Craig Read

And according to real studies with real numbers and methodologies such as the Heritage Group or the Fraser Inst. Canada ranks about 17th in the world as a place to live. The UN study is meaningless - it is based on 4 subjective categories with no science or methodology. Typical UN process much like Kyoto. Being a UN model state is also nothing to cheer about. The UN's raison d'etre is statism - control, welfare, high taxes, equality and affirmative [ie racist] action. Being told by such a group that you are a model nation is more of an embarassment than anything else. The UN and their Dr Blofield view of global governance and massive state ownership is the antithesis of what makes societies rich - monetarily and morally. I find it laughable that Canada with the 4th highest debt/capita and taxation / capita, with no military, a broken immigration system, a Federal political structure that allows one party to capture one province and dominate the land with majority governments, and a Federal budget that hands out $100 billion per annum in subsidies, transfer payments, assorted nonsensical projects and health/pension scams is transformed into #1 in the world!. You must live in some perverted reality to buy into that one. Or do you believe what you want to believe ? I know lots of people in life that hear only what they want to hear..... Welcome to Dr Blofield's model state. Please deposit your brain outside the door as you walk in.....

Not according to Polls, the Liberals and the Globe and Mail. The culture being created in Canada is racist. Stereotyping Americans with bigotry and language of ignorance. It flows from 'your' political leadership. Take Chretien - he reflects the adolescence of his country. Pandering to EU socialists and 3rd world dictators, this pathetic leader refuses to understand that anti-Americanism is simply dumb and bad Canadian policy. It contravenes Canadian history, its core values and its current self interest. Chretien is a mockery of a man. A total incompetent. For Chretien how about a comparison of Canada and the US since 1993. Let's look at this: -Total jobs created -# of Referenda and mid term elections held -% of population that votes -# of house debates on Kyoto -Productivity per capita -Capital investment per capita -GDP per capita -Income per capita -Access to timely health care -Access to updated technology in health care -Military spend -Security of borders -Funding per capita for international groups -# of State owned broadcasters -# of State sponsored newspapers with ties to the party of power and on... and on... and on.... You want comparisons Chretien ? I don't think you would like a comparison on real issues with the US. A legacy ? A legacy of mealy mouthed stupidity. Just like his old buddy Trudeau another Canadian national embarassment.

Cynic ? Not - Realist yes. Canadians live in a dream world. I have lived worked all over the EU which i call Canada's future. Nice place to vacation is Europe. Old buildings, bricks, history, art, interesting people and culture. It also spawned communism, fascism, the holocaust, socialism and secret police. It has massive levels of debt and unfunded liabilities. The EU is an attempt to counter US power but also find a way to pay off these crippling debts by making a common market which is actually a huge mercantilist bloc. In 20 years the deodorant free French and friends will face financial paralysis. I suppose if they are nice they will survive of course. The EU is no friend of Canada's. Yet Canadians copy EU institutions, post modern theology [an idiotic philosophy], and support of the UNO. Yes once Canada had some value, now it is just another whining EU wannabee with a streak of venal anti-jew and anti-american sentiment in its educational system, political system and biased media.

Being nice defines a people about as much as bad odours describe the French. Canada was in the process of adding value to the world. Since Trudeau, and the left wing weirdo's that now dominate the political scene at ALL levels implemented big government the country has slowly started to shut down. 40.000 go the US each year. 300.000 have fled Quebec since 1975. Statism is a cancer. It spreads, it eats, it destroys. Evenutally Canada will have to face the fact that it is technically bankrupt. Programs will collapse or taxation will increase or probably as is the Canadian want you will increase taxes and tinker with the socialist state. The rot will spread. This says nothing about our military, our lack of security or our pathetic immigration policy. None of these issues are nice.

Thanks for the support Fast. What is endemic in Canada is such malformed attitudes. Vcr girl is just another tree hugging tax and spender from BC. The province that thinks David Suzuki is actually an intelligent commentator on world affairs. Any politician who comes out and says the current state of affairs is not acceptable is derided as an immigrant hating, kill the old, starve the children pro American. In Canada they actually believe that people are dying on the streets in the US due to health care and other 'neo liberal' policies. Canada has to add some value to the world. It needs to define itself, not in senseless slogans and socialism - healthcare is hardly an identity - but in something more profound. Being nice means nothing, and besides the reality is that Canadians are not nicer than anyone else - anti american racism is a case in point.

Maybe too much reality for your taste. Hard to change when you tell yourself you are so perfect. Most empires collapse from within - Confederation is not dialectically 'preordained' to survive. It won't without significant reform. But reform and thinking are anathema to the Canada First club chaired by such geniuses as Maudlin Barflow and her anti-empirical evidence friends. If you want to be a Canadian - it helps first of all to stop your anti-american racist nonsense.

It is nonsense and out of the scope of this thread to state that companies move to 3rd world countries due to wages. Many factors contribute to plant/office locations including quality, productivity, market access, laws, protection of private property, educated labor, language, culture, and sundry other little nit picking items that have zero to do with how much does Manolo collect each hour. If wages were the only variable than all industry would be in Mexico. As it is no discernible migration has occured since 1995 - NAFTA - to Mexico that was not already in train. NAFTA is an expression of reality - it is regional SECTORAL trade agreement and not Free Trade. Plenty of loop holes and obstacles remain that precludes 'free' trade. No proof from the 'sucking sound' camp aka Ross Perot and small minded nationalists like Maude Barlow, or Barfing Maudlin, who can't cite one study to support their inanity that America and Canada are denuded of industry. If that is right then why is industrial production, economic growth and job creation from 1995-2003 up in both countries - in fact the net job creation in the US is about 2.5 million even given the post 9-11-01 contraction. Advanced economies always become more value added and service oriented - low paying labor jobs are destined to disappear or relocate. This is a process that is necessary as it is beneficial for 3rd world recipients who on average get paid a lot more by IBM than they would by picking tomatoes. As for the Useless Nattering Organism - the less it interferes with economics the better. These clowns just made $21 billion on killing 500.000 Iraqi's and the World bank and IMF lose about $7 billion a year on dubious projects, many of which just prop up assorted dictators and wacko's in various countries. Time for government and the UNO to stop distorting reality and let real people deal with real issues - at the local level.

1. UNO is accused of skimming hundreds of millions of dollars from the 'oil for food' programme from Iraq. [WSJ April 22-24] 2. Kurdish leaders have charged the UN with withholding $ from them in aid and using the $ to pay UN expenses. 3. WHO tells the world not to travel to Toronto due to SARS. SARS is totally quarantined you have no chance to catch it, and more of a chance to die from lightning. No WHO officials have been to Toronto. 4. Cuba is a shoo-in apparently to get a seat on the UN Human Rights Commission. 6 spots are available next month. Candidates include; China, Russia, Congo, Angola and yes North Korea. Chair nation; Libya. 5. Another study this week out of Montreal debunks Global Warming. States the world has no increase in temperature. Public records in Alaska, Chicago and yes London Ont. home of David 'i am an eco fascist twerp' Suzuki, point to cooling since 1950. A recent study found Antartica 20c Colder than Kyoto models predicted. Still want a World Government ?

If the best you can boast about is 'being nice', then i suggest you take a back pack and travel a little more. Every country i have been, even in the third world boasts of its culture, its people and its humanity. Being nice is about as differentiating as having 2 legs. If that is all that is going on north of the 49th then you don't have much defining you as a Canadian. Unless of course you count the breathless rush to post modernism - which means big government, UNO taxes, UNO regulations, no military, no security -- and the incredible idea that history, politics, cultural differences and societal differences as well as military power don't matter. Sounds to me like Alice in Wonderland, not a vibrant, democratic, wealthy and moral country. Nothing moral about coercive socialism and its attendant nonsense. Isn't Canada after all just an EU light version of post modern socialist blabbertrap ?

Canada has joined the French-Russian - Post modern UNO group. The repercussions of this will be enormous. I love the fact that Bush cancelled his trip here, and then invited Howard. I also enjoy hearing that US firms and consumers are boycotting Canadian products. There should be no free rides in life. Canada is a free loading socialist pathology. In 20 years it will be bankrupt. And then is the chest beating 'I am Canadian' going to be in vogue ? I am Canadian - is that something to be proud of? Not really. Proud to be a socialist statist high tax high spend nation with no military, light security and a reverse dicrimination immigration policy and racist anti-americanism that signs something as bizarre as Kyoto ? If that makes you proud, you are sick.

Chretien maintains he has principles ? Principles of what ? Cowardice, free loading, racism, hypocrisy ? Is this what Canada stands for ?

Good to see that Bush snubbed Canada. John Howard is invited to his ranch, the day before he was to visit Canada. Canadian firms are excluded from Iraqi reconstruction. There is a backlash against Canadian products in the USA. I heard that a Canadian radio station in Florida was taken off the air. Good for the Americans, make the cowardly and free riding pay.

What i would like to know is the following about the UNO: 1. Who are the jokers who run it and what is their backgrounds and how did they get there ? What vested interests do they represent ? 2. Of the $10 billion spent every year what is the audited return on investment and justification for the spending ? Where are the audited numbers ? Or is there a double standard for private companies and government agencies? 3. Why do we have the IMF and The World Bank as well as the UN Economic and Social Council. These 3 overlap - get rid of one of them. 4. If the UN does not have an army and cannot prevent the slaughter of people why is there a UN Security Council ? Secure for what ? Secure to do nothing i guess. 5. Why don't Canadians get to vote on how much we give to the UN ? Why are taxpayers forced to pay for a group they know nothing about ? If the money spent on the UN was known i bet there would be a lot more interest in understanding how this body works. 6. Finally why are there 51.000 bureaucrats at the UN. This works out to U$19.608 in budget per UNocrat. In Canada we have U$45.000 per sniveling government union based worker. Got to love that UN efficiency. Even Canadian governments make it look unproductive and inefficient !!!! That is truly scary. Well I am sure the UNocrats more than make up for their lack of efficiency with their insufferable arrogance and vanity. Kofi for God !!! Save us Kofi, save us please. Hallelulah. I feel like I want to dance.

The UNO - the great hope of mankind. Lofty rhetoric, bromides, dreams of a World Government !! Kofi Annan striding the world stage like a Colossus, benign, wise all seeing, and corrupt ?? Besides soft issues and humanitarian relief what good is this group ? A play thing for France and Russia who still believe they are 'great powers'? A way for cowards like Canada to hide while the big boys do the real heavy lifting ? Another massacre while the Useless Nations sit and watch - this time in Africa. In the Republic of Congo -- More than 950 civilians have been killed. Investigators found about 20 mass graves and discovered that many of the victims were executed, the Associated Press reported. What does the UN actually do besides eat up taxpayer dollars, give Kofi and gang lots of mayonnaise on their fries, and make people feel warm and fuzzy ?????

According to UN numbers and the British support them, Hussein murders through various means on average 50-75.000 people per year. 25.000 or more are children. These numbers are also sourced in detail by Ken Pollack in his recent book The Threatening Storm. Pollack is a hawkish dove so to speak. Rather ambivalent about the war but recognises the threat Hussein poses. This is indeed a liberation for the Iraqi people. A main point that I have is that not supporting this liberation is equated to a war crime. If the UN truly believes in its own rhetoric and is unable to stop the murdering of civilians in Africa, Kosovo, Iraq and elsewhere, than what good is it. ========================================== For those who wish to support America here is website and email to express support --next week there is a rally April 4 starting in Nathan Phillips square i believe at noon in Toronto: www.friendsofamerica.ca [email protected] you can write in and express your support. i think the post is collecting the emails and will forward them to our collective embarassment in Ottawa.

What is with CBC radio. Has anyone tuned in ? I hate that station. Yesterday i heard the following from solemn wise prophets: -The War is illegal [it certainly is not] -UN must approve all international war activity [there is no precedence for this at all] -Canada is right to ridicule the US for attacking Iraq over oil [this is truly bizarre, as Saudi Arabia could easily produce as excess capacity Iraq's entire output] -There is no link between Hussein and the war on terror [ok so nukes, and WMD are ok in the hands of a pyschotic, nice logic] -People are getting hurt [as opposed to the 50.000 that are murdered every year by Hussein, interesting morality] Time to pull the plug on the Communist Bu**Sh**ting Corporation. NO more public funding. Privatise it so we can have some intelligence on the radio please.

Anti-war, anti-reality, protestors. They offer nothing but anti-Americanism or 'its all about oil'. What nonsense. For France and Russia it is about oil - $17 billin in fact in money. Anti-war, pro nude, anti-reality activists are wrong and have been wrong on every issue. They have 0 credibility. Especiallly when naked. Here is a good letter in a newspaper today, thankfully some Canadians are still realists: ============ AS THE debate over war with Iraq hits a fever pitch, I've been listening to the arguments from both sides and ask myself this question: Where were these peace activists on Sept. 11, 2001? My guess is they were on a desert island with no TV or radio. I, for one, remember the bodies falling from windows, grown firemen sobbing and the body parts of men, women and children being picked up and put into plastic bags. Luckily for the "silent" majority that does remember and doesn't want to ever see that happen again, we've got U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with other strong-willed nations (Australia and Spain to name two). These people remember and understand that passivity only will bring on more 9/11s. Granted, there is a hint of hypocrisy from the U.S. in it's dealing with Iraq and the way it is handling North Korea. One can only hope that after Iraq is liberated and Saddam is overthrown, The U.S. and its allies continue the fight for justice in every corner of the globe. P.S. Last time I checked, 86% of our goods went to the U.S. The PM may want to join the fight for justice instead of risking the livelihood of the citizens he is supposedly representing. Bryan S. Khan Scarborough =========== Well Bryan i doubt Canada will wake up. We love the Useless Nattering Organism too much. Pity.

Anti-war protestors and those who leave their clothes off, when they really should put more on given their ugliness, do not debate the merits of the case. They propose no alternative to some facts: -Iraq terrorises its own people, contravening the UNO - why doesn't the UNO condemn this and liberate Iraq ? -Iraq is 2 years from building a nuke - this is from their lead scientist who defected and from Hussein's son in law who defected. What do the anti-war nude protestors say about that ? -Iraq has massive stockpiles of anthrax and chemical weapons - not destroyed. What is the plan of the anti-war, anti-reality protestors to prevent Iraq from using or selling this stuff ? -Iraq is paying for terrorism - $25 K per hit in Israel and funding groups in Israel and Iran. Where are the plans from the anti-thinking anti-everything nudes on this one ? The anti reality, anti everything, protestors are short not only on common sense and perspective but they cloud all issues with virulent anti-americanism. I have yet to hear someone who is anti-war come up with a credible plan to solve these problems. The only solution is more time for the Useless Nattering Organism to inspect. As the former Chief Scientist of Iraq's bomb building program said, they have been fooled now 3 times. Inspections are useless and now it appears that Blix and team are hiding evidence. Nasty.

That is pretty funny Peter. I would concur if you were a female But Wet and Mod don't like to listen, let them go, who needs them. Some here believe that Canada's anti-americanism does not impact trade. According to the BCNI and others - it surely does. NAFTA is not a free trade agreement but a very detailed sectoral trade agreement. Softwood lumber, culture, transport, water and other resources are not covered under NAFTA. You anger the US with immoderate anti-American racism and you will put many jobs here at risk. There is no question we should be supporting the 30 nations that are supporting the US invasion of Iraq and by extension making the UN security council relevant. Canada is actually undermining the UN, its relationships with Britain and the US, and its standing in the world. The very opposite of what it should be doing. This is very stupid politically and economically. But it buys votes domestically and reinforces the 'us vs. them' racism. This is pure national socialism at work. To reinforce its anti-americanism, Canada has well decided to ratify Kyoto. This is nothing more than a foreign aid scheme and redistribution of money. The cost ? The Government's own study says it will cost each family $4000 by 2008 in extra taxes. That is Net. It does nothing about climate change or the environment. 210.000 megatonnes of CO2 is emitted naturally into the atmosphere. Mankind adds on 5 % of this total. Get beyond the CBC and read about Kyoto - 18000 leading scientists have signed a petition on why the science from the UN is not science - but PR. The entire science of Kyoto is bunk. Why did we sign it ? Because the US wouldn't - Stewart in 1997 on her way to Japan said they would sign the deal no matter what, and of course Chretien wants to be the UN secretary general. Why did the US not sign it ? It can't afford to wipe out 2 % of its economy, and it actually had a debate on Kyoto in the Senate. Kyoto was defeated 95-0 after the debate. This includes left liberals from Minnesota, California and New York. They all shot it down. Did Canada debate Kyoto ? No. Does Canada debate its military role in the world ? No. Does Canada have a real foreign policy that upholds its national interests ? No of course not, it is about buying votes and raising taxes. Canada is run by people interested in social engineering, votes and power, as well as gold plated pensions. They are making a mockery of us all. Anti-americanism is just the racist element of Canadian national socialism. Hitler would understand.

Well Wet, you are right about Oil, Canada is the largest exporter to the US. However the trade is not asymetrical ie. Alberta sends directly south its oil product, while Eastern Canada is a large net importer of foreign oil. [rather curious but there are inter-provincial barriers and government invoked pipeline issues from west to east]. Nevertheless the point is well made - the US needs Canadian oil. I would however point out that the US has other alternatives and that Canada ie. Alberta could not survive without oil exports so i doubt that Alberta would endanger its own prosperity and would seek an accord with the US [if need be directly]. I have argued elsewhere that Alberta should seek a reconfederation deal since Ottawa fleeces the province to provide socialisation elsewhere. As for lumber i am no expert so i defer to your arguments, but the WTO rulings are not in Canada's favour they are at best neutral. In the last ruling the WTO stated that the US was wrong to put tariffs on Canadian products and redistribute the monies directly to US firms. It did not state that Canada was right [contrary to media propaganda here which was falling over itself with droolong glee]. In fact i read a report a while ago that stated that Canada's lumber industry was over populated and inefficient, and now due to US actions it is now leaner, has thrown out inefficient operations and is better off. Those who have lost jobs would disagree but overall the industry seems to be in better shape. The last thing we need is more government money to buy jobs that are not necessary so another hair-and-teeth hand shaker can go to Ottawa on a gold plated pension plan on an anti-american program of 'saving jobs for our great land'. More importantly like I said before subsidies don't pay. Even if your trading partner does it, don't do it - there are many studies on this and evidence. I will compile a list and post it

Some good points in the thread from what i read. I have to state that NAFTA is the greatest boon to Canada and without it the country would be even poorer. Someone mentioned wheat and lumber tariffs. Canada subsidizes both through marketing boards and provincial stumpage frees. The Americans subsidize both industries as well but in a different less direct manner. Economists have proven that even if your trading partner subsidizes it pays not to follow their lead ie. Canada must stop subsidisation of business and agriculture. In any event Canada has lost WTO rulings in both industries, so if you want the US to stop enacting barriers - stop contravening trade laws. I remember in 1988 Maudlin Buffalo and her Council of [small and narrow minded] Canadians stated that Canada would be destroyed by the US after the FTA was signed. Since then the economy has grown, job growth is strong, US investment in Canada has increased and is only $30 billion higher than the flow south, Canadians now own 20 % more of their oil resources, and access to the huge US market more or less assured. FTA is another topic but it is basically sectoral and not free trade [ie. many sectors are still protected], but it is critical to Canada. I bring up the FTA because during the 90s suddenly the 40 years of hectoring and rhetoric and anti-americanism came into full bloom. As the economy expanded so too did the demeaning of the US. I am not sure that a country where politicians are allowed to make racist nationalist remarks is really an entity worth defending. Can you imagine the reaction if you said "I hate those Arab or Chinese *******s". In Canada as long as your racist slur is directed at a polyglot and multi-ethnic America or the Jews, it is accepted with cheers. Carolyn Parris received an ovation on Open Mike Bullard for her infantile analysis of Canada-US relationships. In that context is this a country really worth anything in the spheres of global and humanist affairs ? What type of people resort to such racist propaganda to create a social bond ? Most likely ones that are inferior in many ways. If you disagree with a profound friend, and have little to offer [ie. money, ideas or military], than such demeaning public displays actually reveal a deep pathos. Or is the Canadian objection to Americanism so deep and intellectually challenging that we are missing the real point of it ?

Canadian culture - how is it different than American culture, and isn't it true that the only thing that unifies Canada is the fact that it fears and envies the US? In other words a form of nationalist racism or anti-americanism ? Is Canada really a country if that is all that unites it ? Is it a worthwhile entity ?