this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2025
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Summary

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will permanently cancel its $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink, even if U.S. tariffs are lifted.

The decision follows Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, which prompted Ontario to ban U.S. firms from contracts.

Ford cited Musk’s ties to Trump as a factor and said he is willing to fight potential legal fallout.

Musk previously responded to cancellation threats with a dismissive “Oh well.”

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[–] Daelsky@lemmy.ca 58 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Good. We Canadians should stop relying on the US. Time to focus on local industries.

[–] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml 17 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Cross country trade scales the economy way better than doing things locally though

[–] Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world 34 points 10 months ago (1 children)

With a stable partner, I’d say you are correct.

However if your partner is willing to weaponize that interdependency then the calculation changes.

China weaponized trade and used wolf warrior diplomacy during Covid in an attempt to gain influence. Russia weaponized energy with Europe. Now Trump is having the US do the same for “reasons” with Canada.

You’d think we would learn there is more up side to cooperation than conflict but here we are again.

[–] commander@lemmings.world 4 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

How did China weaponize trade?

Seems to me like they just provide better deals because they're willing to do the same or better quality work for less than their Western counterparts.

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[–] pancakes@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago

In an isolated system, free from external dipshits sure.

[–] rayyy@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Excellent. Best to deal with local industries than loco ones.

[–] Yawweee877h444@lemmy.world 48 points 10 months ago

This is the right thing to do. Make responses permanent, otherwise trump will just continue his idiotic game of bouncing back and forth.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 41 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Fords an absolute asshole, and this is a stopped clock situation. But let’s take the win. This is a policy change in the right direction.

From a southern neighbor: sorry about the smell and the noise. We are busy shitting the bed, and we’re just getting started.

[–] mPony@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Thanks bud. it's not our first rodeo, we're used to the smell of bullshit.
Still, you know, when it actually gets on you it stains things.

[–] lost_faith@lemmy.ca 5 points 10 months ago

Fords an absolute asshole,

and he is OUR asshole, for now (no telling if/when he will flip-flop, let's hope he sticks to it)

[–] DozensOfDonner@mander.xyz 21 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Feel bad for the people at Starlink. I can imagine a few astro-nerds really enjoying their work there and then some moldy bigwig rich guy thinking the world is his sims 4 just fuckes you with tweeting.

[–] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 30 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Don't. The tech world has been aware that Musk is a piece of shit for more than a decade.

Anyone working for a Musk company approves of his craziness.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 21 points 10 months ago

Or is stranded there on a H1B visa. Musk likes them both fanatical and vulnerable.

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 11 points 10 months ago

Eh, idk. I'm sure there's smart people doing cool things at Starlink, but the actual product itself is basically a brute force approach to Internet access with a ton of downsides

[–] prinzmegahertz@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

He thinks it’s crusader kings 3

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Doug Ford is the world's biggest douche.

But this is how you get Musk to behave.

[–] ThomasCrappersGhost@feddit.uk 16 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Doug Ford is the world’s biggest douche.

Interesting choice of words given this world has Trump and Musk, amongst others …

[–] FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

It's true.

Lots of high-profile douchebags in the world today.

[–] rosco385@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

There's enough insults for everyone to have their own. The Premier of Western Australia said JD Vance is a knob and everyone seemed to agree. 😂

[–] rosco385@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago

Fight douches with douches

[–] d00phy@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Oooh Trump’s gonna get in a fight with Canadian Trump! Get some popcorn y’all!

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (6 children)

Yeah, i was gonna say pp is canada trump, but on further reflection pp is more akin to mike Johnson. I guess marlaina Smith is a combo of mtg and bobo. Side note i forgot bobos name and looked it up.

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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

This is absolutely the right decision.

[–] Substance_P@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It's frustrating that $100 million is only about 0.028760% of Elon Musk's total wealth ($347.7 billion). Let's hope more people abandon his failing companies and that other governments and big clients follow Fords lead.

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[–] wasay@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (7 children)

EU citizen here, I see that Premier Doug Ford is doing good stuff, it is a good political figure in general?

[–] doxxx@lemmy.ca 4 points 10 months ago (11 children)

He’s a Conservative douchebag in general.

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[–] spechter@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 months ago (4 children)

From what I've understood he's a conservative populist. So interpret that however you want.

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[–] Litebit@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Build your own starlink type system like the rest of the world is doing.

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