PM Mark Carney's Canada

[afransen]

I think the rightward tilt in Canada's younger population is cultural influence from the US, particularly on social media. As those policies are discredited view Trump's incompetence, the social media influence will subside, and many people will pretend they never supported this brand of conservatism.

 

[a2z]

The 6ixbuzz instagram page is undoubtedly a cesspool and should not be looked at for more than two minutes (even that is too much). But it is followed by 2.5M people, most of them teenagers and young adults (mostly men) within the GTA & Ontario, so it carries quite the influence.

It does show the frustration and hostile anger many have with society & the feeling that their governments do not care at all about them, which manifests itself in a variety of comments, and I imagine this frustration will persist post-Trump, long as this audience feels like things are not improving here at home.

Exhibit A:

(I'm sorry for posting this screenshot of a recent post. But it does sum up the page and its audience in a nutshell quite well)

 

[afransen]

The 6ixbuzz instagram page is undoubtedly a cesspool and should not be looked at for more than two minutes (even that is too much). But it is followed by 2.5M people, most of them teenagers and young adults (mostly men) within the GTA & Ontario, so it carries quite the influence.

It does show the frustration and hostile anger many have with society & the feeling that their governments do not care at all about them, which manifests itself in a variety of comments, and I imagine this frustration will persist post-Trump, long as this audience feels like things are not improving here at home.

Exhibit A:

View attachment 703570
(I'm sorry for posting this screenshot of a recent post. But it does sum up the page and its audience in a nutshell quite well)

It was always thus, but with a lot of influencers (such as comedians with big internet audiences) fawning over Trump last year as low info disaffected voters, many of them are now distancing themselves and starting to be critical of Trump and Trumpism. Some, like the 'All In' podcast billionaires, are loudly silent on some of the more egregious things Trump is doing. I see a lot of people who will try to pretend they didn't support the current proto-fascist authoritarianism wave represented by Trump, just like Nazis tried to crawl back into the woodwork after the war.

 

[EBT]

The 6ixbuzz instagram page is undoubtedly a cesspool and should not be looked at for more than two minutes (even that is too much). But it is followed by 2.5M people, most of them teenagers and young adults (mostly men) within the GTA & Ontario, so it carries quite the influence.

It does show the frustration and hostile anger many have with society & the feeling that their governments do not care at all about them, which manifests itself in a variety of comments, and I imagine this frustration will persist post-Trump, long as this audience feels like things are not improving here at home.

Exhibit A:

View attachment 703570
(I'm sorry for posting this screenshot of a recent post. But it does sum up the page and its audience in a nutshell quite well)

Exactly what type of reaction did you expect from Canadians upon hearing that Mark Carney has given Zelensky another QUARTER BILLION of our tax dollars?

Did you expect Canadians would be saying "Oh goody! Mark Carney is giving another QUARTER BILLION of our money to Zelensky, the corrupt former president of Ukraine so he can buy more mansions in Miami. It's not like we need this QUARTER BILLION dollars for ourselves because money grows on trees in Canada. It's not like there are any needy Canadians who are going without this Christmas time".

Is that how Canadians should be reacting?

Canada has given $22 billion to Ukraine since the start of the war. Imagine what we could have done spending $22 billion at home instead of funneling it into one of the most corrupt countries in the world (with reports like this I'm beginning to think Canada might be the most corrupt).

 

[EBT]

Mark Carney says Donald Trump wants Canada to be dependent on the U.S. - Toronto Star

LINK TO Toronto Star ARTICLE

A lot of things to unpack in this article. Carney says Trump wants Canada to be dependent on the U.S... I don't doubt that, but I would go further - Trump wants to OWN us and what has Carney done about that?

But what jumped out for me was this statement:

"Carney reiterated that it is “absolutely clear” Trump suspended bilateral talks on adjusting American tariffs on Canada’s steel, aluminum and energy sectors because of the anti-tariff ad blitz launched by Premier Doug Ford"

So here is Mark Carney throwing Doug Ford (full disclosure. NOT a fan of Doug Ford) under the bus for daring to run an uplifting ad featuring Ronald Reagan "The Gipper" on American airwaves. Carney went on to say:

"Canadian and U.S. negotiators had reached “almost a deal” [what is an "almost deal" Mark?] on paper in October, Carney said. He stressed that “you have to have a signature” in order to have “a deal.” Carney said the Ontario ads had an impact on the president. “The president changed his attitude at that moment, it was clear.”

Is Mark Carney this stupid or does he think Canadians are stupid. It should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that Trump has no intention of reaching a "deal" with Canada any time soon if ever. Trump wants to squeeze the life out of our manufacturing industries - especially autos - until they completely bleed out. Donald Trump used the innocuous Ronald Regan ad run by Ford as the excuse to cut off all negotiations with Canada.

And what about that "deal" that was almost signed - according to Mark Carney - until the Reagan ads ran? According to the Toronto Star:

"Negotiators had landed on an agreement to adjust Trump-imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and energy, particularly oil. One said it included agreement on development of the Keystone pipeline expansion project"

Also:

"Two sources said that bilateral talks were also close to a deal on uranium. However, two other insiders said that a deal on uranium wasn’t close but was to be part of subsequent deals"

Let's break the above down and let it SINK IN:

1. Trump will be dropping ALL tariffs on steel and aluminum very SOON. In his first term Trump put tariffs on steel and aluminum but had to drop the tariffs within month's when it became obvious that for every job created in steel and aluminum industry TEN JOBS WERE LOST IN MANUFACTING. Trump will soon do a "TACO" on steel and aluminum tariffs. This is a no brainer and when this happens this will not be a "win" for Carney.
   
   
2. Now, let's look at the supposed deal on energy tariffs. I don't know why Trump put tariffs (10%) on Canadian oil. It only raises the cost of energy for Americans, but it is safe to say that Trump is amenable to dropping ALL tariffs on Canadian oil. If I had my way I would have imposed a 25% EXPORT tariff (to start) on oil exported to the United States (and 50% EXPORT tariffs on potash to the US).
   
   
3. Carney said that Canada as on the cusp of "winning" was an agreement on the Keystone Pipeline. The LAST thing that Canada needs is another pipeline to the United States. It was the trade surplus caused by Alberta oil that gave Trump the excuse to hollow out our manufacturing industries. We need to be exporting our oil to the rest of the world but that means building pipelines east, west, and north and Mark Carney has no interest in those pipelines. But Carney is OK with reviving Keystone? Ask yourself why!
   
   
4. Finally, AND THIS IS A BIG ONE! What was this "deal" on uranium? The United States is heavily dependent on Canada for Uranium. Its only other big supplier is Russia which it stills buy uranium from while imposing 50% tariffs on India for the crime of buying Russian oil.

 

[adma]

The 6ixbuzz instagram page is undoubtedly a cesspool and should not be looked at for more than two minutes (even that is too much). But it is followed by 2.5M people, most of them teenagers and young adults (mostly men) within the GTA & Ontario, so it carries quite the influence.

It does show the frustration and hostile anger many have with society & the feeling that their governments do not care at all about them, which manifests itself in a variety of comments, and I imagine this frustration will persist post-Trump, long as this audience feels like things are not improving here at home.

But another striking thing about the "6ixbuzz youth" is the likelihood that they have absolutely *no* "legacy media" foundation--not even in the household. Older generations may have grown up with the ubiquitous shared presence of print and broadcast media, front-page headlines and all of that; and that had a way of nurturing a bigger, broader "cultural context". But to this crowd, all of that is remote and mystifying--and as a result, they come across as rather, shall we say, "underdeveloped". When you're a McKid born to a McMansion family (or one who aspires to the same), your roots are in toxic soil, sort of like--and the echo chamber's compounded by how those who *haven't* such toxic soil aren't likely to frequent such social-media realms.

A parallel case of echo-chamber philistinism is when I came across, on Xitter, some "trad" trying to "whatabout" Trump's tacky Oval Office decorations by suggesting that the next Dem president would "put up yet another postmodern blob on the wall like Macron did" (Said pictured "postmodern blob" was a Miró.)

 

[narduch]

Wasn't 6ixbuzz found out to be a Russian psy op? Or am I thinking of a different stupid platform?

 

[picard102]

the corrupt former president of Ukraine

one of the most corrupt countries in the world

Got a source for any of this bs? I mean I know you don't but I don't see why you should get away with lying.

 

[Full Metal Junkie]

I think the rightward tilt in Canada's younger population is cultural influence from the US, particularly on social media.

Exactly this.

And the fact that young men are specifically shifting far right so disproportionally is because as young boys they were indoctrinated into the toxic masculinity cult referred to as "manosphere" in their millions and tens of millions. It's hard to overestimate the damage Andrew Tate and the likes of him have done to the Western cultural zeitgeist.

The Goose did a really good video on this not too long ago:

 

[Mihairokov]

Really makes you think about it when somewhere like China now requires people have university degrees in subjects they're trying to influence via social media. Would still allow for a Peterson but would fully prevent a Tate.

 

[afransen]

Exactly this.

And the fact that young men are specifically shifting far right so disproportionally is because as young boys they were indoctrinated into the toxic masculinity cult referred to as "manosphere" in their millions and tens of millions. It's hard to overestimate the damage Andrew Tate and the likes of him have done to the Western cultural zeitgeist.

The Goose did a really good video on this not too long ago:

I don't think demonization of masculinity and indifference to the worsening outcomes for boys/young men has helped. It pushed disaffected boys and men toward these kinds of charlatans.

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

Announcement out about a Ring of Fire deal and major projects streamlining with the provincial government:

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford have signed an agreement to speed up the approval of major projects under a “one project, one process, one decision” model.

This approach means that projects that would have been subject to environmental assessments at both the federal and provincial levels will now go through Ontario’s process alone.

The agreement also contains language that sets a deadline for the federal impact assessment agency to complete its review of roads to planned mining projects in the Ring of Fire region of northern Ontario by June 2026.

Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation are leading environmental assessments on three roads that would connect the provincial highway system to their communities and mining activities in the mineral-rich Ring of Fire.

While both First Nations say the roads will help lift the fly-in communities out of poverty, other nearby First Nations are not on board with the plan.

The Ring of Fire is home to major critical mineral deposits and the provincial and federal governments see it as a major economic driver.

Ontario, Ottawa agree to speed up project approvals, including Ring of Fire mining

Carney and Ford signed an agreement to speed up the approval of major projects under a "one project, one process, one decision" model.

toronto.citynews.ca

 

[a2z]

But another striking thing about the "6ixbuzz youth" is the likelihood that they have absolutely *no* "legacy media" foundation--not even in the household. Older generations may have grown up with the ubiquitous shared presence of print and broadcast media, front-page headlines and all of that; and that had a way of nurturing a bigger, broader "cultural context". But to this crowd, all of that is remote and mystifying--and as a result, they come across as rather, shall we say, "underdeveloped". When you're a McKid born to a McMansion family (or one who aspires to the same), your roots are in toxic soil, sort of like--and the echo chamber's compounded by how those who *haven't* such toxic soil aren't likely to frequent such social-media realms.

A parallel case of echo-chamber philistinism is when I came across, on Xitter, some "trad" trying to "whatabout" Trump's tacky Oval Office decorations by suggesting that the next Dem president would "put up yet another postmodern blob on the wall like Macron did" (Said pictured "postmodern blob" was a Miró.)

That's a fair point. I would imagine that Meta's news ban on their platforms has helped further fuel that "underdevelopment" / minimized the likelihood of that first or second touchpoint with legacy media.

An interesting growth strategy I see is with Juno Media (right-wing outlet that claims to be rapidly growing): where they put out these X/Twitter ads trying to get people to do a yes/no survey on things like "do you support a pipeline overriding FN approval", "do you support trans people in sports / believe in parental rights", etc. - but in order to "vote", you have to give your email & sign up for their newsletter - so I would imagine they are doing a good job in converting lower propensity voters into more reactionary, diehard conservatives.

Wasn't 6ixbuzz found out to be a Russian psy op? Or am I thinking of a different stupid platform?

To my understanding, 6ixbuzz is (still) a local product.
I think the Russian psy op you are referring to might be Tenet Media?

 

[JasonParis]

A good listen...

 

[adma]

That's a fair point. I would imagine that Meta's news ban on their platforms has helped further fuel that "underdevelopment" / minimized the likelihood of that first or second touchpoint with legacy media.

Well, the news ban is strictly a Canadian thing, of course. However, it might be argued that even *before* the ban, comment-thread culture was making a mockery out of news--essentially, it amounted to the delinquents in the back of the classroom making fun of teechur.

In which case, the fortunate thing about those of us conditioned by "traditional" media is that we know how to quietly absorb content without feeling impelled to "react" (that is, rattling off letters to the editor is more cumbersome than posting a comment); and with editorial control factoring out the more egregious mouth-breathers, we consumed diverse fare with a certain decorum. (And that even went for such things as alt-weeklies, "hip" music/lifestyle publications, etc.)

And I even find that these days, the higher-operating social media accounts aren't really chock full of "have your say" comments--probably reflecting (besides bot-proof settings) how those reading the posts and links intuitively operate on that "traditional" silent-witness scale. Which is probably hellish to those social-media billionaire proprietors for whom everything hinges upon monetizable likes and comments and reactions (or at best, "to the margins" a la the jazz/classical section of a record store)