GWiz

Actually I believe the contrary to be true... I think there are a lot more hand guns in the hands of criminally minded people than before the long gun registry came into being... Simple logic really, what's easier to smuggle in or illegally obtain, an illegal handgun or an illegal long gun? Too bad really, Canada had very strict, but logical and good gun regulations in place prior to the stupid long gun registration which does nothing to prevent illegal guns in the hands of criminals and burdens honest long gun owners with a load of BS regulation and expense for no good purpose... ps - I live and have lived in Winnipeg most of my life and there's way, way, way more shootings, almost all with hand guns or modified long guns, both illegal prior to the LG registry anyway, now than there ever was prior to the long gun registry... Hello Mr. Government, are you listening?

So, she's a has been hack that has an IQ in the single digits... You're right, perfect sybolism for the "main stream" right... Ok, the beginings of the Nazis... I think the NDP are worse, and farther left, than the Communist party (legal here so no closet needed) so we can agree on this one... Are you talking about the "carpetbaggers" post civil war as the modern US founders? Ok, and thanks for proving my points...

Sorry, it's an age thing, easier for me to read nothing more... Thought there might be more people like me that would find the bold easier to read (it sure makes finding my posts here easier)...

Whew, and here I thought that Republicants were just a little dense, and that I actually understood something about US politics... Thank you for the enlightenment... She really is much more representative of the "main stream" right wing than I had thought... BTW - You seem very knowledgeble, with the Republicans forcing an unessesary $800 billion unto the US debt load financed by China what does "Conservative" mean in "American"? Also, why would anyone with a NET income under $250,000.00 vote Republican after seeing that extra debt burden put on them, and more importantly their children and childrens children?

Ok, there are a lot of truths and good points on this thread... I can agree with much of what's being said... I too feel that it's the Liberal "back room boys" that are the problem in the Liberal party... The person I supported at the last Liberal convention was Ken Dryden (head and shoulders above the rest in policies and understanding Canada with no "baggage" like Iggy, Ray, Dion, etc. had) and I wouldn't have had a problem with Kennedy (also no "baggage" but I thought a little vaque on policy) should he have made it in... Now, having said that, and since I'm no longer a member of any party, I'm forced to take a hard look at just the facts and choices we as Canadians have... As was said, and I agree, it's a choice of the least of evils... Have you actually listened to "Iggy" speak, all of a speech, not media excerps and spin? Have you attended one of his "town halls" and asked him a question? I've done both of those as a friend of Kevin Lamoureau one of Canada's newest MPs from the last bi-election who btw was the hardest working, most constituent oriented, MLA I've ever seen or known for 17 years (some as the only Liberal MLA in the Ledg.), and can tell you that "Iggy" is a far better man (although not necessarily a great politician, which may not be that bad a thing) than I had thought before I witnessed and met the man... The one thing I can tell you is that he truly cares about Canada and Canadians... He's smart (but not politically smart) beyond being just an intellectual... He has no ego that prevents him from seeing opposing viewpoints and anylizing them on their relative merits, a good thing actually, but not so much politically, as this thread indicates... In my view his biggest drawback is that he listens too much to "political advisors" aka those "back room boys" (since he's not really a politician per say)... As I've said, he's a smart and caring man, worldly, and someone who understands finances pretty good and HATES deficits... Smart enough, I hope, to listen to the right advisors as he gets more "seasoned"... So, you'll have to make up your own mind... Would you prefer someone like I just described, namely "Iggy", or a Moronyesque Stephen Harper, or parish the thought a Jack Layton... However, the real truth is, you are probably NOT going to be voting for any of them (unless you happen to be in one of their ridings) but rather for a person that lives quite near you with many of the same concerns and issues you have... Check them all out, talk to all of them, grill them, hold their feet to the fire so to speak, then decide who would represent YOU the best... Who is the strongest in representing YOU above the party interest... That's what I'm gonna do, but I still can't vote for either a Conservative or NDP (wasted vote anyway) candidate so I'm stuck with voting Liberal or wasting my vote (I ALWAYS vote and so should you) on a Green Party or independent candidate, we'll have to see... Incidently, my current MP is a Con. who only got in because the Liberals and NDP split the vote, which is, in truth, an example of what happens throughout most of Canada and the only reason the Harper Cons. are the Gov. of the day...

The latest is that Canada will NOT, according to the Harper Gov. and reported on both the CBC and CTV news networks, as was agreed to by our political parties and to a lesser extent Canadians, our training mission will likely be out in "harms way" with Afgan troops rather than "behind the wire" in Kabul... Big, big change that... You're right, just more lies from the Harper Gov.... BTW, did you hear about our Defence Minister's "Palin Moment" where he told the gov/ter-minator about how California borders on BC Like Palin sees Russia from Alaska? ROTFL

Ummm, when exactly did Canada "collapse"? Australians? Neither of those two were ever "empires" in any sense of the term... As well Britain and France never "collapsed", only their imperialistic holdings left them to become independent nations, hardly the same thing... BTW - by any chance were you on the Hannity Forum any time between '98 and '06, if you were you'll know me, same "handle"... Of course I'm much more "mellow" on here than I was there...

Ahhh, true, somewhat, his speech at the Democratic Convention in '04 did put him in the limelight, but then again he remained a political figure throughout... Not so for Sarah Palin, she holds no Political office and in fact is not considered a pundit in any sense, therefore, as I said, no different than any average US citizen... BTW, the same is also true for the "Tea Party" which, to me, who has some direct historical knowledge of the time, sounds, pardon me for saying it, an awful lot like a NEW political movement in Germany in the early 1930s... The US is now run not by any Government (left or right) but almost entirely by special interests, which of course are non-elected, in particular the "right" funding Corporate structure which of course also includes the media (all facets) which is now primarily talking heads to spread propaganda than actual news... Now that statement I can totally agree with, to the US's own peril... While I'm more concerned than obsessed it's because, unfortunately, when the US sneezes, it's Canada that catches the cold... Canada will face all the same consequences that will befall the US, and that's not gonna be pretty for any of us...

Naaa, Chretian had nothing to do with it, the "inquiry" told us that... Besides, the bottom line is we're still one country with Quebec in it, so no harm no foul... BUT, if you want to put a former PM in jail for a real crime I put Brian Morony up for that, for a lot of things/reasons, including treason for selling Canadians out to the US with the "free trade" agreement including, but hardly limited to, an agreement that lets the US dictate what Canadians pay for their own Gasoline at the pumps and prevents Canada from having a "domestic" vs OPEC dictated price for gas like every other oil exporting nation in the world has...

LOL, too true, too true that...

Wow, you are way too simplistically minded for me to answer that... But hey, you've obviously got all the money you need to keep you happy, so as long as you don't look down at us "ordinary" folks that you stepped all over to get to where you're at it doesn't matter to you, eh... I just hope you never lose the blinders you have on and see the "real world"...

I applaud you, critical thinking is in short supply these days... Here's a few things to also consider regarding the F-35... It's a STEALTHY ATTACK/SUPERIORITY fighter bomber which is why it won out over the F-22 raptor, a true stealth fighter jet, in it's evaluation for the US airforce, NOT short runway capable and very heavy in a "loaded" configuration which makes it unusable for the US navy and why the US navy is puchasing F-18 super hornets (yes the newest version of the planes we now have at a small fraction of the cost of the F-35), there are many suitable fighter planes available worldwide much better suited, and more importantly much, much cheaper than the F-35 and with much more lucrative insentives as to "maintenance" contracts for Canada... Now considering the helicopter fiasco Canada got caught up in, does this "deal" really make any kind of sense to anyone? btw - when was the last time a Canadian fighter bomber was used in an ATTACK role? Even in the (1991) first gulf war Canadian fighters were only used in a support DEFENSIVE role because they were inferior in technology (by US design) and could not be effective alongside American fighters... Will these planes be any different? If not, why buy them?

My friend, you're looking at the wrong party when talking about deficit spending and living "within our means"... Wasting $6 Billion surpluses for 2 years, $56 Billion Deficit (or was it really $64 Billion as many say) the third year, $1 Billion G8/G20, $16 Billion untendered Stealth Fighters for Canada, $6 Billion Corporate Tax Cut (with borrowed money) that's a "living within our means" party?

Tough question, should make you think though, I can't name a CONSERVATIVE party that didn't want increased spending as the minority, especially Harper when he tried to form a coalition with the NDP and Bloc to bring down the Liberal Gov. and then did increase spending BIG TIME when in power... I can however tell you about a party IN POWER that DID decrease spending, big time, and that was the Cretien Liberals with Paul Martin as Finance Minister... It was very tough times for many Canadians, 18% Mortgage rates, health care layoffs, etc., etc., but it was what got us out of deficit spending and into balanced, surplus budgets...

What I'm saying is simply that Sarah Palin was a complete unknown, other than in Alaska, prior to McCain choosing her as a running mate, much to the surprise of everyone, especially Republicants... She was chosen for the sole purpose that she was a she and was an unknown (even to McCain it seems) entity... Which begs the question why was/is Palin newsworthy post the 2008 election? Other than that she's so dumb and makes so many stupid remarks, the latest regarding the Arizona shootings, that she became a "media darling" much like all the other dumbo female celebs the media loves to use to deflect attention from real political issues facing the United States...

Great, awesome, right on the mark, I totally agree, even if you've included the few of us that actually have an IQ above single digits... You did miss one however, that being those people who generalize everyone with single brush strokes... Sound familiar? Above and beyond what you state quite correctly the WORST and most offensive people to me are those that vote uninformed about why they vote the way they do and worse yet are the 40-50 % of people that don't vote at all and then complain about the government they put into power by not voting... You also gave a "pass" to the media, in particular the C(onservative)News Network, Faux News (at least we know where they stand), et al, who give idiotic nobodies like Sarah Palin a platform...

Can anyone here explain to me why anyone making less that $250,000.00 NET votes Republican? If US (and considering Harper's spending habits, Canada too) "conservatism" is forcing an additional $800 BILLION dollars in debt on hard pressed "ordinary" Americans (those making "ordinary" incomes) then God Bless America, he's the only one that will...