The topic today is loosely...Politics. I don't like to talk about it either. However, there are things out there guiding our lives. Things that we had no say in. Things that we do and don't agree with. Things that we aren't always sure are even accurate or true. I said it, and I don't apologize. So, without further ado; here are some snippets that might give you a little insight into what is really going on with some things in the world.
1. Canada and the United States. This has been a hot topic lately. It's a bit tense. I watch this one pretty carefully, seeing as I live pretty close to a border. Canada is beautiful, diverse, vibrant, and by all means polite. This is probably why it's been so easy for the news in the United States to twist, ignore, and block out some pertinent information. I said it. This post will be like this and I don't apologize for any of it. I don't work for anyone in the media or a government and I don't have to slant or edit anything.
I read some articles lately about the decline in Canadian tourists visiting the United States. We used to have a lot of guests from Canada. However, in true Canadian fashion; they've quietly been not coming and going elsewhere. Why? According to US news sources it's because of financial problems in Canada and that people are having trouble getting by and can't afford to travel. That's what I read in American news.
Here's where people like me come in. I travel. I'm out there. I've been out there off and on my entire life. Learn this now. Our news is censored and we are the ones kept in a bubble. Travel. Learn.
Canada and the United States have really had a lot of tension in the last 18 months or so. Being referred to as the 51st state. Tariffs being instated and rescinded over and over. Being insulted publicly as though they have no way of supporting their own country or controlling anything. Some of the quotes I've heard and read are downright abhorrent. Canadians are people you know.
Here's the unfortunate truth for us. Canada has always been a very important partner in manufacturing, defense and tourism. But they don't need us. They are the second largest country in the world by land mass. They have amazing resources. They have good relations with pretty much every country out there. That fall in tourism? The 21% decrease? That's a boycott. They aren't coming because they are insulted, they have been detained at the border for no reason, they don't feel safe here, and there are a lot of other places in the world to travel to. It's a choice, and we need to understand that. It's affecting the United States by $4.5 Billion so far.
Canada is negotiating trade deals all over the world. They are working toward ending several trade deals that they have with us. This could affect more than just tourism. That's the reality.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251211-where-are-all-the-canadians-going
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/topics-start/canada-united-states/travel
https://o.canada.com/travel/where-are-canadians-travelling-this-summer
2. What's the real story with Russian oil? Here's my understanding. Russia attacked Ukraine and many countries put sanctions on Russian oil. That's Circa 2022. What's been going on? What's happened since then? Interesting question.
Well, not everybody sanctioned Russia and their oil. They sell it to China, Turkey, India, Hungary, Slovakia, France, Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, and some Southeast Asian countries. Did you really think they were unable to sell their oil? No.
In similar fashion, there were many foreign retail and food businesses operating in Russia before Ukraine happened. The result of all that? Several companies, lots of them European, still operate in Russian neighborhoods and malls. There are even a couple of American ones. Some of them made a tidy profit selling out to Russian companies. Can Russians go shopping? Of course.
The idea that sanctions are crushing them is unrealistic. Not the entire world is in favor of the sanctions and have a different kind of relationship with Russia. That's the reality. It's not that I like it, but it's reality. The mess has gone so far that when we attacked Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz became an issue; the United States lifted our sanctions on Russia's oil. Did you know that? What does that mean? It's a bit scary when you start to ponder the big picture. And realize that some of the countries that they are currently selling oil to are right in the EU.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy031d1ny7jo
3. China. Ingenuity, creativity, and navigation of modern survival in a chaotic political climate. It only matters so much if you've been watching the news and either do or don't like China. They are the second most populous country on Earth and that means that they have a lot of people to look out for on any given day. You'll hear about the Chinese being "Communists." You might even whisper when you say the word. We've been cautioned about them. We've heard all the stories about COVID. It goes on and on. They're spying on us through social media. They're stealing our identities and hacking into all of our computers. On and on. It's like problems with Nigerian princes and the UK Lottery never existed. Apparently, only the Chinese are a threat to our cyber security. Ridiculous.
Yes, China is different. A lot of us Americans just can't even wrap our minds around it. However, one fact remains; no matter what we call the politics, it's actually Socialism. There are thousands of privatized businesses. People own their homes in places, even though that isn't common. It's a bit different from what we're used to in Sweden or Portugal, but it's Socialism. Elected leaders are the only difference. Yes, China has a President that's actually a General Secretary and he was not elected by the people. He is strict, so it's not the kind of socialism that we're used to, but it works for them. So the first thing we should all do is get that part right.
China is technologically way ahead of us and most people are impressed by that when they visit. Once again, visit. Don't let someone influence how you feel about an entire culture without checking into what it's really all about.
But with the second largest population in the world, China is going to need oil. In a perfect world we could all live on electricity that was organically created, but I'm talking reality today. Not my opinion. Reality. Form your own opinions. I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm here to tell you to think for yourself.
China imports a lot of their oil. Where does it come from? Russia. It's one of the countries that hasn't sanctioned them. Where else? That's right; no one only gets oil from a single source. No one. They also import from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the UAE, Brazil, Iraq, Venezuela and Iran. What did I just say? Russia, Venezuela and Iran? That's right. They do what they do. These countries are still doing business.
What about the Strait of Hormuz? I recently heard it jokingly called the Strait of Schrödinger and it made me laugh. Is it open? Is it not open? Love that one.
China has some alternative ways to transport the oil they get from Iran and the Middle East. They have trains. They have plans to build a pipeline as well. That way when the next war happens in the Strait or the Gulf; it won't bother them. Don't believe for a second that we are controlling that situation financially or politically. Read the news. Don't just watch the network and news channel stuff on TV. Back in the 1990s, CNN had a special channel for the United States. There was CNN International and CNN America. Our news was censored. Be aware.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-where-china-gets-its-oil/
https://www.seetaoe.com/details/259917.html
4. How about those Russian Oligarchs? You might think that American Billionaires are controversial, whether it's their space race or the idea of allowing Elon Musk to evaluate how our country runs. Just remember, there's nothing shadier than the Russian Oligarchs. That's what we're led to believe.
Circa 2022. We put sanctions on these guys; there were 117 of them at the time, to influence Putin and the country to end the war they'd started with Ukraine. We heard about it on the US news for a while and then it just faded away. When's the last time you heard about these guys? I bet it's been a while. What's the deal with this crew?
Well, by the end of 2022, the number was down to 83 billionaires. Some left, some lost money. Specific sanctions made a bit of a difference. However, it didn't make enough of an influence to get Russia to go home and quit bullying Ukraine. That was about when we stopped hearing about the brutal, criminal Russian Oligarchs on a regular basis.
Fast forward a bit. Over the past few years, war and all, these guys have still been operating? Have you ever had a money guy? Have you ever dealt with a business person who's only God to worship is money? I have. I promise you, all that ever happens with people like that is they shift gears, find something else to back or invest in, start making money on the next idea and move on. None of these guys was ever really down and out.
Most of the Russian billionaires changed what they invested in. Most of them started to buy property and invest in businesses outside of Russia. Their country wasn't a good bet, so they just worked and sometimes lived elsewhere. This year, there are a reported 146 billionaire Oligarchs in Russia. They have new yachts, mansions in many countries including the UK. All that fuss barely mussed up their hair.
And that war? It's still going on. A lot of those billionaires are making a fortune supporting it. Russia's economy is on an upturn. Why? The war. For anyone who finds that offensive or ridiculous sounding, remember that when we started messing around in WWII with supplies; before Pearl Harbor; our country started an upswing too. Russia isn't failing. The Ruble is gaining in value. War creates commerce. Always pay attention to the money. That's what the Oligarchs and politicians do.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g6xgv1n41o
https://www.goodreturns.in/billionaires-in-russia.html
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/11/record-155-russians-make-forbes-billionaires-list-a92193
https://inspirepreneurmagazine.com/top-20-millionaires-in-russia/
https://russiapost.info/economy/russian_billionaires
5. What is Washington DC really like now with all that is or isn't going on in the world? I've commented on the state of the world a bit. I don't normally do that, but I've seen a lot of off base news lately. There's always a bigger story. Therefore, let me tell you a little bit about my recent trip to Washington DC. This isn't analysis as much as it is first hand reporting.
I've been to DC many times. This visit was a bit different. Our capital has become a bit more militant than I've ever seen. There were National Guards People in the subways. The day I left Union Station was all but blocked off. The White House, as we all know is completely inaccessible and half missing. This wasn't my normal trip to Washington.
What did I think about all that? I thought that closing down a mall and even McDonald's and half of Union Station to have a fundraiser was a bit of a stretch; especially during a partial government shutdown. I thought that there were better things the President and his peers could have been doing that day. Had to say that. People aren't getting paid. Let's fix that before we raise money for the party.
The National Guard in the subways. That was new. I understand that they were placed there for public safety. That's what has been cited. In my experience, Washington can be a rough town. Did they need to do that? Maybe. I've seen some rough places in DC. Did I feel safe on the subway? Absolutely. Did I feel uncomfortable with a dozen National Guard people in full gear in one subway station? No. I have to give these kids credit; and I call them kids simply because they are my son's age. They didn't amp up their presence. They gave people directions and posed for pictures with the tourists when asked. They smiled and were polite. Did I believe that if a situation broke out they would handle it? I did. I have to say, I didn't mind them being there one little bit. Did I feel like I needed them? Not personally, but who's to say what would happen if they weren't there? Violent crimes in those areas are significantly down since they showed up. Judge for yourself.
Could I see the White House? Not one little bit. The fences are far from there, and there's one spot across the street from the Washington Monument that you can make out the entrance from. Other than that, you can only see the construction cranes looming in the sky. According to the website, you can still contact your congressman to set up a tour of the White House, but I'm not really buying that. What you can do is visit the gift shop which is over by Federal Triangle. It's nice.
Washington DC has always been unique. Is it rough? In some places. At some times. It depends. I visited DC 40 years ago and when I got to my hotel there was a gang fight going on in the parking lot and I decided quickly to go to another hotel. This visit I went to that very same neighborhood and it's been almost entirely gentrified and it's a nice place to spend some time. What a difference 40 years makes. Should you visit Washington DC? Yes. It's still the capital. Our country is celebrating 250 years this year. There are a lot of things to see and do. My favorite times to visit are during the summer, because there are a lot of cool activities that you just can't do the rest of the year. During the fall, because it's a slower time but still warm. During the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It's gorgeous!
https://www.extraspace.com/blog/city-guides/pros-and-cons-of-living-in-washington-dc/
https://www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc/know-before-you-go
https://www.triphacksdc.com/visiting-washington-dc/
https://www.visitacity.com/en/washington-dc/guides/washington-dc-on-a-budget
You can also check out my YouTube channel, Adventures for Anyone With Terri Dixon for my videos from my visit to Washington DC:
https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026
Before I leave you pondering everything I've written here, I have a couple more things to say. I don't dislike my country. Some of what has been happening recently makes me sad. That's true. I just truly believe that you can't make sound decisions on what to believe without seeing all the sides and hearing all the stories. There are 197 countries in the world and not all of them revere the United States. That's just a fact. We need to try harder to be the best versions of ourselves. We all do. If we don't try to be our own best version, can we really expect that of our country as an entity? We're all in this together. We all need to start looking at it that way. It's not us against them within this country. Chill the political rhetoric. Remember, "If we do not hang together, we will surely hang separately." That was Benjamin Franklin 250 years ago. I think it still applies today. Ponder.
Here's some more YouTube channels that you can check out to get another perspective on certain issues. Should you believe every word they say and side with them? No. It's just a different perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/c/JonnyTickle
https://www.youtube.com/ThePlanetD
https://www.youtube.com/@euronews
https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLivinginChina
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Ize0RLIbGdH5x4wI45G-A
How do you wish to see the world? I like to look with my eyes wide open and learn all I can.
Hope you liked this little rant in my otherwise innocuous blog. Enjoy!
