Question for Canadians -- is your government as evil as ours?

reply to post by EarthFallingApart

PNAC = Project for New American Century -- the neocon's planning paper that called for a "New Pearl Harbor." The arrogant murdering pricks probably still have it up on their website.

And yes, you're correct -- 9/11 is our Reichstag Fire.

reply to post by AccessDenied


I find this video to have a double meaning - and hilarious. Here we have our PM rockin' out this tune - and seeking to put marijuana users in prison for 6months or more on the same note??? Strange... amusing... but strange....

I do find that, instead of taking out our leaders, like some other countries - here in the Great white north... Some of our citizens choose less violent means... like smashing a pie in the PM's kisser... but look out, here, the PM swings back


[edit on 5-10-2009 by StoneGarden]

You can drown something smelly in maple syrup, but sooner or later you'll smell the stench.

Might be more subtle, but its there. The reek of lies and corruption and mistruths.

IMO

One difference between the Canadian politicians and the American politicians is the Canadian ones do not get demonized for being human and living their lives as they see fit. Take a look at what former Prime Minister Jean Chretien said while he was still in office, prior to his retirement, a few years back

www.neilrogers.com...

Canadians didn't even bat an eyelid at his comments and, in fact, found them quite humorous. Now imagine an American President saying the same thing while still in office? Knowing how uptight Americans are about such issues, it would probably turn into the scandal of the century.

Another former PM, Pierre Trudeau married Margaret Sinclair, who was 22 years old and 30 years younger than him. He divorced her in 1984 and became the first sitting PM to be a single parent. After leaving office, he also had a daughter with another woman, whom he never married. After such a colorful personal life, Canadians did not judge him and respected his privacy.

Again, imagine an American President doing the same things and how fast he would be hung out to dry. When it comes to such trivial things, Canadians do not pass judgment. They prefer to live and let live, even when it comes to their politicians.

When it comes to social issues such as gay marriage, Canadians are light years ahead of their neighbors to the south. There isn't a stigma attached to sexual orientation like there is in the States. Forget about blackmailing a politician for being gay up here because people do not care. André Boisclair ran as an openly gay candidate and for a while was the leader of the Parti Québécois, Quebec's separatist provincial government. No, they didn't get rid of him because he was gay, they got rid of him because he was a lousy politician.

And if that's not enough, the current leader of the Bloc Quebecois, Quebec's separatist federal party, was formerly a communist. You think a gay guy and an ex-communist would make it so high up in the Federal and State Government chain in the USA? Since Americans' appetite for political scandal is insatiable, these guys careers would be over in the States before they even began.

I'm not saying that there aren't a considerable amount of morally corrupt politicans in Canada, like there are in the USA as well. It's just that people here in Canada do not unrealistically expect their politicians to be these superhuman upstanding flawless figures.

lol canada rocks tim hortn rocks canucks rock. just based off the fact you can smoke the ganja

Yeah, unlike the USA, the top priority for Canadians is NOT incarcerating individuals for 30 years for partaking in non-violent behavior which does not hurt others.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. That supposed riot in Pittsburgh at the G20 a while back was totally lame compared to Canadian standards. The unofficial capital for riots is Montreal, where the local street punks take their rioting very seriously. Take a look at what happened after a Canadians hockey game a few years ago. Now imagine what would have happened if their team had lost?

www.youtube.com...

[edit on 5-10-2009 by SphinxMontreal]

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


I couldn't help but roll on the floor laughing. Go Habs Go.

I just finished watching the 2 hour documentary "Oh Canada". All Canadians should watch it and even Americans as it touches ideas they could implement too. Plus they would know more about their closest neighbors.

www.ohcanadamovie.com...

One thing I find different here in Canada(I am canadian), is the lack of charisma of our politicians. The last PM that had any was Trudeau and that was decades ago.

A good thing on one hand, but on the other it makes it difficult to actually like any politicians which almost forces you to select a party/platform.(which is actually a good thing)

We do to a lesser degree have a right/left inigma here as well. Harper currently being the right. Interesting that most people I know who side with one or the other also side with the same hand(right/left) in the US.

So the many who love Obama down there are liberal/leftists here in Canada.

Of course the most obvious difference is the amount of parties you may choose to vote for, something the US is in dire need of.

We are just too laid back to really give a darn. Doesn't matter who sits on the royal thrown they'll all screw it up anyways.
Usually swings from Liberal to Conservative, and the last election I went for the green party just to be an arse and sway a vote.
Can't let them believe they are all too powerful and popular.

Two points

1. The US government stopped being "for the people" with the wholesale purchasing of political influence by industries and corporations. The US government is the whore of big pharmacy, big oil and anyone else with the money to buy legislation. The health care debate in the US shows this incredible with the majority of Americans in favor of the pubic option but politicians, with very few dissenting voices, creating legislation that ignores the voices of the citizens and is a gift to the insurance companies (like criminalizing not buying insurance products).

2. Is the Canadian government evil? Not in the sense the US government is but that doesn't mean it's any better or efficient. In the case of the Canadian government, I would have to say the best way to describe how and what they do is to evoke the old saying "Ascribe not to malice what is explainable by sheer stupidity."

While I see the US government no longer having the intention to server its people, I see the Canadian government having lots of good intentions and then totally botching the execution of those intentions in most cases. If the motto of the US Congress and Senate is "I did nothing legally wrong or at least that you can prove" the motto of the Canadian parliament is "Oops, we did it again. Let's hope the voters don't notice."

Just for the record, in Canadian elections, I always try to vote lunatic fringe parties whenever I can, you know -- Natural Law Party, Rhino party.. etc.

[edit on 6-10-2009 by metamagic]

Originally posted by SphinxMontreal
And if that's not enough, the current leader of the Bloc Quebecois, Quebec's separatist federal party, was formerly a communist. You think a gay guy and an ex-communist would make it so high up in the Federal and State Government chain in the USA? Since Americans' appetite for political scandal is insatiable, these guys careers would be over in the States before they even began.

Well, lets consider the fact that one of the parties in Parliament has the stated purpose of dividing the country up by pulling Quebec out of Confederation.

If this were the States...there'd be a hangin'.

Funny thing...Gilles Duceppe... of the Party Quebecois...has the most class of the bunch of them...pity he's a separatist!

Prime Minister Harper: Rick Mercer's Sleepover:

www.youtube.com...

Mayor Hazel McCallion:

www.youtube.com...

Canada Explained:

www.youtube.com...



[edit on 6-10-2009 by suzque66]

Originally posted by metamagic
Just for the record, in Canadian elections, I always try to vote lunatic fringe parties whenever I can, you know -- Natural Law Party, Rhino party.. etc.

What I hate about Canadian voting is that no matter who you vote for if you're in an area where it's Liberal or Conservative and you want to vote otherwise your voice is essentially drowned out by the others. Your single vote has no importance whereas in the states (if you believe it's not rigged) your single vote can help the candidate win.

The other problem is bad area representation. In the city you have a riding of like 20,000 people and then they go up north and have a riding like 1000x bigger than the city (in area) and there might be 10,000 people. Those 10,000 = the voting power of 20,000 people.

Canadians also have higher IQs across the board, better health care, and better education.
The reason we have so many programs is due to our third party, the New Democrat Party. One of greatest heros, a man a great ideals who put those ideals to work for his country was Tommy Douglas. The NDP was alble to hold the shift of power and negotiated our medicare being introduced, or the Liberal minority party would have been defeated. They were going for something called guaranteed income, so no one would have any stigma for being on assistance, and all the other programs wouldn't have to be duplicated, such as unimployment but that so far, unfortunately wasn't adopted. That would have meant everyone received a monthly check back from the gov't, just differeing amounts, which should also always be above the poverty line.

What made our country what it is, was Tommy Douglas, and Tom Berger, provincial ndp lawyer who worked pro bono for native rights and won cases, Rosemary Brown, Ed Broadbent. These people were too good for politics, but our Country benefited from their work. And the population is pretty fed up with the system, but much more willing to swing shift, and try to cast an intelligent vote.

reply to post by GoldenFleece

First off governments are neither good or evil...they are amoral...all of them. It is the nature of the beast.

Second of all have you ever noticed that we are (as far as I know) the only representative of our form of government in the world?

There are plenty of democracies in the world but they are all Parlimentary democracies. And with the ability to vote no confidence and call new elections they are more attuned to their populous than ours.

Also they don't have the arrogant rhetoric that they are somehow different...the light of the world...the city on the hill etc. that we do either.

It is not that other governments don't behave in like manner when they need to it is just there is not the glaring disconnect between their rhetoric and behavior.

I personally want to do away with our form of government and establish a Parlimentary democracy here and have felt that way since I was old enough to understand the difference...

But somehow I doubt the Queen would want us back.

Originally posted by EarthFallingApart
What I hate about Canadian voting is that no matter who you vote for if you're in an area where it's Liberal or Conservative and you want to vote otherwise your voice is essentially drowned out by the others. Your single vote has no importance whereas in the states (if you believe it's not rigged) your single vote can help the candidate win.

That's true. I live in a Tory riding. Blue through and though. Federally and provincially. Back when the Harris gov't, yeah I know he stepped down before the election but it was still his gov't, got booted out en masse, this riding still stayed Tory

But hey, you've got some colourful politicians.



Just don't get in his face:

The Premier of my province is a self made millionaire who has THIS province's best interest at heart. He doesn't even take his salary, he donates to charity. He is a pittbull for us, for real, thats a big difference. He is not anti Canada, he is just Pro Newfoundland.

i dont think you get that in the states, seems like all politicians have an agenda.

On a more serious note,

Canadian government's closet skeletons:

Native Residential Schools:

HIDDEN FROM HISTORY The Canadian Holocaust
www.whale.to...

Japanese Internment Camps:

www.youtube.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

history.cbc.ca...

[edit on 6-10-2009 by suzque66]

Originally posted by stereovoyaged
The Premier of my province is a self made millionaire who has THIS province's best interest at heart. He doesn't even take his salary, he donates to charity. He is a pittbull for us, for real, thats a big difference. He is not anti Canada, he is just Pro Newfoundland.

Heck...I'd vote Danny-boy for King!! And you ought to see him off-roading with Rick Mercer...my personal favourite Canadian!

Here's his take on "Canada Explained"
www.youtube.com...

[edit on 6-10-2009 by JohnnyCanuck]

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by stereovoyaged
The Premier of my province is a self made millionaire who has THIS province's best interest at heart. He doesn't even take his salary, he donates to charity. He is a pittbull for us, for real, thats a big difference. He is not anti Canada, he is just Pro Newfoundland.

Heck...I'd vote Danny-boy for King!! And you ought to see him off-roading with Rick Mercer...my personal favourite Canadian!

Here's his take on "Canada Explained"
www.cbc.ca...#/Shows/The_Rick_Mercer_Report/Season_6/ID=1236806236

[edit on 6-10-2009 by JohnnyCanuck]

RIGHT!!....you gotta love Danny!! He gave it to Paul and Linda and then to Ottawa!! Maybe one day he'll be Prime Minister Yeah, that'l happen. sigh one can only wish

Oh and could you also refresh me on where Rick Mercer is from again Thanks!

[edit on 6-10-2009 by stereovoyaged]