myata

I never said "because", the sole or main cause. Certainly a clear symptom and a contributing cause. A species or society that forgot how to change and adapt, avoids changes and sees them as unnecessary bother and trouble will not be successful in the evolution. Cannot be, by the laws of nature. The proof is only a matter of time.

Seriously why wouldn't they? There are world precedents with fair, science based rules for these cases. Create a new league at least it would make sense.

This is just another piece of proof that given to themselves governments will develop their own minds; get absorbed into them; see them as the real, true reality; and see themselves as the ultimate cause for all and anything what is happening in this, secondary one. "We think so you are". So many tests, experiments, experiences and examples. How could one be so nai... st.. dumb? Incredible. Unbounded collective insanity is one of the things we humans excel in. I wonder what would the aliens think? Unless they were just like us, and only a step or two ahead.

Business does not have incentives for improvement if it doesn't need to compete. Without looking forward and ongoing improvement, public infrastructure, social fabric, living standard etc in Canada will stagnate and then deteriorate. Not caused by the abominable Libs - through mental laziness and complacency, readiness with enthusiasm accept substandard services. There aren't good solutions down this path.

It's written in the books of history: a brutal dictatorship rising. Weakness of will; fluttering of the heart; indecisiveness and procrastination. Till it unleashes an all-out aggression causing unimaginable misery, devastation and unrecoverable losses. Well, it's playing out right before our eyes with one major improvement: this time, the members of the aggressive Axis have enormous stockpiles of most destructive weapons ever in human history. Every single one of them will get it and we won't do anything about it because we can't. Russia; North Korea; Iran; Syria; Belorussia; with China vaguely in the background (it is increasing assistance to North Korea instead of punishing it for supplying munitions to Putin; joint China - Russia ocean patrols). If it is emboldened and invigorated by inability of the collective West to enforce the rules of law it likes to boast about so much in its own backyard, what about Middle East? Taiwan? Africa? Will the world follow great preaching of the West illustrated by glaring absence of will and courage to show and adhere to them in the reality, when the need arises; or some hope of safety if they pledge to the Dark Axis? It will only be a matter of time till West is locked in its little corner, like in a well-known fantasy story except with no good ending. How long it will be before the dark bunch will decide to test its resolve again, somewhere closer? We don't need to guess: it will happen. Not if, when. And at that time, West will have a choice to make: to fight on a much weaker ground than now, a new global war on its own soil. A war that will quite likely, or almost certainly result in a nuclear escalation. Or give in, and fade away. And with it, all hope of freedom, peace and security for the humanity that will go back to its dark, violent and authoritarian roots. This is the same logic of gradual escalation, dictated by weakness of will and indecision in critical points of history that doesn't stop the aggressor with necessary force and immediately, and thus invites them to go all the way up the violence and brutality curve. Please try to find a flaw in it. Just one plausible scenario in which it won't happen. So, can we learn? The apparent answer is: No.

In central areas of Toronto around one third does not own a car. No car, you're stuck to your close neighborhood, even within the city commuting 1.5 hr one way wouldn't work for everybody. With the inflation and rent squeezes, how long it is till the fraction is over a half? That's a recipe for compartmentalization, stagnation, falling further behind in the world and eventually, another nudge toward the third world. While in Europe one can visit a couple of neighboring countries in a weekend without breaking their bank with a to smart and flexible rate system. Mexico is considering a high speed rail system. And Canada has been, for some time.

We're blasting excuses without any regard to the reality, facts. Sweden population density: 20 / sq.km Ontario: 14. Quebec: 6. This isn't a huge difference at all. But if we'll take into account the narrow corridor along the border where a great majority of population is concentrated, the numbers will actually work in the opposite direction! We won't do it and don't really care why. Let's see where this attitude will get us. It's coming.

We have become a nation of "here's 1,00000 reasons why it cannot be done". Something that everybody else, a standard staple. Let's see where it gets us, in a generation or two. Sweden is a large Northern European country with a population between Quebec and Ontario. It has HSR: SJ 200 km/h (3 hours Toronto to Montreal) with connections between main cities. This is 21st century; but we forgot.

Can't find information about this sports sensation that has to be readily available. When did they transition: before or after / at puberty? Anyone who transitioned after puberty, from physical perspective is a biological male. Smoking and chanting of political and sports elites will not change facts of objective, physical reality. But it will affect the general level of sanity in the country. Absolutely it will, done deal.

What is the annual cost of federal and provincial, etc bureaucracy when it has zero useful outputs and basically, pays itself just to be (sit) there? Nah, still mental inertia and laziness. People, smart and mentally alive figure out these costs all the time.

Because of inertia of the past; mental inertia and laziness. The next item folks will be downsizing on after homeownership nosedived will be car ownership. So no public transportation beyond the city. No easy and efficient transportation between major urban centers will dampen growth; exchange of ideas and urban development. Back to Victorian times being stuck in one place for life while one could travel across Europe in a day. Young dynamic population will move to more dynamic places and we will need to bring more low income folk from backholes of the world. At some point we will just slide back into the past, indefinitely. Canada has always been in the back of the pack, always catching up. But what if at some point the lead has grown too large to close?

Shinkansen, 300 km/h. Toronto (center) to Montreal / Ottawa center in two hours. Air: taxi or transtit to/from the airport, 0.5 hr x 2. Security check 1 hr min. The flight, 1 - 1.5 hours. Total 3.5 hours, a double. The price, double or more. Total metropolitan population, over 10 million. Drive: who hucking knows how many hours, wasted. The numbers, they are facts. They cannot lie. Nope we can't, shouldn't, couldnt' care. Only in a strange, distorted Canada perception this wouldn't make sense. This just may be because in this 21st century it remains the only G7 - really? country without high-speed rail. Such a can of worms we better spent it - on what? The bureaucracy, taxis for bureaucrats non stop and 24/7? Entitlements and benefits? 21st century: no standard free service for the citizens to file annual taxes. At which point sad and dysfunctional becomes ridiculous and a joke? We will forget what century it is and how things work in it. What, already?

Toronto to Montreal (stops in Kingston, possibly Belleville) less than two hours at 300 km/h (Shinkansen, Japan) side link to Ottawa, another Montreal to Quebec City (an hour). Would makes all the sense in the world. A better one of course.

In this, 21st century. For about three decades, there was a talk about building a high-speed link Toronto to Montreal. It shifted now a bit westward, Calgary to Edmonton (still no rail). What, and where great conversations we will have next? What a great nation (of talkers) we have become. The envy of the world.

Such a paradise of multi-ethnic harmony. Just imagine what it will look like at 100 million mostly from abandon and forsaken places of the planet.

Who the huck are those people who just couldn't stop telling others what to do with their lives? On the right, and left likewise, btw. How hard it should be to get it, simple: just f@ck off. Get lost, quick. None of your business. Just none, absolute zero.

Members of the party do not decide in the general election: the population does. Easy to forget, no?

Right, do as always while hoping for a new result. Ok, let's see.

It's a far cry voting against a dominant perception even for a model candidate. The time clearly calls for, requires change and renewal. It's right in the air, palpable. You really want to put up a candidate who looks the exact opposite of it? And hope that it just may work?

It wasn't meant ever, or at all of course. Representative democracy achieved many good things, many too obvious to list. But, now at this time the perception is: it is stagnating. It has run its good course and there isn't many new and exciting opportunities ahead. Especially it relates to the countries with binary political systems; they are either in a stagnation mode, or if still doing reasonably well, in a autopilot running mode with more disconnected population at every cycle. We need solutions to involve citizens in democracy directly and seriously not baby sleigh ride style. But the system will reject all and any such attempts. It doesn't need citizens really. It has grown smug and comfy being just by itself. Just leave your taxes at the door, you duty. To us.

Just one above

The problem is this. Once in a while the status quo runs into a period, phase of stagnation. New directions, will, ideals are needed but we created our relationship with the system in such a way that 1) we cannot create new solutions - only consume those produced by the system; we aren't really the stakeholders and owners (as in the claim) but in reality, only consumers. And of course, 2) the system we made is programmed for meaningless incremental change and above all, reproduction of the status quo and itself. This is well known and trodden dead end, stalemate of democracy. Joe feels it, the dead end, suffocation of the paths forward and renewal no need for complicated analyses and this why s/he begins looking for surprises and adventures that invariably bring them chaos, suffering and big bad problems. But we just cannot do it, renew and escape an evolutionary dead alley other way but messing things up and going through a period of chaos, struggle and hard-earned enlightenment, if only for a couple of generations. And all over, and again. Nope, no other way for us as it seems.

He is a good man but this is not his battle. The challenge that is coming has to be faced and overcome with new energy, new will and new vision. It wouldn't be wise or fun for the Democrats to repeat the same mistake they made with Clinton: putting forward someone with a loooong and deep record in the power hierarchy at the time the population was looking for a change. This opportunity exists - it's only up to Democrats to oversee and squander it. Democrats ridiculed the other party for their inability to come together. Let's see if Democrats can distinguish the needs and requirements of the country from those of its hierarchy. In such time there are no preset solutions and bandwagons. Nothing is assured or guaranteed. Observe, see, think and make an intelligent decision. That could make all the difference. Let's see.

"You" who? Entitled and detached but benevolent bureaucracy? It may be much simpler: the entropy took its course. The populace doesn't care and the elites, don't want to see. What's coming.

That's it. Between "me" and that thing called democracy there's no meaningful connection. It does not do anything for me, just sits there - and guaranteed and assured to be there no matter what I do. Apathy and boredom. We may just be heading into another cycle where we will discover that nothing is guaranteed and assured here. It would only take a few minutes to think and remember. Why though?