takeanumber

CFB Edmonton is overwhelmingly Eastern in origin. Newfies make up the largest component of PPCLI, followed by Ontario, Quebec. Albertans make up the tiniest minority of PPCLI, less than 5%. Nice try though. Albertans complain bitterly about representation, but can't even run a proper democracy in their own province. The electoral map is totally gettymandered (with some ridings being overrepresented by as much as 45%; and there isn't even an competitive electoral system, in spite of a provincial Liberal party that is farther right than most province's right wing party.

You demonstrate your hatred with every post crazymf. For instance, your last post: Specifically, the way you use the word 'queer'. First off, if you were to go down and harass Jews, African-Canadians, or Hispanics, surely everybody on this board would be horrified (or should be). You refer to homosexuals using the derogative word 'queers' -- now I ask you, why is it alright for you to use that word? Do you use the words 'nigger', 'raghead', 'chink', and 'kique'? If so, why havn't I seen you use such words on these boards? If you don't use such words to refer to them, why do you use the word 'queers' to refer to homosexuals? Why is it alright to have a different standard for homosexuals as opposed to any other minority? Moreover, what business is it of yours to harass homosexuals by, I assume, shouting at them and asking about their marital status? Would you go to a nightclub and take a poll of all the men dancing with women how many of them are actually married? Would you go to a strip club and do such a thing? I believe that your attitude towards homosexuals is that you think they're inferior, and you're attitude towards them is hateful. I don't toss the word around lightly. I know people like you, and people like you are always so shocked when I call you on use of words like 'nigger' and 'queer'...you get away with it for so long in your little friend group, and then you're just so shocked when somebody calls you on it. Well, times are-a-changin' in Alberta. We'll drag you kicking and screaming into the 21st century one way or another.

If the Cons call an election now: 1. The Cons lose 10 seats in BC. (It's been swinging the other way for awhile now. The mood there is very grim over BC Conservatives in general.) 2. The Libs possibly lose their last seat in Alberta. 3. The Cons lose 1-2 seats in Saskatchewan. 4. The Cons gain 1-2 seats in Manitoba. 5. The Cons lose 10 seats in Ontario, if not more. 6. The Cons neither gain nor lose in Quebec. 7. The Cons get decimated in Atlantic Canada, they lose 5-7 seats. It's not looking for the cons. That's why Harper is retreating to his base.

Myth 1: Alberta gives more than it gets. Fact 1: Alberta net outflows: 4000 dollars per capita. Fact 2: You'd never see any of that money if it stayed in the province. Fact 3: Alberta contributes the fewest soldiers to Canada's armed forces per capita. Fact 4: Alberta receives 55% of its spending through the CSHT and tax points. Myth 2: Alberta is the most patriotic country. see: Fact 3. Fact 5: Famous quote of Klein: "Let the Eastern Bastards freeze in the Dark!" Fact 6: The Calgary School of Thought, which many/most Albertans subscribe to, holds that some men are 'natural slaves'. Hardly patriotic. Hardly Canadian. Most Albertans have demonstrated time and again, that in spite of all the aid lent to them (hay during the drought, equalization during hard times, additional labour during boom times), they appreciate it up until the next oil boom...then suddenly they're just the cock of walk arn't they? When they're down and out, they're all 'gimme gimme gimme'. When oil is booming, they're all "no soup for you!" It's a disgusting, un-Canadian attitude.

Argus: You've always failed to back up any of your theses: from procreation to the heterosexual marriage will be devalued. Others haved failed to argue the religious immunity/impunity thesis. You sir have always failed to address the segregation 'seperate is not equal' thesis, as argued back to Brown v. Board of Education. You've failed time and time again. And so, because there is no rational arguement supporting any of your theses', I have to conclude that it's based on hatred, just like Crazymf has demonstrated. If you're against SSM, you're masking you're either masking your hatred (not wanting society to accept homosexuals) or you're in denial, or you're gay and deep in the closet. If you're against SSM, you're pro-segregation. Truly, the logic is that simple.

Alberta seperatism is fueled by greed and the desire to establish a Christian Theocracy. Case in point: Alberta seperatists always complain how the East votes for parties of their choice. Albertans complain that they don't get enough representation, when in reality, they get nearly as much as they deserve. Alberta: 2 million. GTA: 5 million. Do the math. If anything, the GTA gets screwed alot more than Alberta. Moreover, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are over represented. Alberta Conservatives, being Conservatives, demand more than their fair share of anything, and demand that somebody else pay for it. (You'll note a similar attitude by Quebec, Ontario, and Atlantic Conservatives too). In this case, they demand more seats than they deserve. At whose expense? Why Ontario's of course! Well sir -- Not everybody in Alberta wants to seperate. I estimate that roughly 40% of Albertans are actually good people, with roughly 60% being patriotic Canadians. The majority doesn't want to leave, and as such, won't allow such a move. It's a real nice democracy we got going here in Alberta. I have an idea. How about Ontario votes Conservative IF Alberta votes Liberal provincially. Sound good? Won't happen. In fact, Albertans can be accused of being just as ignorant of their provincial government as Ontarians can be of their Federal government. But don't say that to an Albertan Redneck...they're still in denial over Klein.

That's rich comming from the Sun....that bastion of civil liberties and CHOICE.

The question is: why isn't the welfare state voluntary? Because you can't opt out of society. I see it all the time in Calgary. Married women bitch and moan about taxes. Then their husbands leave them, or they catch the husbands cheating. Suddenly the tone that married women had changes. Quickly. Suddenly, they want social services, because they need them. So...if we have an opt out clause, just say we did. Those women would opt out, naturally. And then what happens when something bad happens? Do we just let them live on the streets? Do we want to live in a Victorian world of workhouses and rag pickers? Seriously: that's the kind of world that results from such selfish, cold, Conservative ideaology. You take current Conservative doctrine in Alberta and you get mentally handicapped people living on 800 bux a month, eating cat food and picking cans.....working people waiting years to get replacement joints while rich MP's fly to the United States and get better joints. You get oil companies that kick 1% of their profits back into the community and 5% into bonus' and Stampede week parties and expect a massive pat on the back. You get abused seniors in nursing homes (Shame on you sick bastards! shame on you!). You get neglected infrastructure. You get graduate schools where only the already wealthy get to attend. I've seen the Conservative vision for Canada. It's a society where it's leaders believe that there are natural slaves. I say to them: no thank you. I'm happy that most Canadians see their vision too...have looked Kaiser Harper square in the monacle, and have shouted 'Nigne'!

More bigotry. Expect to see more Public Displays of Affection by Alberta's homosexuals. A lot more. Now, as for the misperception that I impled some Albertans were Nazi's. No, of course not. I'm saying: in Sixty years time, people will look back on the majority of Albertans and shake their heads in shame. Being unfashionable, similar to old Germans today, they'll fein "we knew nothing" and "it was all Klein". When, we now know, the average German back then participated in the persecution of homosexuals and Jews. In fact, Crazymf's arguements against homosexuals resemble those against homosexuals here. If you're against SSM, you're anti-homosexual. All the arguements against SSM are grounded on hatred. It's been shown time and time again. The procreation thesis. Shattered. The protection thesis. Shattered. The children thesis. Shattered. The Religious Protection thesis. Shattered. The Additional Religion Rights thesis. Shattered. There are no theses left except for hatred.

What is the root of Alberta seperatism? Greed and the desire for a Christian Theocracy. Simple as that. If those Albertans can't get their theocracy in Canada, they'll seek to seperate. Their attempt to take over the country by taking over the Conservative Party has failed. What other choice do they have?

The Cons are the party of rural Canada and Calgary. the majority of Canadians are not rural nor Calgarian. Get used to it: It's called Progress. I know that's an alien concept in Conservative circles, but thankfully, the Cons arn't able to Con Canadians that often. Harris, Klein, and Mulroney. Stand Tall Conservatives!

Sad.Grim.Pathetic ------------ When I heard of the story, I instantly thought: Leftwing-feminists. Although, it is surprising how much in common Islamo/Christian-fascists have in common in with feminist friends...this one incident being a good example. It was simply over the top. Although, if I were a Torontonian, I'd be concerned over the performance of city hall. Losing the Live-8 to...I can't remember who got it (lol)...and now this....

Hatred is hatred. Frankly, the implied threats against Alberta's homosexuals are pretty disgusting. If you don't agree Argus, shame on you. I'm sure in fifty years time, when people look back on the attitudes of 60% of Albertans, those guilty Albertans, like their German counterparts, will fein "We knew nothing" and "It was all Klein". Suuuurrrreeee. Eugenics, SSM, the Divorce Struggle: yup, stand proud Alberta!

If you're comparing the NDP record to the PC record, well then, that's a pretty fair comparison. The NDP record in Ontario was horrible, the PC record just as disasterous. See: The NDP was too far Left. The PC way, way too far right. Centrist Governments, for all the bitching from the left and right that they're 'unpricipled', are the best.

Hatred is hatred. That's the real issue. If you're against SSM, you're pro-hatred. That simple.

The biggest effect that Harris has had on Ontario is that those in the burb's and the cities saw the effects of a right wing government on the economy and society...and they'll continue to reject such a damaging, ignorant experiment on the national level.

I'll agree with big blue on this one. Discrimination happens. It'll probably always happen. That doesn't mean that we wave our hands and give up. We should do our best to reduce discrimination through policy, law, and being proactive, good citizens. That means taking on the bad apples in the Toronto Police Force (if anything, they should be punished four times harder because those bad apples taint the entire force and undermine the fabric of society.) That means speaking out when that guy/gal makes an anti-semetic remark and putting them in their place. That means enforcing hate speech laws. That means holding high the Charter and defending human rights for everybody. ------------ I'll just address some of the racist points made by the 'what about white rights' faction of this board: There is no need to defend 'majority rights' because it is the majority that is doing the majority of the discrimination, infringing on everybody else's rights. Besides, you shouldn't be attacking those rights....you'll be in the minority someday and everybody will need them.

I find a few statements quite funny: 1. Homosexuals are already on very, very thin ice in Alberta. Why would they be on thin ice? Sounds like a threat. 2. Repeated anti-homosexual statements made by crazymf. Substitute 'Jew' of 'homo', and you'd never have anything like that ever said. 3. Very few gay couples are getting married in Alberta. The environment is negative in Alberta. Most of the people who have found their partners in Alberta have left to more progressive societies. I don't think the passing of SSM is going to change the exodous. 4. There's a lot of hate speech in this thread. I'm not surprised that there would be hate speech in this thread, I'm just surprised that there isn't more outrage towards the guilty people in this thread.

nonsensical thread.

Both Canada and the US have very serious race problems. It is much worse in the US however. In the US, segregation continues in the form of suburbia. Whites live in the 'burbs, the rest live in the cities. In Canada, most minorities live in the city and the burbs, and about half of all aboriginals live on the reserves. Alcohol and drug abuse are big problems with aboriginal people...indeed, they are very big problems with other minorities as well. I think that in Canada, and Alberta in particular, there is a special form of hatred that is reserved specifically for the aboriginals...and it's not just white people. I've heard the worse things come out of the mouths of Vietnamese, Indians, and Pakistani's. Granted, not all Viet, Indians, and Pakistani's hate aboriginals, I'm just noting that I've heard especially horrible things said by people who have no 'history' with aboriginals, and no real requirement or reason to hate them; other than they feel threatened or somehow feel the need to step on the backs of a people they feel inferior. There's a lot of praise in this thread for American's 'honesty'. Well sure. It's important to talk about it. However, I think it's disgusting to call two children 'niggers' when they walk into a store. First, the act in itself is horrible. Secondly, saying it to children makes it even more appalling. How anybody can applaud such behaviour is beyond me. I guess some of the rural Alberta wingnuts are going to come out of the wood work on this and praise his right to 'say what he wants....freedom of expression'. To them, I'll say in advance, there was a time when it was traditional to watch what you say in public, especially around children...a communitarian value that put the well-being of the community as a whole first, and the individual right to call children 'niggers' second. Well, I'm sure somewhere in rural Alberta somebody is mustering up the arguement to justify the name calling...I'll condem it in advance. --------- Why is everybody so racist in the US? Not everybody in the US is racist. There are just more racists in the US. We gottem here in Canada. I like to think that Canada still has more communitarian values than the US. If the Conservatives get their way, there will be fewer such communitarian values.

Alberta labour laws are attrocious. Alberta has the highest rate of death and injury with respect to occupational health and safety in North America. Childhood is already short enough...we shouldn't be exposing children at such a young age to such dangerous environments. I don't trust most employers to make their environments safe for 22yo's, little though 12yo's...and I'd like to trust the good judgement of parents, but seeing how many children are taken away from their abusive parents in this province each year...I dunno. I'd feel better about it with better labour laws -- and then leave it up to responsible parents if they want their kids working 'proper' jobs at 12.

The courts are there to protect minorities when the majority acts against them, or drag their feet in protecting their rights. So, from a socio-political point of view, who cares what the majority thinks with respect to SSM? It's a moot point. Tolerance does in fact increase the younger and more educated Canadians are. I'm sure this is very disconcerning to the Conservatives, who rely on older, uneducated, and ignorant Canadians as their voter base. Through the magic of time, these voters will eventually die off, leaving a much more progressive Canada. I'm happy with the SSM result. It makes Canada a cool country, and a really great society.

Peter McKay has proven himself to be just as untrustworthy (Orchard), socially regressive (same sex marriage isn't over....not by a long shot, the debate has only just begun) and a media whore (Belinda) as any Con. No truck or trade with the Conservatives. Ever.

...as though 'just' is justification. Your positions arn't fascist per se, but I do believe that Alberta's conservative academia has definite characteristics of fascism. The underlining belief that there are 'natural slaves' is what is most offensive. The general lack of empathy displayed by your cohorts is equally disturbing. Enjoy being in the official opposition now: you guys are at your peak in this country. Ontario will never vote for Harris, or a Pseudo-Harris again. Get used to it.

Bravo Black Dog. A fabulous post.