Zeitgeist

You don't seem to understand that politics is about setting policy. Your president's policies are undermining efforts to reduce climate change. Don't tell me what some states or private companies are doing. That's got nothing to do with Trump's public policy.

No no, don't deflect. This isn't about Canada or any other country than America. Can you tell me what the current U.S. federal government stands for? That's the gaping hole in your national policy/doctrine. Canada strives to be a "just society". What's does the U.S. represent right now to its own citizens? Is it America First?

I don't know about SJWs, but the U.S.'s success on emissions are due to past federal and current states actions, not current federal government. Stop deflecting.

No doubt Trump is setting the order aflame, but what does Trump's America stand for? What is the message?

Don't extrapolate that conclusion from that reference. Canada is doing better socially and politically than the U.S. right now. You will disagree because you seem to like big class distinctions and class warfare: Us versus them, rich versus poor, left versus right, instill fear, build a wall...

No, obviously not the largest, but successful in many areas. So what? What is your country's messaging right now? What does it stand for?

Well the oil sands are a political problem for Canada. At first glance it’s a cash cow, but what about the impacts? We can’t have it both ways. That’s why I hate seeing emissions reduction policy rolled back. Trump is leading the way in the roll backs.

Show me how the US is a defender of these values. The US is arguably a real threat to them right now.

At least our public policy is in the right direction. I agree that it’s a problem. Doug Ford isn’t helping, scrapping cap and trade in Ontario.

I think social justice has different connotations in the US. In Canada it doesn’t necessarily mean supporting Planned Parenthood/Trudeau type abortion attitudes. In fact I don’t think of putting social justice and abortion rights in the same sentence, but that may be due to differences of context.

The US started the arms race. No one wants it, except Russia perhaps at this point. If the US diverted more funding from military to development aid, even inside America, it would face less political and military threats. Current US trade policy isn’t correcting trade imbalances. It’s destroying trade, including US exports.

Hold up. Is the US paying to uphold those values right now? The US is threatening them at great expense to some countries that are fighting to protect these values. I think the last few months of commentary on here illustrate that. .

Well I know social justice activists who work in the other direction, but I’d argue that effective social justice fights first and foremost for the most obvious basic rights. We can’t have much political influence over matters of law/public policy such as abortion if people don’t have their basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and health in good order.

My point is that governments have to set environmental policy. Individuals can only do so much. Solar panels are a small piece of the puzzle. Don’t forget that China and India are signatories of the Paris Agreement. They are implementing national policies to curb emissions. The US federal government is scrapping such measures.

The US is turning its back on open markets. It’s shutting down agreements. We all face loss of jobs to lower cost jurisdictions, but don’t make America out to be some kind of trade victim. The distribution of manufacturing to lower cost jurisdictions is the result of natural causes in open markets. Don’t pretend the US is supporting open markets.

I think anyone who tries to turn abortion into a social justice issue is missing the point of true social justice. Social justice should not be a moral slap in the face for a sizeable portion of the population. On the other hand, imprisoning people who have abortions is also a problem. The highest courts have made the decisions in western countries on abortion. Whether you think it’s okay, it’s a legally protected right, at least by legal precedent.

Well that illustrates my point China is the country to worry about in terms of trade flows, negative ones. How do countries like the US and Canada deal with the massive low cost imports from China, lest we forget what started this trade war? I worry though about where the trade wars will finish. Are we all committing a bit of suicide by going protectionist? Closing markets and building walls are the beginning of the end economically. It’s the economy of fear. Basically the terrorists win by destroying our way of life, stoking public fear over security/safety threats. We have to avert the temptation to turn our backs to each other and the world. We need to fight for liberal democratic values, including in the economy. This involves a fight by all freedom loving countries against draconian restrictions.

I can see some Dem states considering joining Canada.

Except that our judicial system isn't as politicized as in the U.S., nor does money drive politics to the same degree in Canada. Money is used to buy justice to a much greater degree in the U.S., creating two-tier justice. U.S. prisons are full of vulnerable minorities, especially black, who couldn't afford to avail themselves of a decent legal defense. Often the prosecutor and the judge make fast decisions with huge impacts on poor black families. How often have the accused been forced into plea bargains for crimes they didn't commit because of expediency? The poor are made to post bail that they can't afford just to avoid being imprisoned BEFORE at trial has even been held. The notwithstanding clause is problematic for sure, but perhaps it is a kind of political counterweight to the courts. I'd think Americans would appreciate that. I agree that the core principles of the Charter must be inalienable, but as you know, courts interpret how events agree/disagree with the Charter, so we have that human bias rearing its head again. Unavoidable?

Last I checked the Catholic Church supports social justice and opposes abortion. Whether or not you think the right to have an abortion is a matter of social justice depends on your stance on abortion. For me social justice is basically about helping lift the vulnerable out of poverty, disease, and oppression.

I put solar panels on my house (cost $33000.00 CAN) and I recycle/reuse everything I can. I don't understand your argument. Are you suggesting that by pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement the U.S. is going to be more persuasive in leading countries to cut emissions, especially large emitters like China? The U.S. had a huge head start in industrial development over China and India, which are trying to reach the U.S.'s standard of development. You want China and India to make sacrifices without having your benefits. The current U.S. government wants to retain all the benefits of its high level of development without making any sacrifices. Global warming has no borders and requires international measures.

The overriding desire among the immigrant students who make up 75% of a Canadian school is too learn the language, English/French and to fit in and feel like a real Canadian.

Social justice, charity, and philanthropy are the best aspects of humanity and speak to strength of character. The most admirable people of the world are givers.

Exactly. They have special powers, such as control over their own pension plan, political system (Code Civil), unemployment, etc. Even on language they buck the trend because Quebec isn't officially bilingual. There are very restrictive language laws that limit languages other than French. Harper's government also declared Quebec a nation. Quebec is thriving and relations with the rest of Canada have probably never been better. A lot of kids are learning French in immersion programs across the country, especially in provinces like Ontario. It wasn't always like this. As a child I remember feeling a bit xenophobic about Quebec because there was a real distance between English and French Canada, two solitudes. Now I find myself slipping in and out of French and hearing others do the same, even though I grew up in English Canada. Canada is very unified these days. The biggest division in the country is on the environment. Quebec and B.C. have aligned themselves against pipelines. Who would have thought that the most English part of the country and the most French would be so politically united. In some ways those places are the most left wing parts of the country. I love both provinces for very different reasons.

In part, yes. The U.S. economy influences international policy. It can be used for good or evil. Progress or regression. Not supporting a major climate change agreement with everything we know about the impact of greenhouse gasses is reckless in the extreme, darn right inimical.