Wednesday Night #2259

HAPPY CANADA DAY +1. ALL IN ALL, A SUCCESSFUL CELEBRATION EXCEPT FOR THE POOR SOULS WHO WERE CAUGHT IN THE ANNUAL QUEBEC MOVING CRISIS.

The North is Canada’s Microcosm
Andrew Caddell, who celebrated in the Yukon, writes “It doesn’t get much more Canadian than to spend Canada Day “North of 60.” But this is the second year in a row I have celebrated the decision of four colonies thousands of kilometres east to form a country in 1867. My daughter is one of a generation of young Canadians who have flocked to the Yukon, so we are once again in this extraordinary place.
It’s an opportunity to reflect, as the North is very much a microcosm of who we are as Canadians: our concerns, our existential struggles, our lifestyle, our relationships, making a living, and our proximity to the United States.”

Between anxiously checking the latest news of the vote on Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill and attempting to discern PM Carney’s trade negotiation strategy in dropping the DST, we have tried to catch up on some overlooked/under-reported news items. Thus a somewhat eclectic selection of topics this week.

We are concerned that Judy Roberts may be suffering from the heat wave afflicting Europe (Europe sizzles and the Eiffel Tower’s summit closes). Last we knew, Peter Frise was traveling in the UK and should not have climate problems.

Down to the wire – Please God, it’s time we had a break!
U.S. Government & governance
As of 7pm ET Wednesday, Fractured G.O.P. Fights Over Trump’s Bill as His Deadline Looms
(NYT) Divisions within President Trump’s own party threatened on Wednesday to derail the major legislation to fulfill his domestic agenda. The White House and Speaker Mike Johnson are working to unite House Republicans behind the bill to slash taxes and the federal safety net, but objections from several conservatives suggest that Mr. Johnson might lack the support to pass it before Mr. Trump’s Friday deadline.

Trade talks with U.S. resumed on Monday morning, says Carney
Carney said that the decision to remove the digital services tax (DST) “is part of a bigger negotiation” with the U.S.
Mark Roper chimes in pointing to Tasha Kheiriddin’s: Carney will have no choice but to kill supply management
In an interview broadcast Sunday morning on Fox News, Trump mentioned a veritable mountain: supply management. That’s the system that protects Canadian dairy, poultry and egg industries from foreign competition through quotas and tariffs, including Trump’s favourite bugaboo, a 200-plus per cent markup on U.S. dairy products.
Canada rescinds digital services tax to advance trade discussions with the United States
Ottawa says Carney, Trump will resume trade talks with a goal to get a deal by July 21
The NYT describes the move as handing a victory to the Trump administration.
Trump turns trade talks into foreign policy wish list (See Long reads)
The president is pressing foreign leaders on everything from military budgets to antitrust laws — all under the banner of trade.
We do not wish to be pollyannaish, however we believe that Mark Carney is a far more knowledgeable, thoughtful and canny negotiator than Trump. Therefore, this might be a very strategic move. Stroking the Orange-Ego-that-walks-like-a-man by letting Trump believe that he has won by bullying Canada may weaken his ‘defenses’ in the on-going trade negotiations.

Over the past week, we have been delighted to follow the lively e-mail debate among dedicated Wednesday Nighters who have widely (wildly?) different views on Canada’s commitment to the new NATO defence spending target of 5% of GDP. Equally diverting has been the debate over Peter Frise’s appearance on The National Is it time for Canada to build its own car? (See link in Long reads/videos). Among many pertinent comments, Byron raised these points: “The story didn’t even get into the issues of patents and intellectual property rights involved in producing vehicles. Laws, lawyers and court cases … Then, making a successful, practical vehicle that “everyone” will want to buy is not really possible. This is why we have sedans, pickup trucks, vans, crossovers, several kinds of sports vehicles, etc. built on differing chassis, with varying power drivetrains and body configurations.”
We would rather devote our -and our governments’ energies to accelerating the manufacture of Canada’s much sought-after DHC waterbombers to combat wildfires world wide.
Once again, Wednesday Night is distinguished by the diversity of opinions the members represent.

We just learned of the death of Pierre Jeanniot on 22 June. The last of the great DGs of IATA before the odious Giovanni arrived with his wrecking ball. “Visionnaire et bâtisseur, Pierre Jean Jeanniot a marqué de manière exemplaire l’histoire de l’aviation civile, au Canada et à l’échelle internationale . De ses débuts à Trans-Canada Airlines jusqu’à son rôle de Président -directeur général d’Air Canada puis directeur général de l’IATA , il a mis son esprit innovant au service du transport aérien mondial. On lui doit ,entre autres, le développement de la première boîte noire moderne, une avancée cruciale en matière de sécurité aérienne. Au cours de sa carrière il a siégé sur de nombreux conseils d’administration de plusieurs compagnies, notamment dans les secteurs de l’aéronautique, la haute technologie, des télécommunications, de la finance et de l’édition.” Reception and Service 10 July at Centre funéraire Côte-des-Neiges.

Remembering acclaimed public TV journalist Bill Moyers
In the apt words of a Facebook friend:
“Bill Moyers wasn’t just a journalist to me—he was a teacher who changed how I engage with the world. Through his interviews and documentaries, he showed me that the most important thing we can do is remain curious. He taught me that asking thoughtful questions matters more than having all the answers. Every time I watched his work, I came away seeing something differently. That’s the mark of truly great journalism and the kind of vision I aspire to have.”

Trump war on education – gets worse and worse
States Face Uncertainty as an Estimated $6.2 Billion in K–12 Funding Remains Unreleased
Despite Congressional authorization, states and territories are missing billions of federal K–12 funding as approved education funds remain frozen by the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration
The Justice Department had demanded that James E. Ryan step down in order to help resolve a civil rights investigation into the school.
BRAVO! U OF T -if only McGill and Concordia could do the same.
University of Toronto agrees to host Harvard students facing Trump visa restrictions
Pact will help international students finish their studies amid Harvard’s legal battle with Trump administration

Rwanda and Congo Sign U.S.-Brokered Peace Treaty
President Trump claims credit for the outcome. Of course he does! He said in late May that Massad Boulos, the State Department’s senior adviser for Africa and the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, had helped settle the war.
NB The government of Qatar also helped broker the deal but even after gifting Trump with the extravagant presidential plane, does not get much credit for its mediation role.
Qatar emphasizes peaceful resolution of conflicts after DRC-Rwanda deal –After Doha helped mediate, Qatari diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi says country is committed to efforts to de-escalate conflicts

Israel
Amidst reports (rumors?) that Netanyahu is weighing snap elections in light of the popular Iran offensive, the Netanyahu corruption trial has been delayed on diplomatic and security grounds, and Simon Tisdall writes Don’t count on the Iran-Israel ceasefire lasting. What Netanyahu really wants is a forever war (see Long reads below).
However, on Wednesday, Trump claims Israel ready for Gaza peace deal
Our advice, don’t hold your breath.
Israel’s Netanyahu to visit Washington next Monday as Trump presses for ceasefire in Gaza

Congratulations to Désirée McGraw to whom new QLP leader Pablo Rodriguez has assigned  major  portfolios, notably climate change (including energy transition), international and inter-provincial trade as well as international relations.

The Bezos-Sanchez wedding invasion of Venice is now over. We reserve comment on the tastelessness of the extravaganza as we can find nothing positive to say. We are astonished that the rent-a-crowd guest list described as A-listers included Bill Gates and Queen Raniaof Jordan. The impact of the three-day event on the city’s hospitality industry and infrastructure is not yet measured, but has already added more fuel to overtourism arguments.

Varia
Dalai Lama says he will be reincarnated, Trust will identify successor
The eagerly awaited statement, made days before the frail Nobel peace laureate turns 90, puts to rest speculation, started by the Dalai Lama himself, that he may be the last of Tibet’s spiritual leaders, ending a line that stretches back centuries.

Hortmans’ beloved dog Gilbert lay in state with slain Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse
He is all but certainly the first dog to receive the honor. … There is no record of any other nonhuman ever lying in state, and Melissa Hortman…is the first woman

John Curtin’s favorite subject redeeming himself slightly?
‘Trump will lose’: Alan Dershowitz on birthright citizenship
Law professor and former Donald Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz asserted that the president would lose his bid to end birthright citizenship in a 9-0 ruling by the Supreme Court.
“He can’t just amend the Constitution himself.”

This punctuation mark is semi-dead. People have thoughts.
No other bit of punctuation causes such a fuss.
… But now the semicolon is dead. Or semi-dead. Its use has collapsed, as underlined last month by a study from Babbel, an online language-learning platform. “Semicolon usage in British English books has fallen by nearly 50% in the past two decades,” the survey said — and this sudden drop followed a steady decline across the past two centuries. …

Long reads
Is it time for Canada to build its own car?
With U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to upend Canada’s automotive industry, some say it’s time for a homegrown solution. For The National, CBC’s Nick Purdon looks at what it would take to have an industry-leading Canadian car company, with Wednesday Night’s Peter Frise.
Global Drought Hotspots Report Catalogs Severe Suffering, Economic Damage
Food, water, energy crises, human tragedies in 2023-2025 detailed in sweeping analysis by U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
Fueled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today [2 July].

Paul Wells: Midsommar
Lessons from the first half-year of Carneyism
Bill Moyers, former White House press secretary turned acclaimed public TV journalist, dies at 91
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91.
Trump’s Army?
Timothy Snyder
Whereas historical fascists had an enemy without and an enemy within, Trump only has an enemy within. That is why, immediately after joining Israel’s attacks on Iran, he declared victory – and a cease-fire: The world is too much for him; the army is just for dominating Americans.
Don’t count on the Iran-Israel ceasefire lasting. What Netanyahu really wants is a forever war
Like Putin, Israel’s prime minister sees continuing destruction as an opportunity to boost support and outflank his enemies