Letters, March 7

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/03/2025 (249 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rot at the core

History tells us that all great empires crumble and fall in the end.

We are now witnessing the American Empire teetering on the edge of crumbling. The U.S.A. is the most heavily armed and fortified empire in all of humanity, able to ward of all invaders.

So what? It’s the rot from within that’s the danger to America and the world.

It is not yet a theocracy, but it is a baby oligarchy.

Although, truly, it’s a thugocracy at this moment in history.

Larry Moan

Inwood

What boycott?

I do not have a Canadian address, but I was born in Canada.

I would just like to share an interesting perspective on the boycotting of United States by Canada.

We moved to the States over 30-plus years ago due to my husband‘s career.

I find it very interesting that all the boycotting that is being done by Canada has not reached the people of Quebec and Ontario. I’m in Florida at a condo and every second car is either from Ontario or Quebec.

They should be boycotting the weather in Florida, they should be boycotting renting condos in Florida, and they should be boycotting buying condos in Florida, but they are not.

They are going to restaurants.

They’re going to stores and they contributing to our economy down here. And they are a stones throw away from Mar-a-Lago — where the president who they are supposed to hate because of the tariff lives.

So you might wanna let the rest of the people in Canada know that not all of Canada is boycotting the United States — it’s like picking and choosing what you want for your own desires and wants and needs.

D. Meyer

Kennesaw, GA

Fair play

I am writing to highlight a significant oversight in how our government policies address the needs of single parents.

While our leaders often emphasize being “here for Canadians,” the reality for single parents who juggle 100 per cent of financial and household responsibilities on a single income can be deeply challenging. We pay the same bills as two-income families yet lack the benefit of sharing costs.

Child care, commuting, meal preparation, and earning a living all fall squarely on one set of shoulders, leaving little margin for rest, self-care, savings, or emergencies.

I believe in a fair society where all working Canadians have the opportunity to cover basic expenses and save for the future and don’t — as in my case — have to work the equivalent of two full-time jobs, borrow from credit cards to cover basic living expenses, and use food banks because one salary does not cover basic needs for my family.

I have to commute hours each day to daycare and the workplace because I cannot afford to live in a more convenient area, and spend all my evenings working for my freelance clients just to try and make a little more to pay off debts incurred simply for basic living expenses.

Rent subsidy programs exist, however there is no support for anyone who happens to have a mortgage and find themselves suddenly on one income.

I urge policymakers at every level to consider targeted relief programs and more inclusive support for single-parent households, and streamlined communication about existing benefits. If we truly want to stand “here for Canadians,” we must ensure no one — particularly those already at a financial disadvantage — slips through the cracks.

Emily Wood

Winnipeg

Kudos to Trudeau

Watching the news reports and clips from various media in Canada and the U.S. on Tuesday of this week, I was impressed and encouraged by the demeanor and messages expoused by our leaders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his most forceful speech ever, Ministers Mélanie Joly, Dominic LeBlanc, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and even Alberta Premier Danielle Smith were all very forceful, focused and in unison on the message.

I think we should be proud of how the prime minister, the premiers and the federal team are handling this impossible situation.

They are galvanizing our resolve to navigate through this unwarranted trade war.

Cameron Laxdal

Dugald

Target Trump’s associates

Our neighbours to the south have elected a madman who cannot be controlled. It’s clear now that Trump has no consistent ideology or plan but is only motivated by spite for his perceived enemies (enemies that change day to day).

Retaliatory tariffs are unlikely to dissuade him, being impervious to logic as he is. Might I suggest we focus more intently on hurting those personalities and companies most closely associated with him?

On top of retaliatory tariffs, let’s simply ban Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX, My Pillow, U Line, Chick-Fil-A, etc. from operating here. Pull Fox News and Fox Business. Block X (Twitter) and Truth Social.

Here in Manitoba, we have the Koch fertilizer plant in Brandon, owned by Koch Industries. The Koch family, which controls Koch Industries, spent $61 million electing Republicans in 2024 and $0 electing Democrats, according to Open Secrets.

Either force a sale or nationalize the plant.

I’m sure there many examples of similarly Republican-aligned companies operating in Canada that could and should be targeted.

Canada has allowed itself to be subsumed by American economic and cultural power. It’s time to re-assert our independence.

Joshua Markham

Winnipeg

Big Lake speaks

Dear Canadian Friends,

Not all of us in the United States are MAGA lovers or fans of Donald Trump. In fact, the majority of us are horrified at his bullying behavior and ruinous policies — especially towards our closest neighbor and ally.

Rather than Trump making Canada the 51st state, please consider annexing Minnesota as the 11th province.

Kristin Wood

Big Lake, MN

Dear Canada,

Please help Minnesota be great again. Make us your 11th province.

Thank you.

Thomas Hayes

Big Lake, MN

Shock and awe

Re: Silence from regular Americans on trade war speaks volumes, March 6

Tom Brodbeck laments the fact that Americans are not taking to the streets in the tens of thousands to protest Trump’s actions. Some commentators have suggested that many Americans may either agree with Trump’s actions or not fully comprehend their ramifications.

I suggest a third possibility: Americans may be suffering from “deer in the headlights syndrome”.

Americans may simply be frozen in horror, watching helplessly as Trump — supported by self-interested Republicans more concerned with re-election than the common good — bulldozes through every political guardrail designed to keep unscrupulous leaders in check, and sets out to dismantle a democracy that is far more fragile than anyone could ever have imagined.

Linda Mlodzinski

Winnipeg

Tom Brodbeck is right on when he asks, “Where if the backlash from the American people?” He is also absolutely correct when he says, “The silence is deafening.”

When the British prime minister visited the White House recently, he had a perfect opportunity to defend Canadians. Did he do this? No! He folded like a cheap suit purchased at Value Village!

Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

Bruce Macdonald

Winnipeg