Living in the world today evokes the Vietnam War experience as told by the veterans who served there. 90% boredom punctuated by moments of sheer panic. We lurch from crisis to crisis, our nervous systems revving into the red and then gear-down over a resolution that was always on the horizon. It feels like we are mental patients held hostage by an evil nurse controlling the dopamine drip.
I wonder sometimes if this podcast adds to the continuing feeling of national and global catastrophe. And I am committed to curating content that is useful, true and occasionally offers some hope. But we also must turn over mossy rocks to see what slithers beneath.
The appointment of Mark Carney as prime minister has me researching a longer piece coming soon with some upsetting questions about what makes him tick. Based on what I’ve found so far, we are in for a very rough time. His background and secret dealings as shadow PM the past few years make Trudeau look like a MAGA populist. I’m not sure this country has enough gas in the tank to survive it and you’ll recall former British Prime Minister Liz Truss on this podcast revealing the mess he left the UK economy in — hence his nick name across the pond, Mark “Carnage”. More to come.
Our Ukraine interview with Scott Horton was educational to say the least — and at times even hopeful. I did believe that Trump was sincere when he blew up at Zelensky in that oval office meeting by shouting in support of stopping all the dying. But Trump 2.0 might just be a retread of the earlier version - a man with big vision for the world stage who is unable to execute. I know that sounds harsh and I have an open mind but the recent ceasefire proposal is a loser, one Russia could reject because it only benefits Ukraine. And more weapons are already on the way from America which makes no sense.
Two days ago, Ukraine sent 337 drones into Russia striking an apartment building in Moscow, according to the NY Times. This does not bode well.
Ukraine on Tuesday launched its biggest ever drone attack on Moscow, killing three people, injuring 18 others and causing a short shutdown at the Russian capital's four airports, Russian officials said.
Moscow apartment building hit by Ukrainian drone.
A senior Russian lawmaker suggested Russia should retaliate for Tuesday's raid by striking Ukraine with the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which Moscow fired on Ukraine last November after the U.S. and U.K. allowed Kyiv to strike deeper into Russia with Western missiles.
Col.-Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, head of parliament's defence committee and a former deputy defence minister, said such a decision was up to President Vladimir Putin. "But I think it would be useful — and not just one," he said.
On the tariff front, watching Doug Ford make the rounds on American television was just embarrassing. His folksy Bob and Doug Mackenzie, Canadian hoser-isms are moderately charming in situ. In public, meaning outside of our borders, he just comes off as a kind of rube — but one who appears desperate to seize the Trump-hating crusade that has infected much of the country.
His threat to tariff electricity to our American neighbours by 25 % played like a game of chicken but yesterday, after an “olive branch” from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — Ford did a very public climb down. It was always heading there but Canadian pols got their anti-MAGA moment and incited the country for political gain. Crisis averted.
Ford also had praise for Mark Carney for understanding finances like no other. Clearly he doesn’t read the British press who report Carney left a trail of destruction as Governor of the Bank of England. They are calling him a failure.
Why is a Conservative premier endorsing such a terrible choice for the country?
Please sir, may I have some more dopamine?
Stay critical.
#truthovertribe
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