Hyperbole among Canadians?

[Smallc]

And yet we didn't seeing that we patterned our government on the Westminster Parliament, National Assembly in QC

The National Assembly in Quebec is also based on the Westminster Parliament.

[Shwa]

I speak generally of the American way of thinking. B_C is right that the thinking common man was given the ability to succeed based on his work, and his brain.

So are you now going to commit to the idea that there is a distinct "American way of thinking?

Observations about what ? For Edison, electricity. For farmers, about agricultural methods, planting and so on. For political thinkers, about French philosophers and the mechanics of democracy.

And for Edison, where did his ideas of electricity come from? And for farmers, what first informed them of agricultural methods? Were these distinct American inventions?

[M.Dancer]

And for farmers, what first informed them of agricultural methods? Were these distinct American inventions?

Pretty much..it wasn't the greeks that invented the combine or the spanish who invented the cotton gin...

[Shwa]

The National Assembly in Quebec is also based on the Westminster Parliament.

Correct, to a degree. My point was in reference to the name this house has taken in modern times: Assemblée nationale du Québec which has a certain France-like flavour. I mean, they could have called it a Congress...

[g_bambino]

I think that America succeeded because its institutions rewarded ingenuity, dedication to public education and so on. These are all political and cultural foundations for a meritocracy which is what America is/was and what Europe isn't/wasn't.

These things were already available to the general population in Scotland well before the American Revolution.

[M.Dancer]

I mean, they could have called it a Congress...

The palais des congres in montreal is a convention centre...congres is when both houses of the french parliament (senat and the assemblee nationale) meet

[M.Dancer]

These things were already available to the general population in Scotland well before the American Revolution.

Which might explain why many, if not most of Britain's great engineers and entrepreneurs were scots...not to mention that many of the early settlers of the american mid west were too...

[Shwa]

Pretty much..it wasn't the greeks that invented the combine or the spanish who invented the cotton gin...

Using the combine and cotton gin to "pretty much" illustrate the full range of "agriculture methods" especially those in use before 1776. Good one!

Oops. Instead of the cotton gin.

[Shwa]

The palais des congres in montreal is a convention centre...

In Hull too. (eh, Gatineau I mean)

[M.Dancer]

Using the combine and cotton gin to "pretty much" illustrate the full range of "agriculture methods" especially those in use before 1776. Good one!

Who said anything about an arbitrary date?

Oops. Instead of the cotton gin.

Your point? the modern gin was invented by whitney...

Any full range of agricultural innovations would include but not end with John Deere...

[Shwa]

Who said anything about an arbitrary date?

Your point? the modern gin was invented by whitney...

Any full range of agricultural innovations would include but not end with John Deere...

You didn't get the date reference? Instead of ends, look at beginnings.

[M.Dancer]

You didn't get the date reference? Instead of ends, look at beginnings.

If you want to post in zen like fashion, have a conversation with Oleg...

[Smallc]

Correct, to a degree.

Correct....period.

[Michael Hardner]

So are you now going to commit to the idea that there is a distinct "American way of thinking?

And for Edison, where did his ideas of electricity come from? And for farmers, what first informed them of agricultural methods? Were these distinct American inventions?

Yes, I would say there is an American way of thinking about these things.

Did Edison invent the scientific method ? No, that would be Newton. Farmers used old methods, and developed new ones and had the ability to profit from their own successes.

[Michael Hardner]

These things were already available to the general population in Scotland well before the American Revolution.

Ok, so... what was the reason in your mind ? I don't know enough about Scotland to say. Maybe it was the resources and land available to Americans ? What percentage of Scots owned their own land versus farming on leased land ?

[bush_cheney2004]

And yet we didn't seeing that we patterned our government on the Westminster Parliament....

Better late than never....as in a real Constitution, Charter of Rights, and Supreme Court review. Sorry Westminster....some Canadians even insist on "Miranda rights" they learned on TV! LOL!

Nope, that is pure Americana and has very little to do with Canada.

But you said it was all fiction anyway.

Edited August 18, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Shwa]

If you want to post in zen like fashion, have a conversation with Oleg...

So no... you didn't "get" the date reference.

[Shwa]

Correct....period.

Except for 'President of the Assembly' and the name 'National Assembly' which are similar to the names used in France. Now that we have settled that, how about you tell us all why they decided to use the term 'President of the Assembly' and why they decided to name it 'National Assembly.' I could really use your insight here.

[Shwa]

Better late than never....as in a real Constitution, Charter of Rights, and Supreme Court review. Sorry Westminster....

And yet all of these instruments are based on liberal European ideas, more or less, despite the insistence from "some" Americans that they are somehow uniquely American or the result of the "American way of thinking." You rarely hear that mentioned in CSI or Law and Order - they never seem to tell you where the 'right to silence' comes from do they? Some of them actually believe it originated with the 5th Amendment. But alas, we know better don't we BC, that in practically all forms of life, Americans are still beholden to liberal European ideas after all this time

...some Canadians even insist on "Miranda rights" they learned on TV! LOL!

So do some Americans. And some other Americans aspire to the likes of Rembrandt, Mozart, Spinoza or Oppenheimer and yet... nothing. Why is that, did you ever answer?

But you said it was all fiction anyway.

Exactly what did I say was fiction?

[bush_cheney2004]

You rarely hear that mentioned in CSI or Law and Order - they never seem to tell you where the 'right to silence' comes from do they? Some of them actually believe it originated with the 5th Amendment. But alas, we know better don't we BC, that in practically all forms of life, Americans are still beholden to liberal European ideas after all this time

Yep....the Americans continued a tradition of actually applying such ideas, and changing them up as well.

So do some Americans. And some other Americans aspire to the likes of Rembrandt, Mozart, Spinoza or Oppenheimer and yet... nothing. Why is that, did you ever answer?

Yes I have....several times...including the "likes of" how such information was/is applied. This aspect continues to escape you. America has co-opted your elite icons into mere popcorn.

Exactly what did I say was fiction?

Your description of American "culture".

Edited August 18, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Argus]

You might think to ask if the posters think the Conservatives are right-wing, actually. Several posters here don't think that.

By American standards most Conservative Party positions are pretty liberal, even for the Democrats. A lot of Americans think Obama is a Socialist and he's more right wing than most Tories.

[Argus]

It won't be the last time.

I can't imagine what you guys would do if the NDP proposed nationalizing industries again. It would almost be worth it, if only to watch some on the board get the vapours !

In their heart of hearts I think the NDP still wants to nationalize industries. They just don't think the policy can be sold to the herd.

It would be nice if that party lost is sense of resentment and self righteous opposition to all those with money, stopped seeing itself as the representative of only specific minority groups, and tried to come up with policies which represent the needs of the people of Canada as a whole. Until it grows up and modifies its radical agit-prop beliefs it's just as much a waste of time as the BQ.

[Michael Hardner]

In their heart of hearts I think the NDP still wants to nationalize industries. They just don't think the policy can be sold to the herd.

It would be nice if that party lost is sense of resentment and self righteous opposition to all those with money, stopped seeing itself as the representative of only specific minority groups, and tried to come up with policies which represent the needs of the people of Canada as a whole. Until it grows up and modifies its radical agit-prop beliefs it's just as much a waste of time as the BQ.

But, but.... it has modified its radical beliefs... you just SUSPECT that they haven't in their heart-of-hearts from the sound of it. So how could they satisfy you ? They probably couldn't.

[bloodyminded]

The NDP are a mildly-leftist party, fairly moderate. They're certainly not radicals, not if that word has any real meaning. The question about the NDP is of their competence to lead federally (should it come to that...which is extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future)...not their ideology.

Edited August 18, 2010 by bloodyminded

[Michael Hardner]

The NDP are a mildly-leftist party, fairly moderate. They're certainly not radicals, not if that word has any real meaning. The question about the NDP is of their competence to lead federally (should it come to that...which is extremely unlikely in the foreseeable future)...not their ideology.

Imagine going back in time and showing the 70s party their economic proposals. They would have thought that Goldwater moved to Canada.