August1991

So then, we should all speak with an American accent, and say 'couch' rather than 'chesterfield', 'power' rather than 'hydro', and so on.

Do children learn that it's OK to take things from other people without their permission? Would any child sat "that's fair". What would a child say to you if you told the child to go into the house of another kid with more toys and take some? Have you ever told a kid to do such a thing?Maybe the values we knew as children are more complex and valid than you pretend.

I disagree MapleSyrup. I think the bar owner should have every right to ask the two women to leave. And the two women have every right to go across the street and do business with a different bar owner (which apparently is what happened). The first bar owner is the loser in this. He just lost two customers.Look MapleSyrup, you get to choose where you do your grocery shopping, who you work for, what car you buy. Why shouldn't the person on the other side of the bargain have the same choice? You get to choose whom you invite into your home. When we talk of freedom, what do we mean exactly? The best defence against arbitrary discrimination, perhaps the only defence in practice and in the long haul, is a bar across the street.

George Bush and Jacques Chirac were elected. Puff Daddy, Britney Spears and Mick Jagger sold records. The King of Thailand, was, well BORN. Great model. Pick the right parents when you're born. All true, but the queen GOT HER POSITION BY BIRTH.Do you get the single point that matters? Good point. But symbols matter, as you have demonstrated at length.And if it were a choice between keeping Canada together and keeping the monarchy, I wouldn't hesitate for two seconds.

The 28 June it will be. That means PM PM wants a longer campaign period. Radio Canada on Election Date

Average personal income is higher in Quebec than in BC for the first time data was collected in 1981. The reason apparently is BC falling behind since 1995. Is this the result of the NDP? G&M Income Data

This poll was released a few days ago but the answers to two questions were not well publicised. To the question about the sponsorship scandal, only 62% said they had "clearly" heard about it while another 16% answered they had "vaguely" heard about. Fully 22% said they had never heard about it. To the question about who would be the best PM (with no prompt to answer), 52% said they didn't know. (23% chose Martin, 10% Harper and 3% Layton.) Ekos Research Powerpoint Show This campaign is in its very early stages. Canadians have yet to be informed or make opinions. Many never will.

The rule applies to senior civil servants only (about 2000 some odd people). And if you believe a senior civil servant is going to lose her/his job because of a language test, you are dreaming... Every year this deadline comes and goes.You are right however. The reality is that "Canadians" speak primarily English and in Ottawa, anything important occurs in English. French-speakers are largely clueless. Hence, I don't quite understand your slur: Citizens of France are concerned about Canada? News to me.

No, the threat of WMD (perceived at the time) and Saddam's refusal to respect UN resolutions motivated the war. But this simply reflected the fact that his regime was a threat to world security. Do you think if Israel pulled the settlements out, there would be peace? Israel has made peace with Egypt and Jordan. That's not bad considering the wars in the past. The Palestinians want to push Israel into the sea. Do you mean "democracy" is only for "white" people? I also find fascinating that these differences within Iraq, once the Saddam regime is gone for good, are now becoming known - and freely expressed within Iraq. Keep this in perspective. It is not obvious that the US government can solve the problem of poverty in America by throwing money at it. The casualties in Iraq are nowhere near the casualties suffered in Vietnam. There are too many however. No, the war is now being fought there and in Afghanistan for much smaller stakes than if it were fought in Europe or America.John F. Kennedy, a hero to the left in America, wrote a book called "While England Slept". The idea of this book influences modern American foreign policy - the US must be interventionist and must be willing to defend freedom and its interests sooner rather than later. One can argue about execution but not the basic principle.

On the balance of evidence at the time. But the war surely depends on more than WMD. The Israelis have tried almost everything. Do you know who know Golda Meyer was? Do you really believe that? Who flew those planes into the buildings? Rich Saudis who had never been harmed by Americans! Have you ever heard of Baader-Meinhof?

Several years ago, my car broke down in a small town in Wisconsin and I had to wait several hours while it was in a garage. In wandering around the town, I saw a small monument with the names of some 10 young men from the town killed in Vietnam. I realized, "There are thousands of towns like this across America." It has been fashionable on the Left to say the Vietnam War was a big mistake and America should never have gotten involved. No doubt, there were many errors committed in Vietnam, and Robert McNamara has listed many. Nevertheless, America was right to get involved. America was fighting the good fight. The same one Churchill fought. Since World War II, America has learned that it must defend the principles of liberty abroad where it can and when the threat is particularly great to America itself. This defense of liberty sometimes means lengthy, complex wars that last for years. On the balance of evidence, Iraq had WMD and this provided justification for war. The possibility Iraq would share these weapons with a terrorist group also justified war. One forgets also the signal this war delivers to other countries about America's intention to defend itself. Gaddafi is not the same as before. Most Canadians travel abroad without visas, move freely from one part of Canada to another and write all kinds of nonsense on forums such as this. Too easily, we take these freedoms for granted. As Canadians, we should be grateful those young Americans believed in their country, and grateful America won the Cold War.

Hjalmar: We'll hold you to that.

This election will be decided in Ontario which is the great unknown. WTF? (MapleSyrup's simple, naive, wishful thinking.)See this website for realistic seat predictions: 2004 Federal Election Seat Predictions Check out BC. They've got 14 safe Tory seats. The site is operated by university students so it tends to go for the status quo - little do they know how fickle Canadian voters can be.

What kind of remark is that? "Brain dead WWF type masses"? Is that what you think of your fellow Canadians? What gives you the right to judge other people in such a way? If Parliament was NOT adversarial, I'd be suspicious. Dictatorial governments are quiet and "organized".

The parliamentary system is adversarial by nature, and partisan. I have always enjoyed Question Period. The Americans have nothing like it (imagine Bush facing such, or Nixon during Watergate). In Canada, we have desks and it seems to me the British benches are better. Are you suggesting we don't live in a democracy? Are you suggesting that other Canadians vote foolishly? I think we get the politicians we elect.

If you don't like the behaviour of your MP, don't vote for him or her.

A legal act and a moral act are not the same thing. Because a law permits an act, this does not mean the State encourages the act or condones it. The purpose of the law is primarily to protect property rights, including ownership of oneself. Children deserve special treatment. The State has no business in the bedrooms of the nation. This is less a statement of opinion than a practical matter. The modern State can not legislate, in this sense, morality. Adultery, for example, is a private matter. There should not be laws against it despite politicians' opinions. In a country such as a Canada, politicians should tread with great care into any religious setting. There are few things as intensely private as a person praying; this privacy should remain private.

I suppose the Liberal Party can have a polling firm ask any question it wants to. But there is something unsavoury about it. Note too how the question refers to the "Conservative/Alliance"? I suspect alot of this will backfire on the Liberals. Stephen Harper is no Stockwell Day. Kinsella in G&M on Harper

Thanks Greg. Your efforts appreciated.

China at 0.5 and Saudi Arabia at 0 hardly makes a difference. In any case, the "scale" is completely arbitrary - but not inaccurate in my view. What a rogue's gallery! From what I understand, the pilots were Saudi because they could 1) get into the US easily and 2) get into pilot school. And finally, why are we not fearful of impoverished Chinese (caused by US exploitative trade policies) protesting dictatorship (US supported) by flying planes into big Western buildings? Where is a Noam Chmosky analysis when you need one?

The following are GDP per capita in 2002 purcashing power parity to convert currencies to US dollars: US $36,300 Canada $29,300 Kuwait $17,500 Saudi Arabia $11,400 Poland $9,700 Mexico $8,900 World $7,900 GDP Data from CIA World Factbook Saudi Arabia in fact is a rather egalitarian society. Economist Intelligence Unit on Saudi Arabia My point here is not to discuss the economic situation in Saudi Arabia. Rather, it's to dispense with this crazy idea that poverty is the "root cause" of terrorism.

But then the vote would not be anonymous. In the current system, no one knows how any individual voted. I think this is important for the long term survival of democracy.

Since you're here, MapleSyrup, that 82% stat is very misleading. Here was the question: Heck, I might have answered that convoluted question the same way and I'm rather pro-American.

That's demonstrably false. The idiots who flew those planes into those big buildings came from Saudi Arabia - a very prosperous society where ordinary people enjoy a high standard of living.

Playful, many Quebec separatists believe that English Canada treats Quebec the same way you believe the US treats Canada.Maybe the treatment is solely in the mind of the so-called "victim".