August1991

First, I was expecting a bank robber movie lead by a woman. And this movie starts this way! But then it goes awry. In fact, it's a 1940s female prison movie. I recommend it to 21st century feminists. It has Jackie C. Gleason (as Jean Chretien, the getaway driver). And Paul Drake (as DeWolf Hopper, son of Hedda Hopper). You can't make this up.

Laughing - good examples. In a very public way, I once mispronounced "awry". (Imagine how I pronounced the word.) In English, their and there, or its and it's, are not distinct when speaking- but evidence of education when writing. In French, tu and vous are very distinct - and verb conjugations in particular.

China? It used to be, for Americans, Japan. IMHO, China is now Singapore. Xi is Lee Quan Yew. AG, I have some answers and many opinions. I am reminded of Keynes famous response: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

True. Except for the Warsaw Pact (which no longer exists), you describe a 19th century world of counterweights. A multipolar world. In 1815, Russia was not a threat to Europe. ===== In 1914, this multipolar, multicultural civilized world collapsed not because of Russia or an external threat. It collapsed because a clueless elite lead ordinary people into folly.

No. We in the West defeated the Soviet Union. (Russia is not the Soviet Union.) Kissinger worried about how to create a structure of peace. One key point that he made is that the Soviet Union followed a Marxist ideology - it was intent on dominating the world.

One could say the same of Europe after 1815. Read Kissinger.

The question is whether the legality (issue) of abortions should be decided at the state level, or at the central/federal level. It is a question of state rights. ==== Lincoln really didn't care about slavery. He wanted to preserve the union. He decided that on the issue of slavery, to preserve the union, abolition must be a central/federal issue and apply to all states.

How did you pronounce these words/terms? Mispronouncing a word is evidence of an asocial person who reads alot.

Every "war" you note was brief. The Franco-Prussian War in 1870 lasted for five weeks. An elite -older people, Russian, German- thought that a war in August 1914 would last for several months at most. No one in the elite, rich of civilised Europe of 1912 thought that any war would change their lives

1. WTF? No wall, we win, the Soviet Union is no more, but we still need NATO... 2. WTF? NATO is used to confront China?

As Trudeau or Kissinger would say, there was a structure of peace from 1815 to 1914. Counterweights. Since 1991, Reagan won. I fear that this Ukrainian War is like one of those Balkan Wars before August 1914.

Returning to the OP, I disagree that Trump has backtracked. IMHO, Trump is being political (seeking votes) - and respecting the law. ===== As a foreigner, I have a different question: You Americans had a big issue with slavery. You fought a civil war on this question. The right of a state to allow slaves Would you Americans fight a civil war over the right of a state to forbid abortion?

Well said, and one reason I admire America and its Constitution: State rights Trudeau Snr tried the same with our Charter - Mulroney with Meech - I paraphrase: "If the central government cannot specifically restrict an activity then the question is left to local governments. Otherwise, people are free to do as they wish."

QoC, I agree. But I want to make plain- Quebecers are good at integrating foreigners.

Disagree strongly. Infrastructure? ====== Canada is a large country. Lotsa space. Yet, I reckon that some Canadians don't want more neighbours. I recently had a chat with a home-owner -single home- in Vancouver on this very question.

Disagree. Look at net immigrant data. Unlike Australia (or New Zealand) where migrants stay, immigrants to Canada often leave south. ===== Canada is the US immigration/filtering system. Of course, since Biden and 2020, this has changed.

I never liked this term "Newfoundland and Labrador". Newfoundland is not Labrador. Newfoundland is an island. Labrador is a coast. ==== I understand the political/federal/international ideas between the distinction. But to me, Newfoundland is an island.

1. This is a Barbara Stanwyck movie. 2. When anyone says that women in the past were weak/confused, I recommend a Barbara Stanwyk film. 3. This Barbara Stanwyk film has twists.

In Canada, also a federal state, provinces have sole control over schools, health. Your US federal HEW? - Never in Canada - except for Natives.

America is a country of several hundred million people. It is a federal republic. ====== In America, each State decides.

That's all the Supreme Court or what Trump sad.

Disagree. We Canadians are remarkable. Foreigners are soon like us - even our accent.

Mark Carney? Michael Ignatieff with a bigger ego.

I have always wondered why Truman approved dropping two bombs. Heck, he passed a note to Stalin at Potsdam.

Disagree very, very strongly. After 1815, Europe avoided war for a century because of a structure of peace. In summer 1914, this structure collapsed. I fear that at present, our world elites are doing the same as in summer 1914.