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Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @11:38AM (#42612076)
> less-than-joking threats of annexation

This is an interesting statement in that, sadly, the person making the threats is not joking yet to those that have not drunk the kool-aid it is an utter joke of a concept.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by MattGaiser on Monday January 06, 2025 @11:40AM (#42612095)
> those that have not drunk the kool-aid it is an utter joke of a concept

Problem is that they aren't the ones in power in the USA.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @11:46AM (#42612183)
Right, but even if the US actually wants to annex Canada, Canada would have to allow that to happen. That's what makes it insane. Russia wanted to annex Ukraine, and it didn't go so well. So playing the tape to the end, what do people think Trump is actually proposing? A war? A "special operation"?
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @01:08PM (#42613263)
It didn't go so well because the US and the rest of Europe resisted the invasion of Ukraine.

Who will help Canada? They'll be blockaded on day one by both land and sea. They won't have any food.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by themaninthedark on Monday January 06, 2025 @02:45PM (#42614734)
They could invoke Article 5 of NATO; that would trigger Article 8;, expelling USA from NATO and requiring all remaining member to come to Canada's aid.

>In the case of any contradiction with other international obligations (with the exception of the United Nations, which by Article 7 supersedes NATO), or in military conflict of two NATO members, Article 8 comes into force. This is most important in cases should one member engage in military action against another member, upon which the offending members would be held in abeyance of the treaty and thereby NATO protection as a whole.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:35PM (#42615416)
Words on a page don't put boots on the ground. The treaty would be invoked, US would be expelled (and sanctioned), and nobody would dare try to break the blockade.

The only meaningful resistance would come from within the US military, or maybe China would finally venture out of their sphere of influence (although it's more likely they'll use the opportunity to pursue more regional concentration of power).

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by mlekoszek on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:02PM (#42615770)
The reputational damage would be hard to understate. I think anyone with a bone to pick with the States would happily and repeatedly point to us Canadians as an example of what happens when you trust Americans. And that would be enough to achieve a lot of their regional policy goals, if not much more. Mexico would probably seek other political partners to make sure they're not next.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:22PM (#42616019)
Yes, an American invasion of Canada would immeidately set the stage for a worldwide rationale for opposing US interests.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by philistine on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @12:49AM (#42619676)
Annexation of Canada would mean the end of the soft power for the Americans. The only way anyone would let them in would be through hard wars.

At least China and Russia only forcibly attacked independent countries that were once united with them.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:56PM (#42615689)
Which wouldn't matter much because Canada and Europe rely on US military, equipment, and IT and the US is an ocean away.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:19PM (#42615993)
The US imports most of its oil while exporting the oil it produces. Ooops.

The US imports pretty much everything consumers consume. Ooops

The US would have nobody to sell anything to. Ooops

The US is now in a local conflict that a very large % of citizens does not support. What happens after the next election?

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:43PM (#42616252)
These are good points, but I have to comment that all of these suggest the physical resistance to an annexation would come from domestic actors rather than international.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:45PM (#42616278)
Let me be clear, there are 1,001 reasons why annexing Canada would be a bad idea. I'm just saying that military impossibility is not one of them.

It is a fun fictional exercise, ala Man in the Highcastle

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @05:30PM (#42616780)
I think it would be closer to Handmaid's Tale than Highcastle since it's a modern day than a twist WWII ending
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 06, 2025 @05:34PM (#42616819)
fun and interesting either way. I hear netflix potential
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by polishdude20 on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:33PM (#42615380)
Would anyone really want to oppose America though?
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:10PM (#42615081)
> expelling USA from NATO

which would suit Trump just fine. this isn't a dissuading argument to Trump, and would probably be considered as bonus to his lot.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @01:28PM (#42613543)
A whole group of countries joined together and came to the aid of Kuwait when Iraq attempted to annex them.

Edit: are you suggesting that Europe would not come to the aid of Canada just because it's Canada or because they would be going against the US? The rest of the world could turn around and isolate the US with sanctions and tariffs at a minimum. Would that be worth it for the US?

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:02PM (#42615763)
I dont think there would be a military intervention, and if there were, I dont think it would be verry successful. NATO would be crippled without the US.

That said, of course it isnt worth it for the US.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ExoticPearTree on Monday January 06, 2025 @02:13PM (#42614245)
And who in their right mind would come to defend Canada against the US if it comes to it? It would be suicide on any country's part, plain and simple.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:55PM (#42615681)
Who in their right mind would not? If im the leader of a European country, and I see the US go rogue and annex their closest neighbour and longest ally, thats a clear message that the US can not be trusted.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:08PM (#42615850)
Sure, but in that case you might be more preoccupied with securing your own position rather than risking intervention on a continent you have no foothold in.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:16PM (#42615948)
Securing your own position is contingent on having a proper deterrence to US invasion or belligerence. Unless you are thinking of appeasing them, but I doubt that European defense minds would consider that.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:18PM (#42615976)
You realize most European armies have tons of US equipment right? They are barely able to hold back Russia, with US help. Now they're supposed to build up their domestic DIB, hold off Russia, and fight a war on unfamiliar territory?

I doubt they'd adopt outright appeasement, but they would be walking very cautiously.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:29PM (#42616093)
I do realize that. The war in Ukraine is not being supported by Nato. They are sending supplies but the alliance is not entering Ukraine against Russia so as to not create a wider conflict. Note that Ukraine is not a NATO signatory while Canada is. In the case of the US annexing Canada,the strategic analysis would give two options. Either immediately oppose US aggression and form a bloc independent of them, or tacitly approve of it and leave yourself open to the same thing happening to you and your neighbours.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ExoticPearTree on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @10:53AM (#42623714)
Sending munitions/equipment to one side means that you support that side ;)

I do not know what kind of mental gymnastics you make when you say NATO doesn't support the war in Ukraine, but it actually does - with the NATO SG going to Ukraine in a show of support.

AFAIK, there is no precedent to what will happen if a NATO country attacks another NATO country - we came close to that when the Turks and the Greeks almost started fighting a few years back.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Thursday January 09, 2025 @04:42PM (#42650071)
Directly support as the commenter I was replying to was implying. Europe is not barely holding back Russia. Ukraine is. Article 5 would be invoked and the NATO states would decide what support to send. Greece and Turkey fighting over some islands isn't the same as the strongest nation in the world annexing its neighbours. There would be broad public support in Europe to oppose the U.S. simply on principle, let alone the security concerns.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:31PM (#42616104)
Even more equipment if they force US troops to abandon their posts and their equipment as they are all now PNG from whatever country we have foreign bases.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @02:31PM (#42614514)
Any country or group with a grievance. It would be open season. Lots of soft targets in the US that could give people pause in their support for Operation Canadian Bacon
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by Lio on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:45PM (#42616282)
The King of Canada would probably want to defend his people regardless of the cost.

The British Armed Forces swear an oath of allegiance to the King not the British government.

If he says go, they go.

It would be a gamble for even Trump that Britain can't launch nukes to defend a Commonwealth ally (obviously that would probably be the end of the UK but we've faced that before, eh).

This conversation is so stupid though.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ExoticPearTree on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @06:46AM (#42621472)
> It would be a gamble for even Trump that Britain can't launch nukes to defend a Commonwealth ally (obviously that would probably be the end of the UK but we've faced that before, eh)

As I initially asked: would you be willing to end your own country just because you feel like you need to defend another country on another continent against an adversary you have no chance of beating?

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by Lio on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @10:44AM (#42623596)
Me personally? Doesn't matter what I'd do. I'm just some gobshite on the internet.

In this hypothetical situation the opinions that matter are those of the men in the subs that have just seen their family and friends wiped out.

They've got roughly 120 active warheads to play with and realistically no one is going to stop them all.

So if you add up the damage from that plus the loss of a major trading partner and military ally it kind of seems unlikely to be a profitable venture for anyone involved.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ExoticPearTree on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @11:00AM (#42623803)
Yes, it's the internet and we can discuss of a lot of outcomes if Trump decides Canada is too big for the Canadians to have all for themselves.

I think it would be a bigger loss for the UK to do something stupid than for the US do to something stupid.

I guess we have to see how it plays out with Greenland - most likely scenario would be he'd go after Greenland first if it ever comes to that.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by generj on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @11:34AM (#42624281)
The entire point of NATO and other treaties is that every signatory is willing to risk their country to protect the other signatories. It makes the game theory choice to attack stupid.

But it’s all academic anyways. The US military would eagerly lead a coup before willingly attacking the UK or Canada, particularly if non-conventional means are threatened.

Consider that nearly every officer has done several war games or exercises alongside UK or Canadian officers. This is true both of NCOs and senior leadership. Being friendly with their armed forces is institutional. It would be easier to convince the Marines to attack the Army than to convince them to attack their Canadian counterparts.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ExoticPearTree on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @12:59PM (#42625277)
Armed forces are friendly to who they are being ordered to be friendly. And they don't have a an issue with any other armed forces unless being ordered to have an issue.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by generj on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @04:54PM (#42628089)
And US armed forces have been ordered to be friendly to UK and Canadian armed forces since WWI over 100 years ago (and even more friendly since WWII).

That doesn’t go away quickly without good reason even with new orders.

An attack on a Anglophone Five Eyes NATO member is militarily close to a civil war and could rapidly lead to a civil war.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by throaway89 on Thursday January 09, 2025 @05:18PM (#42650415)
The us military is also too professional to consider following orders to attack Canada. They would not accept the risk and reputational damage that would come with breaking the NATO treaties and undermining the general security of the west.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by Wytwwww on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:48PM (#42616322)
Well... if we're living in a imaginary/video game world where US invades Canada it wouldn't be too far fetched to expect Britain and France to intervene? I mean which is more absurd?
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @05:33PM (#42616803)
At that point, Mexico could run up the middle and take back what was taken from it. That would be chef's kiss response to Trump
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:37PM (#42615443)
Kuwait is nowhere near comparable. Btw that coalition of countries... Who led it?
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:02PM (#42615767)
If the rest of the world refused to trade with the US over this, the US would have a helluva time and struggle. No bullets need to be expended.

Why is this hard to comprehend?

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by NewJazz on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:06PM (#42615823)
Russia is an even smaller economy than the US, and even then many countries continue to trade with them despite their aggression.

Sanctions hurt everyone involved. If China stopped trading with the US, their economy would tank too.

Furthermore, there are ways around sanctions.

The US is much more self-sufficient than Russia.

It is not hard to comprehend, but it is also not a surefire way to deter an invasion.

And of course remember that not all actors on the stage will behave "rationally"... US leadership especially.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:35PM (#42616166)
If the US were in this position, any country that had sanctions that were only there at the urging from the US would be dropped. Even if they were not dropped, those that were sanctioned would immediately start ignoring them. Hell, most of Europe would probably immediately starting buying oil/gas from Russia.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by 8note on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @03:06PM (#42626786)
if the world was going to cut trade with the US, it would have over the iraq invasion.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by badc0ffee on Monday January 06, 2025 @11:17PM (#42619166)
Come on. Canada grows, and is a major exporter of, food, and has all the infrastructure and fuel needed to process and distribute it.

There would be significantly less variety, and no tea or coffee, but that is not the same as not having any food.

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by glitchc on Monday January 06, 2025 @01:33PM (#42613609)
The President is technically the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the US. His opinion carries weight, fortunately or unfortunately.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @02:23PM (#42614395)
I like the use of technically here leaving the hint that some might not go along with those orders even if the technical commander did give them. This is more chilling with Kelly's revelations of Trump's desire to have a specific type of general
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by glitchc on Monday January 06, 2025 @02:46PM (#42614735)
That's because I believe Congress still needs to approve before the US can go to war.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:00PM (#42614942)
You mean both chambers that are now in control by his party?

Also, a president doesn't have to declare war to engage in military conflict.

"For the United States, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution says "Congress shall have power to ... declare War." However, that passage provides no specific format for what form legislation must have in order to be considered a "declaration of war" nor does the Constitution itself use this term. In the courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in Doe v. Bush, said: "[T]he text of the October Resolution itself spells out justifications for a war and frames itself as an 'authorization' of such a war."[2] in effect saying an authorization suffices for declaration and what some may view as a formal congressional "Declaration of War" was not required by the Constitution. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_Unit...

Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by glitchc on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @10:11AM (#42623156)
Valid points, indeed.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by ElevenLathe on Monday January 06, 2025 @03:05PM (#42615017)
...unless they decide to just have Pentagon lawyers print up a lot of paper that says whatever they're doing falls under existing authorizations that consistently get renewed without debate.
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by dylan604 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:00PM (#42615737)
Maybe they can go on a hunt for WMDs in the great white north???
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by 8note on Tuesday January 07, 2025 @03:02PM (#42626726)
the president is biden, and biden has not made such jokes. the president elect has made them, but he is not currently commander-in-chief. he may atop making those jokes once he has power
Re:Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Canadian prime mi... by maerF0x0 on Monday January 06, 2025 @04:28PM (#42616084)
There is no reason to annex Canada when it's economy can simply be bought and controlled.

Eg: Nexen was bought by CNOOC with a whole bunch of promises and broke lots of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNOOC_Petroleum_North_America