Wilber

Balls. If your son murdered someone should you go to jail for life? We have countless cases of where people who failed to prevent a crime were not held culpable. The US supported Saddam against Iran but it was his decision to go to war. It was his decision to butcher his own people and invade Kuwait. Most of Saddam's weaponry came from the former Soviet Union. Americans get it when they fail to stop every slime ball on earth from acting badly and then they get accused of imposing themselves as the worlds policeman when they do. All they are doing is putting their own interests first like every other country.

Yeah, all the while in U.S. custody, tried for crimes against humanity which should have taken place in the Hague. The Iraqis that killed him only had him for a few minutes prior to his execution. He was still tried in an Iraqi court and put to death by Iraqis for crimes against Iraqis. We don't try Canadians convicted of killing Canadians at the Hague. Why should they? Where do we get off telling them what they should do with those who have butchered their own people. Pure arrogance.

Not to say it never happens but I have never met an American hiding behind the Maple Leaf. Could it be that this is mostly a Canadian urban legend designed to feed our superiority complex?

I'm against capital punishment in principal but if anyone had it coming, Saddam did. He was an Iraqi, tried in an Iraqi court and put to death by Iraqis. We don't ask for their opinion when we sentence our people.

So you are saying that a parent should only be responsible for what they do to a child after it was born and take no responsibility for anything that was done to harm it before it was born?

I disagree about the Canyon being safer. The Coq is all four lane divided highway with an uninterupted 110K speed limit. Most of the Canyon is two lane and it is much more winding. Most of the accidents on the Coq are single vehicle while many in the Canyon involve more than one vehicle, often head on. If there are fewer accidents in total it is because the Canyon handles far less traffic than it did before the Coq was built. Weather is a bigger problem on the Coq because of its much higher elevation. The hills are steeper but should be no problem for any well maintained vehicle on a hot day. Hauling my trailer over the Coq is a bit of a grind on the hills but it saves me at least an hour and a half and around 10 bucks in fuel after I pay the toll. Well worth it.

Anyone who works for a salary must be payed at least minimum wage but what province has a law that guarantees 40 hours a week for anyone?

I think it is appropriate and natural for someone to feel shame if they wind up on welfare. No self respecting person wants others to pay their way. That's a good thing because those are the people who will be the last to go on welfare and the first to jump at a chance to get off.

I have no problem with people working for the money they receive from the state, as a matter of fact I think it is desirable but it needs to be productive work that they can be proud of. Even if I costs a bit more than just handing them money, it is still preferable. In reality aren't the great majority of us forced to work, the alternative being poverty? The person who because a combination of circumstances such as age, skill's, time invested, etc has to continue working in a job they don't like, because not to would result in the loss of their home, pension, possibly family and ending up on the street? Are they not also slaves by that definition? The military is not somewhere a person should be "put" because they aren't hacking it in civilian life and I object to the idea that to be put in the military would be equated with slavery or regarded as a penalty. Like one was going to prison or worse. That's all.

Oh that is true, some of our American friends get the bills too. I wouldn't exactly call them big bills, the thing is only 37K long ( I think ). They should know they have to pay, whether they do or not.There are no "tolls" as such, but there are signs everywhere indicating what you are getting on. My only wish is I could get a clients drivers licence renewal refused since when they haven't paid their bills I sent them.Oh how nice that would be. It was my understanding that if you don't have a transponder and they had to track you down, the fee was quite hefty for RV's. Maybe not.

Well I guess it depends on whether you consider serving your country to be slavery or an honour. Nothing against Tim Hortons but I wouldn't consider working there much of either.

If those who are conscripted are slaves, does that make those who volunteered stupid for volunteering to be slaves? Bad choice of words, no? Big Blue Machine wrote: It would seem that some Canadians believe that forced membership in the military should be some kind of penalty for those who rip off the system and that those who volunteered should be penalized by having to put their lives in the hands of those people. It seems to me that both of you have a rather low opinion of the military. No it does not wilbur, forcing anyone into any form of work is slavery. Volunterring to become military is a personal choice, as it is not imposed, nor can it be considered stupid if it one's choice. How you could even spin my words that way I do not know. And wilbur neither comment that you quoted shows a bad opinion of the military. That position is entirely of your own making. Now back to the topic. Blaming people for being poor is never righteous nor correct. Slavery is the social or de-facto status of specific persons, known as slaves who are under the control of another person. Historically, slavery has generally occurred as a means of securing the labour of the slave, without the right of the slave to refuse, leave or receive anything in return for their labour other than food, accommodation and clothing. As such slavery is one form of unfree labour. Chattel slavery is the absolute legal ownership of a person or persons, including the legal right to buy and sell them. Would this describe a conscript in the armed forces? It wouldn't even describe a person in our prison system. I find it interesting that there are Canadians who would use the word penalty or slavery in any context when it comes to serving in the armed forces whether voluntarily or not.

Catchme wrote: If those who are conscripted are slaves, does that make those who volunteered stupid for volunteering to be slaves? Bad choice of words, no? Big Blue Machine wrote: It would seem that some Canadians believe that forced membership in the military should be some kind of penalty for those who rip off the system and that those who volunteered should be penalized by having to put their lives in the hands of those people. It seems to me that both of you have a rather low opinion of the military.

Quote thingy ain't working.

So we go back to Dickens, remember scrooge, isn't that exactly what he said???? A work house? I don't think so but Geoffrey has a point. I do wonder why people have a problem with the idea of "workfare". I realize that not everyone would be able to do it but those that are could at least be proud of the fact they earned what they receive.

I'm sure they won't but I wonder what they think when comments are made that say people should be "penalized" by being put in the military or that to do so would amount to among other things "slavery".

Funny but I've never felt insulted whenever I have been mistaken for an American. I wonder which bothers Canadians more, the fact they are mistaken for Americans or that we are enough alike that most people can't tell the difference.

Uh, that would either amount to conscription, or slavery. And just what should we do with the white collar trough feeders who get billions in corporate welfare? Poor bashing is NEVR the answer! I'm sure all our folks in the military will be comforted by the fact that some Canadians think of them as slaves who are being penalized.

Don't know if it's true but I've heard stories about out of Province vacationers getting some big bills that they weren't expecting. Are there no toll booths on this highway so that out of towners know what they are getting into beforehand?

This of course makes the assumption that welfare is somehow earned.

Next you will be telling us you support our soldiers.

When I go to a GP or a specialist, I go to a private clinic operated by the doctors who work there. Privately operated clinics that bill the province for services to their patients. They are business men who are in business to make a profit. We have always had private, for profit medical services in this country. The only difference between my doctor and my dentist or veterinarian is who writes the cheque. The issue for consumers is who pays the bills, not who provides the service. After living in this town for nearly twenty years with the promise of getting a new hospital from three different governments ever since we came here, we are finally getting one. It's a P3 project. I could care less who builds it and runs it as long as it provides the needed service and is paid for by public funds.

Argus I agree with most of your sentiments. Pocket I disagree completely. How do you know what your member stands for if you don't know how they vote? Eureka I disagree completely. An MP is supposed to represent everyone in their constituency, not just members of their own political party. People join parties because they are for the most part like thinking. If a party leader cannot convince like thinkers to vote for something on its merit alone, he or she should be rethinking their policy because it is probably a bad one.

Exactly. If these people also have Lebanese citizenship and choose to live in Lebanon, Canada should have no obligation to them when they are in Lebanon. When they are in Lebanon, they are Lebanese and have the citizenship to prove it. Why should Canada get involved in a Lebanese citizen's business when that person is in Lebanon?

I've never worn anything that identified me as a Canadian. If I'm mistaken for an American, that's OK, It can be like giving a false name when your behaviour isn't quite what it should be.