US losing faith in Canada

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by obiwan18
STYOM:
Creationists don't spend all day trying to levitate.

My point was how does one's belief in creationism going to affect the job that they do as PM?

I hear what you're saying... but if someone has a deeply held belief that - even if irrelevant to the PM job (and it might not be totally irrelevant, either) - flies in the face of reason, I would be inclined to question their ability to reason in other areas relevant to governing.

[KrazyHorse]

Even better, didn't he make an analogy about our brains going south like the water over Niagara does or something? Only he ****ed up on directions...

[Sikander]

Originally posted by monkspider
I guess it's time to start dropping the cluster bombs on Ottawa. *sigh* When will we Americans ever learn?

Perhaps after we deport the ignoramuses like yourself.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
You know, if you are just going to troll then you won't be taken seriously.

I really don't care if I'm taking seriously by people. My opinions won't change any Canadian's mind, that's part of the problem, you see.

Canada isn't screwed politically; it's the political right in Canada that is screwed because they can't get their act together.

If an entire spectrum of your country is screwed, the country is screwed politiclally.

Canada is an elected dictatorship and the tyranny of the majority is simply an accepted thing among Canadians. I find it sad, Canadians find it normal. Maybe they just don't know any better.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Asher
It's not as simple as "well no one wants to invade us, so we don't need any protection!".

Canada has committments to the UN and NATO for peacekeeping operations -- committments we can't, by and large, complete properly due to inadequate funding by the Liberal government.

You don't need a huge armed forces for that. UN peacekeepers are just lightly armed, I can't recall them having tanks, attack helicopters, and all those toys. It's not like they are expected to face an opposing army, they are just there to keep the rioters at bay. Hey, if Bangladesh can supply people to peacekeeping missions, I am sure Canada can too.

Originally posted by Asher
Not only that, but it's simply not a valid excuse to not have protection because you don't think you need it. I don't think I have to explain why.

If there is no need for said protection, why have it? It's much better to put the money in education and healthcare.

[Spiffor]

Is brain drain that different in Canada as in Europe ? Every brain-drained person I knew (beginning with my brother) came back home a few years after. Is that different for brain-drained Canadians ?

[KrazyHorse]

Keep believing that. Hey, can you do me a favor?

Try to rationalize it by taking into account all of the immigrants we have which barely balance it out.

Actually just our bilateral immigration rate in highly-trained professionals with the US is almost balanced. When you take into account the rest of the world we come out far ahead, not just "barely balanced".

For every "brain" that moves to the US from Canada there's something like 0.995 brains that move from the US to Canada, and 2 or 3 "brains" that move to Canada from the rest of the world...

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Is brain drain that different in Canada as in Europe ? Every brain-drained person I knew (beginning with my brother) came back home a few years after. Is that different for brain-drained Canadians ?

Some people leave and never return. Other people leave and return years later.

It is just part of the global economy and it has been going on for decades.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Tingkai
Don't fall into the trap of believing the old stories about the Forces. Things are improving and the Forces continue to do excellent work around the world.

Yes I realize that. 9/11 was something of a wake up call in that regard. And we do have good troops, who do a good job in their peacekeeping duites.

But as we can see now, with all the trouble spots that could use our help, we could still be doing more. I think it was you in fact that suggested we increase our forces to 120,000? I would agree with that. I don't really know how we're supposed to help out with the reconstruction in Iraq if we don't have anymore people to spare. I think we're down to just staff used for rotation to relieve the troops we have in the field now.

And we definitely need new helicopters!

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Asher

LOL
Thanks Agathon, I was just waiting for someone to try that one

It's worked in New Zealand. I don't see why it couldn't work here. Anyway Frogger is right, the brain drain is mostly a myth. Again, I would point out that Canada seems to be doing just fine given your claims of doom and gloom.

What really needs to be stopped is Canadians spending their working lives in the States and then retiring to Canada to take advantage of social services. Now that is a drain on the economy.

Anyway, you should go and live in the States, you're anti-Canadian.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
And rightly so, considering that Ontario and Quebec account for about 2/3 of the country's population.

Correct. But with a government entirely decided there, you then are led to total disregard for some large issues in the other regions. That can have devastating effects, and if not changed will most likely lead to the eventual failure of the country to remain whole.

I don't wish it, but I can see it.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Asher
Canada is an elected dictatorship and the tyranny of the majority is simply an accepted thing among Canadians. I find it sad, Canadians find it normal. Maybe they just don't know any better.

I agree, democracy is in some ways tyranny of the majority. By definition, at least half of the people in a society has median income or below. That's why you see social welfare is such a big thing in a democracy. It's like gravity, something you cannot avoid.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
You don't need a huge armed forces for that.

You need more than Canada has. Honestly, you do. It's a simple logistics problem that's widely known in Canada.

UN peacekeepers are just lightly armed, I can't recall them having tanks, attack helicopters, and all those toys.

It's not only a question of armament, UR, why do you assume it is? It's a simple problem of not having enough soldiers in the first place, and then having antiquated equipment for them to use, if there's much at all.

BTW, haven't you seen those white UN tanks?

If there is no need for said protection, why have it? It's much better to put the money in education and healthcare.

Because there's no way to guarantee you won't need it. Really, there's not. That's the problem.

Sure, you could risk it by abolishing your military like Canada is slowly doing, and trying to rely on the UNSC (lol) to do something about it, but that's not very good for a sovereign nation.

A sovereign nation should have a military capable of defending its borders. Simple as that.

I don't consider it valid at all to say Canada doesn't need one because no one would attack Canada. I think that's perhaps one of the dumbest things one could say, really.

[Ben Kenobi]

I hear what you're saying... but if someone has a deeply held belief that - even if irrelevant to the PM job (and it might not be totally irrelevant, either) - flies in the face of reason, I would be inclined to question their ability to reason in other areas relevant to governing.

STYOM:

That's a good point. However, you must remember that Stockwell will be working with a different set of assumptions.

Now here's where the interesting part comes from. In order to logically argue a position of creationism, one must make certain assumptions that are relevant to the performance of a PM. One of them being the importance of Scripture against the importance of science.

If Stockwell were to cut science education funding for more religous education, this would be one instance we should be concerned about his creationist beliefs.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Asher

I really don't care if I'm taking seriously by people. My opinions won't change any Canadian's mind, that's part of the problem, you see.

You know you could change my mind if you cam up with better arguments. I'm sure there are lots of Canadians who are like me.

I want to see the right do better. It's bad for democracy to have one party rule. At the moment I think they are doing very badly. Now either they change or Canada changes and I know Canada isn't going to change much.