Latest news with #Soviet-style
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: We needed to get rid of the dairy cartel, not sanctify it in law
By Lawrence L. Herman It never ends. On June 5, Yves-François Blanchet, the Bloc leader in Parliament, tabled Bill C-202, a private member's bill that's yet another regrettable effort to enshrine Canada's Soviet-style supply management system in the statute books. It legislates against any increased imports of dairy products, eggs and poultry — sectors the system protects from foreign competition — under Canada's current or future trade agreements. The Senate fast-tracked the bill, passing it on June 17 after it sailed through the House with virtually unanimous support. It's an unprecedented piece of protectionist legislation that favours this one group of farmers. C-202 is virtually identical to Bill C-282, which a Bloc member tabled in 2021 during the past Parliament. It was passed by the Commons in June 2023 and was still being examined in the Senate last November when Donald Trump was elected. It had been stalled there for almost two years and — mercifully — died on the order paper when this spring's election was called. As well as preventing imports, supply management is a quintessential barrier to internal trade, designed to protect local producers against out-of-province competition, whether in dairy, eggs or poultry. Under the influence of the well-financed dairy lobby, the Trudeau government and all the other parties supported Bill C-282 as it made its way through the House. This time round, however, it's hard to see how the Liberals could have voted in favour of a blatantly protectionist bill completely at odds with the Carney government's core policy of dismantling interprovincial trade barriers — and doing so before July 1, no less. While Blanchet and his Bloc colleagues have remained focused on currying favour with Quebec dairy farmers, there has been a sea change in the geopolitical context, most notably a dramatic deterioration in the Canada-U.S. relationship, with Trump targeting dairy import restrictions among the many trade assaults he's been directing at Canada. For Parliament to raise this protectionist fence higher is downright foolish — as was emphasized by experts over and over again during the debate on C-282 — and would seriously jeopardize our relations with the U.S. at this very sensitive juncture. That alone should have consigned C-202 to the Parliamentary dustbin. But some other factors that are not always fully aired should outrage Canadians when the facts are better understood. Consider the dairy sector as an illustration. First, to make supply management work, over the past 50 years governments at both federal and provincial levels have layered complexities onto the system, creating a mind-numbing process run by vast bureaucracies from coast to coast. This newspaper explained it all in a report compiled by staff about a year ago. At the top of the structure is the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) and its Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC). Each year, the CMSMC sets the allowable production volume for Canada as whole and the Commission then divides this up among the provinces, who parcel out the quota to their own producers, distributors, processors and consumers. The CDC then sets the farm-gate price for milk under what's called the National Pricing Formula. While consumers may think of milk as milk, under supply management milk is divided into five different classes and many sub-classes, based on what the milk is used for, whether as a consumer good or for further processing. The CDC applies the National Pricing Formula to set the annual farm-gate price in each class, with the price being different for each milk component — butter fat, proteins and solids. Provincial marketing boards then take all of this and, after even more consultations with industry players, determine who in their province is allowed to produce what, as well as where and to whom it can be sold, in what volume and at what price in that particular province. This goes on, year after year, involving scads of officials. Other industries, meanwhile, manage to decide prices and quantities without regulators' help. The point here isn't to go through all of these bureaucratic intricacies — details can be found in the FP report already referred to and on the CDC website — but to illustrate that in diary alone, the system is inordinately complex, difficult to penetrate, and run by large bureaucracies across the country. All this for the benefit of a few more than 9,000 dairy farms, compared, say, with Canada's 71,000 beef farms and 7,400 pig farms, which operate on the open market and receive no such guarantees. These numbers alone illustrate the inequities of this complex, over-staffed and costly system that exists to protect a small but highly favoured fraction of Canada's agricultural producers. When it comes to who runs the system, there's another set of issues that should outrage Canadians. It's run by insiders, persons with direct connections to the dairy industry, the same industry the system is supposed to regulate. For example, the CDC board is made up of persons with dairy industry connections, the chair being a dairy farmer himself. The Supply Management Committee is also weighted with industry players. At the provincial level, there's the same problem. All members of the Ontario Milk Marketing Board, for example, are dairy farmers, a pattern replicated in the other provinces. It's hard to see where the public interest comes in. Jack Mintz: Don't expect big economic gains from lower interprovincial barriers Bjorn Lomborg: Freer trade isn't dead yet, which is a good thing for all of us All of this should have led to a derailment of Bill C-202 and for the Carney government to start to phase out supply management as an outdated, discriminatory, protectionist system, contrary to the public interest. Though C-202 has passed, the government could hold up the proclamation needed to bring it into force pending further developments in our trading relations. In the meantime, Canadians should be concerned both about supply management itself and about the outsized influence its lobbyists have in Ottawa. Lawrence L. Herman, international counsel at Herman & Associates, is a senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute. Sign in to access your portfolio
Int'l Business Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
'No Kings' Protests and Downpours Rain on Trump's Birthday Military Parade
Thunderstorms and a wave of nationwide protests disrupted Donald Trump's lavish military parade in Washington, D.C., as critics slammed the event's cost and symbolism on the Army's 250th birthday and the president's 79th. The June 14 celebration was designed as both a tribute to the U.S. Army, founded in 1775, and a patriotic birthday spectacle for President Trump, who has long admired large-scale military displays. Leading up to the event, Trump promoted the parade as a tribute to American victories in war, with preparations including tank deliveries, flight rehearsals, and heavy security infrastructure around the National Mall, CBS reported. Saturday's festivities are set to feature thousands of troops, vintage and modern military equipment, and aerial flyovers, culminating in a parade down Constitution Avenue. Despite the pomp, storm clouds gathered, bringing downpours that soaked attendees and disrupted schedules. "We're going to have a great time; we are going to have a great celebration," Trump said earlier this week. While the event pressed on, a larger story unfolded across the country: "No Kings" rallies sprang up in dozens of cities, organized by labor groups and progressive coalitions to protest what they called Trump's authoritarian leanings. These protests intentionally bypassed D.C., aiming instead to decentralize resistance and shift focus away from what organizers labeled a "strongman showcase." Democrats blasted the estimated $25–$45 million price tag as wasteful and self-serving, while some Republicans said the military display resembled those of authoritarian regimes. Sen. Tammy Duckworth called it a "$30 million ego trip," and Sen. Rand Paul said the visuals were reminiscent of Soviet-style shows of force. Trump's warning earlier in the week that protesters would be "met with very big force" only added fuel, with Democratic lawmakers accusing him of using intimidation tactics. The White House attempted damage control, stating Trump supported peaceful dissent, but the message was muddled. Originally published on Latin Times
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
MSNBC Host Cracks Up Over Trump Email About Parade: 'Sorry, That's A Funny Sentence'
MSNBC host Chris Hayes couldn't contain his laughter on air Friday while reading a fundraising email from President Donald Trump. The email asked for donations for his Saturday military parade, which, as it turns out, most Americans aren't that eager to fund. 'Donald Trump is holding a North Korean-style military parade, Soviet-style military parade through the nation's capital, something that we just don't do as a country,' said Hayes. 'The last one we did was after the first Persian Gulf War, which was celebrating the end of a war.' He continued, 'We don't have that here. It just so happens to fall on his 79th birthday. He's even fundraising from it, if you could believe it — well, you can, of course — sending out this email with the subject line, quote, 'Please help me before my military parade!'' Hayes broke into laughter reading that last line aloud, as a screenshot of the email was displayed onscreen. He quickly composed himself and continued his coverage on the impending Washington, D.C., event. 'I'm sorry, that's a funny sentence,' said Hayes. ''My military parade.'' Trump has never served in the armed forces and reportedly avoided the Vietnam War draft with a diagnosis of bone spurs in his feet. The daughter of the doctor who provided the diagnosis later said he had done so as a favor to his landlord — Trump's father, Fred Trump. The parade and surrounding festivities are meant to celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, though the event notably also falls on Trump's 79th birthday. It is set to feature nearly 7,000 troops, various ground vehicles and fighter jet flyovers in a display that could cost up to $45 million. It will coincide with expected protests across the country, which retired military officials believe could be a dangerous combination. 'Donald Trump has already promised, quote, 'very heavy force' against anyone who would choose to protest his special day,' Hayes said Friday. 'He didn't direct this at rioters or looters or people that broke the law, you know. He said protesters would be met with very heavy force.' The president issued that warning Tuesday from the Oval Office. Former U.S. Military Officials Fear 'Tiananmen Square Moment' At Trump Parade: Report 'Daily Show' Audience Erupts Over Desi Lydic's Trump Parade Realization New Poll Reveals How Most Americans — Including MAGA — Really Feel About Trump's Military Parade
The Irish Sun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say
EVIL Vladimir Putin would not think twice before flooding another million soldiers to die on the battlefield, defence experts have warned. It comes as Putin's battlefield 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Reuters 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and The According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a READ MORE ON RUSSIA Despite the And that's because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his Soviet-style battle plan. Russian people are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created and would rather die killing Ukrainians Ukrainian government source Leading defence expert Philip Ingram told The Sun: "Putin does not care about the numbers. He has a huge number of people ready to go to war. "Though he has been having difficulties in recruiting soldiers full-time, he is recruiting soldiers from rural Russia on contracts and paying them heavily. Most read in The US Sun "Russia is sending waves and waves of soldiers, often without the support of artillery and other fire weapons. They are being slaughtered." Mr Ingram said the Russian population may not be aware of the actual casualty rate of the war, which is being kept away the Kremlin's propaganda machine. Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1 MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight, with Stephen Hall He explained how soliders are being recruited from isolated parts of Russia where the population is often poor with low literacy levels. And how Putin is "buying their silence" by offering them "life-changing compensations". The expert said: "Soldiers are coming in from vast parts of Russia where there is no connectivity. Their literacy levels are extremely low. "What's keeping them coming is the amount of compensation they are getting, which is often life-changing. "It means they or their families would never have to work again for the rest of their lives. "That's how Vladimir Putin is buying their silence; he seems to have the population behind him. Russia expert Bill Borwder told The Sun that Putin would lose "another five million soldiers" if it helps him to stay in power. Putin will sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power Bill Browder Russia expert He said: "Part of the reason that Putin is at war is not because he wants a piece of Ukraine ot he's upset with NATO. "He's at war because he's desperately afraid of his own people, and the best way of having his people have their anger deflected is have them angry at some foreign adversary. "Putin is so scared for losing his own life, he's ready to sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power." A Ukrainian government source told The Sun: "Putin doesn't care and never cared for the people of Russian Federation, be it ethnic Russians or representatives of other minorities. "For him, it is a matter of personal survival and he would be willing to send anyone to death - from a Russian soldier to a Ukrainian child - for his own miserable existence. "Unfortunately, Russian people in majority are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created, and would rather die killing other nation's people than risk their lives standing up against it." 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 10 Servicemen of Armed Forces prepare to fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops Credit: Reuters 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters 10 Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths. He told The Sun: "Putin believes he's winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not. "He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak." Russia's strategy, Dr Hall said, has been one of "meat assault". This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, "eventually some will get through". Dr Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two. Their idea was "ten men to every rifle", which meant: "You pick up the rifle of a fallen soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You're next. Your buddy picks up your rifle. "The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia." Russians 'know how to suffer', which allows the regime to continue with its meatgrinder tactics Dr Stephen Hall Politics lecturer at the University of Bath And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he "doesn't care about his men", Dr Hall said. He said the Russian people "know how to suffer", which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics. The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Dr Hall said. He said: "They're simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting - like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere." NO STOPPING Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded on Tuesday — Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. 10 With the The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast. Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.
Scottish Sun
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say
Watch our interviews with Russia experts who discuss the latest in the war DRENCHED IN BLOOD With a million Russians dead & wounded – Putin won't hesitate pouring ANOTHER million into meatgrinder war, insiders say EVIL Vladimir Putin would not think twice before flooding another million soldiers to die on the battlefield, defence experts have warned. It comes as Putin's battlefield casualties have soared past the bloody one million milestone after 40 months of meatgrinder war. Advertisement 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Reuters 10 Ukrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions Credit: AP 10 An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 10 Ukraine's fierce resistance forced Russia to pay a mighty toll for every inch of land it has taken, and its advances remain painfully slow. The staggering milestone includes troops who have been killed or wounded so severely that they cannot fight on. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, one million Russian military troops have been put out of action since February 24, 2022, with 628,000 of those casualties occurring in the last six months. Burning through a million troops has won Putin just 20 per cent of Ukraine's total territory - mainly in southern and eastern areas - which is a humiliating conversion rate. Advertisement Despite the devastating losses which have already ripped a scar in Russian society, experts fear that Putin is likely unaffected by the numbers. And that's because mass sacrifice is ingrained in his Soviet-style battle plan. Russian people are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created and would rather die killing Ukrainians Ukrainian government source Leading defence expert Philip Ingram told The Sun: "Putin does not care about the numbers. He has a huge number of people ready to go to war. "Though he has been having difficulties in recruiting soldiers full-time, he is recruiting soldiers from rural Russia on contracts and paying them heavily. Advertisement "Russia is sending waves and waves of soldiers, often without the support of artillery and other fire weapons. They are being slaughtered." Mr Ingram said the Russian population may not be aware of the actual casualty rate of the war, which is being kept away the Kremlin's propaganda machine. Putin's Ukraine war toll tops 1 MILLION Russians dead & wounded 40 months into 'days-long operation'…with no end in sight, with Stephen Hall He explained how soliders are being recruited from isolated parts of Russia where the population is often poor with low literacy levels. And how Putin is "buying their silence" by offering them "life-changing compensations". Advertisement The expert said: "Soldiers are coming in from vast parts of Russia where there is no connectivity. Their literacy levels are extremely low. "What's keeping them coming is the amount of compensation they are getting, which is often life-changing. "It means they or their families would never have to work again for the rest of their lives. "That's how Vladimir Putin is buying their silence; he seems to have the population behind him. Advertisement Russia expert Bill Borwder told The Sun that Putin would lose "another five million soldiers" if it helps him to stay in power. Putin will sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power Bill Browder He said: "Part of the reason that Putin is at war is not because he wants a piece of Ukraine ot he's upset with NATO. "He's at war because he's desperately afraid of his own people, and the best way of having his people have their anger deflected is have them angry at some foreign adversary. "Putin is so scared for losing his own life, he's ready to sacrifice one, two or even five million Russians just to make sure that he stays in power." Advertisement A Ukrainian government source told The Sun: "Putin doesn't care and never cared for the people of Russian Federation, be it ethnic Russians or representatives of other minorities. "For him, it is a matter of personal survival and he would be willing to send anyone to death - from a Russian soldier to a Ukrainian child - for his own miserable existence. "Unfortunately, Russian people in majority are also too scared to stand up to the monster they've created, and would rather die killing other nation's people than risk their lives standing up against it." 10 Firefighters try to extinguish after Russian drone attack in Kharkiv Credit: Getty Advertisement 10 Ukrainian service members firing an anti-tank guided missile weapon system Credit: Reuters 10 Servicemen of Armed Forces prepare to fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops Credit: Reuters 10 Artillerymen of the 15th Operative Purpose Brigade Kara-Dag firing towards Russia Credit: Reuters 10 Advertisement Dr Stephen Hall, politics lecturer at the University of Bath, said that as far as the warmongering dictator is concerned, things are heading in the right direction, so he will keep on condemning young Russians to their deaths. He told The Sun: "Putin believes he's winning the war. The Russian army is moving forward like it or not. "He believes that he can outlast the West, that the West is weak." Russia's strategy, Dr Hall said, has been one of "meat assault". Advertisement This relies on the logic that if you flood the front line with overwhelming numbers, "eventually some will get through". Dr Hall said Putin has learned this strategy from his ruthless Soviet predecessors in World War Two. Their idea was "ten men to every rifle", which meant: "You pick up the rifle of a fallen soldier. You keep going, you get shot. You're next. Your buddy picks up your rifle. "The Soviet army would eventually push through. So that remains the case in Russia." Advertisement Russians 'know how to suffer', which allows the regime to continue with its meatgrinder tactics Dr Stephen Hall And that approach suits Putin just fine, because he "doesn't care about his men", Dr Hall said. He said the Russian people "know how to suffer", which allows the regime to continue with its meat-grinder tactics. The Kremlin also meets less resistance from the Russian people than a million losses should merit, because it simply lies to them, Dr Hall said. He said: "They're simply not going to be told, especially in the poorer areas where Russia is recruiting - like Buryatia and Bashkortostan and elsewhere." Advertisement NO STOPPING Even with the death toll climbing higher by the day — over 1,140 Russian soldiers killed or wounded on Tuesday — Putin appears to be doubling down. The bloody milestone comes as Putin calls for a major upgrade to Russia's ground forces, Ukrainian outlet Pravda reports. The Kremlin tyrant declared them the 'dominant force' in modern warfare and demanded faster development of 'advanced weapons systems' with 'the highest tactical and technical specifications.' In a meeting on the state armaments programme, Putin also directed resources toward strengthening Russia's navy, further signalling his long-term military ambitions. Advertisement It all comes as Russia is reportedly building up a 50,000-strong force alongside the border of Kharkiv amid fears of a fresh summer offensive to attack the city. 10 With the US backing out of direct negotiations to broker a peace deal and Putin stalling ceasefire talks, experts fear a major Russian offensive could mobilise in the coming weeks. The Ukrainian military in April reported that the Kremlin was amassing troops to prepare for a fresh assault on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city. Advertisement Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that Moscow has been attempting to gain ground in the border regions of Sumy in the northeast. Military analysts believe he is trying to press home his advantage and capture more Ukrainian land. They warn that Putin only has a "four-month window" to get a breakthrough in Ukraine this year. And this could be the beginning of Russia's summer offensive targeting the border city of Kharkiv - the "fortress" city of Ukraine which put up the maximum resistance at the start of the invasion.
