Ishanga

@puporing The assumptions are happening on both sides, you too are assuming... My point is this, since he is serious about this, mentions it everyday and some of his former advisors have down his logic for doing this, I think it is going to happen anyways regardless of what we do, he can make life very hard for us just using economic tools, so why go thru it all, lets see what happens when the tariffs come in in March, then wait a few months, then see the suffering, its bad already without all this stuff happening, Canada is not in good shape, we have a housing crisis, health care crisis, mental health crisis, in major debt and the weather here sucks lol !!!! So since US is not Russia or China or even worse North Korea, why not just get it done and avoid the Suffering the will inevitably happen if we fight it!!

For our resources to be shipped to other countries besides American it would take years to build the infrastructure, so its not an assumption, even for us to get our oil and natural gas from out west to the east would take years of construction.. plus even within our own country btwn provinces there are trade barriers, I did not know this until this tariff threat came up, so to restructure everything so that we don't export our stuff the US would take years and years of reworking it...anything can happen within those years to make it even longer, another pandemic, another economic crisis, maybe China or Russia invades us in the north, we have no help from the US, so there are too many variables at play, too much suffering will take place to fight it imo... I didn't want this too happen. my best case scenario would be for us to have something similar to Europe where we have our own sovereignty but share the same dollar (like the Euro) and free trade and travel, and work permits permitted for our citizens to work in either country freely!

no, our money would be worth more, my pay would increase, our access to certain things would increase, and our security would be guaranteed, plus our economy would grow... most all the benefits are economic. From what I know here with our present day health care system, yes we have free health care but it too slow, and specialist move south to make more money, ppl are sick here and stuck with being sick, unless they can pay out of pocket to see a specialist in the States.. So that is a none issue for me. Overall its a better move to join them, the weather is a side benefit...many Canadians own property in Florida, I think I heard that we own a ton of property there, its a big %.. this is to get away from the shit weather here in the winter and this winter is really bad and its going to get worse over the years...

Well If I was fighting Andre the Giant, and could not run then what do You suggest, fight back and make it worse or give in?? Canada is too small to fight back, and if we retaliate with counter tariffs we suffer dbl, so what is the strategy to counter this threat?? Find other countries to export our stuff can work but it takes too long to set it up, the next generation would benefit from this but what about this one, what do I do for the next 20 or so years of life, just suffer it? The US is not a communist or authoritarian country, and we are just like them in most all ways, I see no non benefit to joining them other than losing our sovereignty and national identity, what is more important, quality of life or identity issues???

@puporing The main point is this, from what I have researched Trump is serious about this, now it may be to guarantee his legacy by adding a large land mass to the US, or it may be because he wants our resources or it may be because of national security, whatever it is he's serious..and he's only been in power for less than a month and look what is happening! Its going to happen whether Canadians want it or not, and the generation that is super patriotic is dying out, the other ones don't know better, they want to fight what is going to happen to only cause more suffering besides the economic tariffs and other such things he is doing..so I ask why suffer it, when its going to happen anyways!

We don't have it so good here either with our government, trust me,,lots of problems, lots of debt, lots of unnecessary situations..and American is not just it government, no country is just their government, a Country is more than that...plus this winter up here is crazy, much rather be in Florida or Arizona than deal with this crap weather anymore lol...

Well said... Again belief, or going to one side totally (I am a Non Dualist, or I am a Dualist) is always a bad idea, one has to travel thru the middle path, recognize both concepts and eventually Experientially realize that all is One (Absolute) but as well realize I have a individual Body and Mind to use while alive and here on this relative plane of existence, an embodied Absolute that is here to Experience all that this life has to offer...

@LordFall Good post, couldn't agree more.. The Politicians, at least right now, cannot say this is a good idea to join American as one of their states, since it is election time in Canada federally (or will be very soon) and in Ontario (Canada's biggest province population and economically wise), so they won't say it publicly, but I think deep down they see it as a good idea, as they say since the tariff threat came upon us how Integrated our Economies are already, that any hiccup will hurt both sides, and now since Trump is saying he will take away Military Protection from Us, I don't really see any choice other than for us to try to fight it and "stay Strong" and suffer immensely because of it, all over an Identity that is so infused with the American Identity I don't think it is wise to fight what is probably going to happen anyways, why having to suffer it.. I grew up in the 70's & 80's on American TV, Entertainment, News Media and products they sell to Us, we are very very similar to them culturally, I just think we are a few years behind them on trends, but everything that happens in America happens in Canada sooner or later on all levels.. On all level I think it would be a good idea to join them, economically for sure!!!

And in Essence, Experience is the whole purpose of this life as a Human, if You deny Experience and the diversity of Experience that is happening throughout Human Existence then You deny all creation and everything in it...

Then wrong word being used, use another word that does mean in general terms un real, like using dream, its unreal, not objective... I agree that most of what is going on in ppls heads and how they understand life is made up things, the content of our minds is not under our control, its just there, like a garbage in a garbage bin, how You use it or not use, how it affects Your current state of Being and Perception is under our control. The ideas that of imagination and reality, like I said one can imagine a brick falling on their foot and feel real pain, the experience of this sort of pain, if You feel it, no matter if its in dream state or really happening, if the experience feels real then it is real for You, me looking at You, sleeping or sitting there imagining it then reacting to this real pain maybe a different reaction from vs, seeing you drop a real brick on your foot and seeing you feel the pain of it, for sure a different reaction will happen, but that means nothing to you the experiencer of it... Its all about the Experience, which is individual in essence, i don't know what You are experiencing now or throughout Your Life, and visa versa so on that level we are different and unique and "Other" to one another, so hence solipsism in this context is not true...

Imaginary means it doesn't exist, its a complete figment of your imagination, now the brain can make you feel pain with no external stimuli, that is possible, but for practical purposes ppl that believe everything is imaginary, that I am only imagining everything else, then again this is crazy, narcissitic for sure. Things exist outside of you on this plane of existence, the problem is ppl coming from an Absolute perspective, which is purely intellectual, even for those that come from high level grand experiences either from natural ways or psychedelic ways, everything is only happening within Your own boundary (Body/Mind, sensory boundary), there are other bodies and minds with their boundary, other planets, other galaxies, its nuts to think this.. Only Experientially is solipsism true, and I wouldn't label it as "Only I exist", I would label it "I am Everything, Everything is I", not on a Body material physical level of course not, but on a Absolute level via our experience of Oneness and Completeness..

As I say to everyone that says what Your saying above, drop a heavy brick on your foot, tell me the result and if the result is imagined or real... don't respond to this unless You drop the brick on your foot, otherwise ignore...

The basic meaning of Solipsism is that I am the only one in existence, all others, things outside of me are from my imagination, on a Absolute level this is true, but there is no "I' on the Absolute level, there no anything , no creation, no ego, no body/mind, no anything, just pure Potential and Possibility. Here on this Earth, plane and realm, everything is Relative, there is You, there is Me, there is everyone and everything else, all the stuff on this world, within this solar system and galaxy and Universe, on this plane thinking or believing/knowing I am the only one in existence is narcissitic, the definition of narcissism in this context is Only I matter, I care only about I, don't care about anything else other than it serving I.. So here I exists, if You think I am the only one Your crazy...and this is becoming more rampant, Narcissism is on the rise is one of the biggest reasons why the world is the way it is, very little harmony in the Human world, but if You look outside the Human world there is Harmony everywhere and diversity too, but its all inclusive they know everything is connected and depends on one another...

The Majority of ppl construct themselves Unconsciously, so it appears everything is happening by accident, randomness rules, but what can be done Unconsciously can be done Consciously, then everything comes into perspective and nothing is random anymore, that is the basic fundamental of what it means to be Human, doing things Unconsciously or Consciously, no other life form has this available to them...

Anyone that buys into Solipsism completely, that I am the only one in existence, everything else is a figment of my imagination is completely Narcissistic..This is Anti Spirituality, anti Life...

Language/Logic obviously will fail to describe such things as Soul/Atman/God/Absolute, since words are based on logic, logic on intellect, intellect is ruled by Identification, which is the main problem in the Human Today, too identified with this or that, to defragmented, separated from What Is..but here it goes.. Soul is just God/Absolute within You Embodied, its covered with layers, and it can be experienced, its a sort of Grand Intelligence, not the calculating type of Intelligence, rather the sort of Intelligence that allows what makes up the fundamental aspect of Creation to be as it iis, an Atom turns into what You Experience Yourself to be right Now as a Human, and all the other life forms and non living forms possible.. Its too complex, to sophisticated to be explained or understood by the Human Mind, its that sort of Intelligence and much more..It makes all Potential and Possibility come to Life! Like a Bubble full of Air, Soul is the Air, we are the Bubble, the layer surrounding the Air, it is the Body/Mind/Emotions and Energy kept together via the Karmic Glue, we think we are these layers but we are really the Air (Soul/God/Atman), it is just we are Embodied and here to play out this Potential/Possibility game so Absolute can know itself and experience itself in Trillions of ways over Trillions of Years, then it dies and restarts again! If You realize You are the Air, then the bubble burst and your merge with the rest of the Air (Absolute) and lose all individuality, if You do not realize You are the Air, then the Bubble never really burst, it just transforms into another bubble based on actions performed unconsciously or consciously, that is your Free Will to decide how the Bubble will be or even if it is created again!

The US will eventually take over Canada and maybe Mexico and then become the Undefeatable Powerhouse, it sort of it already but when this happens then that is it for any other so called Super Power. China from my sources of info is thru within 10yrs, Europe I don't know much about, but it seems like it is not doing to well either, middle east, at least the rationale parts of it maybe will flourish more, from my recent research of places like Dubai which are thriving with energy and innovation, they may in a generation or two take over, but for now I think the USA is on the rise for more of everything it already has, complete Dominance!!

Questions are for beginners, as is seeking answers, if Your still in this stage "God" will not come to You as You would ask the completely wrong questions and misinterpret all the answers, only when one is beyond Q&A does God or Absolute come truly into Your life...

Eckhart Tolle New Earth and Power of Now, very basic and simple Spirituality explained very well, these books got me on this path.. Sadhguru's A Yogi's Guide to Joy, basically an overview of his Inner Engineering program, its a step by step explanation of Reality, the How's and Why's of Consciousness in modern Day terms, completely relatable and applicable to anyone that can read it...!

Solipsism is only true on the Absolute Level, but there are levels, relatively speaking there is no solipsism. One should not take an Absolute view on anything while embodied as we are, here with a Body and Mind to use, You can be intouch with it, all inclusive, all one, all complete experience, then play the game of life but go thru it untouched, that is the main goal, experience everything absolutely, totally involved with whatever is within this Moment, but be untouched by it...

Free will has nothing to do with this for the most part, the body has no free will in normal conditions, its ruled by karma and conditioning to keep the survival of itself possible. But at extreme levels of Awareness You can control farts, and most all bodily functions, if that is Your Goal, so Free Will in this aspect is possible. If its not Your goal, then farts will come and go via the will of the Body.. No matter what one thinks about Free Will, yay or nay, whatever you think is Your Will, Your Understanding, Your Experience, so that is Free Will in its essence, the very fact some here say Yes there is Free will, and others say No there is not is proof. But every Argument can be backed up via individual logic, which is free will but done unconsciously, if You do it consciously, then it become more available to One, if its unconscious its random...

The media here is eating this stuff up, and the Politicians (even though deep down I think they think it would be a good idea, they don't dare say that because of the elections coming up), are playing up the drama too, with this Tariff threat what is being promoted is pro Canada rhetoric, buy Canadian goods and services, and rive Canadian pride, but in the end if You really look at it without these filters of Identity, we are pretty dependent on the Americans.. Now they want to try to diversify our economy and try to not be so reliant on just one customer the USA, but this will take a long long time to accomplish maybe a whole generation or two of time, as our greatest assets are our natural resources and to get them to other markets besides USA is going to take allot of money and time to build the infrastructure, or they could just drop the identity and go with the Americans and life will be instantly settled and better overall imo... There's no real difference between Us and the Americans, I grew up on American TV and Movies and Heroes lol, we may seem more polite but just go to to a local hockey game and it will be seen how unpolite we can be, plus we drink like a sun of a bitch and everyone here likes to fight or get into trouble, Toronto is overrun will crime and organized Crime, it just the America has been at it longer than Us, we are a few years behind in that regard..We fought in the same wars and had the same sort of struggles, as when America struggles so do we, so we might as well become one Country!!!

@zazen The above meme and what is said is Dangerous, on most all front we would lose any sort of war against the USA, you see this is what deep identification does, it blinds one to reality, this person is completely Identified with a man made line on a map, via that he thinks we can fight with the Americans, we can for a bit, deprive them of things they need, but in the end we will lose big time, so in the end joining the USA economically, would be a benefit for Us not a bad thing imo...Saying this as a Canadian...

Buddha is popular because many millions of ppl immigrated from India and the East to the West and brought him with them.. Same with Christ and since America uses Christianity as a benchmark of sorts (ppl swear on the bible, and swear to God in Government, etc) and he is the centerpoint of Christianity, he is super popular because of that, but organized Religion is decreasing in popularity and Spirituality, Eastern methods of Enlightenment are rising up.. My Understanding is the Buddhism and Yoga have given rise the most Enlightened Beings of any organized anything,,, Religion is cheap psychiatry and an easy way to keep the society in line somewhat, using Sin and Damnation in Hell as a way for ppl to not go too far or otherwise face the wrath of some God, but that is lessening big time as generations go by...