Discussions

In today's Brandon Sun there was a Travel North Dakota insert. Our family has decided that as long as Donald Trump continues to mislead, obfuscate and outright lie about trade with Canada, we will not be traveling to North Dakota or any other point in the US.  
 
Trump lies when he says that the US has a trade deficit with Canada in dairy and overall. His own Office of the US Trade Representative confirms an $8.4 billion surplus in goods and services in trade with Canada  
 
https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/canada  
 
The US also enjoys a trade surplus in dairy products of over $400 mullion.  
 
https://www.milk.org/Corporate/News/NewsItem.aspx?id=7581  
 
I called the number on the Travel North Dakota insert and explained to the very pleasant woman who answered that our family would not be traveling to any point in the US as long as the President continues to lie about trade with Canada. She said that my call was not the first this week with the same concern and that she understood why we feel this way.  
 
If you share this sentiment, I encourage you to call also.

If we all called the number on the Explore North Dakota insert 1-800-435-5663, and explained kindly we’d like to visit, but do not feel welcome to visit or the need to support their economy, maybe it may make a difference. They are still our neighbors, and not everyone in the USA is in agreement with their president.

I’m hitting Bottineau on Friday because I love Denny’s pizza and I can’t see how trump being an idiot justifies punishing their business...

Guess I have a different opinion, I'm not going to take it out on the American people or their business. Guess my logic behind this has to do with maybe realizing if President Trump continues on his chosen course the American people and the country will suffer because they will be on the outside looking in.

I emailed the why not Minot and told them why I will not be visiting!

don brown said "Guess I have a different opinion, I'm not going to take it out on the American people or their business. Guess my logic behind this has to do with maybe realizing if President Trump continues on his chosen course the American people and the country will suffer because they will be on the outside looking in. "

I made to the lady at Travel North Dakota. In the long run it is not Trump or his buddies that get hurt. It is the low to middle income earners that pay the biggest price if this continues to escalate.  
 
On the other hand, if we can play a small part in raising the level of concern with average Americans maybe they will contact their local legislators and officials, conveying the message that the administration’s position is hurting the economic prospects of the very people who Trump promised to serve. She agreed that if average Americans start to feel the impact of Trumps continued lies on trade, they may be more inclined to speak up.

we hurt all the business's in Minot, that everyone likes to go to (we never travel there).  
 
They don't get the sales, lose business and close up.  
 
Next election, Trump is out and where are the people that like to travel to Minot and go to some of these stores going to go then?  
 
Hurting the little guy is not going to solve the problem. I am sure Trump does not even know where Minot is!

Brenda.. said "we hurt all the business's in Minot, that everyone likes to go to (we never travel there).     They don't get the sales, lose business and close up.     Next election, Trump is out and where are the people that like to travel to Minot and go to some of these stores going to go then?     Hurting the little guy is not going to solve the problem. I am sure Trump does not even know where Minot is! "

Of course Trump knows where Minot is.. since Minot is the headquarters for where USA missiles are stored.  
 
I do feel bad for smaller cities like Minot. They have been suffering for years! No wonder it''s a dead town.  
 
Edited by Getty, 2018-06-14 20:51:54

Getty said "    Brenda.. said "we hurt all the business's in Minot, that everyone likes to go to (we never travel there).     They don't get the sales, lose business and close up.     Next election, Trump is out and where are the people that like to travel to Minot and go to some of these stores going to go then?     Hurting the little guy is not going to solve the problem. I am sure Trump does not even know where Minot is! " Of course Trump knows where Minot is.. since Minot is the headquarters for where USA missiles are stored.     I do feel bad for smaller cities like Minot. They have been suffering for years! No wonder it''s a dead town.     Edited by Getty, 2018-06-14 20:51:54"

Minot, a dead town? When is the last time you’ve visited? It’s a booming city, business and hotels popping up everywhere. It’s grown so much in the last few years and it’s a great city to visit. Minot is far from dead.

1. President did something stupid.  
2. People who don't like what he did take action on people who voted for him (ND is a solid red state).  
3. People in ND feel pain, directly due to their president's action.  
4. People in ND show their displeasure in the next election by voting differently.  
5. Problem solved.  
 
Same rationale behind tariffs affecting red states.

North Dakota didn't even have a Democrat running for governor in the last state election, if I recall correctly. There is no way a boycott there will influence the electoral college.  
But by all means, spend your money locally instead - that is a positive thing! Go check out some bands and buy Manitoba-brewed beer!

burkejan said "    Getty said "    Brenda.. said "we hurt all the business's in Minot, that everyone likes to go to (we never travel there).     They don't get the sales, lose business and close up.     Next election, Trump is out and where are the people that like to travel to Minot and go to some of these stores going to go then?     Hurting the little guy is not going to solve the problem. I am sure Trump does not even know where Minot is! " Of course Trump knows where Minot is.. since Minot is the headquarters for where USA missiles are stored.     I do feel bad for smaller cities like Minot. They have been suffering for years! No wonder it''s a dead town.     Edited by Getty, 2018-06-14 20:51:54" Minot, a dead town? When is the last time you’ve visited? It’s a booming city, business and hotels popping up everywhere. It’s grown so much in the last few years and it’s a great city to visit. Minot is far from dead. "

last yr in October. Mall was total dead. We were the only MB plate that I came across. I saw 2 other sask plates.  
 
I know I'm never going back! Grand Forks, Fargo or even Bismarck! much better!

I think that it may be more productive to call our local newspaper and ask them not to accept the advertising dollars from the USA right now. The person answering the phones at these places has no power to do anything about their trade policies.

Something to take into consideration is the mentality of the Trump base. Many of his base are people who believe that they can afford to lose trading partners because the president is making America great again. Taking action against the American people enforces some of the ideas that some of them believe in. Saddly they have the same idea of the president that everyone is out to get them, and fighting with them just drives them on.  
Maybe sort of of topic, but it's really sad how every situation is bring driven by the idea that there is no truth left in the country, doesn't matter which side, everything is being spun to the max.

Well I agree with Robert De Niro's comment on Trump that he mentioned on the Tony awards!

There are over 300 million people in the USA versus 36 million in Canada. I do not beleive that even if 10 percent of Canada stopped visiting the USA, it would hardly make a difference to the whole of the USA and Trump!  
 
Does anyone really realize how much we actually import from the USA!  
 
I bet our Canadian truckers and other workers will still be crossing the border too!  
 
Big box stores will still import American too!  
 
Is the whole of Canada refusing to buy absolutely everything from the USA now? I don't think so!  
 
We are all adults and should not behave like this!  
 
None of this behavior is going to hurt anyone other than small businesses across the border that relies on cross border shoppers.

I wager the majority of Canadians heading south to ship who are arguing for the American small businesses do not travel south to shop at ma and pa shops, eat at small diners, and stay at local hotels. It’s Target and Shake Shack and the Holiday Inn. Supporting those businesses hurts the small business both there, AND back in your hole town. The more money you take out of your local economy, the more small businesses suffers, and small business is the backbone of our economy. I’ve never felt American stores have anything better than what we have: they just have different options.  
 
Maybe some of you folks who argue that you can’t get the things you want up here need to start a business catering to those like you, providing unique goods. And then people wouldn’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars in gas, hotels, and meals just to go shop.

burkejan said "    Getty said "    Brenda.. said "we hurt all the business's in Minot, that everyone likes to go to (we never travel there).     They don't get the sales, lose business and close up.     Next election, Trump is out and where are the people that like to travel to Minot and go to some of these stores going to go then?     Hurting the little guy is not going to solve the problem. I am sure Trump does not even know where Minot is! " Of course Trump knows where Minot is.. since Minot is the headquarters for where USA missiles are stored.     I do feel bad for smaller cities like Minot. They have been suffering for years! No wonder it''s a dead town.     Edited by Getty, 2018-06-14 20:51:54" Minot, a dead town? When is the last time you’ve visited? It’s a booming city, business and hotels popping up everywhere. It’s grown so much in the last few years and it’s a great city to visit. Minot is far from dead. "

Minot is booming?? Clearly you haven't been down in a while Jan. It was booming when oil was but since that tanked a lot of Minot and the surrounding towns are hurting. It's not nearly as bad as Getty wants us to believe but it's no where near what it once was.  
 
However, a few Canadians whining about boycotting them and complaining to the tourist office isn't going to raise more then an eyebrow. They don't need us to survive. We definitely helped them some but if they relied on us to keep their doors open Minot would be a ghost town by now.  
 
Trump is an idiot, there is no denying that but it won't stop us from going down to North Dakota or the US. I am just hoping some of the complainers had hotel rooms booked during the State Fair. We have always had a hard time getting a room during that time and always forget to book way in advance like we should. I'm looking forward to seeing Cole Swindell, Dierks Bentley, Cheap Trick and FGL.

(vette)mech said "There are over 300 million people in the USA versus 36 million in Canada. I do not beleive that even if 10 percent of Canada stopped visiting the USA, it would hardly make a difference to the whole of the USA and Trump!     Does anyone really realize how much we actually import from the USA!     I bet our Canadian truckers and other workers will still be crossing the border too!     Big box stores will still import American too!     Is the whole of Canada refusing to buy absolutely everything from the USA now? I don't think so!     We are all adults and should not behave like this!     None of this behavior is going to hurt anyone other than small businesses across the border that relies on cross border shoppers. "

"There are over 300 million people in the USA versus 36 million in Canada."  
 
Irrelevant. With that mind frame, why bother voting? There's 36 million Canadians and you only get one vote. You do it because it's important AND it means something to you. Will it have an effect? Yes! All be it, a very small one. Tell your friends, get them to vote too!  
 
Point 2 - US has a net surplus. They import more (because they have more people, see point 1). Proof is linked in previous posts.  
 
Point 3 - yes they will - refer to point 2 then point 1.  
 
Point 4 - and you can still choose where to spend your money. Buying strictly Canadian would be nearly impossible, but avoiding American? Possible.  
 
Point 5 - Not the point of the OP and not suggested in the post.  
 
Point 6 - Behave like Trump? Right, he's a 70 year old child. Good point!  
 
Point 7 - So? What about Canadian small business on this side of the border.  
 
Look, each of us can make a choice. Support Trump and his protectionist ideology or rally against him. You have a choice. Vote with your wallet.  
 
I probably wont holiday in the US any time soon but will make some purchases for bigger ticket items because, frankly, my loyalty is to the financial stability of my household. That will guide my decisions. After that...  
 
...f# the USA.  
 
Canada is beautiful country. I still have lots left to see.  
 
Marpet

Spending my money in Canada....the only thing Trump understands is money...so I say hurt them in the pocketbook.

Democracy is a great thing, but there are things that make it a mistake to use it to represent the population of a country, understandably not everyone should be allowed to vote, an example would be age.  
 
The population of the US is 327.7 million, the number of people who voted in the last election was 128.8 million, right around the 39% level.  
 
Popular vote was  
65,844,610 Clinton  
62,979,636 Trump  
 
The treatment of people in general represents a persons true concern for how a person usually feel about even their own countrymen, and presidents record speaks for itself.  
I feel uncomfortable saying this, but at times it is best to hope that the actions taken by our government address the problem.

Sorry but I had a vacation in Florida planned before all this took place. I am not at all about to cancel my vacation due to one mans stupidity. I for one am going to enjoy my Disney trip and not worry about what everyone else thinks.  
 
I have also been to Minot recently and definitely not a dead town. Lots of stuff to see.

don brown said "Democracy is a great thing, but there are things that make it a mistake to use it to represent the population of a country, understandably not everyone should be allowed to vote, an example would be age.     The population of the US is 327.7 million, the number of people who voted in the last election was 128.8 million, right around the 39% level.     Popular vote was   65,844,610 Clinton   62,979,636 Trump     The treatment of people in general represents a persons true concern for how a person usually feel about even their own countrymen, and presidents record speaks for itself.   I feel uncomfortable saying this, but at times it is best to hope that the actions taken by our government address the problem. "

About 25% of the US population is not old enough to vote. That would make voter turn out around 53%.

Prizzy said "Spending my money in Canada....the only thing Trump understands is money...so I say hurt them in the pocketbook. "

I don't think it is the best attitude...almost revenge like a childish yoyo game ...neighbor hurts me I will hurt my neighbor you hurt me I hurt you.  
Some will probably go back again to ND after few months or 1/2 year later

Prizzy said "Spending my money in Canada....the only thing Trump understands is money...so I say hurt them in the pocketbook. "

with the same opinion : nobody in Canada cares that we're all paying high costs for e.g milk,butter,cheese,eggs etc because of Canada's supply management system? Wow, yep - let's all spend our hard earned money on these things & keep quiet !!

I have a lot of American friends. I don't think any of them voted for Trump - they are generally horrified by what is happening in their country. Trump lost the popular vote by quite a lot.  
 
We don't need to respond to his juvenile hostility with our own. We can rise above and find common ground with our friends to the south.  
 
But if you want to put the squeeze on them, boycott Florida. That is a swing state that has a lot of electoral votes, and it is dependent on Canadian snowbirds for a lot of its economy.  
 
North Dakota is irrelevant in any presidential election - always red, with hardly any electoral votes.

The point I was trying to make was when people take action against the people of a country, you are taking action against all people of the country, including those who didn't or can't vote. I'm not against our government taking action on our behalf.

If you do not want to take action AGAINST the US because you are concerned about US businesses and employees that is admirable.  
 
On the other hand, maybe you would favour taking action FOR Canadian businesses and employees by spending your dollars here rather than there. Buying more locally supports our own economy while delivering an important message.

Boycott American products, businesses and refuse to shop and/or vacation in the United States. Soon, Americans realize we are boycotting them and then they decide to boycott us. They stop buying any Canadian products, stop visiting and spending money in Canada. What good will that do anybody?  
 
Trudeau and Trump will talk/meet again. This trade war, if it is one, will blow over.

will not be cancelling our family vacation to Disney World this fall just to make a point of getting back at an idiot president...imo....the president & our PM need to act like civilized human beings & stop acting like immature children....the only people these two leaders are hurting is the American & Canadian people. I for one will not be part of a stupid boycott....if I want to go to the USA I will & if I want to buy Products from the USA I will period! I also think that Trudeau is just as much to blame to what is happening with the NAFTA deal....what Trudeau said or did after the G6 summit was imo was just a political move to get voters on his side bc his popularity polls are dropping like crazy & is worried about next years election....they have been at these NAFTA negotiations forever and it is now time to COMPROMISE in these dealings....Trudeau said he doesn’t want to pushed around by Trump but in the same breath Trudeau is pushing climate change & gender equality in their faces at every meeting they have....tit for tat!!!!