 51% majority stake through its transition and private equity funds.
Cameco Corporation: Owns the remaining 49% stake, combining its massive uranium mining capacity with reactor technology.
Their business is booming. The demand for AI is building on top of the new consumer demand, and the two firms and Westinghouse have secured an $80 billion partnership framework with the U.S. government to construct new reactors.
This is a first-of-its-kind partnership that is set to build new nuclear reactors across the United States.
The U.S. government will help arrange the financing and secure permits to get these plants built as part of the broader agenda to maximize US energy output.
One of their goals is to help America achieve energy sovereignty.
In reality, though, the energy sovereignty is owned by Canada.
These Canadian firms are at the absolute center of the American nuclear renaissance.
They also offer secure fuel supplies for the uranium.
The United States imports about 93% to 95% of the uranium used to power its commercial nuclear reactors.
Yes, you can see where this is going…
Canada is the largest foreign supplier of uranium to the US.
A full third of the uranium purchased by US reactors came from Canada. That would be about 10 million pounds a year.
Overall, in fact, Canada produces more uranium than any other region in the world.
Canada produces it. Canada processes it. Canada burns it in its reactors.
So far, Trump has evidently not grasped the fact that America relies on Canadian uranium, nor that Canadian companies effectively are America’s nuclear industry.
Nor of course that the American government is providing $80-billion to expand it.
He has actually signed four executive orders targeting regulations, aiming to speed up testing and licensing for new reactors.
Canada has a nuclear power rope around Trump’s neck.
Can you imagine how well this piece of Canadian sovereignty news would play out in Trump’s big event in Dallas?
The word “owned” comes to mind.
But Canadian officials have largely avoided targeting vital cross-border energy flows to prevent severe economic blowback for both nations.
Within its mix of energy supplies, Ottawa has not actually implemented export tariffs or supply cutoffs on nuclear fuel itself.
But don’t tell him…Donald thinks he is winning…
I will only say this about Trump’s overall tariff fixation with Canada…
Each year, per person, Americans spend $1,300 on Canadian goods.
Each year, per person, Canadians spend $10,300 on American goods.
Tell me where America is getting ripped off…
Threatening export taxes or restrictions on Canadian energy—including oil, natural gas, electricity, and uranium—is often described by economists and officials as Canada’s ultimate “nuclear option”.
Canada’s objective? According to The Walrus, “It cannot go toe to toe with the Americans in terms of economic warfare, but we don’t need to; we just need to give the massive centrifugal forces tearing at America a push. Focus retaliatory tariffs on congressional districts, wedge regions and manufacturing groups to accentuate growing differences and splits. If things get bad, raise the costs of key raw materials (aluminum, potash, energy, critical minerals) but do it in such way as to economically hurt people who can politically hurt Trump—and Republicans more broadly.”
America’s real weakness is that, were it not the world’s largest economy, its finances might look like those of a failed state.
This is particularly true of its staggering national debt, which just passed the unprecedented $40 trillion mark.
Consider demographics: the US will soon no longer be able to replace its own population naturally; fewer and fewer workers to support and replace an ever-increasing number of older people. And this at just the moment when US politics have made the main source of cheap labour—immigration—taboo.
Trump’s leadership failings are a godsend for Canada. Canada may have Trump’s full attention today, but if a quick victory eludes him, he may tire of us and change the channel by picking, or reviving, a fight with someone else.
Good luck with that.
Hope you have a nice convention, though.
https://barrygander.substack.com/p/trumpapalooza-this-donny-canada-owns