If U.S. President Donald Trump fails in his stated goal of annexing Canada through economic force, what would happen if he ordered the world’s most powerful military to invade?

Some experts and academics say it’s a notion too preposterous to even contemplate. But Aisha Ahmad isn’t one of them.

“When you look at the power (imbalance) between the U.S. and Canada, an invasion would immediately result in the defeat of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said the University of Toronto political science professor, who last month published an essay on the subject in The Conversation.

“But a conventional military victory is not the end of this story. It’s just the beginning.”

  • imvii@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    37
    ·
    4 days ago

    The modern US hasn’t fought a war with someone right next door, who looks and talks like them. Not only would it be hard to hold captured cities, but I think many Canadian fighters would walk across that massive unsecured border and start fucking up US resources like electrical stations, water supplies, subway systems, internet backbones, government buildings, . It is super easy to buy guns and ammo in the US, bombs are not hard to make. We would have a fair amount of local support as well.

    We Canadians could just walk around the US in public and you’ve never know it.

    • Justus@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      3 days ago

      Canadians were known as the most ruthless wartime force. I will bring that back to protect my daughters right to her body. Our neighbour should never mistake kindness for weakness

    • Montreal_Metro@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      3 days ago

      It’s stupid because a lot of Americans have families in Canada and some Americans actually live in Canada and loads of American businesses have offices and branches in Canada so they’d literally be bombing themselves.

    • TylerBourbon@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      3 days ago

      Not to mention so very many of the Americans in the states that border Canada would probably be more than willing to aid the Canadian efforts.

    • Cyclist@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      3 days ago

      Sabotaging the Canadian power stations that send power to the Eastern Seaboard would be a start.

      • pleasegoaway@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        14
        ·
        4 days ago

        Blue states understand that you can’t just go and TAKE a country’s sovereignty, and that trying to do so sets a dangerous precedent.

        Red states seem to forget that it goes both ways. Another country can try to TAKE the US (e.g., Russia, china).

        Red states seem to forget that they would be furious if another country tried to invade the US. They fail to look in the mirror.

      • ChillPenguin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        4 days ago

        Honestly you would have to go county by county. As someone from MN, there are rural areas that vote red and would probably be for war with canada if it came down to it.

        Then cities and people in blue counties would probably be the opposite.

        • Tiefling IRL@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          While true, I think people would easily drive a few counties to sabotage an invasion force, which blurs the map. I would consider the state level about even

          • imvii@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            3 days ago

            There would also be civilian targets. Those huge retirement towns filled with MAGA boomers in Florida - the ones where they drive golf carts around - those will burn to the ground.

  • discomatic@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    5 days ago

    Starting to really consider a meshtastic device for every family member. Thankfully, we mostly all live within range of each other.

    • bonefish@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      4 days ago

      Do you plan to DIY? I am intrigued but wish there were more reasonably priced and well-reviewed turnkey units.

        • anomnom@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          I thought about this as well, but kinda assume they’ll be jammed fairly quickly if discovered to be tactically useful. And then non of our garage door openers will work.

          • discomatic@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            I feel like it would be useful for mobilization more than anything. By the time they get around to jamming signals, I think my family will be safely out of harm’s way. If it works after that, bonus.

  • Mallspice@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    4 days ago

    Because going to war with people who like the cold is always a good idea.

    Smh

    • ikidd@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 days ago

      There are a fuck of a lot of guns here, we just had a lot of boating accidents every time new laws came in to punish legal, vetted and licensed gun owners.

    • MNByChoice@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      5 days ago

      Well shit. Wouldn’t American laws apply to the new citizens? The very laws intended to prevent violent occupation?

  • tlekiteki@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    5 days ago

    True 25 years ago. Now consider that the U.S. controls Android and Iphone. Every location and message from every person

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    3 days ago

    Wouldn’t it be better if Canada or Mexico Annexed us? It would send the right kind of signals to the world… “We are cool with everyone” “we want pace”. Wouldn’t that work? We would gain some more political parties to diversify our political system. I’m not saying let’s do it. Its just a thought experiment. At the end of the day we’re all Americans inside.

  • Joe Dyrt@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    4 days ago

    Canada is home to millions of conflict refugees (i.e. veterans) from SE Asia, northern Africa, and the Middle East. I don’t know what would happen, but I hope this would be a significant factor in any insurgency.

  • Laser@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    ·
    5 days ago

    Come fuck around with Canada, murica! We’ll be waiting for you!

    • Snowstorm@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      5 days ago

      If they do invade us they will have accepted genocide as the most efficient tactic before crossing the border.

      • FaceDeer@fedia.io
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        5 days ago

        I mean, I don’t really want to genocide America, but I guess if they’ve accepted that who am I to hold back?

        • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          ·
          edit-2
          5 days ago

          Neither will the Americans that decide to help you guys. Trump and Co seem to forget that the right hasn’t had a monopoly on guns for a long time in this country. The left just doesn’t make it our entire personality.

          BTW, I’m pretty sure you patriotic Canadians can still legally purchase old APCs and BMPs from our stockpiles. Might wanna get a few for each town near the border. At least I’m pretty sure it would be legal for you to buy them down here. Dunno if Canada would have something to say about that. Tell Canada they’re for the mounties, lol.

          If they wanna fuck around with Canada, they’ll find out. Same for Mexico.

  • boolean_sledgehammer@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    3 days ago

    If conservatives ever get insane enough to actually try anything like that, understand that a fair amount of that hypothetical insurgency will be happening on the American side of the border as well. A lot of people who live near the border have a lot of Canadian ties. They would effectively consider any military action taken against Canada to be an attack on them.

  • atro_city@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    5 days ago

    It would another Vietnam or Afghanistan. They’d invade, kill a few thousand maybe million people, mire around, and then retreat again with their funds drained and thousands of crippled veterans with PTSD.

  • PlzGivHugs@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    5 days ago

    Is there any communities dedicated to helping Canadians prep? IE, content like guides on getting your PAL, information on firearms, and just general independence and (realistic) prepping advice?

    • Typotyper@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      5 days ago

      Government should cancel PAL requirements and all registration type paperwork. Make it hard for US to track guns

      • riyehn@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 days ago

        That would also make it a lot harder for the Canadian government to track whether pro-American annexationists are amassing guns. We can’t assume everyone who wants a gun is a Canadian patriot, especially if the US ramps up hybrid warfare techniques to stir up unrest here.

    • SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      5 days ago

      Rod and Gun* clubs, and similar groups, are all over the country. They have all of what you need. The diversity of a group might vary based on things like region but charter-rights Canadian values are generally a baseline.

      If a search engine isn’t helping to find an appropriate target sports group try calling local gun ranges and asking them for contacts.

      *god and run clubs

    • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      edit-2
      5 days ago

      Not that I’m aware of. There are manuals/pamphlets that other nations have put out that offer some basic advice, ie: have 3 days-2 weeks of canned food available, fill multiple jugs with potable water, etc.

      Fyi - PAL courses are filling up fast in my area, so people are aware of that at least.

  • Alpha71@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    3 days ago

    All I know is, there are alot of natives kinda hoping they do invade. Imagine being legally allowed to shoot white people. 😂