Great piece, (yet again) Mark – appreciate all the effort you put in (and thus save us). PP almost tempts me onto X, but my brain is straining with intake-volume as it is. Cheers for bringing us his insights.
As a Canadian Xer and a cultural refugee – first from a literal commune/cult, then the cult of left – I’ve been thinking about this question for years (and now write about it, working hard on post-tribalism).
A few insights that might tickle and or resonate.
I have come to see the problem as not one of left and right (though without question, the excesses on the political “left” have been crazy-making and destructive for many years, wildly unprincipled, also).
The way I am now breaking it down is in terms of consumerist mindset, versus citizen mindset. I’ve seen citizens from left and right cooperate effectively repeatedly, without even remarking on it. On the other hand, get a whole bunch of consumerists in the same room – even from the very same tribe – and you will basically end up with a food-fight (the more educated they are, the faster).
Consumerists want all political change to come from someone else’s sacrifice (or even participation), this is one angle where the right (long better at community volunteer efforts) leads, significantly. This is also why so many claim to be environmentalists, without in any way “walking the walk”. Actual giving-up of consumerism on principle, (neo-asceticism?) then making that look good, really would be a useful demonstration, but has yet to be tried – because consumerists believe only in their tantrums!
In any case, I do sometimes get grumpy about American cheap-shots, even when they are very similar to attacks I make myself (mostly the, “Only I can say that about my sister,” syndrome, really).
But when I use the consumerist/citizen filter, I see the cultural political and financial struggles in America and Canada as very similar – that is – how do we get tens (or hundreds) of millions to pull their heads out of their posteriors in time (for the sake of society, economics, productivity, liberty, etc) to assert citizen level impact on democracy at all levels (lest we write it off altogether, as a failure).
Sharing simple contact with reality and responsibility to others (shattering of the narcissistic fugue) would be enough for massive positive societal shifts. Don’t mean to say easy, but as things get worse, people do get more open to solutions that haven’t been tried in awhile, but have worked before.
Mind you, any kind of “popular front” would require an overwhelming proportion of citizens, not consumerists (which means it gets only a sad turnout so far, though hopeful surges have happened, even recently). Just imagine if the tea-party movement and the occupy wallstreet movement had been able to recognize their common purpose, instead of rocking-out on performative culture-sanctimony!
Anyhow – yes, we Canadians got played, big time, and Donald got the man he wanted (keep Canada screwed up and economically crippled, for the sake of a long term Globalist Euro-debt game, instead of rising incomes and prospects for the citizens he was supposedly elected to represent).
Unbelievably frustrating for many, who were sure the shallow, performative and shockingly inept Liberals were done. Polievre is highly imperfect, but did stand with Truckers during covid, a stance which took absolutely incredibly courage in this context, and helped to break the lockdown spirit all around the world. (European farmers certainly picked up the torch, with heartening results).
Very simply, we were undone on the “...and good times make petty consumerists” axis. Screwed up by our own reflexive bigotry and sanctimony, and even more overwhelmed by Consumerist-Lefties (unprincipled hypocrite-fakes and phonies) of the boomer persuasion in particular.
Simple example with special relevance (we were much lied about, in American health-care debates).
Consumerists (that is, the idiot majority here, as there) usually think of Canadian health care as “Free” - “and gosh, how can you really complain about a free product?” This makes them put up with long term degradations of our system which are truly outrageous (post covid, esp). A sneering slogan substitutes.
Citizens recognize we pay for this system, and what it is supposed to be is not free but UNIVERSAL – only it isn’t, until we get staffing levels back up to where we need them (a problem which is decades old, and still they debate endlessly, instead of training way more freakin’ doctors, as we should).
BUT – it is crucial for me to insert this also. When I was a youngster (half a century ago) our healthcare system was so good that it was not only free, you could get that-day housecalls, too!
Only problem was, my father (a Catholic church Organist) had a very nice piano, and my doctor was a frustrated concert pianist (dual degree, even). So every time I did call the doctor for a house-call, I would have to listen to him playing Ravel or Mozart on the piano for an hour, before he even came to check how I was! (Rather pleasant as hold-music went, but still).
Public systems CAN WORK at a top level (and yes of course, general prosperity, such as we still enjoyed at the time, makes all the difference for such programs). But you also need citizen politicians at the helm, not performative clowns! (I’d assemble some top doctors, some widely experienced technicians and engineers, and a few nurses and people who clean hospital rooms, just to keep it grounded in actual patient-realities of the moment).
Cheers, good sir – sorry for rambling on so long. GREATLY appreciate what you do.
I’ve not read any great analysis of the Canadian elections.
What I picked up so far:
- Canada has had huge immigration. Importing the electorate?
- Conservative leader, Poilievre, was insipid on responding to Trump, and even lost his seat. And ran against Trudeau, who was gone. Seemed to ran as the not as liberal candidate.
- Media controlled by the Left. Did Censorship have an impact?
- Conservatives gained a bit from the last election.
- Far left party may not be seated, New Democratic Party (NDP), lost seats. Who won these seats?
- Carney ended carbon tax that was unpopular.
- Carney ran against Trump, portraying Poilievre as acting like Trump.
- Carney ran as an outsider.
- Crazy social policies is not an issue? No trans in sports?
- No fear of government power over reach? Trucker convoy? Ancient history?
And don't forgot the bovine stupidity that seems to be on the increase among Western populations. At least in the US there are plenty of based people fighting back.
I work with Canadians in the Ontario province and I can tell you that their philosophy is strictly driven by what the Canadian government tells them. These people are completely submissive to the federal gov't and don't blink twice to understand or accept that they could be leading the Canadian people blindly. My peers across the border are quite happy with being submissive and accepting of this. In other words, they are content with 3 month waits to see a doctor and cost of living increases. Socialism. When I inquire to them as to why they're satisfied they just shrug their shoulders as like to suggest they are just an innocent victim of what is discerned to them.
Canadian here, living in British Columbia (Vancouver Island). Here's my 2 cents:
"Who knew the former governor of the BoE would play Pied Piper to Canexit?"
Don't forget that Carney was the governor of the Bank of Canada before he was the governor of the Bank of England... and he screwed up both. ;)
"I'm half convinced the Trump admin preferred Carney, everything will stay unstable, and exploitable."
I concur. Trump played the Eastern Canadians like a fiddle. :)
As for certain provinces separating, I can definitely see that happening. Eastern Canada (Ontario and Quebec, the two biggest provinces population-wise) have always looked down on the 'redneck rubes' of Western Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan mainly, not so much for our west-coast liberals in BC (British Columbia). In Canada we have what is called equalization payments by the Federal Government.
Basically, the Feds take money from one provinces making too much money and gives it to those that don't make as much.
BC is slowly going conservative. My federal riding voted Conservative this past Monday for the first time in forever. I only hope that when Alberta decides to go its own way, BC (or at least northern BC and Vancouver Island) go along as well.
Great analysis of what just happened. I'm a Canadian and though I knew it was coming - I was hoping that we might head off the Liberal Carney Express. Unfortunately not the case. And there definitely was a lot of election tampering before, during and on election night - oddly greatly favoring the Liberals - duh! Thanks as always Mark!
What happens in Canada will take a back seat to events in Europe coming this year. The Bank of England (and other EU central banks) were relying on the rape of Ukraine to remain solvent. They needed that mineral wealth to backstop their lack of collateral; the latter of which is necessary to support sovereign bond sales and exchange foreign currencies. A financial crisis is coming to the European Continent and Carney's job is to try to substitute Canadian assets for Ukrainian. As a consequence, things could get dicey up north if Alberta actually asserts its independence. Trump may take a page from Putin's playbook. Four oblasts in Ukraine voted to join Russia and were then absorbed. If that happens here with Alberta and Saskatchewan, Quebec will also secede and Canada will fracture completely. Can US fracturing be far behind? Time will tell.
I believe that the US will indeed fracture. The choice was only ever between a Hero figure turning the tide of decay or Hard Times involving some kind of civil war or break up. Trump, the "hero" has failed, so Hard Times it is.
If bankers need mineral wealth listed on paper to use as collateral for their money creation... this would be the one and only point of honor among thieves, in their great game. Per Alex Krainer,
/quote
I recently came across an important and concrete corroboration of all this. In an article titled “How stolen Alberta oil keeps creating $9 trillion in fraudulent collateral,” political economist Regan Boychuk revealed important insights into the way incentives for war become policy. He made the case that the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was about keeping Iraqi oil off the world market in order to maximize the value of 175 billion barrels of newly 'proven' Alberta oil resource.
“While the rest of Canada woke up hungover to a Liberal minority under Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta soberly took the first legal step toward the exit door.
Tuesday afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025—and buried inside it is the most explosive reform in decades: a realistic path to a citizen-led referendum on Alberta separation.”
Fascinating take by Pilkington. My colleagues and I were just doing a "Canada has fallen" lament over lunch yesterday. Thanks for sharing and analyzing.
Great piece, (yet again) Mark – appreciate all the effort you put in (and thus save us). PP almost tempts me onto X, but my brain is straining with intake-volume as it is. Cheers for bringing us his insights.
As a Canadian Xer and a cultural refugee – first from a literal commune/cult, then the cult of left – I’ve been thinking about this question for years (and now write about it, working hard on post-tribalism).
A few insights that might tickle and or resonate.
I have come to see the problem as not one of left and right (though without question, the excesses on the political “left” have been crazy-making and destructive for many years, wildly unprincipled, also).
The way I am now breaking it down is in terms of consumerist mindset, versus citizen mindset. I’ve seen citizens from left and right cooperate effectively repeatedly, without even remarking on it. On the other hand, get a whole bunch of consumerists in the same room – even from the very same tribe – and you will basically end up with a food-fight (the more educated they are, the faster).
Consumerists want all political change to come from someone else’s sacrifice (or even participation), this is one angle where the right (long better at community volunteer efforts) leads, significantly. This is also why so many claim to be environmentalists, without in any way “walking the walk”. Actual giving-up of consumerism on principle, (neo-asceticism?) then making that look good, really would be a useful demonstration, but has yet to be tried – because consumerists believe only in their tantrums!
In any case, I do sometimes get grumpy about American cheap-shots, even when they are very similar to attacks I make myself (mostly the, “Only I can say that about my sister,” syndrome, really).
But when I use the consumerist/citizen filter, I see the cultural political and financial struggles in America and Canada as very similar – that is – how do we get tens (or hundreds) of millions to pull their heads out of their posteriors in time (for the sake of society, economics, productivity, liberty, etc) to assert citizen level impact on democracy at all levels (lest we write it off altogether, as a failure).
Sharing simple contact with reality and responsibility to others (shattering of the narcissistic fugue) would be enough for massive positive societal shifts. Don’t mean to say easy, but as things get worse, people do get more open to solutions that haven’t been tried in awhile, but have worked before.
Mind you, any kind of “popular front” would require an overwhelming proportion of citizens, not consumerists (which means it gets only a sad turnout so far, though hopeful surges have happened, even recently). Just imagine if the tea-party movement and the occupy wallstreet movement had been able to recognize their common purpose, instead of rocking-out on performative culture-sanctimony!
Anyhow – yes, we Canadians got played, big time, and Donald got the man he wanted (keep Canada screwed up and economically crippled, for the sake of a long term Globalist Euro-debt game, instead of rising incomes and prospects for the citizens he was supposedly elected to represent).
Unbelievably frustrating for many, who were sure the shallow, performative and shockingly inept Liberals were done. Polievre is highly imperfect, but did stand with Truckers during covid, a stance which took absolutely incredibly courage in this context, and helped to break the lockdown spirit all around the world. (European farmers certainly picked up the torch, with heartening results).
Very simply, we were undone on the “...and good times make petty consumerists” axis. Screwed up by our own reflexive bigotry and sanctimony, and even more overwhelmed by Consumerist-Lefties (unprincipled hypocrite-fakes and phonies) of the boomer persuasion in particular.
Simple example with special relevance (we were much lied about, in American health-care debates).
Consumerists (that is, the idiot majority here, as there) usually think of Canadian health care as “Free” - “and gosh, how can you really complain about a free product?” This makes them put up with long term degradations of our system which are truly outrageous (post covid, esp). A sneering slogan substitutes.
Citizens recognize we pay for this system, and what it is supposed to be is not free but UNIVERSAL – only it isn’t, until we get staffing levels back up to where we need them (a problem which is decades old, and still they debate endlessly, instead of training way more freakin’ doctors, as we should).
BUT – it is crucial for me to insert this also. When I was a youngster (half a century ago) our healthcare system was so good that it was not only free, you could get that-day housecalls, too!
Only problem was, my father (a Catholic church Organist) had a very nice piano, and my doctor was a frustrated concert pianist (dual degree, even). So every time I did call the doctor for a house-call, I would have to listen to him playing Ravel or Mozart on the piano for an hour, before he even came to check how I was! (Rather pleasant as hold-music went, but still).
Public systems CAN WORK at a top level (and yes of course, general prosperity, such as we still enjoyed at the time, makes all the difference for such programs). But you also need citizen politicians at the helm, not performative clowns! (I’d assemble some top doctors, some widely experienced technicians and engineers, and a few nurses and people who clean hospital rooms, just to keep it grounded in actual patient-realities of the moment).
Cheers, good sir – sorry for rambling on so long. GREATLY appreciate what you do.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If one is so inclined, in the link below a fellow Canadian succinctly sums up just why the Canadian election played out as it did:
https://barsoom.substack.com/p/post-mortem-for-the-canadian-election
Cheers
What on Earth can we do with the Canadians? Trudeau stamped on their faces for years, then they vote someone who makes him seem like a ballet dancer.
“I'm half convinced the Trump admin preferred Carney, everything will stay unstable, and exploitable.”
Another guy I peruse, Doomberg, called it months ago. He was saying that Orange Man wanted Carney. He wasn’t sure why, but he called it.
I’ve not read any great analysis of the Canadian elections.
What I picked up so far:
- Canada has had huge immigration. Importing the electorate?
- Conservative leader, Poilievre, was insipid on responding to Trump, and even lost his seat. And ran against Trudeau, who was gone. Seemed to ran as the not as liberal candidate.
- Media controlled by the Left. Did Censorship have an impact?
- Conservatives gained a bit from the last election.
- Far left party may not be seated, New Democratic Party (NDP), lost seats. Who won these seats?
- Carney ended carbon tax that was unpopular.
- Carney ran against Trump, portraying Poilievre as acting like Trump.
- Carney ran as an outsider.
- Crazy social policies is not an issue? No trans in sports?
- No fear of government power over reach? Trucker convoy? Ancient history?
And don't forgot the bovine stupidity that seems to be on the increase among Western populations. At least in the US there are plenty of based people fighting back.
I work with Canadians in the Ontario province and I can tell you that their philosophy is strictly driven by what the Canadian government tells them. These people are completely submissive to the federal gov't and don't blink twice to understand or accept that they could be leading the Canadian people blindly. My peers across the border are quite happy with being submissive and accepting of this. In other words, they are content with 3 month waits to see a doctor and cost of living increases. Socialism. When I inquire to them as to why they're satisfied they just shrug their shoulders as like to suggest they are just an innocent victim of what is discerned to them.
That's probably the British ancestry shining through! :)
Canadian here, living in British Columbia (Vancouver Island). Here's my 2 cents:
"Who knew the former governor of the BoE would play Pied Piper to Canexit?"
Don't forget that Carney was the governor of the Bank of Canada before he was the governor of the Bank of England... and he screwed up both. ;)
"I'm half convinced the Trump admin preferred Carney, everything will stay unstable, and exploitable."
I concur. Trump played the Eastern Canadians like a fiddle. :)
As for certain provinces separating, I can definitely see that happening. Eastern Canada (Ontario and Quebec, the two biggest provinces population-wise) have always looked down on the 'redneck rubes' of Western Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan mainly, not so much for our west-coast liberals in BC (British Columbia). In Canada we have what is called equalization payments by the Federal Government.
Basically, the Feds take money from one provinces making too much money and gives it to those that don't make as much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equalization_payments_in_Canada#Equalization_formula
Scroll down a bit and take at look at Table A. Then see which provinces get zero; all the ones with oil and minerals.
This has been going on forever. See the link below for a cartoon from 1915:
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Canadian-Milch-Cow-600x403.jpg
BC is slowly going conservative. My federal riding voted Conservative this past Monday for the first time in forever. I only hope that when Alberta decides to go its own way, BC (or at least northern BC and Vancouver Island) go along as well.
Cheers
Great insights, Russell, and my apologies for tarring all Canucks with the same brush above. There are good people everywhere fighting the good fight.
Steg, no worries mate. :)
There's not one country/province/state/county/canton/city/town/village that doesn't have it's share of dunderheads (not us, them!) ;)
Cheers
Thanks to you and all the Canadian readers for weighing in. Coincidence, I own a guitar made by a guy based in or near Victoria.
Well, British Columbia is known for its good timber/wood. :)
Cheers
Great analysis of what just happened. I'm a Canadian and though I knew it was coming - I was hoping that we might head off the Liberal Carney Express. Unfortunately not the case. And there definitely was a lot of election tampering before, during and on election night - oddly greatly favoring the Liberals - duh! Thanks as always Mark!
What happens in Canada will take a back seat to events in Europe coming this year. The Bank of England (and other EU central banks) were relying on the rape of Ukraine to remain solvent. They needed that mineral wealth to backstop their lack of collateral; the latter of which is necessary to support sovereign bond sales and exchange foreign currencies. A financial crisis is coming to the European Continent and Carney's job is to try to substitute Canadian assets for Ukrainian. As a consequence, things could get dicey up north if Alberta actually asserts its independence. Trump may take a page from Putin's playbook. Four oblasts in Ukraine voted to join Russia and were then absorbed. If that happens here with Alberta and Saskatchewan, Quebec will also secede and Canada will fracture completely. Can US fracturing be far behind? Time will tell.
I believe that the US will indeed fracture. The choice was only ever between a Hero figure turning the tide of decay or Hard Times involving some kind of civil war or break up. Trump, the "hero" has failed, so Hard Times it is.
Speaking of collateral,
If bankers need mineral wealth listed on paper to use as collateral for their money creation... this would be the one and only point of honor among thieves, in their great game. Per Alex Krainer,
/quote
I recently came across an important and concrete corroboration of all this. In an article titled “How stolen Alberta oil keeps creating $9 trillion in fraudulent collateral,” political economist Regan Boychuk revealed important insights into the way incentives for war become policy. He made the case that the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 was about keeping Iraqi oil off the world market in order to maximize the value of 175 billion barrels of newly 'proven' Alberta oil resource.
/endquote
Tam, looks like collateral damage:
“While the rest of Canada woke up hungover to a Liberal minority under Prime Minister Mark Carney, Alberta soberly took the first legal step toward the exit door.
Tuesday afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025—and buried inside it is the most explosive reform in decades: a realistic path to a citizen-led referendum on Alberta separation.”
Aptly named: https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_just_made_a_referendum_on_separation_possible_one_day_after_mark_carney_was_elected_prime_minister
As TomA intuited above, it seems a page has been taken from the Donetsk and Lugansk referendums!
Excellent news!
Fascinating take by Pilkington. My colleagues and I were just doing a "Canada has fallen" lament over lunch yesterday. Thanks for sharing and analyzing.