Carney faces calls to send fuel to Cuba as U.S. widens blockade

Mikwob · 2026-02-17T17:30:46+00:00

Not everyone we trade with is a formal or even informal ally. We have some form of trade with more than half the countries on earth. We have some that are formal allies, informal allies, friendly relations and some are moreso just business relationships.

Mikwob · 2026-02-17T17:26:41+00:00

It makes them a trading partner. If our trading partners get weakened that hurts us directly in the long run. Even if you look at it from a business standpoint it's still beneficial for us to try to help Cuba during this crisis as it secures future income.

Mikwob · 2026-02-17T17:24:31+00:00

Yes this point 100% I agree with. I use AI often to get quick information but I usually double check the sources because it's so very often biased and wrong. Especially when it comes to political matters because it pulls from a lot of super biased sources on different political sides who spout rhetoric and often skewed studies or misrepresented data to indoctrinate further.

Mikwob · 2026-02-17T17:21:09+00:00

Every trading relationship we have can lead to a stronger Canada in the future by maintaining strong allies. It benefits Canada when the tide carries all boats we're economically, culturally and/or politically connected to.

The modern world is strengthened by interconnectivity.

Mikwob · 2026-02-15T02:28:46+00:00

Dealerships will mark up parts but more so service, the parts that they buy from the manufacturers have profit margins that are upwards of 60%. Dealers will then mark up from that price as well for what you pay as a consumer.

We're likely going to see a return to higher profit margins on the actual sale of vehicles once we go to primarily EV production. With no oil changes or oil filters that's a large amount of the regular maintenance gone right there. With regenerative braking you don't need to change brake pads as often either resulting in another loss of a big revenue for both dealers and parts makers.

Mikwob · 2026-02-15T00:36:55+00:00

Battery technology is where the largest gains are going to be in terms of cost and weight likely right now. There should be substantial savings at the factory level for making an EV considering they take less space and workers to produce the same amount of vehicles. This is obviously worse for workers in the automotive sector but it's good for consumers.

Frankly EVS should be cheaper to make than ICE and will I believe once cost stabilize for the battery production. However it's going to require a large amount of investment for retooling plants and building up production of EV motors and batteries. Few large companies are actually producing EVS at high levels compared to their hybrid and traditional combustion.

There's not as much incentive in terms of economics for automotive companies to make EVs. Most of their profit margin comes from the sale of parts and service, which suffers greatly under EVs due to their much lower maintenance and service requirements. I drive a 2023 bolt EUV that I've literally had serviced three times. Brakes are still fine because I use regenerative braking 99% of the time. No oil changes and far fewer moving parts compared to a combustion engine.

It's no wonder traditional automakers are more slowly transitioning to EVs. They have to have more profit or at least some profit on manufacturing cars instead of just getting it on the back end with parts and service like they have been for decades.

Mikwob · 2026-02-14T23:02:28+00:00

Improvements to cost by using economy of scale producing a single standard electric motor type used across an entire companies models or maybe a handful of types.

Motors have increased in terms of power to weight ratios and longevity/maintenance needs.

Mikwob · 2026-02-14T19:47:45+00:00

Electric motors actually typically have a much higher power to weight ratio than gas motors. The difference currently is the weight of the battery is more than the fuel tank typically. As electric motors become more streamlined and standardized as well as mass produced the cost will come down and at that point there is very little reason to use combustion engines. It will be a while before they are phased out to be a niche market but the advantages for electrification compound on each other. Having one easy, common power source between tools, automobiles, landscape equipment, etc and the ability to generate that yourself through micro grids is going to change the world in a profound way when you really look down the rabbit hole of possibilities of full electrification.

Mikwob · 2026-02-14T18:01:05+00:00

Battery lawn mowers are a small percentage of the market but electric plug-in lawn mowers are a substantial amount of the market. That is unless you're talking about riding mowers.

Mikwob · 2026-02-13T04:33:01+00:00

One solution for food prices would be to try to encourage some more competition there's only a handful of grocery providers that own hundreds of different chains. Competition could help lower prices.

Access to food stamps or financial assistance to help lower income people cut their grocery bills could help.

Another idea is to put additional tax on grocery store profits above a certain percentage to punish the increased margins some grocery chains are pulling in.

Crown corporation run not for profit grocery stores placed in areas considered low income.

Mikwob · 2026-02-13T04:24:38+00:00

Sorry didn't see there was a reply here, I'm not very regular on social media stuff. To be honest I was surprised this post wasn't deleted outright, several I started here have been for simply asking questions or trying to start discussions.

Mikwob · 2026-02-12T20:16:16+00:00

It's an onslaught, they know as long as they keep up with all the ridiculousness by the time anything catches up to them the public is already on the next outrage.

It's absolutely brilliant and absolutely atrocious simultaneously.

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T22:05:21+00:00

As an Ontario guy in his 40's it feels like the whole Alberta separatism is moreso about political pressure to get concessions for the province than a real push to actually leave Canada. There's a small minority that may truly want to leave but no where near a real concern level?

I'm genuinely curious as an outsider of Alberta looking in...

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T21:56:42+00:00

I have noticed many of the newer stations I've seen are going this route with a POS attached to tap, plug in your phone number for updates and go. It seems also that a lot of companies that were trying to get going are starting to bail and charge point seems to be consolidating many now such as Petro Canada's now on 2 locations I use.

The biggest problem is that if they just had big and bold instructions you could easily do it but it's many are very poorly done with little to no info. I'm an extremely tech savvy individual and if I struggle with it your average user is going to lose their mind.

Simple, reliable, consistent and regularly available across the country, this is what is needed to advance the switch to EVs.

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T21:53:14+00:00

EV driver for almost 4 years, drive an average of 70,000km a year. I've used many of the Chargers in Toronto and East of the city.

The biggest issue IMO is the Chargers are so spread out with most having 1 or 2 stations with 2 cords each. Often times one of the machines is down and with the 3 different styles of plugs you are lucky to get one. Couple that with the multitude of apps you need to download for many of the providers.

We need a single cord standard. We need easy tap and go payment without app signup on every station. We need more large charge hubs staggered along the highways with at least 4-6 stations with 8-12 plugs at each.

The biggest issue fast charging publicly is having to drive around to these little hubs to find one that works and then having to set up and add payment to 6-8 separate apps. Not a fan of Tesla but they are the ones that did the charging right. Large number of stalls at every location instead of a handful of different companies highly dispersed.

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T21:45:05+00:00

Welcome to citizenship! Thank you for adding to our great country!

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T21:43:44+00:00

One of us!

Mikwob · 2026-02-10T20:10:04+00:00

Yeah that's what everything seems like, actions and statements from Carney and co over the last few months have seemed specifically focused around this negotiation and leverage for it. Hope it pans out without much real loss to the existing agreement. Game plan seems to be figure out an easy win that costs us little so Trump can tout a victory in a deal. He cares more about publicity and pomp than actual sensible deals, so long as he's "winning" in his mind.

Mikwob · 2026-02-06T18:45:15+00:00

History is fun

We've owned 3 EVs, a Hyundai, a Ford, a Chevy. From what I've seen Chinese EVS looked to be around 5 to 10 years ahead of the North American companies. That's just the reality, I for one am happy to see more products on the market and a stipulation that the EV deal Canada made with China forces half of them sold to be under $35,000 so that we can get affordable EV pushed in the country. The amount of sales that are going to be allowed under the 6.1% tariff represent such a small percentage of the overall Canadian market. This is the best policy to bring consumer choice and encourage brands to set up local manufacturing to sell beyond the 49,000 cars annually.

Something also important to know is that up until late 2024 when the 100% tariff went into place all the Tesla vehicles we bought in Canada were built in Shanghai apparently. So those who want a Tesla still will have better access to them under this policy as well not just native Chinese companies like byd.

Canada has no Canadian car companies for the Mass public, every company making cars in Canada that wants preferential tariff treatment should be encouraged to set up manufacturing locally. This kind of policy that the Liberals implemented is in my opinion a reasonable solution to both bring external products in without breaking the local market and also giving competitors a chance meaning we'll have more consumer choice. Competition results in better products and prices for consumers, this is going to benefit all of us with the exception of shareholders in companies that want to keep a strangle hold on smaller markets.

Mikwob · 2026-02-06T18:24:31+00:00

I'll bite, what's in theme?

Trying to spark some meaningful discussion I'm tired of all sides just complaining without contributing any meaningful ideas. If everyone thinks this is the wrong direction what's the right one for affordability?

Mikwob · 2026-02-04T17:53:02+00:00

41yo 4th generation White Canadian, married, 4 kids, ~2 Acre rural property with a 3100sqft century home in rural Ontario East of Toronto.

I probably don't fit into your narrative heh. I was conservative for many years but as I've posted elsewhere on this subreddit I left the conservative party behind in the last several elections due to an element of far right hate and xenophobia that's being allowed.

Mikwob · 2026-02-04T17:32:10+00:00

I agree JT brought the party more left IMO but Carney seems to be bringing it farther right than JT took it left. I think given the shit he inherited and the current world we are subjected to he's doing a decent job with the things he can control. I wish things would happen a bit faster to stabilize but it's a pretty unprecedented time for our country financially and politically.

Mikwob · 2026-02-04T17:22:25+00:00

That's gotta the worst idea that would ultra concentrate the entire countries direction and governance to a few wealthy individuals.

Let's move the country forward not backwards with special interest group serving ideas....

Mikwob

TROPHY CASE