I wrote out a big long post about comparables to the buildup of the russia invasion and how it parallels here, before accidentally deleting it and too lazy to write it again. But I will say that we have such a massive reference point staring us in the face waving it's hands warning us what is coming if we don't take action sooner than later. It's not something to brush of as the ramblings of a mad man or trolling. Trump might be a mad man, but he is surrounded by many whose lust for power can make his words reality.
Some positives I take is that by and large, most Canadians, government included, took it seriously the moment those annexation words left Trump's lips. I know from personal experience that the majority of the Ukrainian population (outside of the army) never took the russian threats seriously until the moment tanks started rolling over the border, and that was a massive mistake. So thankfully due to quick reaction, we've bought ourselves some time. Canada might not be strong economically as the US, but no one is. Still, we are not a poor country and have a strong economy relative to much of the world that will help to navigate this.
I too hope that this is simply word diarrhea, am leaning towards that it is, but the fact is that putin's words were also trolling until they weren't. There can be no scenario where our population simply sits back and banks that Trumps "jokes" end up being just that. Showing that we take it seriously showing we are preparing for worst case scenario is in fact a deterrence in itself.
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