PrimeNumber

Iraq has the world 5th largest oil reserves and is one of the few places left where vast reserves, proven and unknown, have barely been exploited. Since ISIL has taken over they have been selling oil on the black market to Chinese, Russian and even Kurdish businessmen and using refinery facilities to fuel their war machines. The Kurdish Peshmerga have taken control of the largest oil reserve in Iraq, which means oil contracts can be sold, and very cheaply I might add to whomever they deem fit. Right now as it stands there are a lot of oil contracts to fill as the Kurds liberate many of the oil fields in ISIL's control with the help of the American lead coalition. Not to mention the fact that Iraq produces a lot of oil, the 7th highest oil producing country in the world in fact and is expected to triple or more it's production within the next 15-30 years provided it can get it's infrastructure on track. Without that production, what do you think that does to the price of oil? Don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's a big oil conspiracy, what's happening over there is devastating. But you can't say oil doesn't have anything to do with America's decision to invade Iraq in 2003, their decision to return in 2014 and Harper's decision to support them. Currently Exxon is the biggest player in Iraq oil, if you don't think they have political sway in the US and even here in Canada, you're mistaken.

You're quite right about that. I think both should be bared from donations and lobbying honestly. It's the only way to have a fair system, otherwise you have legal corruption, instead of MP's voting for their constituencies, they feel compelled to vote otherwise. Conservatives, Liberals and the NDP would all have less campaign money but we all know that money just goes to partisan attack ads anyways. Lets make it about the people that elected them, not the Corporations and Unions.

While were at it can we limit the political activism of Corporations? No other organization in Canada be it public, private or crown corporations, non-profit organizations, charities(though the Cons are trying), political parties, even fully-publicly funded government departments, ministers, MP's or senators are required to report and publically disclose details of their internal finances and affairs to anywhere the same degree unions will have to under Bill 377. So until that happens, I wont support Bill 377. MP'S disclose using only one financial statement with only 14 items. Senators only report 5 items in a single statement for their use of public funds. The Harper Government has even refused to disclose the amount of public funds spent for political staff and top officials, including Harper’s former chief of staff, Nigel Wright, citing "privacy". Yet they expect Unions to do so. In the Unions I have worked in, we and only we are privy to the information that entails or dues, not the public.

You're right I'm more thinking about the various levels of government, we deserve to know how much of our tax dollars go towards confidential research or to old age security and that happens to an extent, how that money is spent is not needed. What we really need is 100% transparency when it comes to MP's, Senators and the Cabinet. Government grants should always be reported on to the extent that we know how much is being allocated for any research and to what person, group of people or company it goes to. Right now in the treasury web site, I have looked numerous times, it only really shows a section for each department titled "Government Grants & Contributions". We have no way of knowing, at least to my knowledge, of where that money went. I don't need to know what they spent it on, that is their business, but it would be nice to know whom is receiving it and maybe a brief description of why. Even if it says "Top Secret Research Program." At least we know.

Agreed. Anywhere that tax dollars go, people should have the right to know.

We bailed them out because they are cheap, poorly produced hunks of North American crap. Japan will always be the home of true long lasting automobiles.

I'm pretty sure America can fight this battle without Canada. Our 6 fighters are merely a "Hey look at us, we want to help too" gesture towards America then any real help. Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and Poland are all providing aid without military support I'm sure we can step up our refugee game and asylum game. ISIS is already condemned, what happens now will not sway any more or less in their favour with Canada's military support. it's more or less up to America at this point and it damn well should be they set all of this in motion. Like they give a damn about the DRC or Burma or Sudan? Oh wait I guess because those countries haven't cut off their precious supply of oil to the western world, it's not worth the time to get them "back on track." That's nice for Bob Rae.. You have made it perfectly clear in your own words what you think.

You call it pulling our weight I say it's not our weight to pull. This is not our mess. And the only reason the conservatives want in this time is because of their undying discrimination to people from the ME. Why are you so anxious to fire a shot, why are conservative supporters in this country so anxious to kill any and all muslims? The US is extremely important to us without a doubt, but bowing down and thoughtlessly supporting their every move is not what we should be about. That's the thing about the right, they have no idea when to call it quits and are perfectly fine with wasting time, efforts, Canadians and money on a fight that may not even pose a risk to this country. If military force is necessary then let America pump their efforts into it, its their mess anyways. They can fight their own battles perfectly fine, we can provide non-combat support when needed. But I guess you think providing transport for supplies and injured troops and civilians isn't noble. You think providing medical aid, shelter and food to refugees for a cause we didn't start isn't noble. You think airstrikes which have a high chance of killing civilians is noble, you think putting Canadian troops on the ground in harms way for Americas failed war is noble, you think Canadians losing family members for an unjust cause is noble.

Understood.

I like jews. But disliking Israel does not make me an anti-semite no more than disliking the DPRK makes me anti-korean. I just think their leadership needs some adjustments.

It's not impossible, but it would take some effort.

We can give them a bunch of fake news articles and see which one's they will report to the crowd on without fact checking and which ones they decide to alter to support their view.

Yeah well you should take a Canadian made robertson and go screw yourself.

I will agree with you on 5 out of 6 of those.

The gang at Fox should appear at Just For Laughs next year. It would be a riot.

He has a M.A. in Political Economy, from Harvard in 1945, but that is not law. He also studied Political Science in Paris in 1947 and went to the London School of Economics, in 1948.

Actually Trudeau SR. earned his law degree at the Université de Montréal in 1943. So yes, I suppose they did.

I wasn't talking about the person who wrote it, I was talking about the person who posted it on this forum, which is you. Get over yourself, your country and your flag. It's no more important than anyone else's. When America realizes that, the rest of the world may actually begin to start liking you. Instead you sit in your bubble of a country thinking everyone else is here to serve your causes.

aaannnnnd your point?

In the spring of 1999, Chrétien supported Canada's involvement in NATO's bombing campaign of Yugoslavia over the issue of Kosovo, even through the operation was unsanctioned by the UN Security Council thanks to a Russian veto of an Anglo-American resolution asking for the Security Council's approval of the NATO bombing. The idea of bombing Yugoslavia caused some discomfort within the ranks of the Liberal party as the NATO campaign effectively meant supporting Kosovo separatists against a government determined to prevent Kosovo's secession from Yugoslavia. Chrétien was personally uncomfortable with the idea of bombing Yugoslavia, but supported the war because he valued good relations with the United States far more than he cared about Yugoslavia Another PM doing things to garner good relations with Uncle Sam. It's high time we have a PM who thinks for himself. The hell with America.

You're funny. Ignatieff is an idiot, you can keep him. He fits in over there. America, the hub of the Industrial Arms Industry. Be proud.

haha that's laughable your own Presidents violate your constitution, the person elected to uphold it. As On Guard For Thee has stated our PM has tried to get around it numerous times and failed.

Chretien may not have been the best PM we have ever had, but at least he didn't lead us into an illegal, immoral and failed war.

More chest thumping from Americans, we have come to expect nothing less. I'm sure you were holding your little American flag and saluting your computer while you copy and pasted it...

Hahaha you seem to be the pessimist here. You're picking on a country that has roughly the population of Texas, a single state in yours. We will do what we can with the government and resources we have. We just don't have the people or the money to do what you can, but we will try to pave our own way, not follow yours. If the Conservatives were in power nothing would have happened then either and you can't prove that it would have. Harper was gung-ho to lead Canada into Iraq the first time, so we could do as the Americans do. Well me and every other Canadian on this planet are damn happy that didn't happen.