Alright, onward.
In Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s new book about Donald Trump, they have a quote of his, about how some business leaders treat him. They “kissed my ass,” he says, claims the book. Some wondered whether he said something similar this week after the G7.
Most neutral observers have concluded that the United States was humiliated in its four-month war against Iran. For starters, no one can agree just why Trump started the war, partly because he kept changing the reasons why he put young American lives in harm’s way. Finally, after concluding that none of those initial reasons were working with the electorate, he said it was all about stopping Iran from having nuclear weapons. Which always rang a bit odd, seeing as he had claimed last summer he had “totally obliterated” for centuries any chance they’d ever have nuclear capability. Whatever.
Back to the present. Behind his back, some of his world stage colleagues have been laughing at him for the mess he’s caused himself in Iran, but there they were, the other G7 leaders, applauding him this week. Clapping away as he sat with them, scribbling his now Epstein-famous signature on what he claimed was a copy of a “peace deal” ending the war. Some deal. Some peace.
Why do they fawn over him like that? Is it as simple as just sucking up to the guy, hoping he’ll stop sticking it to them on trade deals? Maybe, or maybe they really believe, as Mark Carney said the other day, that the war “was worth it.” Of course, if that doesn’t get you a deal on tariffs, what will?
However, at the end of the day, it’s not hard to find columns ripping Trump for the disaster that was Iran. This Telegraph piece must have really bothered the paper’s former owner. Hint: he’s Canadian, a Lord, and Trump pardoned him.
🔒 How Trump’s ‘Operation Epic Disaster’ turned the world against America
Then again, maybe this week’s Iran charade helped Donald Trump turn some of his critics into allies. Maybe.
What it didn’t do was turn some of those really angry MAGA voices into reborn supporters – far from it. They’re outraged. Check this out from Axios:
MAGA hawk mutiny deepens Trump's isolation on Iran
So, back to Carney and his “worth it” comment.
Should he be getting the benefit of the doubt on this one? Like a hockey trade where “future considerations” are the backbone of the deal. Maybe that’s the way this will play out for the PM and for Canada.
There was one issue the other day where Carney got a nod he’s bound to appreciate. He’s been knocked around a bit lately for seemingly backing away from his climate talk of the past. Or has he?
Max Fawcett is the highly respected senior columnist for the National Observer, and on climate (as well as many other issues), when Max talks, people listen. As they did with this piece of his this week:
Opinion | Mark Carney still cares about climate policy
Good piece this week in the Calgary Herald by a guy who knows how governments work.
Kevin Lynch is a former Clerk of the Privy Council, often considered the highest unelected office in the land. Kevin has this piece on ten things you should watch out for on the Alberta referendum story. It’s well worth the read:
Opinion | Ten areas to watch with Alberta’s referendum
Lloyd Axworthy has seen a lot happen in his day, from his years as the lone elected Liberal in the West, to his days as foreign affairs minister fighting for a ban on land mines.
So, it was interesting to read his thoughts on the installation of Louise Arbour as Canada’s new Governor General. He got quite emotional about the moment as he wrote in the Toronto Star:
🔒 Opinion | At a pivotal juncture, this ceremony represented a moment of hope for Canada
Time to pump up a couple of our YouTube podcasts:
Yesterday’s latest Good Talk with Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson can be found right here.
And Tuesday’s Reporter’s Notebook with Rob Russo and Althia Raj is available at this link.
Myke Agecoutay is the former Chief of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation.
He worries about Canada’s Indigenous people being left behind as the country’s race for the latest technology heats up. He makes a very good point – most Indigenous communities are still offline. He was hoping for attention when he wrote this for National Newswatch, and he sure got mine:
Canada cannot be a global technology leader when Indigenous communities are left offline
I love learning new things about our country, and I usually learn something new every day.
Here’s something I never knew. We get asylum seekers, and more than a few, landing in Newfoundland from those two tiny French Islands just off the Newfoundland coast. Dylan Robertson wrote this for the Canadian Press:
Canada cracking down on asylum claims from St-Pierre and Miquelon ferry to N.L.
Okay, imagine this.
You’re a retired couple whose dream has been to sail in your own boat in the open seas. You pick the English Channel. Everything is fine, it seems. Next thing you know, you’re being fired upon by a Russian warship. Fiction or fact? Fact says the BBC, the two retirees, and the Russians:
