Queenmandy85

The individuals who actually go in to politics are driven by motivations that are somewhat different from the Parties that support them. Activists in the party want the party to win in order to implement their own personal agenda such as the list Argus articulated in the original post or, for me, re-instate the power of the Crown. While Argus' views at least hold theoretical potential, mine, like many others across the spectrum of political activism, are so divorced from the slightly left of centre beliefs of the majority of Canadian voters that we are doomed to perpetual frustration. The actual politicians who go to parliament are motivated by a sense of public service, the pursuit of power to effect change, a desire for prestige and a need to be loved. The last two are more doomed than my desire to return to the Devine Right of Kings. The desire to effect change is ultimately frustrated by the fact that available actions by a government are confined to a narrow range. Politics is "the art of the possible." Even King Charles II accepted that. Johnny Wilmott wrote: We have a pretty witty king,Whose word no man relies on,He never said a foolish thing,And never did a wise one"[ To which His Majesty replied: My words are my own but my actions are those of my Ministers. (Stolen from Wikipedia)

Ideology is a fun debate in Poli-Sci seminars but it has no place in government. It is folly to think there is one all- encompassing theory that will solve all problems. Political parties have one purpose; to win elections. Governments have one responsibility; to do what the voters want and, more importantly, not do something voters do not want. Voters do not want to pay for a viable military. Voters in BC do not want a pipeline for fear a spill could damage the environment. Voters do not want to pay for more courts, judges, Crown Prosecutors, police, and prisons to speed up the court system. Those "parochial local interests" are voters. Failing to heed what the mainstream of the voting public wants is anti- democratic and political suicide. As for Reform, they are nothing but a front for the Socialist Credit party. We suffered under those thieving bast**ds in BC. They confiscated (stole) money making free enterprise companies and turned them into bloated money losing crowns.

You run the danger of having a politician as head of state. That would have the potential of having a GG who is from a different political persuasion and refuse to sign the government's legislation into law or she could dismiss the PM for partisan political reasons. Your main problem is such a change requires a Constitutional amendment and no sane government would ever open up that can of poisonous snakes. Remember Meech?

I would nominate Enza Anderson. She would bring style to what has traditionally been a colourless party. Put the party back into the PC Party. She is also smarter than most of the caucus.

In the political arena, what is fair does not always count. How many careers were destroyed by the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950's. Remember what happened to Edmund Muskie. What happened to Brown is no different than the campaign to destroy Secretary Clinton and President Trump. Many people don't care if an accusation is true, only if they want it to be true. The best advice my dad ever gave me was "get out of politics." I had no idea how right he was.

Actually, the people of the sub-continent are caucasian, as are Persians and Arabs. Demonstrable nonsense. It must be true. My wife told me that.

The list was in reference to representation of caucasian males in Cabinet. No mention was made of English. With regard to Argus' comment 'Isn't that why half the cabinet is female, regardless of capability,' if it were a matter of positions going to the most capable, all the Cabinet would be female.

The following Cabinet positions are held by caucasian males: Prime Minister Minister of Public Safety Minister of Agriculture President of the Treasury Board Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister of Finance Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Minister of Transport Minister of Natural Resources Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities Minister of National Defence Minister of International Trade Minister of Veterans Affairs Minister of Infrastructure and Communities That is 15 caucasian males in the Federal Cabinet. Hardly being squeezed out.

My degree was Military History and Strategic Studies. I worked in consumer loans for a while before getting a career as a Community Peace Officer on a university campus. In other words, if you are looking for job training, take plumbing, computer tech. or be an electrician. My education was great, my career was even better, but, other than the fact the supervisor who hired me for campus security felt my degree would help me deal with faculty, my education had no bearing on obtaining my career. University is for learning and researching for its own sake.

Impact wrote, "The "crown" however is not a good substitute, as it is represented by a single individual without the required background." Appointing Justices is in her job description (The Constitution). She's been doing this stuff for over 60 years. If that isn't the required background, what is?

No. I am only suggesting members of the SCOC be appointed by the Crown as laid down in the Constitution. Remove the PM from the process. In fact remove the position of PM all together. If I can't be Prime Minister, nobody should be.

Again, just as with Senate appointments and the Governor General, remove politicians from the process. We have an institution in place for this very purpose. It is time to go back to using it.

Political ideology has no place on the bench.

While I believe that placing Israel in the Middle East was ill-concieved, the fact is, this issue has been around for the entire history of Jerusalem. My mom kept newspapers every Christmas and conflict in Palestine / Israel was in every one of them. It is at least 3500 years old and I doubt the fight over the city will ever be solved. They could make it an international city and they would still fight over it.

If it's okay to give away somebody else's land, I would think that a generous people like the Americans would be happy to give a little bit of their own. Why is it in the ME? Peace is highly underrated. That is what tomorrow is all about. Isn't He the Prince of Peace?

A real, but politically difficult solution is a world-wide program to randomly sterilize 2 out of five babies at birth but not let anyone know who was sterilized. That way, fewer fertile people would actually mate with another fertile person and the population would decline in a few generations. Once we get down to under a billion, we can re-adjust the numbers to stablize the population. That is about as likely as me agreeing with honourable friend, Taxme again.

I am gob-smacked. Taxme and Queenmandy agree on something.

Footnote: On the day I was born, a Terrorist named Menachem Begin murdered 6 British Soldiers. Begin later became PM of Israel and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with former German Abwehr spy Anwar Sadat. Yesterday's terrorist becomes todays statesman. Go figure...

Sorry, the system would not let me put Argus' name there. Apologies to you both. Had the European Jews been allowed to settle in a homeland in the US, there would have been no reason for the war, started by Arabs in response to the imposition of Israel. I support the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, but there is no reason it should be in its present location where it is clearly not wanted. Again, I ask, what, in the 21st century is so special about Palestine to the Israelis. I can understand why the Palestinians want to be there. They have lived there for centuries. Is not Peace more important than the location o Israel?

The problem is that property that had been owned by Palestinians was taken over by Israelis. Families who had lived there for centuries were suddenly displaced by Europeans. It may have seemed like a good idea in 1947 but it clearly is not working. Since the United States is happy to see a homeland for Israel, rather than giving away other peoples land, give them Oregon. Let the Palestinians have their land back and Israel would be in a safer place. Why is Palestine so special to the Israelis?

When the UN established Israel, they chose Palestine arbitrarily, without consulting the Palestinians who lived there. For a solution, Israel should be moved to Oregon. What is so special about Palestine? The climate of Oregon is similar and the Americans would have no issue giving up some of its land. It would solve a lot of problems.

May you all have a truly Merry Christmas. It is a time of year to reflect on what is really important.

It is a tough choice come the next election. Trudeau is politically myopic. The Socialist Credit under Sheer is a party without a real leader and a collection of scientific illiterates. Finally there is the NDP and their vanishing leader.(No more needs to be said in that area.) As a Conservative, I have no one to vote for. On the bright side, it's Christmas (or the winter festival of your choice). Don't stress. Nothing we say or do on these forums makes any difference. Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year.

I am far more concerned about creeping republicanism in Canada than any religion. Too many Canadians forget who our head of state is. One religion is as good as another. Islam, Christianity and Judahism all worship the same God.