SpankyMcFarland

We should choose our own head of state and not be mixed up in the politics of another country more than we have to be. It’s an anachronism and I think most people know that, not very important but still rather silly and potentially troublesome as the scandal involving one Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should illustrate. Incredibly, he’s still in the line of succession. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1384314-andrew-still-being-in-line-of-succession-is-embarrassing-at-best Being a republic doesn’t necessarily mean we’re more like America either - we can elect a ceremonial president (through a vote in parliament or a national vote) and remain distinct from them. The substantial political difference lies in our British parliamentary system which is a better way of governing. We’ll sort this out some time. It’s not urgent.

Are there any Liberal floor crossers as such yet? Granted, Carney is making dramatic policy changes but he has to. We are in a national emergency at the moment. I think most Canadians understand that. There’ll be an appropriate time and place for us all to critique his performance in an election but I can’t see another one of those happening any time soon. Anyway, the Tories would be faced with the same awful dilemmas.

What aid are you talking about, then?

People who build or resurrect parties often can’t lead them. I think we are looking at a recurring issue in our politics too. The Canadian right seems to have a chronic difficulty keeping itself together, something that left-wing parties used to struggle with - unwilling to tolerate more moderate opinions in its ranks. In a country that’s majority left of centre that’s a serious handicap. You need voters who are fiscally conservative but don’t buy the rest of the package.

After what we’ve seen from Trump how could any country trust America?

The geography of the European peninsula has always posed a challenge to those who would unite it. An extraordinary transition was made after WWII with NATO and the EU but further military integration is urgently required to repel Russia. Inevitably, countries closer to the threat feel the pressure to rearm most strongly. Thus the new NATO nations in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe are leading the way. I think the EU needs to change. Any state supporting Russia should be suspended from the organization. If Orbán wins yet another election, Hungary has to go. The differences are just too great to be tolerated any more. Furthermore, if Putin keeps his nuclear rhetoric up, Germany may have to consider acquiring nuclear weapons too.

I know nothing about BC politics but when did that stop me? Eby looked eminently beatable - he’s not a charismatic campaigner by any means - and now I’ve a better idea of one advantage he had. Rustad couldn’t get on with his own side. What a catalogue of unnecessary squabbling. A leader has to choose his battles, make peace with highly dislikeable people and keep the differences within the tent. It’s almost the opposite of the online world. Above all, go with dignity when the party loses faith in you. Don’t make them drag you out.

The FBI/DOJ can probe all they like but I can’t see them successfully convicting politicians who make such anodyne statements.

Any drugs on board this boat would probably have ended up in Europe. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/05/politics/suriname-boat-strike-bradley

I agree with him on one thing. Football is an odd name for the American (or Canadian) game where the ball is rarely kicked. Even rugby features considerably more kicking as do the Australian and Irish versions, let alone soccer. It’s more handball than football…which gets us into another debate. While we’re at it, touchdown seems a weird thing to call an action that rarely involves same, unlike rugby where it’s obligatory but is called a try. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trump-says-america-should-change-footballs-name-it-really-doesnt-make-sense

Eventually, but not now or next year either. Building the infrastructure will take years. Trump seemed to have limited awareness of this when he took on China. The right approach to the challenge posed by China is to understand it. In nearly every technological area, China is already competing with the US because of the scale of the country and the talent of its people. And this is despite a system that stifles innovation, The crucial edge America has is in offering freedom and rule of law to the world’s most talented innovators, either directly by living there or indirectly through alliances with similar countries. At the moment, Trump seems determined to trash that advantage.

Looking to the future, we’re better off with Asian auto firms here.

Carney is markedly different from JT in policy terms. Some Liberals on the left of the party would probably feel more at home in the NDP or Greens these days but will they jump? And how keen are the Tories on facing the public? We’re in uncharted territory as a nation, trying to find a new role in the world as America turns away from us. Party politics seems a little petty in such circumstances.

I hope Trump is bluffing here for everybody’s sake. Lord knows what could result from an actual invasion. Venezuelans who oppose the regime must be ambivalent about it. Finding support abroad in your fight for freedom also entails siding with foreigners against your own country. Very tricky.

I guess I mean all us common folk across the world.

If those guys in their little boats deserve to be killed, what is going on with this kingpin? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/02/trump-intervention-honduras-presidential-vote-count-stalls-nasry-asfura

I think the technology has its own momentum with or without Trump. Privacy is gone except for big tech and what it’s really doing with our data. Governments seem afraid to ask serious questions about that any more. We are all headed for the same 24/7 surveillance destination.

Threatening Venezuela looks part of an Americas First policy where the US, China and perhaps Russia divide the world into spheres of influence. The US gets the western hemisphere, Russia at least some of Europe and China the rest.

The title is misleading. Life expectancy has gone up in Canada over that period.

Billionaires like to sell the notion that they make for better politicians because they don’t need anybody else’s money to win office and are also immune to such temptations while running the country. This has turned out not to be the case. Witkoff and Kushner are involved in peace negotiations that could make shedloads of money for themselves and other oligarchs on both sides. It’s just the quantity that’s different from your regular pol. Brown envelopes simply do not suffice. Forget about the funny languages, the history, army sizes, missile strikes, child kidnapping, blah, blah, blah and whether Ukraine survives or not - there are big, beautiful deals to be made on oil, gas and those trendy rare earth metals.

90% of our aid goes to Gaza? That sounds a little off. Anyway, good news, our foreign aid is being slashed.

A reasonable fear for Ukraine longer term is a slow-motion version of the South Vietnamese example where a deal is signed with weak security guarantees and the world then looks away as much or all of the country is gradually gobbled up. Democracies are wonderful in many ways but they naturally avoid involvement with war once peace has been declared. They’ll procrastinate as long as possible, sometimes too long.

My Lord, all I’m saying is that other countries are catching up. It’s not like we’ve suddenly become Zimbabwe. I’ve made many comments on health reform over the years and favour a properly mixed system. Neither party has brought that in. Harper had his chance.

Yes, it’s relative decline. A country like Ireland, for example, has seen an explosion in living standards in recent decades.

The situation with Taiwan is worrying. America has never faced a challenge like China poses and Trump should be more focused on this. One of the few topics he really watches what he says is the Taiwan situation which doesn't inspire confidence. I hope the rare earth scare hasn’t convinced him to be too co-operative with Xi on Taiwan. We all need that country and its advanced computer chips. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/30/china-donald-trump-xi-jinping-taiwan-trade