Christopher Matthews

Canadian physician with interests in healthy living, world issues, politics, science, philosophy, fitness, running, movies, TV, gaming, & civil discourse.

[Fareed Zakaria @FareedZakaria]

From India to Canada to the Middle East to Europe, countries no longer know whether they can trust America.

The consequences could be disastrous.

My take:

[Stephen Maher @stphnmaher]

If Musk lived in Canada, the most he could give to a candidate would be $1,775. That is one of the most important safeguards we have of democracy in this country. 1/2

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@ianfroese The interactions between Kinew and Obby Khan were embarrassing for a Premier/major party leaders. It made me wonder about some personal grudges. Now to see Kinew carrying on childish behavior with the new interim leader is unbecoming. We expect better.

[Elevation Pictures @Elevation_Pics]

“There couldn’t be a more fitting portrait of this hero." Experience never-before-seen footage of Terry Fox's legendary Marathon of Hope. RUN TERRY RUN is in theatres October 9.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

The potential peril caused by uncontrolled AI is utterly terrifying. Far greater than even an unhinged US president.

[Fareed Zakaria @FareedZakaria]

"A watershed moment in our industry."

That’s how @MicrosoftAI CEO @mustafasuleyman described the OpenAI-Hugging Face hack to me, in which rogue AI agents appear to have broken free from their testing environment and run rampant.

Part 1 of our conversation:

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@jaketapper Pleeeeeeaase get rid of this clueless ego-maniac before he leads the world to complete ruin. If there was ever a time where American leadership was more needed... But then, that was the Old America.

[William Shatner @WilliamShatner]

I understand that today in Canada 🇨🇦 is Star Trek day having aired the first episode two days before it was shown in the US. 🖖🏻 Good job Canada! 😉🤣

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@joshrogin 100%

[Dimitris Soudas 🇨🇦⚜️🇬🇷☦️ 13.12.1943 @DimitrisSoudas]

A little history is useful here.

There was a time when the Canada–U.S. relationship was considered so important — so fundamental — that even words spoken privately carried consequences.

When I worked for Stephen Harper while he was Leader of the Official Opposition, an aide in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s office privately referred to President George W. Bush as a “moron.”

We were in opposition, and we considered it unacceptable. So did Prime Minister Chrétien. The aide ultimately resigned.

Think about how far we have travelled since then.

Today, an American president can be called a bully or a loser. Canadians can tell him, quite literally, to “kiss our ass.” What once could have been a firing offence has become an expression of something much deeper: just how badly Donald Trump has damaged what generations of Canadians and Americans worked to build.

This was never an ordinary bilateral relationship. We disagreed — sometimes profoundly — but underneath those disagreements was a reservoir of trust, respect and friendship. It was treated almost as sacred because both countries understood its value.

Donald Trump has squandered much of that goodwill.

And perhaps his greatest miscalculation is confusing Canadian kindness with Canadian weakness.

We are polite. We are patient. We prefer friendship to confrontation. But none of those qualities should ever be mistaken for weakness.

Canada did not suddenly become hostile toward the United States. Canadians are reacting to a relationship that has been repeatedly tested, insulted and taken for granted.

History will remember many things about this period.

Canadian weakness will not be one of them.

And so, Mr. President — speaking on behalf of myself, and only myself:

Sir, you are a moron.

https://t.co/WwW6XcDXZg

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@CNNSOTU Unfortunate that this should seem such a novel take nowadays.

[James Moore @honjamesmoore]

Get. Bent.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@drterrysimpson Never let facts and evidence get in the way of a useful delusion. -motto of today's Republican Party.

[Robin MacNab @RobinMacNab]

Excellent commentary by Christia Freeland in the New York Times (gift article) https://t.co/Bf32xw8zbS

[Scott Barber @thescottbarber]

Imagine being proud of using your economic strength to break long standing agreements and essentially steal the hard work and money of Canadians who actually built the bridge. This is gross. Anyone who voted for this should be ashamed of themselves. You voted for the school bully.

[Henrik Dahl @SociologenHD]

Dear Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby (@USWPColby),

Thank you very much for your lengthy post setting out the principles and guidelines that you believe should govern America's former allies in NATO.

For our part, we have taken note that President Trump no longer consistently guarantees that NATO's Article 5 will be honoured.

We have taken note that President Trump has shown a marked inclination to do Vladimir Putin's bidding, even when doing so runs counter to our strategic interests and to our political and moral commitments to Ukraine.

We have taken note that the U.S. administration has moved NATO allies further down the queue for deliveries of American weapons than previously agreed.

We have taken note that President Trump has repeatedly spoken disparagingly of the sacrifices made by our soldiers when NATO allies answered the call after the United States invoked Article 5.

We have taken note that President Trump appears to believe, mistakenly, that NATO is some kind of emergency hotline the United States can call whenever military operations far outside the Alliance's purpose and area of responsibility go wrong.

We have also taken note that President Trump regularly speaks of acquiring sovereignty over Canada and Greenland.

And, of course, we have taken note that President Trump has shown a clear willingness to unilaterally disregard the trade agreements concluded between the European Union and the United States.

Taken together, all of this means that we must adapt to the reality that we can no longer rely on the United States. And that is exactly what we are doing.

You are, of course, quite right that American defence manufacturers produce excellent weapons.

But many of those systems are also becoming outdated in light of contemporary military doctrine - as the war in Ukraine has demonstrated with remarkable clarity.

We naturally appreciate that you still find the time to lecture us on your views and on America's expectations.

But in light of the chain of events set in motion by President Trump and his administration, we must admit that they carry rather limited weight.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@davidfrum @USWPColby Very apt.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@Reil76 The gaslighting has been astounding.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@davidfrum Absolutely disgraceful. As the wise man said: Integration becoming the source of our subordination.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

@SenAdamSchiff Sounds like its having the desired effect. We're feeling one or two economic effects of Dorito-man up here as well. Not sure I'll ever buy another California cab again. Cheers.

[Christopher Matthews @ChrisMatthewsMD]

Fascinating read.

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

The emergency meeting was surreal and its topic unthinkable: Is America now a threat? When Europe realized there was no going back. 🔗 https://t.co/WFYYHD1LLM