Canada Welcomes EU Proposal to Become "Associate Member"

Canada is not going to become a full member of the European Union, as it is legally ineligible because it is not a European state. However, Canada and the EU are currently negotiating a historic "associate membership"—a newly proposed, unprecedented status that would stop just short of full membership.

Geopolitical Realignment:

Driven by escalating trade tensions and tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada is looking to diversify its economy away from its heavy dependence on the United States. [1, 2, 3]

Mobility: Ottawa is exploring an arrangement that would allow Canadian citizens to live and work in Europe visa-free. [1]

Sector Cooperation: Deeper Integration is planned across defense procurement, AI, cybersecurity, the Arctic, critical minerals, and clean energy. Canada has already paved the way by becoming the first non-European country to join the EU's €150-billion SAFE defense procurement program

 

Mark Carney just got a standing ovation from European Parliament after he took a stand against Trump. The world doesn’t respect us anymore. The world is partnering against us. 

America first means America alone.

Mark Carney: "We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals. Our commitment to the rule of law and our unyielding defense of human dignity, individual freedom, and democracy share the same deep roots, the same unwavering dedication."

 

President of the European Union Ursula Von der Leyen described the proposed framework as an “Alliance for the Future,” designed to connect European and Canadian economic and security interests more closely. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded: “It will make Europe stronger, it will make Canada stronger. It will make, I’ll speak for Canada, Canada a better partner with the United States. And with respect to sovereignty …. we are looking for partnerships that are complimentary, that reinforce our sovereignty. And that’s what’s on offer here.”

 

Trump did that:

 

BREAKING: 

Judge says government must give 30 days’ notice before demolishing Kennedy Center after Trump seen with demolition plans.

We are close to seeing the John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center demolished by a convicted criminal because he was stopped by a judge from putting his name on the building.

To Impeach or Not To Impeach: That is the question.

 

A commenter here on P.E. posted,  "The dems have stated that they are going prosecute trump and bring impeachment proceedings as their main objective so there will be fireworks and get nothing done which with the total incompetence of congress is not a bad thing."

Should we let Trump get away with what he's done in the first two years of his second term? And if so, why? 

Would the commenter -- who apparently thinks it's a waste of time to bring a president to accountability for high crimes and misdemeanors -- would that commenter feel the same way if a Democratic POTUS had done what Trump has done while president?

NOTE: By the standard in the Constitution, I don't believe Trump has committed treason: 

Under Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, treason is strictly defined as levying war against the United States, or adhering to their enemies by giving them aid and comfort.

A "Letter to the Editor" in today's NYTimes:

To the Editor: 

 President Trump recently acknowledged that the monuments rising from his architectural ambitions in Washington are, at least in part, monuments to himself. 

When asked about it, he replied: “That’s true. Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.” 

Perhaps that is precisely the point. George Washington did not build the Washington Monument.

Abraham Lincoln did not commission the Lincoln Memorial. Thomas Jefferson did not erect the Jefferson Memorial. Those monuments were built after they were gone, by a grateful nation that had time to judge their accomplishments, their character and their place in history. Great leaders do not need to build monuments to themselves. They build a record and leave the judgment to generations that follow. 

 There is something profoundly revealing about a president who apparently fears that if he does not construct his own monuments while he possesses the power to do so, no one will build them after he is gone. 

Monuments are supposed to represent the gratitude of a nation, not the vanity of the person occupying its highest office. So when Mr. Trump says, “Nobody will do it once I’m gone,” maybe he should ask himself why. And perhaps the rest of us should remember: 

The greatest monument a president can leave behind is not made of marble, stone or gold. It is a country made better because he was there. 

Robert K. Finnell 

Rome, Ga.

A little insight into why Trump is the way he is:

 

From the liar, cheat, and fraudster who never takes responsibility for any of his mistakes or cockups*, here he is again blaming others for his failures:

*I have my favorite Englishman to thank for that expression.

"A person who never takes responsibility for their failures and mistakes is generally operating from a place of fragile self-esteem and deep-seated emotional insecurity, using blame-shifting as a psychological defense mechanism. In psychology, this chronic lack of accountability usually reveals a rigid pattern of self-protection rather than simple stubbornness or malice."

More from AI:

Psychological & Emotional Drivers

• An All-or-Nothing Identity: Their ego is often incredibly fragile. They perceive making a mistake not as a temporary action, but as a total indictment of their worth as a human being. To protect their identity from "shattering," their brain automatically rejects the truth. [1, 2, 3]
• Intense Fear of Shame: While they may project confidence, admitting a fault triggers an overwhelming, intolerable level of shame. Deflecting blame acts as an emotional survival tactic to avoid this painful feeling. [1, 2, 3]
• External Locus of Control: They genuinely believe that external forces—luck, timing, or other people—dictate their lives. Because they view themselves as perpetual passengers to circumstance, they see no reason to hold themselves accountable. [1, 2]
• Childhood Conditioning: This is often a learned habit. If they grew up in an environment where admitting a mistake led to harsh punishment, humiliation, or a loss of love, they learned that concealment and denial keep them safe

According to Mary Trump’s memoir, Too Much and Never Enough, Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump Sr., severely criticized and mocked any child who admitted a mistake or apologized. [1, 2]

In her book, Mary Trump—who is a trained clinical psychologist—explains that Fred Trump Sr. ran the household with an authoritarian and unforgiving dynamic. He viewed admitting to an error or offering an apology as a sign of absolute weakness, and he would grow furious or mock his children if they did so. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Mary Trump recounts that Donald Trump’s older brother, Fred Jr. (Mary's father), was initially the primary target of this harsh treatment because he was naturally kind and often apologized when he fell short of his father's rigid expectations. According to the book, a young Donald Trump closely watched the "traumas inflicted on and suffered by his older brother" and intentionally adapted his own behavior to escape his father's scorn. [1, 2, 3, 4]

To survive his father's disapproval, Donald learned to never admit mistakes, never apologize, and instead project an image of aggressive confidence. Mary Trump argues that this childhood conditioning ultimately "destroyed" her uncle's ability to experience a normal spectrum of human emotions, locking him into a lifelong defense mechanism where admitting a mistake is completely out of the question. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The White House and Donald Trump himself have repeatedly rejected these claims, stating that his relationship with his father was warm, loving, and supportive. [1, 2]

The Roy Cohn Mentorship: In the 1970s, Trump was mentored by the ruthless New York lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn famously operated under a strict set of personal rules: always attack, admit nothing, deny everything, and always claim victory. Biographers and historians frequently use the words "never admit a mistake, never apologize" as a shorthand summary of the tactics Trump adopted directly from Cohn

• Trump's Own Words on Apologizing: While Trump may not have used that specific quote, he has openly stated his aversion to apologizing. During a 2015 interview on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon asked him if he ever apologized. Trump responded: "I think apologizing is a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I’m ever wrong."

2015 Anderson Cooper Interview: Clarifying his stance to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Trump questioned the need for repentance if he wasn't making major errors, saying, "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness if you're not making mistakes? I work hard. I'm an honorable person." [1]

 Multiple petitions and public letters, including an open letter signed by over 200 health professionals, have argued that Trump exhibits symptoms consistent with malignant narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, and paranoia. They point to traits like extreme grandiosity, a lack of remorse, habitual misrepresentation, and a reckless disregard for the safety of others.

[1, 2, 3]

GUEST POST BY DAVE MILLER

I want, not my MTV, but my dividend! 

Let me go against the grain and say I love the idea of a dividend check for America. 

In fact I want to make it law. So let’s get busy and pass my Help Everyone Live Prosperously Act [HELP Act]. 

 For purposes of the HELP Act, let's accept the President's claim as true. If $21 trillion in additional tariff revenue came into the United States, we shouldn't casually assume that an additional $21 trillion was somehow consumed by normal government operations. 

Federal spending didn't suddenly increase in 2025 or 2026 by $21 trillion. 

So let's account for the money and appropriate it. 

And let's do it in this order. First, pay down $15 trillion of the national debt. 

Second, put $3 trillion into Social Security. 

Third, use $1.5 trillion to give Americans the $5,000 Trump Dividend the President has proposed. 

Finally, let whatever remains flow into the regular federal budget. 

It's really a put-up-or-shut-up exercise. 

If the $21 trillion is there—and that's a very big if—then let's put it to work right now. Pay the debt. Strengthen Social Security. Give Americans their dividend. Then use the rest to help fund the government. 

 And if the $21 trillion isn't there, Treasury can tell Congress and the American people exactly how much tariff revenue actually exists. 

Either way, we get an answer. 

But if the President is right, I want my dividend. 

 Because there’s no way he’s lying to us is there?

 

I hope Dave won't mind my including this video a relative of mine sent me this morning:

TRUMP LED A "PLEDGE" TO HIMSELF AND ASKED HIS MAGAs TO CHEAT IN THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS

 

And he even dragged God into this disgrace:

“Please raise your right hand. I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can’t even breathe, that I will go out with my family, my friends. I don’t care if I’m registered or not. I’m going to try and cheat like hell like they do. There’s never been bigger cheaters. I don’t care. I am going to go out and I am going to get my friends, my family, and we are going to vote on November third or we are going to vote before that. You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell. You know that, okay? You go to hell, and I don’t want that to happen to you. So please go and vote, because together we will defeat the communists. So help me God.” ~ Donald Trump, September 10th 2026, Dallas Texas