Zeitgeist

You downplay the international significance of the convoy, which started in Canada and was probably the most important resistance to top-down overreach in recent history.

I find it sad how the Canadian mainstream media have unquestioningly accepted the government’s justification and depiction of the protesters. Millions of Canadians don’t buy the excuses. Many more people outside Canada saw what unfolded in Canada and how government applied unprecedented powers such as the freezing of bank accounts to shut down political protests.

I bet she’s quite happy. Whaaat? In Canada, where distances are great, winter is harsh, and there are very few trains. Taxis? Lol. How many thousands do people have to set aside for this? Get real. I assume you expect everyone to work from home to prevent the theoretical future crisis?

We need to strengthen our Constitution or change systems. We’re dropping in the freedom ranks and have become far too manipulated by foreign and international entities.

Just remember that there were diametrically opposed forces within Ukraine. Yes, Russia manipulated the internal affairs of Ukraine big time. So does NATO.

??‍♂️

It’s funny that you think we’re still living under the old timey 1990’s Liberal vs. Conservative political opposition. I voted for that Liberal party and still would today. We’ve come along way from Chrétien-Martin fiscal prudence and laissez-faire with people speaking their conscience. You can resume your CBC government love-in.

Clearly Freeland couldn’t resist the dark side, so it’ll be champagne kisses for her from here while the proletariat shlubs eat dirt. Rules for thee but not for me…

The point is that free speech can be attacked from the left or the right. It’s you who wants to pin all attacks on free speech exclusively on the right when it’s crystal clear today that the biggest threats to free speech are coming more commonly from the left. It’s funny watching you who call yourself conservative constantly defending the left. You don’t see how far left government and media have shifted in Canada and how other political voices are silenced or dismissed. It’s a distinct lack of pluralism.

You’re describing the scary overreach that has become ubiquitous in government and organizations in Canada today. It’s put a chill on free speech because everyone is afraid of being canceled, losing their jobs and reputations, etc. Canada has dropped down in freedom rankings for these reasons. We are increasingly told what we should think and how we should live in top-down totalitarian fashion. Anyone who has studied history should know where this attack on free thinking leads. We can refer to the Spanish Inquisition, McCarthyism, the various purges in communist and fascist countries. Disagreement on matters of opinion has become grounds for mistreatment by employers, media, etc. I don’t know exactly when this got out of control in recent years, but the pandemic response certainly heightened the situation. It always starts for “good” reasons: ending racism, communism, sexism, public health emergencies, environmental catastrophe, etc. Having free exchange and debate of ideas suddenly became misinformation, conspiracy, and so on. The shift against freedom today is supported by cutting edge surveillance, data collection, and enforcement systems. That’s why we should be highly critical of new centralized controls, such as digital state currencies. Government and big businesses are working closely together like in the days of the fascist regimes to make sure citizens follow the path of “good” behaviour.

Next they’ll try to keep us from leaving the country. Oh wait, some memories seem to be returning…

There are many great aspects to New Urbanism and the idea of walkable, transit-friendly, human scale communities. I wholeheartedly agree with Goddess, however, that when these communities are “enhanced” with all sorts of “smart” data collection, there’s a very real possibility that this data can be used for surveillance. Digital ID and currency create the probability of totalitarian control. Yes we should be worried. China is well on its way with social credit “good citizen” metrics. Just keep in mind that like Cassandra in Greek mythology, you won’t be believed. Many people have more or less put the 2.5 year pandemic response out of their memory, the way one forgets the harshness of winter by the end of summertime. Just get back to the politics of left versus right and what’s trending on social media. Ignore your sense of confusion and displacement. Our government took good care of us. Everything is great. Back to work.

Do we talk about the fact that when Ukraine seemed to be shifting towards Russia and away from EU-IMF control, presto, coup, followed by proxy Cold War 2.0? I feel badly for the Ukrainian people but external forces — yes NATO and other players — have their cheerleader Zelensky. Yes Russia is in a sovereign country, but what lead them to assert their defensive interests in Ukraine. I remember something about Biden wanting to “go toe to toe with Putin.” I remember the big moves unfolding like the Christmas decorations following Halloween once the Emergencies Act was revoked in Canada. Much of our inflation was unnecessary and the result of state actions: extreme mandates and restrictions during Covid and the mismanaged government relief, the war-mongering in Ukraine and related energy crisis, the carbon taxes and attack on essential fossil fuels leading to energy insecurity. Manufactured solutions to manufactured crises. Of course Covid didn’t come out of a viral research lab, right? What conspiracy theory nonsense. Democracy, liberty, and living standards are under threat. Look over here, Russia bad! Racism everywhere! Climate action now! Listen respectfully, follow the program, and get back to work…

It’s not true most of the time. The vast majority of rapes are committed by men. The physical strength of most men over most women enters heavily into the equation. Can this fear feed Islamaphobia? Yes. We also know that many Islamic countries sanction violence against women either by permitting it in marriages or meting it out in state punishment such as public stoning. You’re holding up the rare exceptions of female violence as the counter-example, so it won’t garner much concern. I do agree that such exceptions exist and aren’t okay.

If you tax Canadian companies that offshore production to dirtier jurisdictions, consumer money will just buy the same products from foreign companies. The playing field isn’t level, and if you think Gina is going to abide by our green boy scout club rules, I’ve got land you might love in Tuktayuktuk…

Totally wrong. Each segment of the chain gets dinged and all of those input costs land on the final retail price. What, you think companies, drivers, etc. don’t pass these along to the consumers? You really don’t seem to have a grasp of how little choice most people have but to commute long distances because of housing costs, family connections, etc. Carbon taxes factor into the costs of goods before they’re even put on a diesel truck or train. You’re one step away from saying people can go without heat to cut costs and save the planet. Humans are carbon-based. We rely on a variety of fuels for much of what we need. What’s more, our electricity sources for the EVs still rely heavily on natural gas and other fuels. Solar and wind are minor players even when heavily subsidized because they can’t handle much load consistently. I really see how uninformed the public is on the realities of what we need to survive and thrive. Raising the costs of essentials only raises the costs of essentials. No climate goals are achieved. I’m fact, the poorer population will ignore these issues just like the developing world. In fact carbon taxes are shifting production to dirtier jurisdictions globally. EVs and battery production mining for rare earth metals is causing other environmental devastation. Stop believing in pretend action that’s actually highly damaging to real working people. The downtown walkable transit friendly communities are unaffordable and for the affluent. The wealthy wrote these policies because they’re oblivious to the impacts. 500,000 immigrants per year will substantially add to our emissions and everyone will pay more for homes, heating, transportation, and goods, especially with carbon taxes. The so-called left has sold out their workers and poor to fill their leisure time with fairy tale notions of climate purity.

You don’t seem to see the flow through supply chain impacts of carbon taxes on all goods. It’s not as simple as redistributing back in the form of a deduction (and the poorest don’t file), it’s the fact that all these added point of purchas fuel charges feed into the delivery and production costs of all goods. Inflation made carbon pricing redundant and more brutal. It’s an extremely damaging policy because it raises the cost of living and stalls human development.

I never said not to do anything. I already mentioned many high-impact low cost solutions. Raising the cost of living is making life harder and our emissions keep rising. Any climate action policies we take are also totally trounced by our high immigration policies. I fought to end coal generation in Ontario. I have the letters and newspaper articles to prove it. Our green subsidies of solar and wind haven’t worked, and I have a solar system. Anyway solutions are plentiful in old posts. Carbon taxes are existence taxes. Making people poorer makes it much harder to develop the tech and will to fight climate change. Less educated people also tend to have larger families. Poverty sustains higher emissions.

I’m a member of one, yes. It’s very dangerous to give wide latitude to small committees to dictate policies and procedures with major impacts in the organization and society at large. Such P and P must be circumscribed or limited. You don’t want the Vanguard Politburo running your life. Well maybe you do.

I’m saying that it’s ridiculous to think that raising the cost of necessities does much else but make life more expensive. Canada’s carbon taxes won’t reverse climate change. I don’t think worldwide carbon taxes would do it either. They would add to poverty, hunger, and reduced health and education outcomes.

I actually don’t care if people tweet or write “hate speech”. I mean I don’t like it, but sticks and stones. Banning language brings bigger problems. Generally people should be able to say just about whatever they want unless it incites violence or crime. I’m against racism, but I certainly don’t think that banning insults, including racist ones, is the way to end racism. The forbidden fruit (banned speech) is always fetishized. I do agree that certain speech and opinions that don’t directly relate to the professional knowledge and skills may reflect negatively on the practice or profession as a whole, but the burden should be high to demonstrate such damage. In most cases such remarks may upset people or make someone unpopular within a profession among colleagues and/or outside it among the public, which is fine. We don’t all have to agree on everything.

Citizens have the right to opinions, be they nurses, teachers, psychologists, etc. There may be very different opinions about a wide range of issues among members of a profession and that’s perfectly fine. Professional regulatory bodies don’t have the latitude to dictate opinion or prevent a member from commenting on a particular issue unless it is a clear and highly impactful contradiction of the professional standards. If anything, it’s highly arguable that this nurse is defending the nursing and medical profession from pseudoscience. She certainly hasn’t said anything that isn’t true where claims of fact are concerned. Where facts don’t come into play, one is entitled to opinions, including ones that many people don’t like.

Not to mention that it’s damaging women’s sports and making it very hard to provide mentoring to boys and girls who are now to be referred to as “friends” or some other non-binary nomenclature. Confusing and destabilizing. Impressionable children don’t need this messaging. If your dysphoria is that strong and lasting, you can go under the knife as an adult and use hormone blockers and supplements as you wish. Just be wary of lasting side effects.

You don’t need a weatherman to feel which way the wind blows.

Yup you’re fence-sitting. This is exactly why these regulatory bodies are able to get away with overreach and why our speech is getting more and more restricted. It basically means you’re not to question practices that you think are unethical. It’s poor to think that’s okay.