Yes $19M is a lot of money, but to use your terminology this is money that has already been pissed. The economic term for this is “sunk cost” — we aren’t getting those dollars back no matter what we choose.

It’s important to not let sunk costs influence our best course of action is going forward, but this is a challenge because people can get emotionally attached and massively overspend just to avoid feeling like the relatively smaller amount was wasted.

So is the better choice spending billions on F-35s and being locked into a forever contract with a country that is opposed to our interests? Or do we write off $19M and do something else? My vote is the something else.

The $19M is a sunk cost.

If we have to throw that away to escape being locked into a lengthy contract with a nation who I had declared themselves to be opposed to us and our allies — that discarded money is well spent.

The article goes a bit more in-depth than that. For example they show in my home region of metro Vancouver, the wealthy suburbs tend to have much higher rates of EV registrations than the core cities of Vancouver/burnaby/tricities/richmond/surrey or the less-wealthy suburban areas.

This data implies to me that beyond just infrastructure and travel requirements, cost is a major factor, perhaps overwhelmingly so. This too wouldn’t be groundbreaking news but it’s a different narrative to your conclusions here.

“What is Eric’s first name?” would probably suffice tbh

Canada post should be radically expanded, with the express goal of aiding interprovincial trade.

Will it require subsidies? Sure. But facilitating commerce will have a huge trickle-down effect as it would enable smaller businesses to compete at a national scale.

I am thinking of signing up to present for this, does anyone here have experience with this?

Of note I wouldn’t be representing a community, just myself. Does that even make sense in this context or would I be making a fool of myself for no benefit?

It’s unlikely that anyone would even guess if you’re American unless you’re spending money with an American card or tell someone. And if you’re spending money you’re unlikely to get a bad response, no matter who you are or where you’re from.

If you do bring up your nationality in appropriate contexts, I find it unlikely you’d get a hostile response. Like don’t just blurt it out at a grocery store for no reason but in normal conversation it’s fine.

First of all there are many republicans in Canada, they are called CPC here but effectively no difference in ideology and culture, and their support levels are 40% nationally but tend to be higher in rural areas.

And second of all, the rest of us Canadians typically understand that most urban Americans do not support Trump or his actions against us. We may be frustrated by the lack of awareness your centre and left have to what’s happening, or the lack of actions taken to stop what’s happening. But also a sense that non-republicans in the US are victims of Republican policies much as we Canadians are.

It’s disgusting how oil extraction has come to dominate the culture of Alberta and the CPC in general.

In reality the industry far less important than it’s credited for, and it’s incredibly mismanaged by the Albertan government. The oil extraction should be run by the province as a public benefit to enrich their population, like in Saudi Arabia or Norway.

The management should focus on maximizing long-term value and building up local industry to add value. Giving away so much of the value of an inherently limited resource is so incredibly wasteful and unnecessary.

Albertans ought to be outraged that the UPC and other right wingers have privatized what should be their fortune into the hands of few. But instead the propagandists have convinced them to be outraged their future isn’t being squandered fast enough.

The burden is on us to make this farce understood.

Tbqh I think not only are you correct here but it’s the message I was mentally avoiding.

I feel like we are losing the verge of losing this battle currently, with the CPC inches away from taking a hacksaw to our existing institutions.

But you’re right, this is the battle we need to fight. I shouldn’t look for some shortcut to avoid the hard work.

This isn’t a case where it needed to be sold, it was just short-term selfish thinking.

However you are perhaps correct that for a systemic problem, a systemic solution is needed not some cheap workaround as with what I was suggesting.

You do realize that 40% of the country just voted for the right-wing? That many provinces are governed by right-wingers.

How would you ban this, short of an authoritarian state?

Yeah, that’s the rub.

The IP clause to allow Canada to rebuild it in case of that happening might poison any potential sale, and might discourage a province from wanting to sell if Canada would then rebuild in a new province?

But I’m just spitballing and have no idea if it even makes sense

That doesn’t seem like an entirely sustainable plan?

I’m trying to separate what I want (which is what you addressed) with something practical that would allow Canada to invest in longer-term projects like this one.

My only idea would be a partnership with a province which would give the other veto power over any potential sale, along with a legal commitment that Canada would retain access to all IP in case of a sale.

How do we accomplish this?

Specifically if the conservatives get in and can just sell it off for a short-term payout, how can we make a long-term plan for this?

I ask not to sound smug and cynical, but to earnestly seek ideas on this.

When I show ICE vehicle owners how little my EV charge costs, they are blown away.

I remember coworkers telling me in 2015 that they hoped Trump would win the RNC nomination because he’d be easier to beat

CPC is pretty awful but PPC is much worse. We do not want these people in parliament.

Entirely fitting that for a party based on short-term selfishness and FYIGM, both their supporters and their campaign staff would behave like this.

That’s not fair. I’m sure at least some of the oil industry shareholders are Canadians.

I believe we’re both misunderstanding what the other person is saying because I don’t feel like your reply relates to what I said. Which doesn’t mean it was your error, I’m sure it was at least equally my misinterpretation of your reply.

Either way we are talking past each other, so I’ll wish you well and leave it at that. Cheers