For oil, one has to understand that the fixed costs for operating the network are substantial so there is a lot of ability for price making by the purchaser. The price of WTI serves as an effective cap for WCS.

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/5e6f425a-e1c7-441a-9aa0-64890e4ecade/resource/b7080f88-f748-45f0-8294-81d32a7a834c/download/13-Explaining-oil-price-differentials-formatted.pdf

The price of WTI is artificially low due to the 3/4th of a TRILLION of USD that has been pumped into oil subsidies.

https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-proposals-to-reduce-fossil-fuel-subsidies-january-2024

For pharma, it’s not that we wouldn’t have patents- patents are important for investment. It’s the duration of them that is different due to US influence.

I will concede on the environmental impact, I’m just especially bitter about the 13 million dollar settlement for the priviledge to have gas that causes respiratory irritation.

If I want Canada to be the greatest nation it can be I have to recognize the contribution of a friendly USA that existed basically uninterrupted until two months ago.

Like selling our oil 20% below the price for comparable oil on international markets, the continued Americanization of our media and culture, numerous instances of fighting over our arctic sovereignty, the erosion of generic drugs via patent extensions for the benefit of American pharma, pushing for the dismantling of one of our greatest technological accomplishments (Avro Arrow) to favor US products, and numerous cases of American companies using NAFTA to bully the government to allow the destruction of our environment because they aren’t that bad see Lone Pine Resources v. Canada or Ethyl Corporation v. Canada.

This has always been a shit relationship, it’s just more obvious now.

first time Canadians have felt a legitimate threat on their democracy in like 200 years, **unless your First Nations. **

Big ups for including that.

Don’t expect honesty from the bootlicking mainstream networks. Those concerned with appearing “impartial” when one side is an avowed dictator are not concerned with honesty- only profits.

AP and Propublica are far better options or if you want that left wing bias fox news says mainstream media has, go with Vox.

If we were to assume that everyone would just wait until the 15th to do all their amazon orders that they waited a week for then I would agree it’s symbolic.

For many, this will be what happens, but for some, they will find an alternative. Then maybe in the future they chose that alternative too. It’s about gradual progress towards better alternatives. For you, maybe finding ways to make your work less reliant on those things would help. Or if that’s not possible maybe working somewhere else that doesn’t make you sacrifice your values.

As an example, one person choosing to educate themselves on animal welfare might not have much effect today, or tomorrow, or even next week. But after years, even small changes can mean the elimination of suffering for dozens or hundreds of lives.

I don’t think advocating people do nothing while vaguely gesturing at doing more while offering no alternatives or next steps is meaningful action.

Sounds like an excuse to not get started.

Yeah but you’re massively increasing your imports of resentment and grudges so it’ll balance out.