charter.rights

Not at all. If you are reading a contradiction then I suggest you examine your own motives.

No that is a myth. There is little that resembles the British culture....and in fact the British being conquered people have little culture to begin with. Moreover we are talking about Scottish, Irish and Welsh cultures that were imported here.

Not at all. You must have skipped over my explanation and instead focus ona one sentence that caught your attention. Canadian culture, if we are to accept that premise has a Metis-aboriginal root. That means that it was not the British culture alone (as many here try to assert) that makes up all of Canadian culture, but a blend of British-Aboriginal, French-Aboriginal and in some case like Outouias culture a mix of French-British cultural roots. Canadian culture points to these blended roots to the chagrin of English-Canadians who think that Canadian culture emulated the Queen Victorian icons that some painted on their faces in the 19th century. We are as detached from British culture and maybe more so than the Americans are. Yet we may have started out combining British and French colonial practices with our aboriginals ideologies, like the Metis evolved from those roots, Metis culture is none of French, British colonial or aboriginal, but a culture uniquely its own.

There is no contradiction. What Canadians believe and what we are culturally are two different things.

French Canada is rejecting inclusion in Canada on the same basis as most natives do. English Canada excludes them in defining what Canada really is. Trudeau's various multicultural initiatives were intended to legally do what voluntary enjoining failed. However, if English Canada can accept that the Quebec with all its sub-culture and language differences is really part of the whole notion of Canada, I believe we have a greater chance at defining ourselves culturally then we do with a culture-less mythical English-only Canada can. The same goes for aboriginals. Many refuse to call themselves Canadian (and many may have a legal argument to back it up)because there is nothing in it for them....not monetary terms... in cultural terms. We hold aboriginals as worthless segments of our society that we want to ignore and eventually absorb so there is nothing distinctive left. Yet those kinds of attitudes are deluded such that we are already aboriginal in culture and that to rid ourselves of the aboriginal component is to commit cultural suicide. Our worldview depends on both the aboriginal and Quebec ideologies that our only hope at survival would be to surrender to the US as another state. On the other hand Trudeau did not just create a civic identify but a viable bilingual cultural one which could be called Outaouais culture. These civic policies so changed the language and the culture in the Ottawa Region that a new hybrid culture evolved from it and now is pretty much distinct to the Ottawa-Hull Region. And as Outaouais people moved further into the Gateneaus and they took their culture with them. A visit to that area will encounter people who are very much Canadian in the broad Canadian sense (from all ethnic backgrounds) but they also have their very own distinct cultural habits and traditions, from Tortierre at midnight on Christmas Eve to eating beaver tails while skating to work on the canal. These are real examples ot cultural change that may have originated in a deliberate alteration of the civic landscape but was adopted by people to form the basis of who they are....not Quebecois, not British and not native but Outaouais. Essentially that is how culture evolves. First there are changes to practices demanded as a result of environment, or social structure. Then languages change to support the environment and traditions develop that make living in the environment easier, all evolving to distinct culture.

As I recall Flaherty left Ontario with about $2 billion in debt more than the provincial Conservatives reported prior to McGuinty getting in. Although it screwed McGuinty's election spending plans he was able to recover and put Ontario back in the black. It would not be unusual for Flaherty to be hiding the real debt to protect the Conservative's political image.

While there is still no definable culture within Canada that is British based, the theme of this thread was about English-Canadians, not Canadians in general. However, of the lists provided that make one feel proud or a Canadian the majority of cultural items are sub-culture icons and do not apply specifically of English-Canadians. Many more are not cultural items but mere ~things~ that most countries have or do unrelated to culture. If we want to try to define ourselves according to our subcultures then we have to accept the fact that we are in fact a Metis culture at our root, embracing French Canadian, Native Canadian and British Canadian icons as our own wholly. We cannot separate English-Canadian as be distinct since there are not cultural attachments to that identifier. We do know that the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish cultures contributed to the root culture that people experimented with in the 17th through 19th centuries in Canada, before the Victorian myths dominated early Canadian society. However, none of these subcultures would have survived in the wilderness Canada without the knowledge and cultural perspectives of the First Nations people that took them into new territories, or the French that hacked out new trails and explored the lakes and rivers with their native friends. Out of necessity those early Britians and Parisians had to adopt the aboriginal culture, living on and with the land to survive. And when something becomes a daily occurrence, the languages adapts to reflect it, and culture is born. The Metis is a prime example since we know that it was derived from French and Native, Scottish and Native cultures, the Metis have a language all their own. And in true form the recognition that we are a distinct Metis-aboriginal culture is in our language. Neither our English nor our French mimic the British or the French. For the most part it even differs from the Americans in subtle but distinct ways. Canadian is a dialect of the other languages that has resulted in a culture that ~could be~ considered our own....providing that we stop playing fantasy that we are descendants British culture alone and embrace the three solitudes of aboriginal, French and British as a hybrid culture that is our own. Is it any wonder that most of the names of our streets, cities, rivers and lakes come from aboriginal languages? We have integrated their languages into our and we think nothing of blaming "Ottawa" or boasting we are "Canadian". We have also integrated their form of government - particularily the Iroquois Confederacy with its older Brothers the Mohawk and the Seneca sitting across the house (the longhouse is considered their political centre) from the younger Brothers,m the Onieda and the Cayuga, while the head of the Onondaga controls the house decorum as the Firekeeper (or speaker of the House). Lastly no decision of the house can be accepted until it has passed through the approval of the Onondaga Royaner, who then return it to the house modified, or with their approval. There are many similarities however, there are remnants of the British aristocracies built into our system that do not appear in theirs. In particular they have consensus that their democracy depends on while we rely on the elected majority to rule with an iron fist. During times of minority governments we operate more like the Confederacy than most are willing to admit. Our clothing also somewhat reflects our enjoined cultural evolution. While we are influenced globally by clothing trends we can look at certain articles and see how we have adapted ourselves to the three roots. Snowshoes, beaver fur hats (with earflaps), mittens, parkas, moccasin slippers are items that touch almost every family in Canada in one way or the other. There are hundreds if not thousands more things that may be found in limited quantities throughout the world, in Canada they are everyday items that we don't think about. We also have food and drink, and kitchen utensils that are derived not only from our root cultures but that have been invented since our culture evolved. Poutine, beaver tails, and fry bread come to mind...... The beer commercial says "I am Canadian!" but that is only to mean "I'm NOT American". We cannot define ourselves culturally by asserting who we are not. If we really want to be Canadian then we have to get rid of the myths that we are British culture to mean "not French" or "not native" culture. We have to accept the fact that this country was occupied, hack out and urbanized by all of us and that includes the immigrants from other countries that populated various regions and created their own enclaves of culture. We have to stop ignoring our aboriginal Metis roots and start accepting that our language, clothing, utilities and government are heavily influenced by all of us. We can;t even be American because they took the step of severing their ties with their British French, and Dutch culture and instead embraced a whole new one that incorporated aboriginal culture combined with the English, French and Dutch to create a New England or western cowboy culture, or Creole culture that is distinctly American. And as mono-generic we Canadians accused the Americans of being, at least they are not afraid to admit where the roots of their culture comes from. Canadians on the other hand still believe in the imagery of Queen Victoria with her lace and gingerbread houses as being the basis for Canadian content. It couldn't be further from the truth.

Video taped testimony has also been allowed and the lawyers could each enter a list of questions that could be provided in privacy.

Remember that an election isn't the only option. Ignatief could easily convince the Governor General to allow a coalition to take control of the government. He could (and probably would) argue that immediate action was necessary and the three months required to complete an election and restart parliament could have devastating effects. Harper is still trying to act like he has a majority. What is the problem in providing the lists that the Opposition parties want for accountability...or does Harper have something to hide?

Bilingualism and multilingualism isn't "official". In the majority of cases the country is bilingual as a reflection of their cultural heritage.

Bilingual and multilingual countries: Official and Spoken Languages of European Countries Official and Spoken Languages of Countries in Asia and the Middle East Official and Spoken Languages of the Countries of the Americas and the Caribbean Official and Spoken Languages of Australia and the Pacifics Official and Spoken Languages of African Countries Maybe you'll reconsider your denial.....As well the language of commerce is generally English so while it may not be a culturally identified language, English is still spoken in many of those same countries by the business sectors. Being bilingual or multilingual is really nothing special.

Canadians are drunks, thieves, welfare cheats and rapers of land not to mention rapers of the the canuck taxpayers pocket all the while holding sit ins to deny the rest of Canadians who pay for land services and uses.....while of course wearing balaclavas so they can;t be identified, such a noble cause, why one would have to be drunk to come up wi.....oh wait they are. Every lazy one of the buggers. Ouch, I bet you didn't like that characterization now do you? Aside from the terrible grammar, lousy spelling, incomplete sentences, and disjointed thoughts, I fixed it for you. Maple syrup is a First Nations invention and cultural identifier. The flag is a rag. The Stars and Stripes on the other hand say a lot about Americans. It says about their different roots, their struggle to become a conjoined nation, the pride and perseverance of duty and honour. The Canadian Maple Leaf? It represents a palm sized leaf that is good for wiping one's ass when in the wilderness. The Make Beliefs Hockey team? pffffff! Hilariously incompetent. So let's talk about culture. How about you name 10 cultural icons that belong to all Canadians and identifies our unique cultural status in the world? Keep in mind that your list cannot include stolen icons or ones...like poutine... that belong to a sub-culture of Canada, ones that have been imported such as British fish and chips, or ones are really civic identifiers and not at all related to culture and tradition, like Alexander, Graham Bell's invention of the telephone...which is not culture at all.

Multiculturalism and bilingualism doesn't make us unique. Most countries in Europe have both those things. So does the US - especially in the southwest - although they have not nationalized it. Most European nations also have a Constitution that include guarantees freedoms, so that isn't unique either. The symbols you mention are essentially fads, not cultural identifiers. Although we might have a flag, it is nothing special and there is no one rallying around it as if it really means something other than "this is Canada". It says nothing of its people. Canadians are cultureless peons. That is the point. Being civic-minded doesn't mean anything as far as identity goes.

So in other words you aren't here to engage in meaningful discussion and you and your chia pet just like to follow people around and yell "bullshit". We do have a name for people like you, cupie....

Coward. Afraid it will disturb your myths? Ya I thought so....

Try again. If your argument against aboriginal influence is so concrete and secure then you should have no problem providing your point of view as to why it is not possible. I have already provided that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms are based on aboriginal roots given that they presented an egalitarian society upon first contact and the idea of peace, harmony and good government comes from their participatory democracy system. If you think you can counter that then fire away. However, your short one-liners are getting old and I sense a pattern or you inadequacies when it comes to tough arguments. There are lots of ideologies that we have adopted as Canadians that were borrowed from First Nations and incorporated into our social and philosophical state as Canadians .

I've already stated my case.

While you may think this makes you sound like you know what you are talking about, in reality all you are doing is repeating the myths that Canadians believe about themselves. Canadian cultural icons, traditions and cultural beliefs do not exist as a Canadian identity of what is Canadian. And while English Canadians like to boast that we are part of the British colonial experience, we are as far removed from it as India is from their colonizers. When you come up with some ideas on what you think makes us unique as Canadians maybe we can discuss it further. Keep in mind as well as we may have regional culture that defines pockets of us.....such as Metis around the Red River, or Newfoundlanders...but we have no national culture like India or truly cultural societies do, save and except that we are deluded into thinking we do.

Can you dispute it or is it just your usual "head in the sand" "la la la la la...I'm not hearing youooooo" approach. Otherwise the origin of your "bullshit" become pretty clear.

I am Canadian! Open another beer and flip the channel to "Hockey Night in Canada".

Actually that is between your ears....

Most Quebecers are content being Quebecios. They don't want to be Canadian is it means having to compromise their language and culture. That is what creates the solitude. English Canadians have every opportunity anywhere in Canada but like Americans in their hate relationship in Europe, they aren't very well welcomed in Quebec, or in francophone communities outside of Quebec. The problem isn't Quebec per se but those English Canadians who insist they are an inferior society. Yet that is opposite to the truth, since English Canadians are cultureless and tradition amounts to putting lighted stars or angels on plastic Christmas trees. In Quebec as well as aboriginal communities, common law and societal practices are derived from their culture and language. On the other hand the rest of Canada struggles with issues that law after law has been unsuccessfully thrown about. What we see as the ailments in aboriginal communities is derived from that same cultureless society in imitation of us, and from the decades of abuse and assimilation we have subjected them to. We can't get our act together to admit we are not nobles and elite. We are paupers who ate hunted and gathered with the First Nations, who married into their communities and who learned how to carry canoes where the wheel was a useless decoration. We fought side by side with natives and Quebecers to defend Canada not only from the 18th and 19th century threat from the south but from World Wars and regional conflicts. We built Canada shoulder to shoulder, brick by brick alongside Metis, aboriginal, and Quebec tradesmen in every region of this country. We have adopted some of the culture that our First Nations and Quebecers embrace as their own. That does not make us less of a country, and it certainly does not exclude all to the benefit of a British-only descendant relationship. We are Canadian, not American and not colonlials - even though the latter creeped into our thinking in the 19th century and the former dominates our cerebral myths today. Once we accept that there were really three solitudes - French, English and Aboriginal - that make up Canada we'll have a better understanding of who we really are.

I've read Voltaire's Bastards and dragged myself through most of the Unconscious Civilizations. While they both provide some indepth points of view, I found them needlessly wordy and thick.

Of course he confirms what I have known all along but articulates much better than I do. It is such a simple read it should be on your priority list. The chapters are short and not hard to comprehend.

You just pointed out why there is no unity! "...how do you have unity without one culture absorbing the other" The fact that you believe this is what keeps us at a distance from defining ourselves as real nation-cultures. Early Canadians didn't have so much a problem since when you are out in the wilderness struggling to survive you learn about what works, incorporate into your own daily traditions and celebrate it!. The Metis picked up the fiddle because it came from a place that had culture and they put on their moccassins to dance in because they were comfortable, durable and easily made. The Metis derived their culture as a distinct people from embracing the culture of all, not trying to absorb or eliminate one over the other. The culture has many individual roots that became the Metis culture. The real culture of Canadians that we refuse to embrace in one of aboriginal-Metis, British and French. The reason we can't get Quebec to buy into Canada is the result of English cultureless Canada attempting to wipe out any traces of Quebecois culture (which again is more aboriginal-Metis culture than it is French Parisian culture). They will have nothing of it. Instead if we say to Quebec we WANT you to maintain your own unique culture and we'll celebrate that nationally, and at the same time we say to English culture that we want to explore your settler - aboriginal roots and see if there is a culture we can develop from it, and if we say to aboriginal people, we WANT you to celebrate your culture and languages and will provide the same protection for it as we do for Quebec and English-speaking Canada, then we'll have a chance at unity. However, we have to admit that Canada is mostly an aboriginal-Metis nation culturally and our traditions, customs and even our unique belief in equality and fairness is derived form those roots. In order to accomplish such a transition, we'll have to expose the myths that pretend we are a British nation, Kings and Queens and nobility in our own right and all others, notably the aboriginal and the French are not worthy of our attention. Such delusions has not only led us in the past 150 years into conflict and hard feelings but it will keep us going in the same direction. Our only hope must be to start admitting that aboriginal and Quebec have something that will benefit us, and not the other way around.