Big Guy

More interesting news about the changing face of war. Apparently there are a number of medals and citations which have been presented to American soldiers during this war that have to be kept secret: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/09/politics/isis-battles-silver-stars-documented/index.html Apparently it is the same with other countries. If the winners were publicized then their families would be in danger at home. I think this is the first war where anonymity is required so that the enemy, who can now easily locate the families of the soldiers, target the families in revenge for the killings on their soil.

So the Israeli government is now attacking Christian charities who dare to try to help those persecuted Palestinians under the Israeli thumb: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/christian-charity-top-israel-target-list-160809083841824.html And some Canadians still support the Israeli cancer! Shame.

Looks like at least one Canadian party has the gonads to do something about what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/elizabeth-may-ponders-future-green-party-support-bds-1.3713262 Nice to see that there are Canadians who are ashamed of our support of Israeli tactics against defenseless Palestinians.

Looks like the war is changing but once more. Turkey, our NATO ally, has its leader in Russia shaking hands with and promising closer ties with Russia. Hey, who is on what side here? Here we are with Canadian troops on the ground helping our allies (who are they anyway?) with Turkish, Russian, American, German etc jets flying overhead and dropping bombs on the enemy (whoever they are). Right now we are applying economic sanctions (which are hurting our economy) on Russia while our NATO ally is talking turkey with Putin? http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/turkey-russia-agree-cement-ties-160809135944476.html Get our troops the hell out of there and do it fast!!

If there was no testing then everybody would be playing on a level playing field. If they did not like the conditions then they really do not have to compete in competitions which required testing. They could progress directly into professional sports - OOPS - but performance enhancing drugs are used in every professional sport. Have it your way. Let others decide which accomplishments should have an asterisk and which should not. Me, I decide for myself.

My God! Some folks who do not look like you, do not speak like you and are probably from a different religion than you are are being accommodated !!! Why should we change just to make them feel at home? This is not their home, it is our home!!! They have to learn to be just like us. Next thing they will want separate schools, take our jobs and create ghettos. They have not earned the right to have the same treatment as you and me and are probably looking for a free ride. No sir! No more immigration, no more free heath plans for immigrants who haven't worked for it! Time to ban any clothing that makes them different from us and force them to believe in what we believe. Sure, none of us are native to this country but that was in the past. Our ancestors who moved here built this country. They were different from these folks who don't even speak English. Canada for Canadians only!!! Now THAT is crazy.

Why do you assume that I was talking about you? Is there something in my perception of racism that you find applies to you? Hey, you know yourself a lot better than do I.. Who am I to disagree?

Trump is not only a racist he provides short cuts of how people can get REALLY involved in politics. To-day he implied that Hillary will change the American 2nd Amendment (The right to bear arms one) so the "unless the Second Amendment folks do something about it" Translation - You got guns, take her out and get your way. Only in the USA? Pity.

Its laughable that someone would try to rationalize their blatant dislike for people not like them with the old , "Discussion of immigration and integrating newcomers" excuse. Just because you are "discussing" your dislike of immigrants and fear what they will do to "your" country. I used to post addresses of Heritage and other racist sites and was discouraged by the mods. I used to do so that the folks here could compare their "discussions" of immigration and integration with the blatant racist "discussions of immigration and integration" that take place on those sites. At least they admit to their views. I just wish these folks had the courage to just admit that they do not like immigrants or do not like Muslims or do not like people who are not like them and probably fear that these immigrants may be brighter than they are. But, so be it - let us continue to code racism in intellectual, theoretical and bafflegard language!

I am continually amused by those who try to tap dance around, obfuscate, rationalize, and camouflage the fact that they do not like or want to be associated with people who are immigrants, who look differently, who speak differently and often act differently from them. You will use any excuse from nationalism to national security to hide the fact that you are racist. You hold your own race as superior to that of others and therefore look down your nose at lifestyles and practices of those born elsewhere. You fear that these folks from other countries may be smarter than you are and contribute more to this country than you do. These folks might be better at your job than you are and you or your children will be replaced. You are a Canadian! You are entitled! You were here first and you want to slam the door!! Unless you are an aboriginal, you and your ancestors are immigrants - no better or worse than the immigrants of to-day.

The credibility that you give an accomplishment will depend on your perception of what is a level playing field. We obviously disagree in this case. The Russian athletes were banned because the Russian government got involved and was caught cheating. Those individual athletes who were barred were not caught cheating. The winner of an Olympic event will be declared the winner of that Olympic event - they will not (nor do I ) accept them as world champions. As to the asterisk next to a world record - I suggest that any baseball record between 1960 and 2000 have an asterisk as pre-steroid detection period. As for barred for those who were caught "cheating", they were barred because they were caught with the technology available at the time. Do you know how many retired world athletes have admitted to using performance enhancing drugs at the time? Do you think that there was one Tour De France cycling championship won in the last 50 years where the winner was not on some kind of performance enhancing drugs? But as I stated earlier, credibility is something that each individual imparts on an accomplishment. You have yours and I have mine.

This could be the most lob sided presidential win in USA history.

Looks like the Republicans are making sure they split their vote and guarantee that Trump loses: A former CIA guy is running as a pseudo-Republican McMullin And some are trying to draft another: Rice Maybe Jeb Bush should also jump into the race?

The recent open letter from 50 security "experts" on Donald Trump is worth a read: Letter

Either you compete with the best in the world or you do not. There will be an asterisk next to the winners in these games in the same way there are asterisks after all winners in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

Last I looked, I was a Canadian.

Looks like there are a few folks in the know who are not keen about a President Trump: Security Experts But what do these guys know anyway?

Congratulations to the Canadian winners. Too bad they were not competing against the best in the world: Banned

Our government sets standards for Canada - you set standards for yourself. Speak for yourself and your standards - especially when you choose to hide who you are. Lots of far right wing "heritage" organizations who agree with you - they are considered racist.

Is "cupping" a performance enhancing process? Cupping

I do not give out my citizenship to anybody. It is not mine to give or not to give. I do not feel my citizenship is endangered or degraded in any way when when someone follows existing guidelines and is granted citizenship.

I think that it is a compliment that any couple would want their child to be a Canadian citizen. I value my citizenship very much and I do not give out a citizenship arbitrarily. A person who qualifies under the conditions we have outlined is entitled to the privilege.

I agree. There are the self described nationalists and racists who believe in entitlement by birth. Born here makes you a "real" Canadian and if your parents were born here then you have Canadian blood in you. Those other folks are pretenders - especially those who do not look like or talk like real Canadians. This is nothing new. There was a guy in Germany who thought that only those who had blue eyes and blond hair had a real right to be considered citizens. The idea of "racial purity" is nothing new and does allow those racists to feel superior to those "others" who have the audacity to consider themselves the same as the home born entitled.

There is also a difference between accommodating Canadian values and trying to enforce racist policies.

These are publicly funded schools.