Jerry J. Fortin

There is no American bogeyman! America is little more than a corporate empire bent on profits. Once you get by that reality America is easy to understand. Canadians don't really care one way or the other about America, aside from the fact that they continue to purchase goods and services from Canada in the same consistent manner. Bush was and is an idiot, always has been and always will be. Obama is an unknown in political terms, a variable that we need to solve for. He was against free trade, now he seems to be for it. He was against "dirty" Alberta oil, no he seems to be for it.

Okay fine. I will vote for him the minute he shows up, but until then.............

You know what I am saying, and that is computer "glitches" that visible are damned unlikely.

Coulda shoulda and woulda don't add up to a hill of beans. The only thing that counts are the things that get done. Joe Clark could have been a great Prime Minister, had he only been able to bring in tax deductible mortgage interest.

Not very damned likely. Charm alone will never carry the day, try talking your way out of something, it simply will not always work. Leaders are not common, good ones rare, and great leaders come once in a generation. If charisma made leaders the televangelists would rule the world. There would be a lot of used car salesman as Presidents.

Perhaps to a fool that could not add two and two together and get four more than once. Nothing is perfectly secure, because nothing is perfect. The banking industry must be looked at to prove the point. How many trillions of transactions and how much fraud?

They are self motivated first, then act in a manner that serves to inspire others. They are different than most of the rest of the citizens.

Of course not. You need to keep in mind that in this nation, our economic health is very reliant on our marketing strategies with America. Most citizens know and understand this, so they will not knowing support anything that would serve to detract from our economic viability. That is why Layton will NEVER become PM. They are openly protectionist and anti-American.

As any well thinking candidate for office should. Making an enemy out of a friend is not a right or sane act, especially at the international level of politics.

Granted, but what is your point then?

Nonsense, leadership is the manifested initiative of action by the individual in response to stimulus. Not all individuals respond in this manner, in fact it is a rare quality. This is the fight version of the flight or flight response so ingrained into the human brain. Doing something isn't the name of the game it is doing something besides merely running away. Sometimes it is best to run, but that is the flight response based on fear. The other side of the coin is based on courage, which is often manifested in anger, but not always and here again here a rare response. Most humans are followers not leaders. Following takes both less effort and less thought. The leaders are more often willing to put in greater effort and think about courses of action instead of blind flight. Leaders are defined by actions and followers are defined by inactions.

Yes, but how do you get the partisan leaders to follow that path?

That day is about 100 years into the future, that is when we will have 100 million Canadian citizens.

Of course not. In the end, importance is determined by the leaders, who act on their own initiative and desire. Even so, the definition of equal is merely a perception in the eyes of the leaders.

If you look at provincial NDP governments you will find stunted or depressed economies and excessive debt and taxation. Socialism is merely another word for communism. We don't need that, but we do need something different from what we have.

Your partisan defense is expected, but still misguided. The perpetuation of partisan politics is the yoke we choose to wear and it prevents the realization of fundamental freedoms that we have all earned.

Nobody, because it works as well as communism. In either system money gravitates toward an elite few while the general population is converted to wage slaves.

All true. The Canadian public is becoming aware of this now as well.

Elected representatives of the people will always be required to voice the opinions of citizens. Representatives must propose legislation, but the people should be able to ratify certain pieces of legislation.

Our current engagement was never planned to be a peacekeeping role. It was a solid response to the American call to arms against terrorism. From the get go we were there to fight terrorism, a worthy goal and we are putting in a worthy effort in this regard. That fight must continue until such time as terrorism comes to an end. Canada must remain involved in this fight, and the end to our mission needs to be reconsidered very quickly. Canada needs to stand for something, and be seen doing so by the international community.

Those are fine proposals! Write your MP about them and the sooner the better.

Harper has many advisors, he just doesn't listen to them.

The Americanization of politics in this nation will lead to even further public scrutiny into private lives of representatives. That may not be a bad thing.

International diplomacy involves far more aspects than you would believe.

Increasing defense spending will do little to change that, in fact the opposite is true.