GD's Political Animal

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Ron Paul: president Trump, stop bombing Yemen

President Trump: Stop Bombing Yemen and Exit the Middle East! | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 17, 2025 - "Over the weekend President Trump ordered a massive military operation against the small country of Yemen. Was Yemen in the process of attacking the United States? No. Did the President in that case go to Congress and seek a declaration of war against the country? No.... Yemen hadn’t even threatened the United States before the bombs started falling.

"Last year, candidate Trump strongly criticized the Biden Administration’s obsession with foreign interventionism to the detriment of our problems at home. In an interview at the Libertarian National Convention, he criticized Biden’s warmongering to podcaster Tim Pool, saying, 'You can solve problems over a telephone. Instead they start dropping bombs. Recently, they’re dropping bombs all over Yemen. You don’t have to do that.' Yet once in office, Trump turned to military force as his first option.

"Since the Israel/Hamas ceasefire plan negotiated by President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Yemen has left Red Sea shipping alone. However, after Israel implemented a total blockade of humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza last week, Houthi leaders threatened to again begin blocking Israel’s Red Sea shipping activities. That was enough for President Trump to drop bombs and launch missiles for hours, killing several dozen Yemeni civilians – including women and children – in the process.

"After the attack, Trump not only threatened much more force to be used against Yemen, but he also threatened Iran. His National Security Advisor Mike Waltz added that the US may start bombing Iranian ships in the area, a move that would certainly lead to a major Middle East war.

"Like recent Presidents Bush and Obama, candidate Trump promised peace after four years of Joe Biden’s warmongering and World War III brinkmanship. There is little doubt that with our war-weary population this proved the margin of his victory. Unfortunately, as with Bush and Obama, now that he is President, he appears to be heading down a different path.

"The Republican Party is gradually becoming a pro-peace, America first party, but the warmongers and neocons of the old line in the Party are not going to let go so easily. Unfortunately many of these dead-enders have found their way to senior positions in Trump’s Administration, with voices of restraint and non-intervention nearly nowhere in sight among his top tier of advisors.

"To solve the Yemen problem we must understand it: Russian and Chinese ships, for example, are not being threatened because they are not enabling the Israeli demolition of Gaza. The slaughter there has been facilitated with US money and US weapons. It is the US doing Israel’s bidding both in Gaza and in the Red Sea that is painting a target on us and unnecessarily putting our troops at risk of retaliation.

"The US government, starting with Biden and continuing now with Trump, seems eager to make this our war even though, as Rep. Thomas Massie pointed out over the weekend, Red Sea shipping is of minor importance to the US economy. In a real 'America first' foreign policy we would be following the Russian and Chinese lead and staying out of the conflict. It’s not our war."

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Liberals revoke MP Chandra Arya's nomination

10-year Liberal MP Chandra Arya, who was barred from running for the party leadership in January, has had his party nomination revoked just days before the expected election call.

Liberals revoke Chandra Arya's nomination, after removing him from leadership race | CBC News | Canadian Press:

Chandra Arya in 2017. Photo courtesy

Presidential Office Building, Taiwan.

CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

March 21, 2025 - "Chandra Arya, a Liberal backbench MP whose short-lived bid to replace Justin Trudeau as leader was cut short by the party, says he has been dropped as the candidate for the Ottawa riding of Nepean. The 62-year-old has represented the riding since 2015.

"National campaign director Andrew Bevan informed Arya of the decision in a letter Thursday, just days before an expected election call. The move to remove him comes almost two months after the party also told Arya it would not accept him as a candidate for the party leadership.

"Arya had already been nominated, but the letter says new information obtained by the party's 'green light committee' led the campaign co-chair to recommend that his 'status as a candidate' be revoked. Bevan does not include any details about the new information.... The party also refused to provide any information when it rejected Arya's candidacy for the leadership race in January.

"The decision opens an Ottawa seat as an option for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has thus far not declared which riding he intends to run in....

"Carney is widely expected to visit Rideau Hall to launch the election on Sunday, for a vote on either April 28 or May 5."

CP NewsAlert: Carney to run in Ottawa riding of Nepean | Yahoo News | Nick Murray, Canadian Press:

March 22, 2025 - Mark Carney will seek election as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons in the Ottawa riding of Nepean. The Canadian Press has confirmed the move with two Liberal party sources.... More coming."

Mark Carney kicks out Liberal MP to steal their seat! | National Telegraph | March 23, 2025:

Friday, March 21, 2025

McArdle resigns as U.S. Libertarian Party chair

Libertarian National Committee (LNC) chair Angela McArdle abruptly resigned her office in January, during an LNC email vote on investigating misconduct allegations against her. At the LNC's next meeting Stephen Nekhalia was elected chair, defeating Mises Caucus founder and leader Michael Heise.

Libertarian Party Gets New National Chair After Angela McArdle's Surprise Resignation | Reason | Brian Doherty

February 4, 2025 - "Riding a wave of accolades for her role in convincing Donald Trump to fully pardon Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, Angela McArdle made a surprise announcement late on January 24 that she was resigning ... as chair of the Libertarian Party's National Committee (LNC). McArdle released a farewell video a couple of days before a Sunday night LNC board meeting via Zoom that selected her replacement in which she stressed Ulbricht's release from prison as the 'biggest political victory' the party has ever achieved. She also accused George Phillies, a past L.P. candidate for office from Massachusetts and operator of Third Party Watch, of being a federal operative.... She hinted without directly stating that she left the L.P. to work for the federal government in Robert Kennedy's Department of Health and Human Services....

McCardle at Libertarian convention in 2022,
ReasonTV. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"Kennedy certainly owes her; under her leadership the L.P. formed a joint fundraising agreement with his campaign, thus helping a candidate opposed to the L.P. raise money (while also keeping a portion of it for the L.P., and indeed the money flowing from McArdle's decision to ally with Kennedy seems to be keeping the L.P. from running out of money entirely.) Organizations she controls outside the L.P. in turn have received over $750,000 in 2024. The vast bulk went to her nonprofit Rescue the West, some from the Kennedy Joint Fundraising Committee itself and more from other PACs and operations associated with Kennedy's campaign.... This information was first reported in December by Jake Porter, a former L.P. candidate for governor of Iowa....

"The LNC at Sunday night's meeting created an investigatory committee to, in its language as voted on, 'investigate issues of conflict of interest and business practices of the Libertarian National Committee.' A live email ballot was in progress regarding forming such a committee that specifically referred to 'allegations of misconduct' against McArdle, with votes already cast indicating it would be created, when McArdle suddenly resigned....

"Looming over the proceedings was the allegation that McArdle was funneling party money to her own household, furthered by investigative work from Porter on his Substack. On January 21, he reported that under McArdle's leadership the LNC has paid over $45,000 since last February to a company called Freedom Calls for fundraising services. Porter discovered that McArdle's domestic partner and father of her child, Austin Padgett, was the incorporator of record for that entity.... The LNC had previously decided to suspend a series of monthly payments directly to Padgett in January 2024. The payments to Freedom Calls began the following month....

"In response to written questions from Reason about Porter's accusations regarding LNC payments to Freedom Calls, McArdle wrote: 'The LNC is reacting as best they can in the face of constant attacks by unstable litigants like Caryn Ann Harlos, and my cyber stalkers Todd Hagopian and Jake Porter. I have retained an attorney to deal with the aggressive cyberstalking by these men. I will be working with new appointees in the Trump administration to find out if the FBI and State Dept have been involved in the attacks on the LP and me.'.... Harlos is the LNC's elected secretary, who had filed a lawsuit in October seeking McArdle's removal, as reported by Reason. Hagopian is former elected treasurer of the LNC who had filed an amicus brief supporting Harlos' suit....

"The L.P.'s national board has in the past week faced an email campaign sponsored by the Mises Caucus (which has largely controlled the party since 2022) pushing for its founder Michael Heise.... McArdle firmly endorsed Heise as her successor, stressing he was the one prepared to continue her fruitful personal relationships with the Trump administration. Nonetheless, in the Zoom meeting of the LNC Sunday night, Heise lost in a 9–6 vote to Steven Nekhaila, who had been an at-large member of the LNC and threw his hat in the ring very late in the process....

"In the contentious questioning process from LNC members during the meeting before the chair vote he lost, Heise said, in defense of wanting to lead a third party after he endorsed and supported [Donald Trump for POTUS], that blind demands for partisanship on the part of the L.P. were insulting to would-be donors and harm outreach to potential major party converts. Heise also firmly insisted the LNC should not care about, and not seek the identities of, the unnamed donors he announced would pay him directly if he took the formally unpaid position of LNC chair....

"Nekhaila was not always a consistent party-line Mises Caucus voter, but he was part of their endorsed LNC slate at the convention in 2024. His win over Heise signifies a crack, if not a collapse, in the Mises Caucus hold on the party at the national level. Six LNC members endorsed by the Caucus in May did not vote for its founder and leader Heise Sunday night."

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Canada's carbon tax still an election issue

Canada's carbon tax is still an election issue. While new Prime Minister Mark Carney has zero-rated the consumer carbon tax, at least for the election campaign, he insists the industrial carbon tax is still necessary and plans to increase it; while Conservative leader Poilievre is still committed to ending both taxes.

LILLEY: PM Carney has it all wrong with industrial carbon tax | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

March 17, 2025 - "While Conservative Leader Poilievre was promising to scrap the industrial carbon tax, Prime Minister Carney was defending it as a necessity on his trip to Europe. On Friday, Carney and his just sworn-in government passed an order-in-council to reduce the rate of the consumer carbon tax to zero come April 1 [see video]. The industrial carbon tax remains in place, though, and will increase by nearly 20% on that same day.

"Standing in a steel plant in L’Original, Ont., about an hour east of Ottawa, Poilievre said that increasing the carbon tax on businesses at a time like this will kill off jobs.... Poilievre said that if elected Prime Minister, he would repeal the entire carbon tax while offering incentives for companies to reduce emissions. 'While the Liberals tax businesses who use energy, Conservatives will cut taxes and boost incentives for those who bring down emissions. Carrot, not stick,' Poilievre said.

"Speaking in London after a meeting with British PM Keir Starmer, Carney who has spent the past few days boasting about dropping the consumer carbon tax, said it was vital that there be a carbon tax on industry. Hang on a minute, until five minutes ago, the policy of the Liberal Party and a policy advocated by Carney was that a consumer carbon tax was vital....

"Carney said increasing the carbon tax on industries, like steel plants, is an economic opportunity that will create jobs. 'We have an enormous opportunity here in Canada. The United Kingdom has an enormous opportunity. France has an enormous opportunity. Europe has an enormous opportunity to leapfrog over American companies. They’re trying to turn back the clock and look inwards. We’re going to take that opportunity,' he said. Of course, if the polls change again and the Liberals are less popular, Carney’s answer and policy could change....

"While in London, Carney said that Poilievre couldn’t have the kinds of meetings he had on Monday, but Poilievre said that meetings on their own don’t produce jobs and economic opportunity.

“France signed a natural gas supply agreement with Qatar. We could be selling that gas,” Poilievre said while pointing out the Liberals have refused to approve LNG export terminals. We know they need our gas. Japan, Greece, Germany, France, and other countries, Ukraine, have all asked for our natural gas. But the radical net zero keep it in the ground ideology that has guided the Carney Trudeau Liberals for 10 years and caused the lost decade has prevented us from doing it,' Poilievre said.

"Carney did not get a deal to sell Canada natural gas when he was in Paris. In fact, he got photo ops and not much more. The British Prime Minister wouldn’t even hold a joint press conference with Carney....

"The biggest achievement Carney had on his European trip was showing arrogance and disdain when journalists asked about his significant investment and asset portfolio, now in a blind trust, and what potential conflicts of interest there might be. Carney lectured both Stephanie Levitz of the Globe and Mail and Rosemary Barton of CBC for daring to ask questions. He came off as arrogant and condescending to two of the people who will be covering him during the just-about-to-be-called election campaign. It wasn’t a good look for Carney and it wasn’t a good trip."

Lilley Unleashed: Carney's big carbon tax lie to Canadians | Toronto Sun | March 17, 2025:

Monday, March 17, 2025

Chinese gov't slaps tariffs on Canadian food

In retaliation for the Canadian government's tariffs on Chinese EVs, steel, and aluminum, the Chinese governent has imposed tariffs on selected Canadian food products.

China Hits Back At Canada With Fresh Tariffs Amid Donald Trump's Trade War | NDTV News:

March 8, 2025 - "China announced tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products on Saturday, retaliating against levies Ottawa introduced in October.... The levies, announced by the commerce ministry and scheduled to take effect on March 20, match the 100% and 25% import duties Canada slapped on China-made electric vehicles and steel and aluminium products just over four months ago.

"By excluding canola, which is also known as rapeseed, and was one of Canada's top exports to the world's No.1 agricultural importer prior to China investigating it for anti-dumping last year, Beijing may be keeping the door open for trade talks. But the tariffs also serve as a warning shot, analysts say, with the Trump administration having signalled it could ease 25% import levies the White House is threatening Canada and Mexico with if they apply the same extra 20% duty he has slapped on Chinese goods over fentanyl flows.... China will apply a 100% tariff to just over $1 billion of Canadian rapeseed oil, oil cakes and pea imports, and a 25% duty on $1.6 billion worth of Canadian aquatic products and pork.... The Canadian embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in August that Ottawa was imposing the levies to counter what he called China's intentional state-directed policy of over-capacity, following the lead of the United States and European Union, both of which have also applied import levies to Chinese-made EVs. In response, China in September launched an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola imports. More than half of Canada's canola exports go to China and the trade was worth $3.7 billion in 2023, according to the Canola Council of Canada. The investigation on Canadian canola is still ongoing.

"That canola was not included in the list of tariffs this time might also be a gesture to leave room for negotiations," said Rosa Wang, an analyst with agricultural consultancy JCI. Beijing could also be hoping that a change in government in Ottawa makes it more amenable.... China is Canada's second-largest trading partner, trailing far behind the United States. Canada exported $47 billion worth of goods to the world's second-largest economy in 2024, according to Chinese customs data."

China Canada: $2.6Bn Canadian Products Face New Chinese Tariffs | China Tariffs | Canada News | WION | March 8, 2025:

Canada sleepwalks into another trade war – this time with China | SaskToday | Sylvain Charlebois:

The lack of foresight in Ottawa’s trade and industrial policies is astonishing. And farmers keep paying the price.

March 11, 2025 - "Canada has walked itself into an unnecessary trade war with the United States’ biggest geopolitical rival, China.... [N]ew retaliatory tariffs from China directly target our farmers, affecting over $3 billion in agri-food commodities and products. These measures are a direct response to Canada’s decision to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) back in October — a move designed to align with U.S. trade policy and shield the North American auto sector from low-cost competition. But now, the landscape has shifted: Joe Biden is no longer in office, Donald Trump is signalling hostility toward Canada, and China is retaliating against Canadian farmers. Meanwhile, the United States is also taking an aggressive stance against Canada....

"China is once again sending a clear message by targeting Canadian farmers in retaliation for an EV tariff — even though Canada has yet to import a single Chinese-made electric vehicle. This comes at the same time that Canada installs a new prime minister to replace Justin Trudeau, the leader who originally imposed the EV tariffs. The symbolism is undeniable, yet it remains unclear whether Ottawa grasps its significance.

"At the heart of this issue is Canada’s flawed strategy on EVs — a policy that mirrors the protectionist nature of supply management in the dairy sector. The federal government has poured over $50 billion into the EV and battery industries, supporting domestic manufacturing, critical minerals and supply chain development. Beneficiaries include Volkswagen, Stellantis-LG Energy Solution, Northvolt and Honda, among others. To protect these investments, Ottawa followed the U.S. lead in imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs, effectively limiting market competition and driving up domestic EV prices over time....

"[I]f the Canadian government is still serious about climate action, shouldn’t it prioritize making EVs more affordable rather than blocking cheaper imports? Instead, Ottawa has chosen to prioritize jobs in the auto sector over environmental concerns. The inconsistency is staggering. Meanwhile, the EV and battery industries that Canada is trying to protect remain in their infancy. We are not importing Chinese EVs, yet our agricultural sector is bearing the cost of this policy misstep."

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Ron Paul: Tariffs are theft

Tariffs are Theft | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 10, 2025 - "The US and China came closer to a full-fledged trade war last week when China imposed tariffs of up to 15 percent on key US agricultural exports. This was retaliation for President Trump’s increasing of tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States from 10 percent to 20 percent.

Ron Paul in 2012. Photo: David Carlyon.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"China’s retaliatory tariffs show how export-dependent industries are harmed by protectionist policies. Even if other countries refrain from imposing retaliatory tariffs, exporters can still suffer from reduced demand for their products in countries targeted by US tariffs. Businesses that rely on imported materials to manufacture their products also suffer from increased production costs thanks to tariffs. President Trump acknowledged how tariffs harm US manufacturers when he granted US automakers’ request for a one-month delay in new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada....

"Contrary to popular belief, foreign businesses do not pay tariffs. Tariffs are paid by US businesses that wish to sell the imported goods. When tariffs are increased, the importing businesses try to recoup their increased costs by increasing their prices. Consumers then must choose whether to pay the higher price, find a cheaper alternative, or do without the product. Whatever they choose, consumers will be worse off....

"Tariffs may provide a short-term benefit to the protected businesses. However, tariffs could keep businesses alive that should be allowed to fail so the business owners and workers can put their talents to use in other endeavors that would more greatly benefit and the whole economy.

"Defenders of tariffs, including President Trump, claim the revenue from tariffs can be used to 'offset' the revenue government loses from tax cuts. Some even claim that tariffs can generate enough revenue to allow the government to repeal the income tax. The problem with this is that a tariff brings in more revenue to 'pay for' tax cuts only to the extent the tariff does not cause consumers to cease buying imported goods. Thus, the tariffs, to bring revenue to the government, must not be large enough to discourage Americans from buying foreign products. The more tariffs increase government revenue, the more they will tend to fail in bringing about another often promoted tariff goal — an increase in the purchase of domestic goods.

"According to the Tax Foundation, if President Trump’s tariff plan for China, Mexico, and Canada were fully implemented, it would increase federal tax revenue by 142 billion dollars this year — an average tax increase of over one thousand dollars per household. The tariffs would also decrease economic output. This does not account for the decline in consumer satisfaction caused by consumers being forced to alter their consumption choices because of government-caused price increases. It also does not account for the new businesses, products, and jobs that could have been created had government not drained resources from the productive economy via tariffs.

"The economic effects are a good enough reason to oppose raising tariffs. However, the main reason to oppose tariffs is that tariffs, like all taxes (including the inflation tax), are theft."

Friday, March 14, 2025

Liberal donors' foreign aid org. funded liberally by Trudeau gov't

An international aid organization run by Liberal Party donors received almost $180 Million from the Trudeau government.

Liberal donors, former candidate lead foreign aid org that received $180M since 2015 | True North | Cosmin Dzsurdzsa:

February 11, 2025 - "Ottawa’s corridors are no stranger to cozy relationships between the federal government and international aid organizations, but few cases highlight the deep entanglement between government foreign aid funds and political influence quite like Cuso International. On the surface, Cuso International is a humanitarian organization dedicated to foreign development projects.... True North has discovered that four members of the organization’s board and executive leadership are listed as donors to the Liberal Party of Canada in Elections Canada records, contributing a combined $11,279.60 when individual donations were added together.

from Cuso International's Facebook page.

"According to Cuso International’s financial statements between 2015 and 2024, the organization received a total of $179,434,291 from Global Affairs Canada via its Volunteer Cooperation Program and other funds.... This funding accounts for a significant portion of the organization’s overall revenue, with GAC contributions making up as much as 69.18% of total revenue in 2016....

"At the helm of this publicly funded organization is CEO Nicolas Moyer, a self-described social entrepreneur who once sought a nomination under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s banner. In 2016, Moyer declared himself 'thrilled and honoured' to be approved as a nomination candidate for the Ottawa–Vanier riding, though he ultimately lost.... Moyer was ... photographed cheerily smiling beside Trudeau – a photo that remains on his candidacy’s Facebook profile.... [H]e has donated over $9,000 to the Liberals between 2017 and 2022 according to Elections Canada contribution records....

"Board of Directors Co-chair Lori Spadorcia is an even more generous donor to the party and has a past as a Liberal staffer. Elections Canada contribution data shows Spadorcia has personally contributed more than $13,000 to the party. Her ties stretch back to the Paul Martin days when she was hired as a director of policy under former Liberal Minister Bill Graham.... Spadorcia was also photographed with then-Liberal Party of Canada leader Trudeau in 2013 as the VP of communication and partnership for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health....

"Denise Amyot, another board member and decorated philanthropist, held senior positions under Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, including a role as assistant deputy minister. More than just a donor, Amyot was quoted by the Liberal Party of Canada publicly praising Trudeau’s 2017 budget, saying she was 'very happy' about it as the president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada.

"Rosemary McCarney, another key figure at Cuso International ... was appointed by Trudeau as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Office on Nuclear Disarmament....

"Are Canadians’ tax dollars being used to genuinely help the world’s most vulnerable, or are they financing a network of Liberal loyalists under the banner of international development? The funded project objectives are telling. Cuso International’s projects align almost perfectly with the Trudeau government’s progressive priorities — diversity, equity, inclusion, gender equality, and climate change.

"Those projects include the ongoing 'Blueprints for Gender Equality' towards which Global Affairs Canada budgeted $2.5 million to 'foster more open, inclusive, and gender-responsive governance in Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.' These are not broad-based humanitarian efforts but rather ideologically charged initiatives that seem to mirror Liberal policy objectives."

Pages