Amal Clooney blasts Harper

On Guard for Thee · March 2, 2015

Canada lets in all the worlds garbage anyways so what's one more? All we can do is try to not live near the threat centres where terrorists are more likely to gather. Terrorists are trying to destroy our way of life. We need c51 very quickly PM. Please hurry PM. Too much potential terrorists are already here. Protect the citizEns or allow them more relaxed gun laws so they can kill terrorists themsselves.

Not sure whats scarier, C 51 or your comments.

PIK · March 2, 2015

Nothing scary about c-51, just the headline readers and harper haters think so.

Keepitsimple · March 2, 2015

Well if there was a deal it should be honoured but has any Egyptian official ever confirmed a deal was made? There may have been some "understandings" between officials but did these people have the authority to make an actual deal? We don't know.

And in that case, it would bring us back to the original problem....an Egyptian in Egypt being prosecuted under Egyptian law.......as opposed to Peter Greste who was not an Egyptian.

On Guard for Thee · March 2, 2015

Nothing scary about c-51, just the headline readers and harper haters think so.

And people who have read and understood the implications of it.

Wilber · March 2, 2015

And in that case, it would bring us back to the original problem....an Egyptian in Egypt being prosecuted under Egyptian law.......as opposed to Peter Greste who was not an Egyptian.

Yes and even though Greste is subject to Egytian law while Egypt, I think it is perfectly understandable that Egypt would look at the two differently. They see one as a foreigner and the other as an Egyptian national, which he is.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Wilber

On Guard for Thee · March 2, 2015

Yes and even though Greste is subject to Egytian law while Egypt, I think it is perfectly understandable that Egypt would look at the two differently. They see one a as foreigner and the other as an Egyptian national, which he is.

What you seem to be not getting is that it is reported he gave up his Egyptian citizenship, at the behest of authorities, so he could be deported under the same law as Greste.

Wilber · March 2, 2015

What you seem to be not getting is that it is reported he gave up his Egyptian citizenship, at the behest of authorities, so he could be deported under the same law as Greste.

I said that if a deal was made, it should be honoured but a lot of things get "reported". Has either government confirmed that? Is there anything in writing that proves it?

Wilber · March 2, 2015

This wouldn't be the first time someone has jumped the gun and announced an agreement at one level before it was confirmed at a higher level.

Argus · March 2, 2015

This from the guy who whimpers about backlash he gets and deems insults. Crikey!

I have no problem with insults. The only frustration I get from being subjected to them here is I can't tell the ignorant mouth breathing morons just how much contempt I have for them without risking being suspended.

Argus · March 2, 2015

Maybe, but if they could see Canada now I doubt it. I mean look at it this way - around here you find all sorts of upright Canadians who wax eloquently about Canada's greatness is due almost entirely to the democratic traditions of our past - what we are is because of what we were.

I don't understand how you or anyone can possibly think we are less democratic than we were in the past. You might recall that our past had virtually no government interest in the well-being, safety health or education of the poor, for example, let alone respect for any rights they may or may not have had.

If there really is something to this notion we're more than less just products of our past I have the sneaking suspicion my grandpappies would be spinning in their graves in shame if they could see what we've become.

Likely true, but not likely for the reasons you're thinking.

overthere · March 2, 2015

If there really is something to this notion we're more than less just products of our past I have the sneaking suspicion my grandpappies would be spinning in their graves in shame if they could see what we've become.

They'd be astonished at:

how many people live in cities and

how wealthy and well fed so many people are now. The middle class was very small back in the day.

eyeball · March 2, 2015

I don't understand how you or anyone can possibly think we are less democratic than we were in the past. You might recall that our past had virtually no government interest in the well-being, safety health or education of the poor, for example, let alone respect for any rights they may or may not have had.

Don't worry about my illusions of Canada's past or present greatness, they've been irrevocably shattered.

Likely true, but not likely for the reasons you're thinking.

I don't know any anyone else in my family who thinks where we are or where we're going are any good for us. We must have gotten at least some of our values from our grand parents.

eyeball · March 2, 2015

They'd be astonished at:

how many people live in cities and

how wealthy and well fed so many people are now. The middle class was very small back in the day.

I bet they'd look at a lot of our leaders and wonder why we hadn't learned much.

Wilber · March 2, 2015

My parents went through the Great Depression, my dad served in WW2, my mom went through 6 years of rationing, Germans trying to drop bombs on her and losing relatives. Sure they didn't always agree with who was running the country or some of the things they were doing but I never heard either of them bitch how bad things are. That's for people who have no clue how bad things can really be.

overthere · March 3, 2015

I bet they'd look at a lot of our leaders and wonder why we hadn't learned much.

I'm not sure why you'd expect us to escape our own biology.

Keepitsimple · March 3, 2015

My parents went through the Great Depression, my dad served in WW2, my mom went through 6 years of rationing, Germans trying to drop bombs on her and losing relatives. Sure they didn't always agree with who was running the country or some of the things they were doing but I never heard either of them bitch how bad things are. That's for people who have no clue how bad things can really be.

Perfectly said.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Keepitsimple

eyeball · March 3, 2015

Well done. Can anyone imagine today's Canada undertaking a similar challenge and making similar sacrifices today?

Wilber · March 3, 2015

We are not the same country today where the majority of our citizens had close ties to Europe, the UK in particular.

I would add to that, if another Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan came along bent on world domination and the extermination of certain segments of humanity, would we have any choice other than to submit and isn't that the stated intent of some of the worlds most radical Jihadists?

Edited March 3, 2015 by Wilber

Argus · March 4, 2015

We are not the same country today where the majority of our citizens had close ties to Europe, the UK in particular.

I would add to that, if another Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan came along bent on world domination and the extermination of certain segments of humanity, would we have any choice other than to submit and isn't that the stated intent of some of the worlds most radical Jihadists?

If you look at the military forces available to the west right now, barring the US, which itself has cut back a lot, it's not at all impressive. Clearly that's one of the reasons someone like Putin isn't the slightest bit intimidated by the Europeans' anger.

The days when you could put a guy in uniform, slap a rifle in his hands, and ship him off to fight are long past. You need to pre-order all the high tech equipment he's going to use many years in advance and spend many, many months training him. And the cost of it all is such that, given all the social spending government does now (which it didn't do in years past) I don't know how much of it we could afford.

Wilber · March 4, 2015

If you look at the military forces available to the west right now, barring the US, which itself has cut back a lot, it's not at all impressive. Clearly that's one of the reasons someone like Putin isn't the slightest bit intimidated by the Europeans' anger.The days when you could put a guy in uniform, slap a rifle in his hands, and ship him off to fight are long past. You need to pre-order all the high tech equipment he's going to use many years in advance and spend many, many months training him. And the cost of it all is such that, given all the social spending government does now (which it didn't do in years past) I don't know how much of it we could afford.

It takes the other guy just as long to prepare, the problem arises when we put blinders on and refuse to recognize these people for what they are until it's too late, which is exactly what happened during the leadup to WW2.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Wilber

Argus · March 4, 2015

It takes the other guy just as long to prepare, the problem arises when we put blinders on and refuse to recognize these people for what they are until it's too late, which is exactly what happened during the leadup to WW2.

And exactly what we're doing now. While every western nation has been hacking and slashing at its military, including the US, Russia and China have been giving generous, double digit budget increases to their military forces for most of the last decade.

Wilber · March 4, 2015

And exactly what we're doing now. While every western nation has been hacking and slashing at its military, including the US, Russia and China have been giving generous, double digit budget increases to their military forces for most of the last decade.

It is a weakness in our system. Totalitarian countries can plan long term, too much of our planning is for the next election.

On Guard for Thee · March 4, 2015

And exactly what we're doing now. While every western nation has been hacking and slashing at its military, including the US, Russia and China have been giving generous, double digit budget increases to their military forces for most of the last decade.

And both still fall woefully short vis a vis the US. Dont hide under your bed just yet.

Argus · March 4, 2015

And both still fall woefully short vis a vis the US. Dont hide under your bed just yet.

But they're still growing and the US military is still getting smaller, as is ours, as are the military forces of most European countries.

And as this article points out, while China's military budget is only 1/3rd that of the US, much less of that budget goes to personnel cost than in the US. Further, China's budget is not very clear. They officially announced a double digit increase, but most observers believe they are understating how big their increases really are. This article is from last year but China announced another double digit budget increase for this year.

http://www.economist.com/news/china/21599046-chinas-fast-growing-defence-budget-worries-its-neighbours-not-every-trend-its-favour

Russia is also drastically increasing its military budget this year.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russian-defense-budget-to-hit-record-81bln-in-2015/509536.html

Meanwhile, cuts to the US military budget will make the US military the smallest it has been since before WW2.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/us-usa-defense-budget-idUSBREA1N1IO20140224

Wilber · March 4, 2015

From the looks of those articles, both Russia and China's increases in defence spending are far outstripping growth in GDP. The Cold War bankrupted the Soviet Union and was instrumental in its demise. Perhaps we will get lucky and Putin will suffer the same fate.