uncle, outrage at specific injustices is a whole long way from 'everyone hates us' as a general condition ... it's not a two-choice or even multiple-choice question with neatly packaged answers, there is a great deal to consider on any international relations
'folks are really motivated by their pocket book' - well yes, it's fairly clear to us that the yellow pine lobby currently at the helm of your 'Commerce' department is motivated by their pocket books ... they will get really serious upward moves in their timberland appraisals if they can cut us out of the continental market, we understand this motivation quite thoroughly
'recently imposed (approx 2 month old) American tariff ' - one of 19.3% imposed in August, plus one of 12-15% [varies] added on earlier this month .... but we have been defending ourselves against this same lobby for roughly twenty years ... every time we win or cave in or some combination of the two, they work the halls of Washington power to get the rules changed in their favour - this time we are really up against a system rigged against us .. and btw, we too are inhabitants of the Americas
'is hurting you personally' - actually no, as luck would have it, not directly very much, just because of the way i worked things out this year, in consideration of other factors ...... but we have neighbours here who are hurting badly, they will be wiped out if general ignorance of the issue among the US population continues, and that timber lobby stays in control of foreign policy .... there are many small communities here absolutely dependent on forestry
Every hour millions of dollars worth of US-provenanced goods and services cross the 49th coming north completely free of any tariffs ... longest undefended border on the planet ... we have fought side by side in WWI, WWII, Korea .. [and btw i've used you as an example of professionalism in so doing - #reply-16664707 ] .... we share a great deal of common roots, common attitudes, a respect in common for the principled rule of law ... on the latter, i think you'll find that if you investigate that 'Coalition' timber lobby you'll see that they have considerably less of this respect, they have in Mr Kinsley's words 'made a mockery of established trade policy' - city.pg.bc.ca
Nothing to do with hatred, uncle - what we've got is huge dismay at the general ignorance among the US population of this issue - which hurts them as well, homebuyers, homebuilders, distributors, etc [Home Depot has been vocal against the lobby, others as well] ... but of course to lesser degree individually than the whole towns the lobby would wipe out here |
