Zeitgeist

To be honest there were so many lawsuits, many of which were thrown out, that I stopped paying attention. He had to pay out big money for disparaging that E Carrol woman. She made a killing out of it. The biggest victim in all of these cases was the justice system.

Rapist in a he said she said trial with no witnesses and an all Democrat New York jury? She made tens of millions of that dubious case. Unfortunately the courts were highly politicized against Trump and most Americans understood that in the election. That isn’t to say that. Trump has a highly moral character or that he hasn’t crossed the line legally in situations. I can’t say. The Stormy Daniel’s cases were also ridiculous. You’ve been watching too much CNN.

Though I still don’t entirely understand your main point, which seems to be some kind of link between Canadian Conservatives and MAGA, who you describe in demonic terms, I would say that the challenge for Canada is that it simply refuses to assert its identity enough to justify itself as anything other than a blue state under the Liberals: The colonial English are bad. The French Canadians are slightly better because they were conquered, but basically everything that one would call culturally Canadian since its creation as a nation state in 1867 is to be dismantled. The French in France would never do this to their country. We have essentially given up under the Liberals, defining ourselves now only in terms of our dependence on other powers, the welfare state, and not having an identity. Justin Trudeau could only define Canada by saying we’re not American. Okay, so that’s all it means to be Canadian? Oh, and we’re paid less. Canada has to be far more confident and assertive about itself, which means becoming much stronger in the ways that actually count: economic strength, living standards, defence, opportunity, freedom, cultural pride. We have witnessed decline in those key metrics over the last nine years. If you think that Canada’s problem is Donald Trump, you’ve bought into his hype and the Canadian media fear-mongering. Canada has to have something worth fighting for that’s distinct from what America provides or we just set ourselves up for Americanization. You think the Liberals are going to assert Canada after everything they’ve done to weaken it? Trump figured that out and became a Liberal supporter because he knows they’re more likely than the Conservatives to get us ripe to become the 51st state.

Though Trump is problematic for various reasons, credit must be given to him for putting a stop to an insane cultural revolution in the West that was judging and hiring/admitting people to jobs and higher education in the basis of race instead of merit, that was teaching kids in schools that they could pick and change their gender without concern or parental involvement, that thugs could enter the U.S. and expand the cartel without consequence, as young people died of fentanyl overdose in staggering numbers, that allowed homeless to take up residence in parks and set up encampments in the middle of downtown streets in places like Portland and San Francisco, that encouraged irresponsible government spending on ridiculous programs as the government teetered on bankruptcy. America needed a Trump type to correct course. I agree it has had its excesses, and the tariff scheme probably won’t have the desired effect MAGA hoped it would, though again, something needed to be done about trade imbalances and countries that freeloaded on America for defence, like Canada. Poilievre basically wanted to see Canada in a position of strength in this new world order after nine years of irresponsible overspending, activist government that empowered forces intent on bringing down the Canadian nation state, both internationally (UN, China, US) and domestically (radical left climate, LGBTQ, and Indigenous activists to name a few), and mass immigration that has overrun our services and housing, but also run traditional Canadian founding cultures out of town. The Canada of today is simply a less desirable place to live and work than it was a decade ago under the Conservatives. We earn less, feel more ashamed, feel like foreigners in the cities, and feel like we as citizens aren’t capable of thinking for ourselves because we’ve been told government knows best. A vote for the Liberals was not a vote to fix this situation but merely a vote to hear more anti-American, anti-Trump rhetoric to make us feel better about ourselves as we continue to seek concessions from the U.S. Carney isn’t lifting any regulations. He’s promising more spending. Well he won the election, so now all we can hope for is that this guy actually does some things that correct course and bring back prosperity. The identity politics and climate fear porn are probably here to stay under Carney.

What hate? What statement has the CPC made that in any way goes in that direction? Your reaction makes me think you’re under the influence of government funded media fear mongering. Our Conservative Party is barely conservative and it is in no way hateful. It’s a highly diverse party with a lesbian deputy. It’s mostly about small government and a business friendly low tax, low regulation economy. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t you see that by discrediting the Conservatives, you’re basically upholding the status quo Liberals who have done more damage to this country in 9 years than any Canadian government in my lifetime? The stats speak for themselves: significantly increased size of government and debt, weaker dollar, low productivity and wage growth, weakened international stature. No rational objective individual could choose more of the same, which makes me think that Canada is heavily influenced by government-funded media and foreign interference. To believe that one can simply change the leader but keep the team and turn the country around seems delusional. Somehow Carney has had a conversion from wanting to slam on the brakes on our oil and gas sector? He wants to keep the regulations and identity politics of Trudeau yet somehow make Canada stronger at the same time? Okay, he’ll get his kick at the can. Let’s see what happens today in Washington. Let’s see what policies he backs and how he manages the economy.

I don’t understand the point of this thread. Canadian conservatism isn’t MAGA, which is a specific brand of American populism that’s not even especially Republican. Trump’s movement may have some momentum left in it, but it lacks vision because it’s so blatantly centred around greed. Other countries know it and America is losing hearts and minds. Canada’s conservatism is mostly about creating opportunity and lowering home and energy costs. It’s not anti-free trade.

Ridiculous country

Nice try. You fail to understand that economic development and a thriving society are not goals owned by the “white settler colonialists” you hate. These goals are about the health and welfare of the entire society. How do you propose to pay for the health, education, and cultural protections for Indigenous peoples within North America and the world, for people who pay very little for these services themselves because they don’t pay taxes? How do you propose that these groups find jobs or get royalties in remote communities? You’re the simpleton who only takes and wants but has no concept of how money is earned or the sacrifices necessary to run a thriving society. You’re not alone though. Canada is chalk full of self-proclaimed victims who think that other people owe them something for nothing. Here’s a dose of reality: In 9+ years of Liberal and NDP rule average Canadian salaries have declined 33% relative to average US wages. Our government bureaucracy and debt have both grown by around 40%. Our new environmental regulations and taxes have slowed economic development and our emissions have risen as U.S. emissions have fallen. Our house prices have doubled. Our birth rate sits at a collapsing 1.3, meaning that since Canadians can’t afford to have kids, Canadian culture must be overwhelmed by mass immigration just to maintain our population. Our federal government has shunned Canada’s founding cultures and political figures. Losers voting for losers. You’re going to get more Liberal-NDP stupidity because that’s all you know. You fear sensible government because you bought into the Liberal and Liberal-funded media talking points. Due to your obstinate refusal to think critically, you’re going to get what you deserve. One step closer to poverty and loss of sovereignty. Well done.

It’s the complete opposite of what you claim. All MSM, particularly CBC, CTV, The Star, and even the Globe are uncritically supporting the Liberals. The independent journalists are actively suppressed by the Liberals. You’re right about one thing: The Liberals are likely to win again due to the collusion between the state funded media and the Liberal government. Canada is indeed permanently Liberal because there’s barely any mainstream free press providing a fair and forceful critique.

No one is saying Indigenous shouldn’t get a cut. What they shouldn’t have is a veto, especially when most Indigenous want the economic development. It looks like Carney is talking out of both sides of his mouth to get elected. He’s handicapping the country to score political points. It’s more Trudeau virtue signaling. No thanks.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7519288 Carney will hobble Canada through regulations and kowtowing to activists and global ESG measures. This is the real Carney, a Net Zero UN stakeholder capitalist. Expect more controls, destruction of the oil and gas sector, more taxes, and loss of sovereignty to the UN and Davos think tanks.

The bottom line is that the CBC and MSM are government-funded organizations that ask softball questions because they dare not bite the hand that feeds them. Canada is ideologically captured by parties that believe heavily in intervening in the free market, including the market of ideas. The CBC journalists criticizing Rebel News basically said speech should be compelled. That’s a threat to free speech and freedom of the press. The questions you ask determine the range of possible answers. Many if not most Canadians would indeed like to know why the government ignored the burning down of around 200 churches on the basis of an unproven assumption of mass graves, a story that the CBC irresponsibly disseminated.

The Canadian public don’t seem to understand that more can be done to reduce global emissions and make the world more secure from China and Putin by shipping liquefied natural gas to Europe and India than any carbon taxes or regulations on our oil and gas sector. Trudeau ignored that fact and turned away Germany when they were looking for an energy alternative to Russia. Poilievre understands and said all this in the debates, but the media keeps touting Carney as the winner. Why? Because the Liberals fund our mainstream media and try to silence opposition. What chance does Canada have to be independent and strong without a free press and when our energy sector is hobbled by regulation and taxes? How can we build our military and raise living standards when the cost of doing business is so high and so much money is taken from people and businesses to prop up our bloated overbearing federal government and its creepy identity politics?

Yup, the game here is to over-promise before the end of every election cycle then to under-deliver and blame the previous government. The Liberals can’t do that because they’ve been in for three terms. We’re likely to get another Liberal government due to the usual Liberal-influenced fear-mongering from media. I predict that more money will be given to designated victim groups for no reason other than ethnicity/skin colour, more growth in government bureaucracy and over-spending will take place, and we’ll get nothing for it. Housing will remain unaffordable. No high speed rail line will get built. The military will remain under-funded at below 2% of GDP. No refineries or pipelines will be built. More sob stories about historic injustice will abound from the designated victim groups. More debt will accumulate. Carney will walk away unscathed and enjoy an opulent retirement. Canadians will insist that they are independent of the U.S. but elect parties that do nothing to strengthen Canada. I want to be proven wrong.

It’s become obvious since Trudeau’s government made land acknowledgments and shaming the country over false claims of mass graves at Residential Schools the norm, Canada can no longer develop resources or prevent a hemorrhaging of tax dollars towards groups that the government has designated as victims. Discriminatory racialized-only job postings are normalized in Canada. Constant pressure is being exerted on the government by activist groups that are funded by taxpayers to give tax revenue to those who don’t pay taxes and benefit from special status. My guess is that Canadians are powerless to stop this unsustainable and discriminatory mess due to our weak Constitution,politicized state-funded media, and Liberal-appointed judges. If not even the Conservatives can reverse this (not that the Conservatives can win anymore in Canada due to a highly indoctrinated public), then it’s inevitable that younger people with brains who want a better life will start pushing for Canada to join the U.S. in greater numbers. Canada has to be able to create wealth for its citizens. Over-regulation and endless consultation make it too costly to build pipelines, refineries, high speed rail, homes, the list goes on. Government bureaucracy has grown 40% under the Liberals. Canadians now earn 33% less than Americans. If the Liberals are re-elected, I’m not sure young people will have any interest in propping up the self-serving federal government several years from now. It wrings money from the public and can’t even do justice to federal responsibilities like defence.

People forget that the auto industry grew up on both sides of the border simultaneously. It was always both Canadian and American. Oshawa’s McLaughlin, the maker of autos by the same name became incorporated into GM as Buick. He became a VP of GM. Rubber for tires came out of Bowmanville. Cutting Canada out of auto manufacturing is like cutting one of your children out of your will. It’s unfair and causes resentment.

The Canadian auto market represents a significant amount of sales for these companies. Caving into Trump and throwing Canadian workers under the bus is totally unacceptable and must be countered by harsh public boycotts. Honda, you are being watched by Canadians.

Honda has announced that it’s buckling under pressure from Trump and moving production of its SUVs from Canada to the U.S. We must remember the companies that do this and stop buying their products.

I think we’ve had enough elites running governments in the West. Carney and Trump don’t understand the plight of working people. Poilievre’s platform is solid and builds on Canada’s strengths, namely energy and resources. He’ll build the infrastructure needed for Canada to become less dependent on U.S. trade and more energy independent. He’ll put pressure on municipalities and provinces to release land for housing and reduce regulations. Those are the main issues for Canada: cost of living and economic vitality/growth. I think Canada can overcome the US trade nonsense largely by diverting auto, steel and aluminum production damaged by Trump tariffs to domestic infrastructure projects that will open up new markets for Canadian energy and make the country more productive long term. Poilievre seems much more likely to do this than Carney because he will scrap the stupid regulations on pipelines and resource development that Carney still supports.

SCTV and Kids in the Hall were some of my favourite shows.

Ontario has a far more diverse economy than Alberta or BC. Even Quebec still has a more diverse economy than Alberta’s. Alberta happens to have a lot of oil that requires a lot of energy to extract. It’s a resource rich province, but it’s also colder than Ontario, BC, and Nova Scotia. It’s got tremendous natural beauty like BC, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Northern Ontario. It’s very much RCMP National Railroad country. Alberta’s economy is growing but it’s very cyclical and tied to the price of oil. Regarding our high immigration, that’s entirely the result of our low 1.3 percent birth rate. If Canada wants to fix that and maintain its culture, it will need to lower the cost of housing significantly, incentivize having kids through tax breaks, stop providing free birth control, stop having unlimited abortion rights that allow abortion up to the day of birth, and stop painting rainbows everywhere and pushing woke ideology, especially around gender and the encouragement of diverse sexual “lived experiences.” Basically Canada has to become a lot more conservative.

Canada is partly here because of Quebec. I’m not sure one can exist without the other. Sure Alberta kicks in more than it takes out. So does Ontario. Either Alberta has Canada’s back or it doesn’t. Ontario does. Canada’s challenge has always been regionalism and national unity. Yet somehow there’s enough holding us together through our shared history and traditions to be of value to the vast majority of Canadians.

Canada is the test of whether such forces can be balanced. This is the place of order and responsible government - whether you like it or not! It’s stable if nothing else. It’s China style totalitarian capitalism light. The only thing keeping it in check is evangelical Republicans.

Yeah but I think it’s worth maintaining a presence in these sectors, not at all costs, but I like the idea that if need be we can manufacture anything in a pinch. Our auto sector can produce any kind of vehicle. We let our aerospace capacity lapse somewhat. We stopped making appliances. Yes we produce top tier engineers and coders, but we tend not to cash in on intellectual property or keep our best companies from being acquired by larger fish. We have to capture more of the design royalties in a world where increasingly factories are just giant pre-programmed automated 3-d printers that can be plunked anywhere. Increasingly AI is doing the programming. How do we employ people and extract tax revenue from such schemes? The brightest programmers will always do well. Governments and pension funds will have to be shareholders essentially redistributing the profits from these enterprises. Citizens will have to derive benefits. Right now only a segment of the population are shareholders in this fourth Industrial Revolution. Countries are now just geographical zones where such business takes place and the population sets spending priorities based on its cultural and economic interests. If a guy can design a cheap rocket over the weekend using design software, everything becomes a matter of availability of raw materials, energy, and access to machinery/robotics, which can be bought if you have energy and/or resources. Canada may have more per capita energy and resources than any country. We also have the designers and programmers.