The American way. The Right way. THE ONLY WAY!

Originally posted by bagari
Also, though they may not admit it, many people around the world have a bit of envy toward the US. I certainly don't expect anyone to admit it here, but it can be seen in many anti-American posts.

im not trying to start any sort of argument, so im sorry if my post is offensive in any way...but i dont envy americans. and i dont know a single person here who does. i dont understand why some americans think that we're somehow jealous of you when we discuss our dislike for some of the attitudes and behaviours of our southern neighbours. its not because we're jealous, its because we genuinely dislike the attitudes and behaviours. to me that seems like a mildly immature response, "oh they just say that because they're jealous" thats like some girl saying that im jealous of her because i think she's dressed too provocatively. its quite an assumption...and often times, an incorrect assumption.

reply to post by Blaine91555


we do have free speech. we do not have the right to be hateful in our speech. and we like it that way. at some point, canada realized that hateful attitudes and hateful behaviour is in no way a positive thing for society and for progress. so we removed it as best we could from our lives, and we live without fear. from the things i read here, americans seem to live with all kinds of fears...i dont live with any fear. i dont fear my country or my government...i mean, i dont think that ANY government is perfect, but canada does things for the betterment of the country. and prohibiting hate is a good thing for the country as good positive things do not come from hate.

I am quite pleased at the demeanor of most of the posters here, you guys are getting it. Civil discussion.

We had a member earlier in this thread prove the point of the OP. This is what I'm addressing here. An unwillingness to look at different things and then attack said difference. Cool. An example is always a good thing.

Secondly, there are some that are thinking this is a "diss America" thread. If you read the OP you will see it's the exact opposite. This is meant to expand thought, not diss anyone. For the most part, excellent contributions from our members.

reply to post by sstark


I watched representative of the Canadian Government interviewed today and she said flat out that Canada has no Freedom of Speech guarantees. What else could she have meant. She also said people could be jailed for speech.

If a Canadian can be jailed for expressing an opinion your government objects to, how can that be a good thing? I'm trying to understand.

Who decides what is acceptable speech?

As far as Colter, I don't like her either but it is obvious she was a victim of a setup. One wrong does not justify another. It just makes both sides jerks. That is off topic though.

reply to post by FiatLux


Bragging rights means you have accomplished something for which you deserve to be proud, and you have the right to mention it now and then, as long as you don't do it too often.

If you win the Olympics, you not only have the right to stand on the podium and get your medal, you earned it and deserve it, and the right to inform people when the opportunity arises that you in fact won an Olympic medal, and tell the whole story if they ask. You have earned and deserve your bragging rights.

An ego trip is when someone claims to have accomplished something that they did not accomplish at all, bragging about something that they have no right to brag about.

Can you see the difference?

reply to post by devilishlyangelic23


As I said in another post, who decides? That is were I see the problem and why did your government official maintain you do not have Free Speech guarantee's. Was that official lying?

Hate speech is a slippery slope. A dangerous one. It means whoever is in power can control your speech based on their opinion. That would bother me greatly.

If a threat is a crime there, as it is in the US, hate speech is already covered. If opinion is hate speech, there can be no Freedom of Speech.

reply to post by Blaine91555


No different than yours really if you think about it. There are limitations on the 1st Amendment as well:

The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right of freedom of speech. The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the interference with the right of free speech where it attempts to regulate the content of the speech. A less stringent test is applied for content-neutral legislation. The Supreme Court has also recognized that the government may prohibit some speech that may cause a breach of the peace or cause violence. For more on unprotected and less protected categories of speech see advocacy of illegal action, fighting words, commercial speech and obscenity.

topics.law.cornell.edu...

Most just think that free speech means you can say anything. You can't. Same as ours only ours is right out there.

Not to be insulting or anything, but I really hate when people outside of the United States feel compelled to chime in on internal American affairs. Over on the BBC site they had a whole big 'Have Your Say' discussion about Obamacare.

I mean really? That's really of interest to the brits? American health care?

The status of British health care (or Canadian health care for that matter) is about the furthest thing from my mind on a day to day basis.

Originally posted by Duzey

Originally posted by endisnighe
Here is the thing, as of right now, I pay in the neighborhood of 50% of my earnings to the government.

What is your rate?

The highest rate would be for someone making over 125,000 per annum and it would be between 39% and 48%. Mind you, we have progressive taxation so you would only pay those percentage on any amount over the 125K.

In my province you pay roughly 25% on the first 35K, 22% on the second 35K, up to a max rate of 35% on any amount over 100K.

www.cra-arc.gc.ca...

Then there are provincial sales taxes ranging from 0% to 8% and a federal consumption tax of 7%.

And yet Obama wants to raise the top bracket from 35% at 3% and the sky is falling.

In the 1950s, when the United States had the biggest economic boom in modern times, the lowest bracket was around 20% and the top was around 90%. Now it's 10% and 38%, and somehow the economy will be destroyed.

I think people should be able to get a tax cut if they don't want interstate highways, unemployment insurance, etc. We can even pay to move them to Idaho, where they will be free to read Atlas Shrugged to their heart's content. They'll have to pay SOME taxes to pay for the military...but if they don't want to pay THAT, then they can relocate to another country. Or secede - it worked out so well for them last time.

reply to post by intrepid


I was actually hoping for your opinion on this speech issue difference between our countries. Your well informed and you could explain it better I think.

I've traveled across Canada and to be honest, its hard to tell any difference. I've never understood the animosity from some, although I experienced it there, but only in the Yukon. Hating Americans seems to be a normal pastime by some I met there in Whitehorse. I listened to hours of peoples opinions and the first thing that hit me, is that they simply were misinformed.

I think if we get around the wrong idea's, we are very similar.

I gotta tell ya, I could easily move to the Edmonton / Calgary area.

reply to post by poet1b


Oh, you would like my positions than. Fiscal conservative(notice this is the only conservative in my position), Social Liberal, Constitutional Libertarian. The monetary system has to be based on something tangible, it cannot be a fiat system or it cannot be maintained.

Here is a rundown on my beliefs-If the Conservative Movement succeeds then What? My response!

It is a list of things that need to be taken care of to give us back our rights. Still a work in progress but pretty good. The first comment is kind of rough, further into the thread I made a few more adjustments.

[edit on 3/24/2010 by endisnighe]

reply to post by poet1b


Why must someone brag about anything, must we always feed that ego? All it does is serves the ego or self. Bragging in any form, big or little, shows arrogance.



[edit on 24-3-2010 by FiatLux]

reply to post by endisnighe


Interesting thread, I like your ideas so far.

I will have to read more.

reply to post by FiatLux


A little feeding of the ego is good. There is nothing wrong with a little bragging. That is why they pass out medals and trophies. That is the reason people compete.

Originally posted by poet1b
reply to post by FiatLux

 

A little feeding of the ego is good. There is nothing wrong with a little bragging. That is why they pass out medals and trophies. That is the reason people compete.

And people compete for? Oh yea, that`s right, just to show how much better they are than anyone else. That`s right, feed the ego. Whatever happened to feeding the spirit, and not the self? And medals do what? We have to show the rest of humanity just how great or good we are by pinning a medal to our chest to show them. Again, feed that ego.

Any show of ego does the spirit no justice.

If this was indeed a social medicine program, sorta like what yall up in Canada has.. then sure.. I might be a little bit more supportive (though I believe insurance reform alone could solve most of our problems instead of complete overhaul) ..

But that's not at all what this is..

This is not a Socialist bill, it's a Fascist bill.. it's like the Canadian system but with a middle man, in this case private insurance corporations, taking massive profits at OUR expense.

So please.. if your non-American, and you feel like insulting Americans..

Read the bill. At the very least..

Originally posted by Darkrunner
Not to be insulting or anything, but I really hate when people outside of the United States feel compelled to chime in on internal American affairs. Over on the BBC site they had a whole big 'Have Your Say' discussion about Obamacare.

I mean really? That's really of interest to the brits? American health care?

The status of British health care (or Canadian health care for that matter) is about the furthest thing from my mind on a day to day basis.

The other side of this is that the comments sections of mainstream British newspapers on various political lines - Guardian, Daily Mail etc - usually have Americans commenting on British news stories, fairly often with the 'if only you had guns' or 'what's happening to Britain? It'd never happen here' type comments.

So, to paraphrase: "I mean really? That's really of interest to Septics? British news stories?"

Then again, I think it's a fair comment to say that a lot of news over here is more, let's say 'outward looking', than much of the American mainstream media with a lot of emphasis on world news.

[edit on 24-3-2010 by Merriman Weir]

reply to post by intrepid

Secondly, there are some that are thinking this is a "diss America" thread. If you read the OP you will see it's the exact opposite

It's not necessarily you .. American's are accused of being selfish ignorant greedy people who like to see their countrymen suffer because we don't have a socialist system like Canada/Europe.

Our country has one of the best health care systems in the World.. expensive, yes, but that's due to Insurance companies.. no one can be turned away from ER's, the poor still get free care, the only ones lost in the shuffle are those with severe debilitating and long term diseases/issues that require extensive treatment/costs. THAT could easily be reformed, and those people could get help for a fraction of what this Fascist bill does.

Ya.. I find it insulting when people, especially non Americans, question our way of doing things.. especially when they say we should support bills and or ideas such as the monstrosity pushed through by Congress this past weekend. I assure you, not even Canadians would like this bill (if you read it that is)

Originally posted by intrepid
I am quite pleased at the demeanor of most of the posters here, you guys are getting it. Civil discussion.

We had a member earlier in this thread prove the point of the OP. This is what I'm addressing here. An unwillingness to look at different things and then attack said difference. Cool. An example is always a good thing.

Secondly, there are some that are thinking this is a "diss America" thread. If you read the OP you will see it's the exact opposite. This is meant to expand thought, not diss anyone. For the most part, excellent contributions from our members.

That's why I became a member of the coffee party. I got tired of the yelling and labeling.

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by devilishlyangelic23

 

As I said in another post, who decides? That is were I see the problem and why did your government official maintain you do not have Free Speech guarantee's. Was that official lying?

Hate speech is a slippery slope. A dangerous one. It means whoever is in power can control your speech based on their opinion. That would bother me greatly.

If a threat is a crime there, as it is in the US, hate speech is already covered. If opinion is hate speech, there can be no Freedom of Speech.

From the Canadian Constitution:

FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS.
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.