August1991

Disagree. In the past few centuries, while Europeans - Germans/Russians/French have killed each other. Buddhists? Cambodia, Sri Lanka. Africans? Rwanda. Americans? Civil War. But as I say, we Canadians get along. ==== And unlike China, we Canadians have a federal system - and speak two dialects.

"Fantastic win"? "Major victory"? ===== I simply don't see such an issue in such a way. I'll be honest: Kids changing gender/sex? I oppose. They're too young to know/decide. Older people? Live and let live.

The English wording of the 1980 question: " — and at the same time to maintain with Canada an economic association including a common currency; "

I would prefer a Quebec currency - but that's another question. ==== We Canadians integrate better the foreigners than Norwegians/Prussians.

Canada is a remarkable place in the world. We have two languages. We get along. And we Canadians have lots of fresh water. ===== Have you noticed that everyone else worries about fresh water? We have zillions of lakes/rivers, and five Great Lakes!

Land? I talk of what you pass to your children: the knowledge, human capital. === These foolish arguments of zero-sum game make us all poor.

Betsy, define "successful". ====== According to Margaret Atwood, we Canadians are successful because we "Survive".

We live in a federal regime. A "sovereign" provincial government versus the federal government. ====== The US has a 10th Amendment (my favourite): - People are free to do as they wish unless the central government specifically says otherwise. And if not, the state/province can restrict - otherwise the people are free to do as they wish.

No, I'm saying that we Canadians get along. We manage to get foreigners to live among us, whatever their language. Americans do this too - but we Canadians are really good. Nous autres, vous autres, as they say.... ==== Norwegians/Swedes? IME, they are not good at getting along.

1. Albertans use the same currency as people in Quebec. Norwegians do not use the same currency as French people. 2. Albertan taxpayers participate in a federal equalization scheme. Norwegian taxpayers do not participate in any federal European transfer scheme. ==== I am a federalist. Norway is a free-rider.

Disagree. Among ourselves, we Canadians get along. It's not survival - we Canadians eventually do a deal.

Without ownership, what is the point of life? I leave a legacy to my children. We teach and raise them. ==== More broadly, if we argue about who owns what, our children may have nothing. Let's create something new.

The BonfIre of the Vanities (such a good novel, such good actors):

Jimmy Stewart was willing to risk his own life to drop bombs on German women and children so that German soldiers would stop killing Russians and Jews.

What a thread drift..... Ronald Reagan did not single-handedly defeat the Soviet Union. There were battles in Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere. The Soviet Union is no more. We have no need for NATO. Nowadays, we live in a normal world - a world of several powers. We must re-create the world of 1815 to have at least a century of peace.

Zero-sum thinking.

Not true. Real GDP per capita has increased 1.5x over the past 50 years. Our Gini co-efficient for income is constant. Median real income per household is rising - while household size is falling. We now have a net positive migration (in the past, foreigners used Canada as a way to America). ===== For centuries, we Canadians have voted across religious lines - and for decades, if not centuries, we've married outsiders: Mulroney and Poilievre are examples.

From 1789-1815, Europeans also killed each other - a psychopath wanted to control others. And they did this too from 1618-1648 - the Thirty Years War.

Buffett was born in 1930, in the midst of a cataclysm. Nixon and Kennedy were born and forced to live through it. Churchill lived through the entire period. ==== 1914-1945 was a disaster for humans.

I am largely pro-American. Americans could not hope for a better neighbour. ===== Chinese and Russians; France and Germany.

Armenian is a remarkable language.

Uh, Jews are not successful. Chinese? There are one billion of them. Americans? They put a man on the moon. Armenians - they are successful. They survive.

Ernest Hemingway said that the measure of character was grace under pressure. I prefer Pierre Trudeau's definition: it is how the majority treats the minority.

Well said.

1. Norwegians (like most Europeans) are incapable of integrating foreigners. 2. Norway has an economy based on oil. 3. Unlike we North Americans, Norwegians cannot even get along with others. Norway is not part of of the EC, 3a. Like Canada, Norway has its own currency.