COUNTERWEIGHTS EDITORS. GANATSEKWYAGON, ON. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2025. Santa is almost on his way, in these parts of planet earth at least. And late this afternoon of the day before Christmas Eve (which we still do commemorate in these parts, as a cultural if not exactly religious event) we counterweights editors met in the first-floor board room.

Over some seasonal good cheer we chose these half-dozen favourite postings from the third quarter of 2025 — a time when (to us at any rate) Trump’s USA seemed to be slowly falling, while Carney’s Canada was slowly rising (albeit of course with only about 11.5% of the current US population, in an only slightly larger national geography) :

(1) Jul 16th, 2025. “Watching made-in-Canada US Christmas movies to keep cool in long hot wildfire summer of 2025 is not something only Trump voters do in USA.” Starting on a light-hearted (if not entirely non-political) note — to help beat the deep summer heat. Probing the likes of Merritt Patterson from Whistler, BC and Trevor Donovan from Mammoth Lakes, CA, in such vehicles as Jingle Bell Princess (2021), “allegedly about the US State of Maine” but “shot in North Bay, Ontario (Canada).”

(2) Jul 24th, 2025. “Two current answers to “How did Donald Trump actually manage to get elected (twice) as president of the USA?” Some say the president’s “swagger is GONE.” Others urge he “is trying to concoct a fantasy world in which prices are ‘all down’.” Still others argue “he’s mentally disturbed” … all this yet again raises the question of how Donald Trump actually managed to get elected as president … Two different answers … (1) Too many ignorant voters ???? (2) Reacting against indoctrination of youth by American education systems.”

(3) Aug 10th, 2025. By L. Frank Bunting. “Looking at USA’s genuinely crazy president from north of the lakes .. and hoping ‘hopeful signs from US public’ finally thwart the ‘capitulation of elites’.” From the great sandy beach in Grand Bend, ON on Lake Huron, Mr. Bunting does “remain troubled by, eg, comments like this from the anti-Trump neoconservative Bill Kristol : ‘200 days into Trump’s term, where are we? … In the race between Trump’s authoritarianism and efforts to resist it, authoritarianism is ahead. And while there are hopeful signs from the public, the chance of effective resistance is fatally undermined by the capitulation of elites.’. But I continue to hope that the hopeful signs from the public will finally count for much more than the trashy capitulation of a few too many transitory American elites!”

(4) Aug 20th, 2025. By Randall White. “‘Laughing to Keep from Crying — how one side of world outside America views USA in the new age of King Donald II.” Dr W has “a lot of time these days for Gentleman Joe Walsh — ‘Former GOP Congressman. Ex Tea Partier turned relentless anti Trump truth teller’ … A few days ago Mr. Walsh posted on Twitter/X : ‘Donald Trump: “How do I know the 2020 election was rigged and that I really won it? Because Vladimir Putin said it was rigged, that’s how” … Every day, the entire world — friend & foe — laughs at us for electing such a very stupid person. Every single day. They all laugh at us’… Like many others … my laughter is of a particular sort … captured by a haunting phrase from the depths of the American experience : ‘Laughing to Keep from Crying’ …”

(5) Sep 10th, 2025. “Ms Close says Canada has ‘stood up to you know who’ .. Mr del Toro thinks ‘Canada is a bastion of hope in the world right now’” If Glenn Close thinks Canada has stood up to the insanity of Donald Trump’s still oh-so-young second federal administration in the USA today, others outside Canada must have some similar thoughts. And … “Canadians,” Mr. del Toro has pronounced, “are modest and shy except on traffic and hockey …So it takes a Mexican to tell you that Canada is a bastion of hope in the world right now.”

(6) Sep 28th, 2025. “On first 8 months of Trump II presidency (and beyond) — ‘We’ve got a lot of stupid people in this country running things’ (and it may be starting to show?).” The “lake and its infinitely changing beach … quietly lifts spirits, regardless of all current troubles of politics, economics, culture (religion) … And these troubles seem increasingly worrisome in late September 2025 — south of the border … (Meanwhile PM Carney has been traveling abroad, drumming up new business for Canada as best he can. Who could ask for anything more”?) Meanwhile again, ya better watch out … Santa is coming very soon!