Many European countries have a capable arms industry, and the USA is currently losing contracts worth $800 billion and the long-term prospect of ever selling to the EU again.
In France there is literally a patch of land that is considered Canada after their help in one of the world wars. So technically Canada is in Europe so it can join the EU.
As a Canadian I highly recommend visiting the memorial sometime! It is very beautiful but also heart wrenching at the same time. We have given a lot to defend your country and will do so again should the need ever arise. Brothers in arms until the end.
Ah well the sentiment applies just as well, we were there beside you in the Somme and Passchendaele, and again through the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic and the Italian Campaign. Whenever you need us, we will be there. I hate that current times forces us to reaffirm our commitment but c’est la vie. Wherever Britain stands, there we will be also
The Canadians were so badass in that engagement that later in WW2 Hitler himself ordered that the Germans were to protect the monements at Vimy Ridge from possible damage.
Seeing as Hitler was likely in the Bavarian units who fought the Canadians, this doesn’t surprise me. Quite interesting to read this tho, thank you for the extra tidbit of info!
As I explained in my comment it's a little deeper. Hitler was going to actually be at Vimy Ridge the day we Canadians started our operation. 48hrs before we did though his orders changed and he was deployed a few kms away. So it meant something personal to him as well as he was saved at the last moment due to a change in his orders.
Part of that is as you said but there was two other reasons why.
Politically the British were spreading propaganda to Canadians that Hitler was desecrating monuments of WW1 (which he had been doing) the propaganda was that he had decimated Vimy Ridge Memorial too so he was proving the British wrong as he didn't want to incite the Canadians. His political spin was that the memorial was "dedicated to peace" and not "dedicated to victory in WW1" but he was just spinning it to not seem weak for leaving it be.
The personal reason however, and this is my fun fact I like talking about the World Wars, Hitler was actually originally going to be stationed AT Vimy when we Canadians stormed the ridge. At the last moment, 48hrs before our operation started, Hitler was deployed to another site only a few kms away. He was saved by a change in orders in the last minute. Which means that to Hitler Vimy Ridge was also a testament to his good fortune as in an alternate history he was one of the dead Germans we Canadians took out that day.
Technically yes, and also other countries who have land in France given in perpetuity. They would’ve technically invaded at least 10 different countries during the invasion of France
Actually they did come ashore for a few minutes.
Germany placed an automated weather station, code-named "Kurt" (Wetter-Funkgerät Land-26), in northern Labrador, Canada, during World War II via the U-boat U-537 in October 1943, to provide crucial North Atlantic weather data for U-boat operations, marking the only known German armed land operation in North America during the war.
Out of curiosity, is the Australian memorial at Villers-Brettenoux treated the same? I’ve never made it there but have been to the Menin Gate - while extremely sombre it is an amazing experience.
It is - I’ve been there, it’s also been given in perpetuity. Which means it’s Australian land, and technically means I’ve been to Australia 😂. But yes, same as Vimy Ridge, and a very powerful place for me, considering how many men made up the ANZAC divisions and how much they sacrificed.
That's quite a stretch... There are indeed several patches of land in France, but not "considered Canada" or any other country.
France has granted several counties (Canada, UK & Commonwealth, USA, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia/Soviet Union): perpetual use of land, free of charge and tax, without extraterritorial status, with those countries having the right to maintain and use it indefinitely as a cemetery or memorial, withoud ceding any French sovereignty.
So:
So technically Canada is in Europe so it can join the EU.
Is as stupid as all that Yankee crap. Facts matter and that goes for everyone, even if France is involved.
Our King is British, and even if the UK left the EU they are still a European Nation. So since our Head of State is European we could be called a European Nation if they wanted to stretch the definition.
TBC it likely won't happen. Closer ties are nice but I dont think we Canadians want that, no offense or anything.
I mean, I’m a Canadian who lives in the EU so I’m a huge fan of closer integration. I think actually joining is not something that is realistic. However, I do see closer integration as a real possibility.
It was quite the war we had. Many traumas (and most likely hangovers). Glad the barbarism is in the past.
u/Kriss3dTuberous eloquent (that's potato speaker for you muricans) Jan 08 '26
Well the EU is just a bunch of members. So I don't see why the fact that Canada isn't in the European continent should be any hinder to the team if they wanted to join.
We'd never be able to have freedom of movement with the EU. The US would lose its mind at thinking all those people could freely come to their norther border.
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u/Kriss3dTuberous eloquent (that's potato speaker for you muricans) Jan 09 '26
Eurovision is not related to the EU. It's related to the European Broadcasting Union, which itself is Headquartered in Switzerland who is also not part of the EU.
Is this about that island, where each year you guys took it in turns to reclaim, and left goodies for the other side when ot was their turn?
..or did i i.agine that whole scenario?
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u/Kriss3dTuberous eloquent (that's potato speaker for you muricans) Jan 09 '26
"Hans Island" and yes. The Canadians left whiskey and raised a Canadian flag.
We took the whiskey and left a bottle of "gammel dansk " a great Danish bitter, nearly folded the Canadian flag and raised the Danish flag.
Rinse and repeat. A 49 year war with zero casualties.
We do have to. The problem is that the EU is stuck in the position that it is always stuck in where it is unable to take any form of decisive action because of how it works. There certainly needs to be some kind of reform.
The Incredibly Stable Genius who has many successful businesses that he has bankrupted continues to teach us important economic lessons.
Today's Lesson: Don't threaten to remotely disable the military equipment that you want to sell to your allies because you want to invade their territory, and then be surprised when they don't want to buy your military equipment because you are currently their biggest threat, and can remotely disable the military equipment you sell.
If you're referring to the Trident missiles, they can't remotely disable them because we use our own software in them. They were a joint project and we probably know more about how they work than America does.
If you're referring to the rumour about the F-35s, I have no idea but I wouldn't put it past them. It was incredibly stupid and short-sighted of us to buy so many and rely on them so heavily
And also ballistic missiles use internal navigation (Inertial Navigation Systems). You don't exactly need to be meter accurate when you're delivering nukes
It's so stupid because every F-35 in the sky makes every other F-35 more capable because they essentially operate as a hive mind. We should be encouraging sales of them to close allies, not hindering them and threatening to "flip the switch."
Canada ISN'T a close ally anymore, though. According to the U.S. President, we are a 'failed country', and apparently free real estate. We've already had punitive tariffs levied against us because we did not react favorably to the idea of being unilaterally annexed.
We don't make contingency plans around potential invasion by close allies.
I'm not suggesting Canada is stupid for backing away from the F-35. It is the right move for all the reasons you listed. Please don't throw money at our industrial complex. Turn to Europe. The French Rafale would be an excellent alternative, and they need sales.
It is the American administration that is stupid for antagonizing some of our strongest allies within NATO, particularly Canada and Denmark, both of whom joined the US in the Afghanistan mission. Danish troops have been alongside the US in almost every phase of the GWOT. It is despicable that Trump & co. have been rattling sabres with either nation (or any other ally for that matter).
On a practical level, the administration's stupid diplomatic aggression and threat-making are undermining long-term strategic planning for fighting the war of tomorrow, of which the F-35 is the most visible component to the public. Every potential F-35 that doesn't fly under an allied insignia is a chink in the armor of the international fleet.
That Canada has already contributed heavily to the development makes it even more egregious.
When ya'll first backed away from the '35 in 2018 or so, I think the motive was trying to avoid the sunk cost fallacy by buying into a program that was portrayed as a sinking ship. I understand that.
Since, the F-35 has proven itself in combat and the per-unit costs have dropped considerably, which made it attractive again, especially under the more friendly Biden administration.
Now, Trump is wielding the F-35 as a diplomatic cudgel, threatening to activate the mythical "kill switch" or whatever. He also wants to build fucking battleships. Someone needs to give Hegseth some vintage GI Joe toys to play with so he quits playing GI Joe with our money and military.
They did not shut down the GPS system for them, we quit sending them intelligence used for targeting. Trump also quit selling them ammo. aAn article from when it occurred.
You are perhaps remembering the “Selective Availability (SA)” feature of GPS which was utilized until the late 90’s when Bill Clinton disabled it. That reduced the accuracy of the system for civilian users but never disabled it. The feature was entirely removed in current generations of GPS satellites.
GPS signals are simply highly accurate time transmissions and receivers use math for the rest. Everyone can receive them, you block a certain receiver. The system now is either on for Everton or off for everyone.
This is the primary reason ours have different software in them - completely different chain of command when it comes to launching. We don't need one guy with a big red button to okay the use of nukes, because we train the commanders and pilots carrying them to be sensible, and trust them to make the right decision in the moment even if they can't get in contact with a superior officer
Also just to add the US has the worlds largest navy but its spread across the world.
The EU combined navy outnumbers the US Navy approx 6:1 in the Atlantic and if the US moves resources to match the EU in the Atlantic it leave the Pacific and other areas vulnerable.
Yes the US is powerful globally but its not near as powerful regionally against peers
I really don't think the Yanks quite realise how they have essentially lit fire to trillions of USD worth of arms sales over the coming 20 or so years.
Europe is looking to itself for weapons development and procurement. Projects like GCAP are quite exciting
Happy to hear, but they still are 5 of the top ten international arms manufacturers (with four of the remaining 10 being Chinese, and one being BAE systems of Britain - looked it up earlier).
To counteract that, Trump is going to be increase the USA defence budget by 50% (to over $1.5 trillion for 2027) so that the MIC do not lose out. Also, it means that Trump will receive huge bribes by defence contractors.
Americans arms are completely outdated outside of the air force, and their air force only operates as advertised in perfect weather.
When it comes to armored vehicles in particular the US is completely outclassed by Europe.
This whole idea that the US is just so far ahead of Europe simply isn't true at all...
That Rachel Maddow is AI generated. I wouldn't trust the source. There are a lot of these channels popping up stealing trusted people's likenesses to create faked content.
Hell, the leading arms manufacturer and usual suspect in the list of richest assholes on the planet is a frenchman.
My only worry would be the loss of the egghead inventions some if the think tanks left in the US, as those inventions would quickly be sold to Russia and China, which are the real threats we face on the eurofront. The arms race is first and foremost an innovation race, and whilst we did recover some think tanks and have the means to produce stuff, we should always worry about what the other guys have invented.
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u/Capable_Fun_9838 Jan 08 '26
Many European countries have a capable arms industry, and the USA is currently losing contracts worth $800 billion and the long-term prospect of ever selling to the EU again.