Oleg Bach Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 ALL nations were ruled in that fashion, whether by European rulers or their own local dictators. What, you think the native rulers in Africa, Asia, the middle east or South America were benevolent democrats who took votes or something? Canada from what I see is not a classic democracy that is vote dependant on what takes place. What takes place in Canada is the best parts of human nature - where people from all over the world know and see a great opportunity - where good will and good faith between people is what keep us going. Those that come and bring problems are soon alienated or gradually brought into submission not through voilence or political coercion but by good common sense. Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Was that shot aimed at me? Not at all. Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 And the name of the United States is the United States, not the Republic of the United States. Does that mean they're not a republic? I didn't say Canada wasn't a dominion. Quote
Scotty Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 I didn't say Canada wasn't a dominion. Then we're the dominion of Canada, even if not the Dominion of Canada. So celebrating the day we became a dominion would seem to be a reasonable thing to do, and calling it Dominion Day a reasonable title. Quote It is an inverted moral calculus that tries to persuade the world to demonize one state that tries its civilized best to abide in a difficult time and place, and rides merrily by the examples and practices of dozens of states and leaderships that drop into brutality every day without a twinge of regret or a whisper of condemnation. - Rex Murphy
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Except that the name of the country is Canada and the holiday is Canada Day, not Dominion Day. We've been progressively moving away from our colonial roots for a little less than a century. Dominion was nothing more than an alternative to Colony, used to describe this country. Once the Constitution was repatriated, we all but stopped becoming a Dominion, as our laws derive their validity from the Queen symbolically, but in practice from the Constitution. Again, you're playing with semantics. We are a dominion, only insofar as we're a British colony. Seeing as we're no longer eligible for British citizenship, nor status as British subjects, we're only a dominion in the narrow sense of the word. http://archives.cbc.ca/society/celebrations/clips/15434/ In any case, it's not "more appropriately called Dominion Day". It was changed and is called Canada Day. Period. Quote
Smallc Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Actually, we're the kingdom of Canada. Domion went away when we gained full independence from the UK. Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) Actually, we're the kingdom of Canada. Domion went away when we gained full independence from the UK. Dominion has been dropped in some form or another over the last 100 years, but more importantly we are absolutely not a kingdom:http://www.filibustercartoons.com/dominion.htm Edited July 3, 2011 by cybercoma Quote
Smallc Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) Dominion has been dropped in some form or another over the last 100 years, but more importantly we are absolutely not a kingdom: We absolutely are a kingdom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom We are no longer part of the British Empire, and so we aren't a dominion. Edited July 3, 2011 by Smallc Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 We absolutely are a kingdom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom We are no longer part of the British Empire, and so we aren't a dominion. The Colonial Office in London rejected the Governor General's request to call Canada a kingdom during our confederacy. We have never been considered a kingdom by the Crown. We've always been a dominion and even that was only allowed because it was generic enough not to inflame tensions between Britain and the United States. Quote
Molly Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) The Colonial Office in London rejected the Governor General's request to call Canada a kingdom during our confederacy. We have never been considered a kingdom by the Crown. We've always been a dominion and even that was only allowed because it was generic enough not to inflame tensions between Britain and the United States. That was 144 years ago, Cybercoma, long before we became a fully independent monarchy (aka 'kingdom'). Time and history didn't freeze in 1867. That was a beginning, not an end. Edited July 3, 2011 by Molly Quote "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" — L. Frank Baum "For Conservatives, ministerial responsibility seems to be a temporary and constantly shifting phenomenon," -- Goodale
Smallc Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) That was 144 years ago, Cybercoma, long before we became a fully independent monarchy (aka 'kingdom'). That's right. In 1982, we finished our long journey to becoming a kingdom in our own right, completely separate from the UK. In 1867, we were a Dominion. Today we're a kingdom (or a queendom, if you prefer). Edited July 3, 2011 by Smallc Quote
bloodyminded Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 And my life would have been so much better. I'm not making a "love it or leave it" declaration, but an honest suggestion: what's stopping you? The Promised Land is a day's journey away, tops. Quote As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. --Josh Billings
bush_cheney2004 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) ....That family is simply bound to often come up in the conversation pretty frequently... ...only because they won't buy more of your dope, sell you more guns, or make even more of your daughters American porn stars. Edited July 3, 2011 by bush_cheney2004 Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
bloodyminded Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 I spent the day at the cottage, being eaten by insects, drowsing in the sun, bbq-ing steaks (that's bbq'ing, not "grilling"), and drinking too much. Just like every Canada Day. Oh, and many other days..... Quote As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. --Josh Billings
Sandy MacNab Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Well, it's like, you have this nice, neat, tidy little home on the street, and right next door is this huge family of slovenly, brawling oafs who are always screaming and howling and fighting, shooting off guns. Half of them are addicted to porn and pain killers, and the other half are religious wackos screaming their praise to Jesus at all hours of the day and night. And they're all so fat that when they walk by the house shakes. That family is simply bound to often come up in the conversation pretty frequently... Bravo! Quote
bloodyminded Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 No, not "bravo." Implied is some sort of innate Canadian superiority, which makes the whole thing a bit stinky, in my view. Just to pluck one point: are we not the 2nd or 3rd fattest nation on Earth? (I dunno, but it's what I heard.) If so, at what point does a bunch of fatties mocking someone else as "fat" approach the meaningful? Never, more or less? This point extrapolates generally to all the others. Quote As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. --Josh Billings
Bonam Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) I'm not making a "love it or leave it" declaration, but an honest suggestion: what's stopping you? The Promised Land is a day's journey away, tops. It's not that easy to immigrate to the US. You can't just drive down there and instantly become a permanent resident. Edited July 3, 2011 by Bonam Quote
bush_cheney2004 Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 It's not that easy to immigrate to the US. You can't just drive down there and instantly become a permanent resident. If millions of Mexicans can do it, I'm sure that many Canadians have figured it out as well! Quote Economics trumps Virtue.
bloodyminded Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 It's not that easy to immigrate to the US. You can't just drive down there and instantly become a permanent resident. If Mr. Pull-myself-up-by-the-bootstraps can't even try, then why take his opinion on it seriously? Quote As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. --Josh Billings
g_bambino Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 (edited) Dominion was nothing more than an alternative to Colony, used to describe this country. Where did you learn your Canadian history? "Dominion" was chosen as an alternative to John A. Macdonald's preference of "kingdom", not "colony"; "dominion" still had a monarchical flair, but wasn't as literally royal and ostentatious (as some at the time thought) as "kingdom", which some overly sensitive types thought would anger the rowdy republicans to the south. [sp] Edited July 3, 2011 by g_bambino Quote
g_bambino Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 [M]ore importantly we are absolutely not a kingdom: Even more importantly, you are absolutely wrong. Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 We are most certainly not a kingdom. Not only was it rejected by Colonial Office, but parliament is the ultimate authority in Canada. The Queen doesn't even select the Governor General any more. Quote
Smallc Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Not only was it rejected by Colonial Office, but parliament is the ultimate authority in Canada. The Queen doesn't even select the Governor General any more. I'm not sure what you're going on about. We aren't beholden to the colonial office anymore, first of all, and second, all power is exercised through the Crown. Parliament, yes, is the one that uses the power now (along with the government), but the sovereign is the source of the power that they use. We're definitely a kingdom. We have a monarchy (the king/queen variety), we're a totally independent country, we're a kingdom. Quote
Smallc Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 Where did you learn your Canadian history? "Dominion" was chosen as an alternative to John A. Macdonald's preference of "kingdom", The words though, do have a slightly different connotation, I think you'd agree. a dominion seems to be less independent than a kingdom. We were a dominion, and now, we're a kingdom. Quote
cybercoma Posted July 3, 2011 Report Posted July 3, 2011 If the Queen ever exercised authority in Canada, you would see quickly that we are absolutely not a kingdom. The ensuing constitutional crisis would ensue would lead to the Queen being told where to go, demonstrating once and for all the supremacy of the elected Parliament. The Governor General, who is appointed by the leader of the party that has the most seats in Parliament (not the Queen), is nothing more than a symbolic formality. If you want to consider Canada a kingdom, then it's a kingdom in the remotest sense imaginable. It's a kingdom with an impotent monarch. Quote
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