I'm suggesting he doesn't quite grasp the consequences of not paying the bribe to Trump.

I wonder if it's the opposite. I wonder if he, and others, are beginning to grasp that there are no consequences to not paying the bribe to Trump.

There are consequences, to be sure. But those consequences can't be avoided by paying the bribe. If Trump can damage Canada by increasing imports of Venezuelan oil, he's going to do it at some point, whether Carney pays the billion here or not. If Carney pays today, there will be another ask tomorrow - and another, and another.

I think that's what the EU is starting to learn with the tariffs, based on von der Leyen's comments about having to stand behind your handshakes. If giving Trump what he wants in a trade deal won't stop him from doing whatever he wants the next time he has a demand, then there's no point in giving him what he wants in the trade deal.

IOW, there are no benefits to bribing someone who won't stay bribed. There's no benefit to acceding to the demands of a protection racket if they're going to beat you up anyway. So there's no consequences to not giving in, because the consequences will happen whether you give in or not.