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Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
I guess I don't really understand the way the Smith vs. Trump thing is being characterized. If I am understanding her goal correctly, it is to essentially separate Alberta's primary industry from a series of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs - in effect, putting this province on the sidelines in a pseudo-trade war.
That attempt seems very clearly to be in Alberta's best interest, because the consequences of a 25% tariff on oil products from this province would be a total disaster for the people of this province, arguably to a greater extent than those tariffs would be for other provinces simply due to who our more-or-less sole customer is.
The question of whether she is competently pursuing that aim is separate from whether the goal is appropriate, and I share every doubt and skepticism about her ability to not #### up whatever she tries to do or listen to the right people in pursuing that goal. But the goal itself? I mean, she's the premier of Alberta; she has zero constituents in Manitoba or Quebec or Newfoundland, so prioritizing the interest of the only people she has an actual duty to (again, leaving aside the question of whether she's capable of carrying out that duty correctly given her obvious personal shortcomings) does not seem like something crazy or inappropriate to me.
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Albertans are also Canadians. They will be affected by economic catastrophe in Ontario or other provinces. A national recession means less revenue for federal programs (like healthcare), more demands on federal resources or higher federal deficits and debt (or, most likely, some combination of those things). All of these things will hurt Albertans.
I agree that a diligent, competent and earnest premier might carefully weigh all of the potential benefits and costs and risks to Albertans and might arrive at the position that, all things considered, breaking ranks with fellow premiers and advocating to the US President alone is the best path forward for Albertans. However, I have zero confidence that Premier Smith is diligent, competent or earnest. I have zero confidence that she engaged in any sort of consideration or weighing of the above risks. I have zero confidence that she had any real prospect of success by talking to Trump alone.