mercredi 2 avril 2025

THE LIBERATION DAY

THE LIBERATION DAY... 
By Bernard Bujold -
Donald Trump spared Canada in his new tariffs, but he is changing the economic map of the entire world with his protectionist tariff announcement on Wednesday, April 2. According to Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, the whole world will have to adjust to the U.S. economic plan and develop independent economies. Carney will be meeting Canada's various political authorities in the next few days, after which he will announce his government's strategies. 
Observers agree that the big winner of the day is Carney and his election campaign. Trump's retreat from Canada takes all the campaign angles away from Pierre Poilièvre. 
To be continued. 
SEE THE REPORT THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

mardi 1 avril 2025

THE WORLD ECONOMY IN 2025

BARRIERS TO TRADE RISE ALL AROUND THE WORLD-
By Bernard Bujold - 
It is not Donald Trump who started the trade war but he jumped on the train. All the economists know that the whole planet is actually in a trade war that was never seen in decades. That is why Mark Carney said that the commercial relation between Canada and the United States will never be as before because he knows that all world governments worldwide have changed from globalist to protectionist. Donald Trump is not the creator of the tariff but a follower of a trend... 
See the full story in the WALL STREET JOURNAL 
https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trade-war-explodes-across-world-at-pace-not-seen-in-decades-0b6d6513?st=h427mQ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

lundi 31 mars 2025

SERIOUS POLITICAL CRISIS IN FRANCE

SERIOUS POLITICAL CRISIS IN FRANCE -
Marine Le Pen's conviction on Monday, March 31, 2025, and her immediate ban from running for president in April 2027 has triggered a major political crisis in France. With an average of 34% to 38% in the polls, Le Pen leads all her opponents by 10 to 20 points in most scenarios. This judicial decision by France evokes the situation of Donald Trump in the USA, who was granted immunity after his November 2024 victory. Le Pen could have enjoyed similar immunity if he had won in 2027, but the verdict, despite his appeal, eliminates that possibility for now. Many observers see this as a profound war between justice (the judges) and the popular vote (the politicians). 

MODERN POLITICIANS IN 2025

MODERN POLITICIANS... 
By Bernard Bujold - 
Many people wonder why there is a kind of respect between Donald Trump and Mark Carney. In my opinion, the link is their outlook on the economy's future, as both recognize that the world can no longer be globalist, but each country must build its own economy. With over 75.9% of Canada's exports going to the U.S. in 2024, it's clear that this was suicidal and must be changed. The U.S. exported only 17.4% of its products to Canada in 2024. Carney and Trump are perfectly aware of this abnormal situation. That's why both politicians respect each other! 
On a lighter note, we could compare the three public figures, Trump, Carney, and Elon Musk, with the Gauls from the story Asterix. Indeed, Donald and Elon are reminiscent of Obelix and Asterix. Mark Carney is more the intellectual of the group, rather like the Druid Panoramix, who is not an intimate of Obelix and Asterix, but he understands them. 
I could be Agecanonix... 
For those interested, I've taken my election poster out of the shed and put it up in the garden... 
To be continued...

dimanche 30 mars 2025

MARK CARNEY 2025

GETTING TO KNOW MARK CARNEY -
By Bernard Bujold - 
Anyone wanting to know more about Mark Carney's ideas should read his book VALUE(S), published in 2021. The book reveals a deep understanding of the mechanisms of the economy, both in modern reality and historically. Many political and financial world observers agree that the book sums up Carney's personality quite well and that it is the inspiration for his 2025 political program. I put this book on my bedside table beside Michael Ignatieff's one. 
Happy reading... 
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/669023/values-by-mark-carney/9780771051579 

Here’s a concise summary of Value(s): Building a Better World for All by Mark Carney, In Value(s), published in 2021, Mark Carney, a prominent economist and former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, explores the growing disconnect between economic "value" (market prices) and societal "values" (ethical and human principles). He argues that modern society has shifted from a market economy—where markets serve people—to a market society, where market logic dominates, commodifying everything and eroding core human values like fairness, solidarity, and responsibility. 

The book is structured in three parts: 

Historical Context: Carney traces the evolution of economic thought on value, from objective measures (e.g., labor-based value in Adam Smith’s work) to subjective, market-driven valuations. He critiques how this shift has prioritized short-term profit over long-term societal well-being. Crises as Value Failures: He analyzes three modern crises—the 2008 financial crash, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change—as symptoms of this misalignment. For example, the financial crisis stemmed from unchecked greed and poor regulation, while climate change reflects a "tragedy of the horizon," where short-term thinking ignores future costs. A Path Forward: Carney proposes a framework to realign markets with human values, emphasizing seven key principles: solidarity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, sustainability, dynamism, and humility. He advocates for practical solutions like carbon pricing, sustainable investing, and purpose-driven businesses to address inequality, climate change, and economic instability. Carney’s central thesis is that markets are powerful tools but must be guided by societal values to serve humanity, not dominate it. He draws on his extensive experience in finance and policymaking to offer both a critique of neoliberalism and a vision for a more inclusive, sustainable economy. 

This summary reflects the book’s key ideas without reproducing its full 600-page scope, which blends economic history, personal anecdotes, and policy prescriptions. In Value(s), Carney critiques the overreliance on market-driven values and advocates for a system where markets serve societal goals like fairness, sustainability, and resilience. He emphasizes seven core values—solidarity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, sustainability, dynamism, and humility—as a blueprint for addressing global challenges like climate change, inequality, and economic instability. These ideas align closely with the messaging he’s deployed as a political figure in 2025, especially given the context of his snap election call on March 23, 2025, amid a trade war with the United States. During his campaign for the Liberal Party leadership (launched January 16, 2025) and his brief tenure as Prime Minister, Carney has positioned himself as a crisis manager, leveraging his experience as a central banker during the 2008 financial crisis and Brexit. 

His book’s focus on resilience and responsibility mirrors his campaign rhetoric about strengthening Canada against external threats, notably U.S. tariffs and annexation taunts from President Trump. For instance, in his victory speech on March 9, 2025, he declared, “We cannot let [Trump] succeed,” framing Canada’s economic sovereignty as a moral and practical imperative—echoing Value(s)’ call for solidarity and a purpose-driven economy. Carney’s policy moves also reflect the book’s principles. His decision to scrap the consumer carbon tax shortly after taking office on March 14, 2025, while pushing for corporate accountability on emissions, aligns with his book’s argument for shifting burdens from individuals to systemic players, promoting fairness and sustainability. His pledges to diversify trade partners (e.g., trips to the UK and France) and bolster Canadian industry (e.g., buying Canadian steel) tie into the dynamism and resilience he champions in Value(s), aiming to build a robust economy less vulnerable to U.S. pressure. The snap election announcement on March 23, 2025, for April 28, 2025, further ties into his book’s urgency about acting decisively in crises. 

In Value(s), he critiques short-term thinking—like the “tragedy of the horizon” in climate policy—and his call for a “strong, positive mandate” suggests he’s applying this long-term vision to Canada’s immediate challenges, seeking voter backing to implement his value-driven framework. In short, Carney’s campaign for Prime Minister amplifies Value(s)’ core message: markets must be harnessed to reflect human values, not dictate them. His platform—confronting Trump, rebuilding economic strength, and prioritizing sustainability—reads like a practical application of the book’s ideals, tailored to Canada’s 2025 context. Whether this resonates with voters in the upcoming election remains to be seen, but the link is clear: his campaign is an attempt to bring Value(s) from theory to policy.

vendredi 28 mars 2025

THE PHONE CALL WAS A SUCCESS

THE PHONE CALL WAS A SUCCESS - 
The telephone conversation between Mark Carney and Donald Trump was a success. The American president concluded by saying he looked forward to working with Carney once he is elected Prime Minister.... Any more and he'd be inviting Canadians to vote for Carney! 
SEE TRUMP'S MESSAGE ON TRUTH SOCIAL @realDonaldTrump 
" I just finished speaking with Prime Minister Mark Carney, of Canada. It was an extremely productive call, we agreed on many things and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors, that will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

jeudi 27 mars 2025

THE RICHNESS OF FRIENDSHIP

THE RICHNESS OF FRIENDSHIP... 
By Bernard Bujold -
They say you can count the number of your friends on the fingers of one hand... To keep count, I took inspiration from the friendship bracelets popularized by Taylor Swift. I've still got two fingers left, but my wrist is full... Happy spring 2025, and best regards...

mercredi 26 mars 2025

CANADA ELECTIONS 2025

DONALD TRUMP AND THE CANADIAN ELECTION 2025 -
By Bernard Bujold -
There's an old political saying that a social crisis should never be wasted...
Mark Carney is facing up to the 25% tariff crisis in the auto industry, and already he's reaping the repercussions. Indeed, Doug Ford has just indirectly endorsed Mark Carney in his fight against Donald Trump, and in so doing, he is indirectly supporting him in his election campaign... Poilièvre must be disheartened... 
Besides, Ekos has just published its poll of March 26 (before the tariffs were announced): 49.5% for Carney and 34.6% for Poilièvre... The vote is on April 28. Stay tuned! https://www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/2025/03/liberals-maintain-commanding-lead-with-major-seat-efficiency-advantage/

THE GROK ENGINE

THE BEAUTY OF CIVILIZATION... 
By Bernard Bujold - 
There's a lot of criticism of Elon Musk these days, but we have to admit that he's succeeded in transforming Twitter X. Indeed, since its acquisition on October 27, 2022, X has gone from being a simple messaging platform to a serious engine of artificial intelligence. His GROK model totally dominates all other models. Whether for text search answers or image creation, GROK produces the best response. Civilization is said to be the evolution of our way of life. 
We're a long way from the days when the Larousse dictionary was our bedside book... We can conclude that civilization is evolving... 
x.com/bernardbujold

mardi 25 mars 2025

THE ELECTORAL RACE 2025

THE ELECTORAL RACE 2025 - 
By Bernard Bujold 
According to several polls, the Liberals will win more than 200 seats on April 28... A poll published this Tuesday, March 25, by the Angus Reid Institute, gives the Liberals 46% of voting intentions, against 38% for the Conservatives, a gap of 8 points. The New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois are far behind, with 7% and 6% of voting intentions respectively. Nearly half of Quebecers (49%) plan to vote for Mark Carney, and 16% for Pierre Poilievre. Yves-François Blanchet has 27% of voting intentions in Quebec, but 23% of those who voted for the Bloc in 2021 plan to vote Liberal this time around. Voting intentions for the Liberals have almost doubled since December in major Canadian cities. In Montreal in particular, 64% of voters now plan to vote Liberal - up from 34% in December. There are still a few laps to go, including the two debates on April 16 and 17, in English and French. Stay tuned...