Bob Macadoo Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 It's a shame that so many people - even Canadian-born - do not know or cannot appreciate Canadian history - and don't know HOW to appreciate it. It's not about judging it by today's knowledge and standards - it's about understanding "the times" - what the masses thought at the time - and how some remarkable people helped to create the foundations of what we have today. To put it in context, in another century, how will people judge what is going on today? Will they understand the context? I doubt it. Love your country. Appreciate it's history. Appreciating history <> glorifying it. Quote
Wilber Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 It's too bad people can't see this for what it was, a seminal event in the formation of our country, rather than using it as part of some French vs English agenda. The Brits and Americans regularly reenact battles from their civil wars. We don't seem grown up enough to renact a battle that took place before our country existed. Quote "Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice". WSC
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) This is really about examining his legacy, both the positive and the negative. Edited January 15, 2015 by WestCoastRunner Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Pierre Trudeau was a philanderer, a communist sympathizer and the initiator of much of the debt the country is still faced with......yet we don't focus on those personal foibles to tell the "truthful story". Why should it be different for John A. - who's been dead for over 100 years? Actually plenty of people focus on the foibles of Pierre Trudeau. You just did! It happens all the time. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
Smallc Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 This is really about examining his legacy, both the positive and the negative. Who determined that? Quote
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Who determined that? The folks who started heaping accolades on him. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
Smallc Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 He deserves them, no matter what he did with the rest of his time. Quote
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 He deserves them, no matter what he did with the rest of his time. Why are folks getting up in arms when we examine his entire legacy, both the good and the bad? It happens to all political leaders. Why is there such a fuss? Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
Smallc Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Because there's an undertone here from many on the left of the political spectrum, that seems to imply that Canadians should be ashamed of most of their history. Quote
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 (edited) Because there's an undertone here from many on the left of the political spectrum, that seems to imply that Canadians should be ashamed of most of their history. I don't see that at all. What I see is an honest examination of our political leaders. Every political leader has weaknesses and strengths. There is no harm in examining both. It educates us to make intelligent decisions for our generation and future generations. We need to get past this right vs left and examine policies that work for the good of our country. Edited January 15, 2015 by WestCoastRunner Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
cybercoma Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Before I say you are mistaken, perhaps you can provide a cite that explains when MacDonald was CEO of a railway company? You previously called him a railroad man. In fact, he was a lawyer and a career politician, serving as Prime Minister for 19 years. I'll await your enlightenment. I didn't say he was the CEO of a railway company, but his investment in the companies made him practically an owner. He did as much for personal gain as he did for "the good of the nation." Quote
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 I didn't say he was the CEO of a railway company, but his investment in the companies made him practically an owner. He did as much for personal gain as he did for "the good of the nation." The Pacific Scandal can be read here. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
cybercoma Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Because there's an undertone here from many on the left of the political spectrum, that seems to imply that Canadians should be ashamed of most of their history. Thank you, SUN News for your insightful strawmanning. Quote
jbg Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 What I don't get is how we're supposed to celebrate and cherish the cultural traditions and histories of every minority group in the country, however small and recently arrived, but not that of the majority of us. Somehow we're all supposed to simply hang our heads in shame that our ancestors weren't enlightened enough or sensitive enough to women and minorities (even though everyone else's were worse). We should never celebrate their victories and triumphs lest some minority somewhere complain. This is one of the reasons I think the Left are all cringing, spineless wimps. I think the Left should try their approach out in NK, Pakistan or Cuba. Let's see how satisfying the group hug is. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 I think the Left should try their approach out in NK, Pakistan or Cuba. Let's see how satisfying the group hug is. Oh Jesus Christ. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
jbg Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Kind of like how ISIL is uniting Syrians and Iraqis? Cool. Go here (link) for response. Off topic here. Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
jbg Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 The Pacific Scandal can be read here. Would Canada hae been better off without the railroad? Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Would Canada hae been better off without the railroad? This is not the point. We need to examine our past political leaders and their policies without judgement. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
WestCoastRunner Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Would Canada hae been better off without the railroad? Wait? Are you even Canadian? Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
Smallc Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Thank you, SUN News for your insightful strawmanning. Sorry, you're right. Only the Conservative and British part is bad. I've been told so in this very thread. Wait? Are you even Canadian? Is there a point to that question? Quote
poochy Posted January 15, 2015 Report Posted January 15, 2015 Why are folks getting up in arms when we examine his entire legacy, both the good and the bad? It happens to all political leaders. Why is there such a fuss? Its pretty simple, the extraordinary things he accomplished stand far above that of most men's accomplishments, the bad things, like being a racist, and a drunk, were accomplished by many, many more men, making them normal and not worth mentioning. There is nothing to be learned from those things, we already know it was wrong, but in the context of his time, they weren't. Over complicating every issue is not a sign of enlightenment, some seem to think it is. Quote
Keepitsimple Posted January 15, 2015 Author Report Posted January 15, 2015 This is really about examining his legacy, both the positive and the negative. Only to a point. History judges important people by their accomplishments - with footnotes on their foibles. Yet we have articles published and heated discussions that accentuate the foibles. Only in Canada, eh? Quote Back to Basics
jbg Posted January 16, 2015 Report Posted January 16, 2015 Wait? Are you even Canadian? No. I have lived within 40 km of New York City all of my life, except for college and law school. Why though? Quote Free speech: "You can say what you want, but I don't have to lend you my megaphone." Always remember that when you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong you cannot afford to lose it. - J.J. Reynolds. Will the steps anyone is proposing to fight "climate change" reduce a single temperature, by a single degree, at a single location? The mantra of "world opinion" or the views of the "international community" betrays flabby and weak reasoning (link).
Keepitsimple Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Posted January 16, 2015 I didn't say he was the CEO of a railway company, but his investment in the companies made him practically an owner. He did as much for personal gain as he did for "the good of the nation." Total exaggeration but even so, so what? The railways were built, Canada was joined together, and the foundation was laid. As I've already said "History judges important people by their accomplishments - with footnotes on their foibles.".Yet we have articles published and heated discussions that accentuate the foibles - just like your sour comment. Quote Back to Basics
Argus Posted January 17, 2015 Report Posted January 17, 2015 To me, that statement shows a real ignorance . On multiple levels. Quote "A liberal is someone who claims to be open to all points of view — and then is surprised and offended to find there are other points of view.” William F Buckley
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