August1991

Poilievre will win because of his wife. The federal Liberals know this: they cannot win without Sophie - imagine the pressure applied when she chose to leave. I suspect Margaret had a say.

In English-Canada, the ultimate insult is to be accused of being American. Many Quebecers view English Canadians - people from Ontario - as you view Trump Americans.

Margaret Atwood thinks she Survives I think, uh, we in Canada get along.

The people of Russia have survived the cold and several invasions. Which people? The Russian people alive today? In Canada. which people in Canada? ===== Margaret Atwood is simply a bad writer who wrote a foolish book about Canada. She's wrong about Canada - and she has no style.

Australians don't take themselves seriously. Canadians? Not at all/

Russians survive. We people in Canada get along. Why?

The 1980 referendum did not pass - despite the logic. So close, in 1995. Yet, this other referendum did not pass. Why? Canada is a federal state that is sustainable - and peaceful. Why?

Our first Catholic federal PM was John Thompson - a Conservative. Turner, Clark - Anglophone yet Catholic Ontario's first PM was Roman Catholic? ==== I reckon that we do not vote by flag. We Canadians have two flags.

Yet, people in Canada have a peaceful society - more than Americans, more than Swedes. We people in Canada have lived peacefully together for, uh, about 400 years at least- without war, genocide. Chinese? The people in Canada get along.

I am very pro American. Your Constitution is remarkable. ===== But I do not want to live in a world decided by people like Bush Jnr, Obama - let alone Biden. I prefer a multi-polar world.

In 1815, after the folly of the French revolution and Napoleon, the European world created a structure of peace. In 1945 in Potsdam, after the folly of August 1914, the World created a new structure of peace. ==== With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Americans are flying blind.

a) Iran is not what you think. b) Saudi Arabia? Saud? It is not either c) Like Canada ===== The problem is that US wants to make the world like themselves. You know, like Obama.

ArmyGuy made a remarkable distinction: A siege means no one can exit. An embargo means no can enter.

No child is born with the ability to tie a shoe lace. We must teach each child how to do this. Every time a person dies, their knowledge is lost. ==== How we organize ourselves matters. I prefer a federal state.

If you think only Europeans can be psychopaths, watch The Killing Fields. I saw this movie shortly after living in Sri Lanka. IMHO, Buddhists are possibly worse because while they usually avoid expressions of desire, they sometimes go rogue - like an elephant

The rich American Mel Brooks foolishly made fun of Hitler and the Nazis. Too many Russians (and others) died to stop this latest European psychopath. This cataclysm started in 1914. We eventually defeated him and then in the late 1940s, we created a structure of peace. True, we defeated the Soviets in 1991. IMHO, we need a new structure of peace. I prefer peace. For most ordinary European people, for several generations, the world after 1648 and after 1815 was good Ordinary Europeans deserve at least a century of peace after 1990 - they got it after 1815.

Michael, there's a broader point. I've been watching this trial of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried

I've heard of Cutthroat Island. Pirates.... It was filmed in Malta - like Popeye, another disaster ==== I recall walking around the remnants of the Popeye set in Malta.

If you're crazy enough, watch this movie. In 1975, according to data that I could find, it cost $6 million (roughly the same production cost as The Godfather made in 1972). But this bomb only generated $3 million in revenue. It has Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd (neither can sing) in a musical:

I walked out of the cinema before the end of Oppenheimer. I have no desire to watch it again. I have watched Lawrence of Arabia several times. By curiosity, I have been to places in Jordan. Lean also made Brief Encounter. And Ryan's Daughter. All movies that I have watched, several times. ==== BTW, Lawrence lost his entire book - The Seven Pillars - at a railway station. He wrote it all, the entire book, again. And according to Lawrence, he shot the guy - but not the same guy as in the movie. ============ Let me finish with this final anecdote. "I'm sitting in a railway station, waiting for my destination... " Americans say railroad.

In federal politics, Canada is too often regional. At present, the NDP is an anglophone, green, western, urban-what-ever party.

Some opinions are decided by a bell-curve. And other opinions are yes/no - open to debate. And still other opinions have no other side: Sorry, the Nazis were simply wrong. We've solved that problem.

OK. I get your argument. I know Newfoundland and regional Quebec, My answer? Iceland. 300,000 people. They have survived for several centuries.

The world does not lack for children. Like kittens, we have many of those. The world lacks educated children -kids who know how to tie their shoelaces.

Well said