“Lucrative” is a massive overstatement. Apparently, @CanadianPM@MarkJCarney, @AnitaAnandMP, @MSidhuLiberal and company would like us to believe a rushed free trade deal with India — or even China — is a magic fix and a real alternative to solid trade with our friends and neighbours down south - the US. They’d like us to think, without thinking that the trade deals would magically solve our economic problems. Appears to be a delusional world view. Let’s watch where this @liberal_party circus actually leads us. Hopefully not off a cliff or down the garden path. @MichaelChongMP@PierrePoilievre@DanMuysMP #CdnPoli
Carney leaning into India for trade and strategic partnerships sends the message that Canada is willing to compromise on its sovereignty in exchange for lucrative trade deals. That only emboldens the Indian government and feeds the nationalist narcissism that already shapes much of its political culture. If Liberals really had to choose economy over integrity, then the US was a much better frenemy.
Some of the most interesting and unconventional people I follow on X are teachers and professors at Pakistani public universities, especially those teaching Urdu literature or public policy. I often wonder what it would have been like to study philosophy in Urdu or any humanities subject in Pakistan. Oh, how I wish I could enroll in their classes. Sigh!
The issue is that Pakistan has extremely difficult and rather hostile policies for foreign investors in mining and exploration sector. Another is the security situation in that area.
But I agree, Pakistan NEVER lobbied for her interests in the US. We don’t have political representation there, we don’t have a strong trade office in Washington either. We need to fix it, and the time was yesterday.
Rubio: “The world cannot depend on one country for 90% of anything.”
Pakistan has copper, gold and rare earth minerals across Balochistan.
America is looking for alternatives to China.
The address is Islamabad.
Thank you for this. But in order to get something done, the onus of providing a concise and efficient plan is on you. I won’t do this homework. You can reach me when you have all that information compiled in an effective format, and a proposal you would like for me to communicate ahead. Shukria!
@bruce_mcgonigal Alberta would still be landlocked as an independent country, depending on Vancouver coastline for its trade to the Pacific. How would this work exactly?
After working closely (on and off) with policymakers and administrators in Pakistan, I’ve come to a difficult conclusion: Pakistan suffers from collective impostor syndrome.
We are working on a remarkable project, and somewhere along the way it hit me that no one ever really imagined Pakistan deserving the spotlight. Worse, we never imagined it for ourselves.
And yet, we are a country with an extraordinary story to tell. Our people are unlike any other. Our food is unmatched. Our hospitality is instinctive. Even our struggles carry a depth and complexity the world barely understands.
We’ve spent so long playing the understudy that we forgot we might one day be called to centre stage. And now that the spotlight is finally turning toward us, we are not sure what to do.