really dont like to get in on political debates because i'll get too emotional- but your comment, yaz:
"foreign national talking about someone else's politics, no need to say more"
- i feel the need to comment on that- i am studying sociology and its basis in political ideologies- and it is definately clear that discussing a nation's policy IS MUCH BETTER done by someone that has no bias or pre-existing belief systems as a result of patriation, entrenchment (from things like constitutional documents) etc.
Check it, Check it, Check it out
Tangent!: "My god has a bigger dick than your god."
If anything seperates the human race's views and cultures, nothing does it more than the dynamic of religion. There must be at least one hundred commonly known religions (and likely thousands of lesser known "cults"), with only about... eight, ten or so really in the spotlight. Some religions aren't much different than one another, while others are so drastically askew from others, the two think the other is absolutely insane.
While although it seems to be taboo to put teachings of faith under the scope (furthest so far is "under god"), some religions truly are troubling, and many are fallable in the sense that some things they read in their creed/tome/bible/scroll cancel out other "teachings" in the same book in quite a hypocritical fashion.
Many early cultures are all spawned with notions of faith and the protective care of a god who either only aids you if you do his will until death, or will smite you unless you bend to his every will translated by the vicar and passed onto the mass. Just as the middle east has been endlessly fighting others and themselves for thousands of years, it all started with their god and others' gods, for the most part.
The problem is that those that made these ancient tomes to which would control the masses, they have claimed to have heard the words of "god", who can disprove that? Well, anyone who isn't smitten by a bolt of lightning at the spot, really. But on the same side, who can prove it so? "God works in mysterious ways", yeah, way to dodge the question (being I went to a catholic school, I've heard many other vague replies and answers that made no sense other than that from teachers, priests and even bishops. The most direct answer is "we can't. But it all depends on believing beyond those conditions" or something like that), wench.
Such diverse beliefs will lead to disagreements and such will lead to war, and when war breaks out among beliefs, who's to say who is wrong, right, good or evil? Why, both sides. "I'm good, and right!" "No, you're evil and stupid!"
I don't see the border anymore, are Church and State still seperate? It sure as hell looks like church and church and church and church and church and church and church and church... are seperate.
You go and believe in your ethereal being, I'll be over here, waiting for the next Dark Age.
If anything seperates the human race's views and cultures, nothing does it more than the dynamic of religion. There must be at least one hundred commonly known religions (and likely thousands of lesser known "cults"), with only about... eight, ten or so really in the spotlight. Some religions aren't much different than one another, while others are so drastically askew from others, the two think the other is absolutely insane.
While although it seems to be taboo to put teachings of faith under the scope (furthest so far is "under god"), some religions truly are troubling, and many are fallable in the sense that some things they read in their creed/tome/bible/scroll cancel out other "teachings" in the same book in quite a hypocritical fashion.
Many early cultures are all spawned with notions of faith and the protective care of a god who either only aids you if you do his will until death, or will smite you unless you bend to his every will translated by the vicar and passed onto the mass. Just as the middle east has been endlessly fighting others and themselves for thousands of years, it all started with their god and others' gods, for the most part.
The problem is that those that made these ancient tomes to which would control the masses, they have claimed to have heard the words of "god", who can disprove that? Well, anyone who isn't smitten by a bolt of lightning at the spot, really. But on the same side, who can prove it so? "God works in mysterious ways", yeah, way to dodge the question (being I went to a catholic school, I've heard many other vague replies and answers that made no sense other than that from teachers, priests and even bishops. The most direct answer is "we can't. But it all depends on believing beyond those conditions" or something like that), wench.
Such diverse beliefs will lead to disagreements and such will lead to war, and when war breaks out among beliefs, who's to say who is wrong, right, good or evil? Why, both sides. "I'm good, and right!" "No, you're evil and stupid!"
I don't see the border anymore, are Church and State still seperate? It sure as hell looks like church and church and church and church and church and church and church and church... are seperate.
You go and believe in your ethereal being, I'll be over here, waiting for the next Dark Age.
I've read everything that's been posted so far and I really wanted to come up with a good slam on Canada. I wanted something - some kind of screw up. Either from their military, politician or foreign policy.... SOMETHING! But the truth of the matter is, nobody cares about Canada. Name the last military operation of importance, and being a NATO POLICE BITCH does not qualify, that Canada has undertaken on its own? Well I can remember WWI and WWII, those were good. Stretch back even further... oh yeah, the war of 1812. Hehe, good laugh there. How about some great matter of foreign policy, a la The Marshal Plan. Still scratching your heads? Yeah, me too.A) Canada has been busy deploying troops, money, etc to Afganistan to clean up the first mess the US ran out of before finishing.
The only thing Canada has contributed is, "Eh!", maple syrup and hockey. Eh is funny, we can get maple syrup from Vermont (much better), and did anybody know that the NHL season was supposed to start tonight? My point is, from a country that likes to talk a big game, you don't have any credintials to back yourselves up on. Canadian bacon? Ok, I'll give you that. Good on pizza, but not much else. Just like Canada. Good NATO POLICE BITCH, but not much else.
Now on to the quote. You've come to clean up OUR mess? With what? Your economy is maybe a 10th of our size and your military is a joke. Lets take a look at what troops they've deployed. Exactly 1576. Want the source? Here it is. http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan/ ... tributions This link takes you to the NATO homepage that details the International Security Assistance Force (ISF) that came in and "cleaned up our mess." Pardon me while I laugh. This list breaks down the 26 countries that make up the peace keeping mission to Afghanistan. There are a total of 6472 people that make up this peace keeping force. Of that, 1576 are Canadian. But how many are American you say? Seeing as how we all just up and left the country? Well, there are 67 of us on this peace keeping force. And then there are the 17,000 American military service men and women still there, policing everything, still kicking Taliban ass. Here is the source for that. http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=2af9dd0aa98d24fa
Lets examine another issue. I live in a bubble, meaning that I've only ever been/ lived in America, so I only have an American point of view. I've lived in or have had extensive visits to, lets start counting, Brazil, Argentina, the Azores, Portugal, Spain, France, England, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Sicily, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. What bubble do I live in? I've traveled around most of those countries and I've talked to a lot of people. Most don't hate Americans or have a problem with our foreign policy. In fact, they like us!
Imagine that, they really like us! Our foreign policy of open trade, free enterprise and democracy keeps them in business. Most people seem to like these things. And if you don't, well... there is always Iran 
.In closing, what we have seen here and are seeing is the usual banter from a peanut gallery nation that likes to try to tell everyone else what to do, and how bad they are, without actually going and doing something themselves. When your nation decides to step up to "Super power" status, i.e. your economy dictates what happens in the world, your technology centers are leading the world, your military is defending the world, then you get to speak. Until then, SHUT YOUR HOLE AND KNOW YOUR ROLE.
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Archangelus
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Then and now is different.
I made a point a long time ago that many people/countries in the world do not hate Americans. They hate Dubya. They realize that he lost the popular vote, so they "cut us some slack" for his decisions. Now, if Dubya gets re-elected, world opinion of Americans may change as we now know his policy, both foreign and domestic, and still put him in power.
I'm keeping my opinion out of this, but there are a lot of sources that support the point stated.
I made a point a long time ago that many people/countries in the world do not hate Americans. They hate Dubya. They realize that he lost the popular vote, so they "cut us some slack" for his decisions. Now, if Dubya gets re-elected, world opinion of Americans may change as we now know his policy, both foreign and domestic, and still put him in power.
I'm keeping my opinion out of this, but there are a lot of sources that support the point stated.
I don't know why you would call the war of 1812 a laugh. I mean it's one of the only wars the US ever lost in the history of the country, and the white house was burned by Canada and painted white, thus dubbed the "white house".Thowarr wrote:[quote.Stretch back even further... oh yeah, the war of 1812. Hehe, good laugh there.
I take pity on the American education system if you honestly believe anything along these lines. Along with powering over HALF of the United States with energy and oil, maybe you should check the imports such as wood, food, etc? You could go on listing the tons of advancements people of the country have done including the telephone, but I mean you could do that for any country.The only thing Canada has contributed is, "Eh!", maple syrup and hockey.
Please note that the US does have a TON of inventions and new technology, but also please realize that they purchase a HUGE amount of this technology in free trade agreements with other countries.
Actually I have nothing against the US or Americans.. I just think your whole government is a piece of trash at the moment. Do I hate the guys fighting over in Iraq? Of course not man that is their job wether they want to or not.In closing, what we have seen here and are seeing is the usual banter from a peanut gallery nation that likes to try to tell everyone else what to do, and how bad they are, without actually going and doing something themselves. When your nation decides to step up to "Super power" status, i.e. your economy dictates what happens in the world, your technology centers are leading the world, your military is defending the world, then you get to speak. Until then, SHUT YOUR HOLE AND KNOW YOUR ROLE.
I only hear two reasons for people not liking the US in the last few years. The first is the obvious, Dubya, and the second has been that way for year.. the arrogance of the people. I mean I constantly see people talk about how rich the US is (they never mention themselves, only the country if you notice), how powerful, etc. I mean a lot of it is due to the media, but there are a lot of guys that just don't act like that.
The fact of the matter is that I've heard a ton of americans in the past say to me "The US is way better than Canada", etc and your normal crap... but the fact of the matter is that the average American citizen is nowhere NEAR wealthy, considering a small minority of the population controls the wealth. I mean I've had people say "yeah I bet you wish you lived in the US, it's the richest country in the world!".. and these were guys living check to check wishing they had close to half of the income Brandy and I do. Remember that there are a hell of a lot more poor people (% wise and hard numbers) in the US than in Canada, and that over 50% of the population lives in "lower middle class".
I mean I constantly see Americans talk about "Our economy is so large, our dollar is worth so much more!". Honestly who cares? I mean anybody that states that has no idea what economics are, or are looking on capping their next billion (therefore operate on a global level). If I work and buy a can of Coke for $1, someone in the US does the exact same, etc. The only time dollar value actually means anything is travelling out of the country.. and even then there are only very few countries where the Canadian dollar is a lower value.
And I'm sorry, you can believe all you want that the US economy "controls" the world, but you had better think twice before piping off:
A) What can they do about anything? If they were to change policies the US would go broke, the country is based on a marketing import/export model.
B) The vast majority of the wealth in the US and the American economy is NOT owned by Americans. Saudi, Canada, and especially Isreal own huge parts of the country.
Now about the military size here in Canada.. gee I'm sorry if our Prime Minister actually LISTENS to what the people want. Although he is elected in, not appointed by the court
The majority of Canadians do NOT want a larger military, as was shown in the election that just passed. I mean first off there is not a single country in the world (other than Isreal) that would have even the smallest change of attacking Canada.. we don't need an army. Plus since the country is so rich in resources and economy, if any country was stupid enough to attack Canada has an endless supply of help from countries such as the US, Britain, (insert 90% of the rest of the world here).
Canada works on the premise of peace.. why do you think there are 10,000 gun murders a year in the US compared to Canada's 10? That is why we do not have any enemy countries, and never will.
The US desperately NEEDS a huge military no matter what, you can't even count the number of enemies on 50 hands. You can read up, Canada has never aided or commited a terrorist act in the history of the country, while the US moved the word "terrorism" from the dark ages to what it is today.
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Although I shouldn't have even replied to this post.. it's meaningless.
You guys see the debate tonight? It pretty much sealed the deal and in 19 days Kerry will be proclaimed president. Anybody that can say Bush was NOT the worst in debating and "almost" a complete imbacile over the 3 debates really needs either a better education, or to stop watching FOX
You guys see the debate tonight? It pretty much sealed the deal and in 19 days Kerry will be proclaimed president. Anybody that can say Bush was NOT the worst in debating and "almost" a complete imbacile over the 3 debates really needs either a better education, or to stop watching FOX
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I think the reason there are only ten gun murders a year in Canada is that most Canadians are too busy going to the US to buy our 50 cent cans of Coke. Even at the current exchange rates, that's still less than the dollar you pay up there. Did you know that 90% of your population lives on our border? There is a reason for that.
Don't worry, we know you guys are still a young developing nation. You've only been a nation since 1 July 1867, so you're prone to make mistakes and run off at the mouth, getting statistics and information wrong, like most teenagers. You're going through puberty right now. Don't worry, we still love you and we'll still be here when you grow up.
Don't worry, we know you guys are still a young developing nation. You've only been a nation since 1 July 1867, so you're prone to make mistakes and run off at the mouth, getting statistics and information wrong, like most teenagers. You're going through puberty right now. Don't worry, we still love you and we'll still be here when you grow up.
Last edited by Thowarr on Thu Oct 14, 2004 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
I don't actually know anyone that goes to the US to shop, unless it is for something like electronics. Remember that electronics, etc are priced completely different to fit the countries economy. And 50 cents can of Coke? Wow that sucks if I wanted to can go over to the mall and pick one up for 35 cents!Thowarr wrote:I think the reason there are only ten gun murders a year in Canada is that most Canadians are too busy going to the US to buy our 50 cent cans of Coke. Even at the current exchange rates, that's still less than the dollar you pay up there. Did you know that 90% of your population lives on our border? There is a reason for that.
Don't worry, we know you guys are still a young developing nation. You've only been a nation since 1 July 1867, so you're prone to make mistakes and run off at the mouth, getting statistics and information wrong, like most teenagers. You're going through puberty right now. Don't worry, we still love you and we'll still be here when you grow up.
Getting statistics and information wrong.. maybe you can enlighten? I think it's wierd that a good bunch of Americans use "we".. like "we will be here" etc... I mean no offence but it's really "our corporations and financial figureheads". That's one thing that irks a lot of people.. it is so hilarious seeing Americans try to act like THEY are the ones with the power.
The best part of the debate was when they were asked about the major job losses and outsourcing especially with the technology sector.
Bush just gives a blank stare and says "we want good jobs for Americans", "the economy is good".... while John Kerry is thinking of saving that sector and imposing tax incentives not to outsource. I thought it was so hilarious.. considering if you look at economic graphs of the actual sector they were talking about, it is taking a complete nose-dive... and Bush just tried to pull the same thing he's always been doing.. brainwash people by saying the same thing over and over and over again even if it isn't true.
I really only care about that because I'm sick of seeing my friends in the US lose their jobs because the US provides no incentives or protections from outsourcing. So far Bush has protected the large corporations and let them run wild taking millions upon millions of jobs away. John Kerry's plan actually hurts the IT sector a little in Canada.. but it is so thriving right now the country will barely notice. Right now Canada has a major role in everything built and engineered in the US due to no outsourcing regulations.
It's funny because now it's not even about cost, it is costing companies more cash up front to contract and outsource to Canada now. The reason is because the quality of work simply outshines. In the US you have engineers and developers trying to climb the ladder, jumping over each other, taking shots at each other, always trying to advance over someone else... I mean read any business magazine and it will tell you that is one of the huge problems with the country right now. When you are working in engineering, development, R&D.. if you aren't working as a team you might as well just stay at home.
Last edited by Imperil on Thu Oct 14, 2004 8:29 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Archangelus
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Açieeed! style by 