Leafless

National standards?? What national standards?? You must mean Canada's socialistic form of goverence. Currently we are a nation of socialist.

Mel Gibson apoligized a second time "to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words" when he was arrested for investigation of drunken driving. Could it be Mel Gibson's acting abilities extend out into his private life? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nati...4_gibson02.html

You must view Hezbollah as some sort of legitimate which they are not. The fact is Israel is ageeable to a cease fire providing Hezbollah the terrorist organization that is the cause of the recent mayhem is disarmed first. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid...icle%2FShowFull

I suspect that if Hezbolla stopped firing on Israel, Israel would continue on taking out Hezbolla positions. Their objective is clearly to destroy Hezbolla. That is pure speculation. At the moment it seems Israel does not want to give Hezbollah any benefit concerning setting up permanent positions within Lebanon and I can't say I blame them considering Hezbollah's recent use of more accurate missles rather than rockets that are not nearly as accurate.

I thought Israel was supposed to be using missles where they could pinpoint the target? 54 dead is one hell of a "mistake". This is really a bit of a joke. Although Hezbollah is better equipped as a military as far as weaponery goes they are BOTH in still in the TERRORIST league. Why is the emphasis on Israel when Hezbollah CONTINUES to fire it's rockets using civilians as their SHIELDS. HEZBOLLA must be removed but cannot be since it is Hezbolla that refuses to stop firing on Israel. They are behaving in their normal way as a murderous killing machine taking advantage of an unarmed civilian population. The countries that supply Hezbolla with weaponery should assume full responsibility for the deaths of innocent Lebanese civilians and European countries should retaliate against Arab countries that are doing this.

I partly agree with what your saying but I wouldn't refer to smaller provinces or provinces producing as much as some of the others "welfare basket cases". In fact the same situation exist if you look at the small town situation right across Canada where as residents stay or remain all their lives in that town in many cases poor or not, the word initiative does not at always apply and is replaced by the word perseverence. If Alberta wasn't swimming in black gold would you feel the same way about equalization and transfer payments? I think the feds are to generous and that Canada's smaller economies should deal with that reality themselves but I am not for totally eliminating equalization and transfer payments and support it for basic services. There are suggestions that Premier Charest is purposely trying to sabotage the talks since he is close on making a side deal with Ottawa on it's own. This is the kind of nonsense that creates problems when the premier of a 'have not province' is pulling strings at a meeting that is supposed to benefit ALL provinces. http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...dbd&k=47390

Actually more so as Hezbollah is much more in a military sense more competent than Al Queda.

Well, it looks like Al Qaeda "sees the world as a battlefield" and has issued a worldwide call for Muslims to rise up in a holy war against Israel according to Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda's second in command. This almost sounds like the old sucker punch routine, start something against the sucker then have the boys gang up on sucker especially if he's doing a little to well. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...60727?hub=World

Lefties?? Who's a lefty??? I want to know what the allegations are. The ban the Crown ask for, it seems, does not extend for the same reasons as they did originally as imposed by Justice of the Peace Keith Curry. http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/st...32-6c0fcd75b81f The public has a right to know what the allegations are concerning suspects being released on bail or why the ban was extended by Superior court Justice Bruce Durno. To receive a fair trial is a lame excuse. Many similar stories involving murders are released and rehashed by the media and basically ever with no consideration that the suspect receive a 'fair trial'. This event is a lot more serious and could very well have the potential to kill hundreds of people. The country simply has a right to know what's going on.

An Ontario supreme Court judge has upheld a sweeping ban on the reporting of evidence at bail hearings for 17 people accused of plotting terrorist attacks on Canadian soil. Mostly everyone agrees this ban should be lifted. It seems this judge is acting in the interest of radical Muslims and pacifying their interest rather than to act in the interest of Canadians who are not being kept properly informed regarding developments as they occur in this case. http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national...fb430dd&k=10642

I was going to find other statistics but for someone to post that Canada doesnt benefit from International connections and markets really isnt worth reponding to As I said you dont seem to know what is happening in the "real" world Coming from a self admitted racist, thats good .. better arrogant than ignorant ........ my non-white friends are twice the human being you appear to be, and pay a helluva lot more taxes than I am willing to bet you do ......Heres a thought if you are ever in need of Medical Assistance and God forbid you get a doctor who isnt "white" why dont you refuse to be treated - stand up for you principles Leafless -- Racist, narrow minded, uneducated, and ignorant of the world outside your own door .... if thats an example of being white and superior it aint saying much for your credibility ....... or character ... Why the lengthy post brain boy import?? Why don't you crunch these UP TO DATE numbers if you can hack it...without it making yourself physically sick. Canada exported goods worth some C$360 billion to the U.S. in 2005, which represents more than 80% of Canada's total global exports. Canada spent some C$250 billion on imports from the U.S. in 2005, some two-thirds of Canada's total imports. However, it is important to note that the growth rate of Canada-U.S. trade is slowing. The value of goods delivered from Canada to the U.S. in 2005 increased only 3 percent from year 2000, while imports from the U.S. decreased 4 percent. Countries in the European Economic Community (EEC) excluding the U.K. purchased $19 billion worth of Canadian exports in 2005 (4.2% of Canada's total exports). These same countries provided $29 billion worth of goods to Canada in 2005 (7.5% of Canada's total imports). EEC countries bolstered their consumption of Canadian exports by a healthy 14% over the past 5 years; Canada's imports from EEC countries increased about 40%. Canadian exports to Japan were $10.5 billion (2.3%) in 2005, while Japan sent about $11.2 billion in imports to Canada (2.9%). Canadian exports to Japan decreased 7 percent in 2005 from year 2000, while imports from Japan decreased 4 percent. Canadian exports to the U.K. in 2005 were $9.7 billion (2.1%), which slightly eclipsed the U.K.'s $9.1 billion in imports to Canada (2.3%). Exports to the U.K. showed a robust rise of some 33%, while imports from Canada's historical motherland decreased 26%. The rest of the world including China and India bought $45 billion worth of Canadian exports in 2005 (10%), up almost 30% from year 2000. These emerging trade giants sold $79 billion worth of imports to Canada in 2005 (20%) growing some 60% from year 2000. And The Winners Are... As it stands now, the U.S. continues to keep Canada's surplus above water. Canada ran a healthy surplus of over $100 billion trading with the U.S. in 2005, up over 17% from year 2000. Canada's surplus with the U.K. is much smaller, coming in at about $500 million. Canada's overall surplus in 2005 was some $65 billion. However, Canada is running a deficit with its other major trading partners. Canadian deficits in 2005 with countries other than the U.S. and the U.K. was some $45 billion, more than double the comparable deficits which totaled $20.4 billion in year 2000. Should Canada's deficits with major countries including China and India continue to expand, that amount could swell to a negative $130 billion in 7 years. This development could push Canada's overall balance of trade into the red even faster if the world economy goes into a recession. Sources: Statistics Canada BTW---You being an import snot does not impress me one iota and your name calling truly reflects your superior intellect. Normally, we don't try to impress by posting a lengthy article but I made it an exception this one time as it was to GOOD to pass by.

I think your wasting your breath. Harper can't win. The point is as long as their are two types of Lebanese some who refer as real Lebanese as being Christian who Israel traditionally supported and the other type of Lebanese being Muslim and supporters of Hezbollah. Lebanese against Harper's stance are supporters of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. There is no Lebanese Christian militia that can take on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Lebanese that are making the noise in Canada are Hezbollah supporters. The Liberals, multiculturalism, and Quebec's independent immigration policy is the root cause of Harper's dilemma and has the potential to cause serious problems in Canada.

Thats one helluva lot of people who you seem to think should have their Canadian citizenship revoked, even though they were BORN here ......... What's that! Here we are bringing in hundreds of thousands of immigrants to work in Canada 'because of a shortage of skills' due to what? (a) Declining birthrate? ( Or masses of Canadians leaving Canada to work in and reside in other countries? Either way looks like Canada as 'gone to hell in a hand basket.' The think tanks must think there are a lot of unfilled jobs in Canada or maybe ones that simply DON'T PAY.

I wish you would stop using worn out copy cat old cliches " Kind of like being in a playground with little babies crying 'get out of my sandbox." Ha- Ha- Ha. Is that the best you can do? Talk about immature. Canada has pretty well always been dealing with the rest of the world on a global basis. And the rest of the world as not really significally added to Canada's fortunes. Multiculturalism has destroyed Canadian identity. But to be honest I would prefer to keep Canadian immigration 'White' and compatible with the lifestyle of Canadians for the simple reason of maintaining a sense of Canadianism. The country would be that way if it was not for Tudeau's destructive multicultural nonsense which somehow managed to convince or force the country to 'oh yeah sure ...we are a country of immigrants'. But he made the major mistake of NOT properly defining immigration as ' immigrants are not Canadian' and they bring with them a vast array of foreign beliefs and religions, political garbage (dragging Canada into their conflicts) and values or rather lack of values that are NOT compatible with Canadian lifestyles and are destructive to existing Canadian culture. You are an arrogant individual my friend.

I inadvertenly quoted 1983 fiqures that were for some reason near the top of my search page. Both 'The World Fact Book' and 'Wikipedia estimates Lebanon's population at 3,874,050. But from my perspective the numbers were not all that important as the emphasis on Lebanon being a tiny country. Your 200,000 Lebanese is not a Stats.Can official fiqure. What I am saying is that 40-50,000 'Canadians'in Lebanon is reason for concern and that I support eliminating dual citizenship not only for reason's relating in Lebanon's case but concerning especially other ethnic Canadians regarding Canadian loyality to ones country and fully supporting the Canadian economy as well as the 'security issue'.

So whats your point Leafless? If I have my own private retirement investments in Canada and I declare myself as Ex-Pat the Canadian Govt gets to keep 25% of my investment AFTER growth and you see this as a benefit to the Ex-Pat? I dont follow your reasoning Your second like states that OAS is ONLY available to people LIVING in Canada .. not Ex-Pats so again the logic of your argument is lost on me. In order to come back to Canada and Repatriate there can and usually is a HUGE tax penality depending on how many years you were overseas and your income .... IF you dont repatriate you are only allowed to remain in Canada for a certain number of days before the Govt repatriates you on their own and sends you a tax bill ........ During the time you are in Canada you need to carry your own Medical Insurance etc. So what WAS your point?Ex-Pats dont have access to medical services, OAS unless they repatriate, dont have access to 100% of their own PRIVATE investments, cant own property in Canada ...... and any CPP they collect is based on what they contributed before becoming Ex-Pats so I dont quite get what you are aiming for here with your comment and links ............. My point is simple. I am simply illustrating that a Canadian can leave Canada at a relative early age become a citizen of another country, live and contribute in that country and return to Canada and receive a pension and free medical after a short waiting period and in all probability if required receive social assistance housing etc. This also is applicable to immigrants who come here at a fairly early age, make minimum contributions, leave to return to their country of origin and return in later years to a pension, free medical and social assistance. If I have my own private retirement investments in Canada and I declare myself as Ex-Pat the Canadian Govt gets to keep 25% of my investment AFTER growth and you see this as a benefit to the Ex-Pat? I don't follow your reasoning. Depending on conditions this still could be very profitable to you but what do you really expect in this example anyways ---no penalty??? "Your second like states that OAS is ONLY available to people LIVING in Canada .. " OAS is available to Canadians living outside the country if you made initial minimum contributions. "IF you dont repatriate you are only allowed to remain in Canada for a certain number of days before the Govt repatriates you on their own and sends you a tax bill ........ During the time you are in Canada you need to carry your own Medical Insurance etc." So What! What exactly are you looking for?? Free room and board for whenever you feel like it?? "Ex-Pats dont have access to medical services, OAS unless they repatriate, dont have access to 100% of their own PRIVATE investments, cant own property in Canada ...... and any CPP they collect is based on what they contributed before becoming Ex-Pats so I dont quite get what you are aiming for here with your comment and links "............. Your asking and answering your own questions. You should be grateful just for the opportunity to return to Canada and still be eligible to many benefits providing you meet minimum qualifications.

Maybe Kindred can tell us 'what the responsibility is of the Lebanese government to protect people or at least supply basics like food and water to people trapped within it's borders?' Or do they actually not believe living in a volitile region like their living in as to to not be equipped for situations or emergencies such as this one. Kindred goes on to promote the international community when he or she discounts one of the great advantages of being Canadian and that is 'everthing is at home' and between Canada and the U.S. we have EVERTHING one could possibly want. My Global Ecopnomy is right here Kindred and I wish you would go back to your REAL WORLD.

Good poem James! But you ask " Where is our leadership or those who will explain?" All our Canadian politicians were duped in years ago by Trudeau's 'politically correct' discriminatory socialist legislation and his legacy still strongly lives on, damn it. If, at that time, if you disagreed any politician would be tagged a bigot or racist and probably would have done very poorly at the polls and would be seen as the cause of fracturing Canada. To-day politicians and Canadians are paying the price for falling for a truckload of Liberal BS.

So you want to build the system in order to get the statistics to justify building the system ? It seems to me that your system gets its genesis from your disgust at the evacuation of Lebanese Canadians who live in Lebanon, am I correct ? If so, what are the chances that exactly this type of problem will happen again ? And, yes, these systems cost millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions and sometimes billions to implement. Our whole immigration system is 'culturally obsessed'. Take a look at our census numbers in which they allow a number of responses to identify an individuals nationality including the amazing response 'Canadian'. All basically that is required in the case of immigrants is your birth certificate which tells you the country of birth and THAT is your nationality. All other citizen's born in Canada are CANADIANS. What I am disgusted at is the SHEER number of CANADIANS in tiny Lebanon ( 2.6 million people) which I consider highly unusual and would question the number of Canadians of other nationalities who are out of Canada at any given time. I know you will have a hard time understanding the aspect of what this does to Canada as a country concerning locality, responsibility and as a full time not part time Canadian citizen contributing to OUR economy. A system of this nature would firstly have to disallow dual citizenship as in many cases truly undermines true Canadian identity and full participation as a citizen of Canada. After this is done I suspect mass (vacations) to other countries would be greatly reduced. A special card issued to Canadian citizen's on business trips indicating a maximum time permitted out of Canada would greatly control the complexities of keeping track of these business people who would then have to return the card within the expiry date on return to Canada. I cannot see a system of this nature costing an excessive amount of money especially with the large amount of money recouped by potential vacationeers now spending their money in Canada.

In the eyes of the Liberals Palestinians, Syrians, Iranians are the underdog. They are supporting the notion 'to take for no other reason than to think you are entitled to it'. This is the same philosophy applied to Quebec in which sense according to the Liberals that they are also underdogs (quiet revolution) and they have every right to take just because they figure their entitled to it despite having no real legal rights in Canada outside of the imaginary 'founding nation' bit which in Canadian politics overrides the British victory on 'The Plains of Abraham.' The Liberals are also the ones that opened the 'flood gates to the little guy ethnic cultures' and dual citizenship for Liberal votes. The Liberals IMO have always been out to topple White, English speaking Canadians and anything that involves majority control.

No matter how many times it is posted that other countries have "Old Age Pension" and if you have worked and paid taxes in that country as well as Canada you are eligible to collect, you dont get it. Again the ignorance is appalling ....... I can see the reason why you choose not to be educated or do research , IF you educated yourselves you wouldnt be able to carry on these rants. Then what would you post about? Obviously you are not familiar with the entitlements of a Canadian citizen. Do you know all the loopholes available to a Canadian citizen...I don't think you do. http://www.rbcinvestments.com/financial-pl...ing-abroad.html http://www.sdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/e...s/oas.shtml&hs= http://www.sdc.gc.ca/asp/gateway.asp?hr=/e...wance.shtml&hs=

To add: sometimes it's cheaper and more practical to allow cheating than to spend the resources looking for it. This is a fact that's lost on many armchair bureaucrats. Cheaper??? 40-50,000 questionable Lebanese Canadians in Lebanon alone. Let's get the real statistics first which again is impossible without a real SYSTEM.

How about the US? My brother-in-law lives in Victoria BC, and is a lawyer with dual citizenship. He is a great guy, makes a fair bit of money, and I would rather he (and his tax dollars) stayed here. However, due to the nature of his work, he travels a great deal (mostly to the US) and the dual citizenship is a great advantage to him. In this light, there must be some exceptions to the rule of 'one citizenship only'. I must admit, we could make this an exception in the case of the U.S. simply due to the tremendous business nature of our two adjacent countries and simply because of our historical friendship and closeness. The U.S. has never let Canada down in a time of need, and perhaps we never had a great need simply because of their presence.

Leafless, that idea is impractical and even crazy.To start with, would it apply to a child? A child does not choose where to live. Second, the Canadian government never registers anyone when they leave Canada. It doesn't register anyone leaving to the US. How would you determine dates? What if the person chooses to give up citizenship in the other country? How is Canada to verify that this in fact is true? ----- All schemes to forbid dual citizenship are simply impractical and unenforceable. Some people are going to hold several passports and be citizens of different countries. It's a fact of life. Leafless, you seem obsessed with "control" and "enforcing rules". What's wrong with letting people decide on their own where they want to live and letting them cross borders freely? August, you list three good reasons why we need to beef up our immigration system. But then you come back and be critical of me being obsessed with "control" and enforcing rules". I would have to say to you that is why we have controls and rules in almost any SYSTEM is to weed out the cheats and liars.

So if they renounce their Lebanese citizenship, they're ok to live there ? Are you going to somehow exempt retirees and 'snowbirds' ? And how will you achieve this - what will be the loophole ? Yes exactly! But there is a catch, you must be employed in Canada and if your not you will require a sponsor who will be responsible for your total welfare. This sponsor could be a potential employer with a firm commitment to hire you or a private family that is willing to take on all financial responsibilities while you look for a job. In the case of the family they assume all responsibility while here in Canada for a maximum time limit of one year. If a job cannot be found in one year , it is back to Lebanon or wherever you initially came from. Pertaining to snowbirds or retirees I believe you cannot be out of Canada for more than 6-months to retain your Canadian citizenship and all other benefits as a Canadian citizen.