United States

While Trump tried to downplay concerns about a trade with with Canada, after his administration slapped tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, he may have succeeded in fanning the flames when on Tuesday Trump told reporters that “No,” he does not fear a trade war with Canada adding "they have a tremendous surplus with the United States. Whenever they have a surplus, I have no fear."

President Trump says he does not fear that there will be a trade war with Canada https://t.co/SwAdMO9hyX

Authored by Jonathan Newman via The Mises Institute,

Neil deGrasse Tyson has released a new video aimed at a what he sees as a growing anti-intellectualism problem in the United States.

After last night's announcement of ~20% tariffs on softwood lumber imported from Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lashed out at the Trump administration saying the U.S. could suffer from a "thickening" border as trade tensions between the two countries escalated, sending the Canadian currency to a 14 month low.

Authored by Zainab Calcuttawala via OilPrice.com,

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley warned U.S. President Donald Trump that he would face the wrath of the northern nation’s many allies if the freshman president begins employing energy trade restrictions with Canada.

Notley is currently in China, negotiating her country’s trade policies with the Asian giant. She told reporters that she did not know what was meant by Trump’s comments about what Canada has done to its American neighbor with the energy, softwood lumber, and dairy industries.

The Looting Machine Called Capitalism

Paul Craig Roberts

I have come to the conclusion that capitalism is successful primarily because it can impose the majority of the costs associated with its economic activities on outside parties and on the environment. In other words, capitalists make profits because their costs are externalized and born by others. In the US, society and the environment have to pick up the tab produced by capitalist activity.