Conversation

Just saw this interesting rant on the book of faces.
Dear Misinformed Americans,
It has come to our attention that some of you believe the United States is generously subsidizing Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year. Oh, Canada! How lucky we are to bask in the financial benevolence of our southern neighbors!
Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that this is complete nonsense. So, let’s break this down in a way that even a Tim Hortons-deprived soul can understand:
Foreign Aid? We Must Have Missed That Cheque.
• Canada is not on the U.S. foreign aid list. No pallets of cash arrive at the border. No direct financial assistance. No “Canada Relief Fund” tucked into the U.S. budget. We checked. Twice.
Trade Is Not a Subsidy, It’s a Transaction.
• The U.S. and Canada engage in mutually beneficial trade worth over $850 billion a year. Canada buys more American goods than any other country, except possibly China.
• If anyone’s economy benefits from this relationship, it’s the U.S., which enjoys a trade surplus in services and buys our oil at a discount while selling us overpriced military gear.
Defense Spending: We Do Have a Military, You Know.
• Contrary to what Hollywood might suggest, Canada actually funds and operates its own military—shockingly, without waiting for America’s allowance.
• Canada also patrols the Arctic, secures NORAD, and participates in NATO. No, we don’t have 11 aircraft carriers, but we do own the world's second-largest landmass, which means the U.S. gets a free security buffer zone without having to annex us (not that you haven’t tried before).
Resources: You’re Welcome, by the Way.
• The U.S. relies on Canadian oil, lumber, minerals, and electricity. We send you power, and you send us… conspiracy theories about our Prime Minister.
• If anything, Canada is subsidizing the U.S. with affordable energy and raw materials.
If the U.S. Was Sending Us $200 Billion, Our Roads Wouldn’t Have Potholes.
• We’re still driving on roads that look like they lost a fight with a meteor shower. If Uncle Sam were secretly sending us billions, we’d have paved highways made of maple syrup and gold by now.
America, You’re Not Our Sugar Daddy
While we appreciate the enthusiasm, the idea that the U.S. is bankrolling Canada is as fictional as a moose riding a polar bear to work (though, admit it, that would be cool).

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