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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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 Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| crusher_of_heads wrote: |
Wow-Fry defeated the convicted and self confessed emotinal wreck Svend Robinson-color me impressed.
Svend Robinson is not eligible to teach in Korea-stop stealing things, and maybe you'd have beaten a lightweight and public disgrace like Fry, Svend! |
Svend Robinson is still much liked in the Vancouver area, he simply put his gay activism against another human rights activist who has the feminist and immigrant vote on his side. Svend was elected and served in parliament for 25 straight (pun) years and he would win again if he got his act back together and returned to my birth town in nearby Burnaby.
A couple of years in politics is forever, people forgive and forget, especially in B.C., where some really rocky politics have seen people bounce back time and again.
Fry is a heavyweight in her riding. Unless the Mandarin-speaking quadriplegic mayor of Vancouver decides to go federal and contests her head-on, she can serve a couple of more decades. She is no lightweight.
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At the time I thought it was a pity that Svend lost the NDP leadership campaign to Mcdonough; he would have been a bigger boon to the federal party than the Bob Rae reign as premier of Ontario.
However, if anyone can make a comeback, it will happen in BC.
What was Hedy Fry's position in the shadow cabinet the past few years? |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:22 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Was Chretien all that bad? He balanced the budget. That's something no PM has pretty much ever done in modern times. Having not lived in Canada at that time, I can't quite figure out what his high crimes were. |
Cretin was a hands-off MR. DO NOTHING.
Paul Martin balanced the books for years and Cretin let him do it.
It wasn't all that bad to have a cretin in charge of parliament in times of prosperity and stability. Not at all.
But history should forget about him except as a footnote to his ability to maintain the centre on issues, to shrug off anything from his shoulders from the left or right.
The opposite of greatness is mediocrity. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:27 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Was Chretien all that bad? He balanced the budget. That's something no PM has pretty much ever done in modern times. Having not lived in Canada at that time, I can't quite figure out what his high crimes were. |
Cretin was a hands-off MR. DO NOTHING.
Paul Martin balanced the books for years and Cretin let him do it.
It wasn't all that bad to have a cretin in charge of parliament in times of prosperity and stability. Not at all.
But history should forget about him except as a footnote to his ability to maintain the centre on issues, to shrug off anything from his shoulders from the left or right.
The opposite of greatness is mediocrity. |
Cretien earned my respect when he said to Bush that he would not support the war in Iraq or send any Canadian troops. He had a strong backbone. He did not cave into pressure from Bush and the American gov. He was able to walk that fine line of being an ally and being independant. |
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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Was Chretien all that bad? He balanced the budget. That's something no PM has pretty much ever done in modern times. Having not lived in Canada at that time, I can't quite figure out what his high crimes were. |
Cretin was a hands-off MR. DO NOTHING.
Paul Martin balanced the books for years and Cretin let him do it.
It wasn't all that bad to have a cretin in charge of parliament in times of prosperity and stability. Not at all.
But history should forget about him except as a footnote to his ability to maintain the centre on issues, to shrug off anything from his shoulders from the left or right.
The opposite of greatness is mediocrity. |
Cretien earned my respect when he said to Bush that he would not support the war in Iraq or send any Canadian troops. He had a strong backbone. He did not cave into pressure from Bush and the American gov. He was able to walk that fine line of being an ally and being independant. |
No, he just followed the lead of the UN-a right decision, but not made by the Cretin himself.
Now, giving that protester the Shawinigan handshake, that was aok!!! |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:49 am Post subject: |
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Regarding the U.S. and Canadian elections, they're both awful.
U.S. - My guess is that if McCain gets elected over Obama, things will only be slightly worse. The reason is because in my eyes, the Republicans and the Democrats are like Pepsi and Coke. What America (and any country that is influenced by America - which is pretty much everybody) needs is V8 juice. And if McCain or Obama wins, Americans will be smacking themselves in the head just like in the V8 commercials. "Damn, I should have voted for someone else!"
What makes me angry is the U.S. media. CNN likes to pretend that there are no other parties than the R & D parties. They showed a poll last night that said Obama 47%. McCain 43% and Undecided 9%. You don't have a real democracy when you only have two choices to vote for Democrats (bad) or Republicans (really bad). And these parties love it when angry Americans become apathetic and don't vote. So, any Americans reading this, please go out and vote.
And regarding Hillary Clinton, I found out this week that she used to be on the board of directors of Wal-Mart, a company that's dedicated to union busting and overworking housewives. So much for Hillary being a champion for women's rights.
Canada - Not much better than the U.S. There are two leading parties very similar to the R and D parties in America. Same pro big business agandas. We have a 3rd party called the NDP that claims to stand up for working people. How true that is, I wonder. But our current Prime Minister has called a surprise election to try to re-elect himself. Sounds like a dictator to me. |
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Dev
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: |
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To the OP, Canada's a good country, but economically, you'd be better off returning home to the U.S. Salaries are about 20% lower in Canada on average and taxes are a lot higher. The costs of products like electronics and clothes are MUCH hgher in Canada. What Canada does have that's good is some functioning social programs like medicare and subsidized universities.
If I were American, I would go back to my country and get involved in grassroots politics. Try to support and promote a minor party that is dedicated to helping working people. Channel my anger into something constructive. But, that's just me. I don't speak for anybody else. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| mindmetoo wrote: |
| Was Chretien all that bad? He balanced the budget. That's something no PM has pretty much ever done in modern times. Having not lived in Canada at that time, I can't quite figure out what his high crimes were. |
Cretin was a hands-off MR. DO NOTHING.
Paul Martin balanced the books for years and Cretin let him do it. |
There is something to be said about a manager who can delegate properly. Eisenhower didn't kill a single German but he was a master of delegation. In the software world we have a maxim about what we want the government to do: simply stay out of the way. I would rather have a government that has the wisdom to keep their mitts off what works. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| Dev wrote: |
To the OP, Canada's a good country, but economically, you'd be better off returning home to the U.S. Salaries are about 20% lower in Canada on average and taxes are a lot higher. The costs of products like electronics and clothes are MUCH hgher in Canada. What Canada does have that's good is some functioning social programs like medicare and subsidized universities.
If I were American, I would go back to my country and get involved in grassroots politics. Try to support and promote a minor party that is dedicated to helping working people. Channel my anger into something constructive. But, that's just me. I don't speak for anybody else. |
Is that so true anymore? I used to work in Seattle. WA had no state tax so one was paying only federal tax. However when one talks about lower taxes, this ignores the large contributions one has to make to medicare in the states. End of the day, in 1999 my net pay in Canada was about 69% of my gross. When I moved to the USA, my net pay was about 75% of my gross. Now that I'm back in Canada after about 8 years of reductions in federal/provincial taxes, my net pay is about 75% of my gross.
The advantages to the USA: far more opportunity. In Canada it's Toronto, Vancouver, or Calgary. If your company has a great health plan, American hospitals are wonderful. Gas and booze are cheaper. Home ownership is easier in that you can write off your interest payments. |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:20 am Post subject: |
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The average house size is 2,400 sq feet in the U.S.
I'd guess it's half that in Canada.
The median house price is much lower in the U.S.
But
Public schools on the whole are good in Canada, wherever you go.
You don't have to worry about health care.
Lots of jobs. The problem is, people choose majors in university that are "fun" or "interesting", instead of one's that "lead to a well-paying job".
That's why immigrant kids are filling up the coveted uni positions, while all the dumb-a$$ Canadian kids are getting toilet paper degrees. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
| I like Hedy Fry, and i'm from Alberta. |
I'd bet the farm you're from the Edmonton area.
You'd buy the farm with attitude like that elsewhere in Alberta.  (I know what I'm talking about here. I did my undergrad in that province and later returned to work one year as a journalist.) |
You'd lose the farm, I'm from Calgary.
And despite all the media reports, a lot of people in Calgary are more to the left than right. In most of the ridings, the conservatives win with less the 50%, which means there are more than 50% that don't vote for them. Problem is that it's hard to notice when CBC brings up the funky red/blue voting map and most of Alberta is blue with a red dote in Edmonton. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| ulsanchris wrote: |
| Let us not forget the time in parliament where she claimed that even while she was speaking that crosses were being burned in the streets of kamloops. |
I am from Kamloops. She said Prince George when in fact the KKK clan leader's activities she was citing had happened a few months before in Merritt. A mix-up. She picked the wrong city from the Interior. The intent of her point was good. Some people made waaay too much of it. A blunder, but minor on the grand scale of Canadian politics. |
You know, that a lot of immigrant communities did like the old Reformers. Problem was when their kids bring up those racist comments that a few of the Reformers made, which soured them on the party. At least with the current reincarnation of the conservative, they have alot of red-tories to keep some of the rednecks in check.
Strangely enough, I also like Myron Thompson. I think he and Hedy Fry are similar. But, most people wouldn't think so just because their skin color is different. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| How are things in Canada? Well, you know, they're quite peaceful save the bickering between the natives and the Rock Machine. Things haven't been quite right since the Mic Macs came to an agrreement with the Hell's Angels under the Salmon Poacing Act. Tee pees and hockey rinks are being blown up left and right. So much so that there's nowhere for April Wine to play in the winter except bars. And you can't even smoke in them. |
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Temporary
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Canada is boring as hell. Was there for about a month and couldn't stand the sheer dullness of people and the culture. Sure its cleaner, everyone is polite, and its quite scenic. But its expensive, boring, people do act like aholes when drunk, and no one is into anything remotely interesting. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Temporary wrote: |
| ...Was there for about a month and couldn't stand the sheer dullness of people and the culture. Sure its cleaner, everyone is polite, and its quite scenic. But its expensive, boring, people do act like aholes when drunk,... |
can't disagree with any of this
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| ... and no one is into anything remotely interesting. |
uh, ... compared to Koreans, Canada is full of renaissance men and women doing a million interesting hobbies, especially in the over thirty crowd |
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