myata

Derailing of a major party, turning it into an authoritarian mob is a tragedy in a binary democratic system. It will lead only to the degradation of democracy, and eventually, its downfall.

Every Republican opposed advancing the legislation. "The vote was 49 to 51, as every Senate Republican opposed advancing the legislation. Sixty votes were needed to take up the bill. Republicans in both chambers of Congress had demanded stricter border regulations in exchange for their support, and they said the bill failed to meet their requirements." Shame. Try to explain to your children and theirs that you had procedural reasons to not stand up to the modern Axis of tyrants as your ancestors did. If there will be posterity to explain to, that is. You chose.

Great words and looks don't make it true. Only the reality can tell that. "NATO united"? At least two ostensibly, members deliberately hold back the ascension of Sweden: for no valid reason at all, just a whim; or cowering to Putin; or hostage politicking. They are on the record praising the master dictator Putin and trying to convince other members that he cannot be defeated. NATO cannot do anything about and looks like wouldn't even be interested to try. While the world is watching. You like simple picturebook answers but those rarely work in the real word with real, hard problems.

I post this in U.S. Federal because there are clear symptoms these days, but they aren't unique to the U.S. and can be observed throughout the Western world. As a new brutal Axis of tyrants is rising: Russia, with lots and lots of nukes; North Korea with uncounted nukes; Iran, with enough fuel already for a few nukes; and Putin's promise to share them with anyone who will prop their unholy alliance, West, not two full years into the confrontation, is showing clear signs of weakness and division. Hostage politicking, my way or no way is a clear sign of that, that can be observed throughout the Western world these days. Southern border security can be a valid issue, I have no problem with that. But why, by what logic should it block other essential and critical ones, those that have bi-partisan support, or so it looked? Is Putin and his alliance of dictators a threat to American freedoms and way of life? Do Republicans, and I don't mean MAGA converts understand that? Going in this direction, there's no good exit. As the resolve and strength of West weakens, more countries will be moving toward the dark side, even tacitly. Encouraged by their gains, and even more by the weakness of the opponent, weakness of a victim is like a red rag to a bully, they will encroach on the West and it won't be able to avoid the fight forever, at the cost of losing all of its credibility entirely. It will be at the time of choosing of the dictators, on their terms and the West, weakened by its won indecisiveness and divided as never. Great shows of unity will not impress the tyrants unless there's real strength of will and resolve behind them. Creak by creak, step by step the world that couldn't gather the stamina and will to stand for its proclaimed values and principles will crumble. These aren't some dark visions. This has already happened in history. What would it take to avoid this path? Can we, still?

I think the motive of Trudeau and his bunch these days can be the spite: not to the people even, to the fate, the Universe. They had such a great, grand plan: why couldn't it just work? Unfair. Indignity! Just imagine: LGBT+++ celebrations followed by native survival celebrations, and all over non stop. Happy immigrants arriving from the unknown forsaken places in uncounted millions, smiling, happy developers manage to build enough of modern apartments to give away for free or next to, just to live in this new paradise of peaceful enlightenment. Folks transitioning for a day or few to set multiple world records in everything. The place is awed and admired globally and.. why couldn't we aim ever higher? Its wise councils are widely respected, every their word (even fart) gets written in the global annals of wisdom, before it sets. All of this beautiful dream could have come true, like why couldn't it? The reasons why it didn't are truly minuscule, infinitesimal: pesky inflation; pesky little people worried about their little bills, groceries and apartments. Why couldn't it just work? So unfair! ----- Canada pseudo quasi-democracy is a joke and a parody of contemporary democratic systems, few of which are without their own problems. It stares and begs silently: please save me from myself.. or I'll do something you don't want to know. I have these acts and prerogatives, you see. Who can save me, you, you maybe? None. Dead silence, interspersed by occasional cough, whimper and snore. The new democratic paradise, incarnated.

Didn't they try that with the inquisition? Who can spell "the full circle" here?

Because this is no democracy, with real balance and separation of independent powers? Only an appearance, a thin curtain behind which cogs and bars all rub each other.

Interesting. I'd like to see more of these numbers, Canada wide. If not that, then what other cause could it be?

I cannot recall the number but it's known that to sustain a pension system there's a magic number, the rate of the active workers to the population on pension, W / P. In Canada, with its very generous system for public bureaucrats the effective pension population would be higher than that of regular workers, perhaps not by a small factors. Again, well known demographics situation may impact the key ratio significantly or even drastically, and with it, the integrity of the public pension system itself. The previous Conservative government made some moves in this area, but they were cancelled by Trudeau. As always, there are two ways to approach such a challenge: the smart, innovation way; and the traditional, do it as our grand grands would way. In Canada it has to be the latter one, obviously. So we're bringing massive numbers from the third world (where else?) to boost the workers number W; except there are some obvious caveats: - some of the arrivals are above the pension age and so go straight to increase the pension-receiving population: the opposite effect. - others are poorly adapted (language, education, work experience) and go to receive some form of assistance while producing zero pension contributions: the opposite effect. - yet others go to work minimal wage works, contribute very little to the effective workers population, while still receiving benefits: the opposite net effect. And now look, instead of one problem we have created two: not only the resulting additional worker population has to contribute some positive net income to the pension fund for the current population; but it should also provide additional input for the part of the arrival population that is receiving some form of support. Question: is it working? Do we know, are there solid numbers? Or, are we only delaying the inevitable? And if the pension system goes bust, what part of the economy would it take with it? What would the country look like if / when it happens?

Canada unbounded.. from the reason and reality itself. Let's see what's next. Anyone excited?

No I don't think so. It's the government that has clearly run its course from some promise (not sure if realized in any way, recall the election reform, "the last election") to desperately trying to locate and install a valid cause for its existence when it clearly doesn't have any. That minimal hypothesis explains pretty much everything we observe these days.

Meanwhile, in the sane world: "ICC (International Cricket Council) has become the latest sports body (following rugby, athletics, cycling, swimming leagues) to ban transgender athletes from elite women's sport if they have gone through male puberty". I recall someone here liked to boast "science-based policy". Is it still on, or the political agenda driven by pure ideology at last took over?

Well we have RCMP that just can't be sure can he do anything at all, or just about and courts that will take about two decades to start the process. Make your bet, this is a G7 democracy, is it not?

Let's count the rate and ratio of federal and provincial offices and services that at this time, perform their intended function at a decent standard of effectiveness and quality, let's say in the second or third tier of the developed world. Clearly, immigration is not one of them, but what is? Should we, citizens be curious about this number - so that we wouldn't all of a sudden wake up one morning in the third world?

The pocket is bottomless, why can't (shouldn't) we scoop a bit more from it? It's logical, even natural, so why not?

Love that. When insanity sets out to rule, nothing to bring it back to its place like a good laugh. We sure need more of that.

Looks like we'll have to make adhering to basic sanity a formal law if it cannot work any other way.

There are no "bigger issues". Governments losing their sane minds and trying to impose the alternative reality in their dreams on the society is never a minor issue. It will only get worse, that much we should know from history.

Call it deranged ideology, ideology that broke out of bounds and checks of the society, and the reality itself. There are two main reasons. The first one is the human nature that is, the genes. Great ape genes, specifically. Just look: a brief relatively comfortable period of relative prosperity and we are looking, almost desperately to find ourselves an idol, ideology be it maga for some or woke for the others. What could be the fraction of the sane ones, 10-20%? Can we survive with that, as supposedly intelligent species? And the second one is unbounded governments. This social environment always, with 100% certainty produces at some point completely, perfectly detached governments that firmly and genuinely believe themselves to be cause and the source of the existence of the society. No, not the other way around, are you serious? 'We think so you are". That just isn't going to change because its our nature.

Enough of this nonsense already. If the government won't stop it, we, citizens should quit.

Why? What would change for them, entire offices and departments, if they do nothing at all?

This is what collective insanity is, by the way. Can it be confirmed? If so, there can be only one word for it: insane. Nonsense. Bizarre nonsensical bullshit. Wow. Yes, we can? "Anne Andres can compete in women’s powerlifting competitions since the gender self-identification policy is in effect. This allows athletes to take part in competitions based on their preferred gender alone and without requiring them to submit information about their hormones or medical transitions." If so, this so called "record" is meaningless. Canadian federation, and possibly, by association, the sport itself is a joke. The only logical outcome here.

Resigning from participation in the insane act is one option; but a sane and vigorous society has to find a way to stop it; stop it from propagating and taking over. Never, ever in the long, long history periods of collective insanity have led to any good ends. We had God-inspired collective insanities, any number of episodes and look.

No past discrimination explains, justifies or necessitates bullsh*t nonsense. It's just bullsh*t, nonsense. And it it works really bad on the psyche of population that learns to live in the atmosphere of obvious bull, instead of cutting it out firmly and immediately.

10% of Toronto population use food banks, over 30% do not own cars in some areas. The slide to the third world state can be quicker when we want to believe.