That's hysterical Aaron. Imagine what they will think of Canada if they think the US is socialist!

Let's welcome them by calling them "comrade."

i wonder how Canada will be able to handle that sudden influx (read: aboot 3 hipsters) of Right-Wingers?

maybe  by requiring them to watch Beachcombers & Anne of Green Gables, the Canadian gateway drug?

EDIT:  and then we can get some media figures a la Michael Coren who can rant on aboot how dangerous these people are with their invading culture, we can have books written aboot it and even a -phobia invented aboot it, and then we can have chansen and I and a few other people almost banned because we post pictures that say "Not a Right-Wing Hipster from the USA", but not be banned if we just give the link...

Sounds exciting.  I can't wait :3

You know, when I read posts of( American Friends who play FarmTown) on Facebook. I am aghast at the racial, prejudiced, and how  I think uninformed these Americans are. It makes Canadians look like extras on Sound of Music.

I read a note on facebbok that said Americans thrying to move to a 'western" country to escape helthcare were having a hard time finding one without healthcare!

Extras? I guess you could call the children extras

We were not Xtras .  I was Fredrick.

Doe a deer .......

OK OK, I'll admt I lied. I was not Fredrick, I was Maria!!!

It is easy to make fun of the Americans, but remember that the economy down there isn't doing so well.  Whole towns and cities are going bankrupt.    A lot of people are unemployed.  A lot have lost their homes.  And they can't control their southern border. A large portion of people in the States pay no income tax because they don't make enough money to pay tax.   The middle class is shrinking.  They are not used to having socialized medicine down there.  Working people who are struggling to get by don't see why they should pay for medical care for people who are not working or who are working but not paying taxes because they get paid under the table.  There is a huge underground economy especially in places such as California, which has a lot of recent arrivals from Mexico.  Mexico is a corrupt, low trust society, and new arrivals from Mexico bring this world view with them (naturally).    California is going broke.  

The city of Stockton California filed for bancrupcy a few days ago.  

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-06-27/stockton-official-mediation-with-creditors-fails

You folks are all very smug and self rightious.  But remember when Canada and Europe and Australia adopted socialized medicine they where largley racially homogenous.  Perhaps if there had been a large underclass of a different race in Canada, as there was (and is) in the US, socialized medicine whould never have been adopted here.  Do you really think human nature is different in Canada than in the States?  You seem to think we are morally superior somehow.  

Canada is doing ok financially largley because of our natural resources, especially the oil sands, yet we all know that our medicare system is under great strain.  Likely most of you folks want to shut the oil sands down, and also want the government to spend lots and lots more money on just about everything.   Where do you think money comes from?  

Congratulations Mely. I think that the first post of yours I've seen that didn't blame everything on "dem ebil Muzzlems".

Nothing new on Blazing Cat Farts for you to copy and paste?

Money represents the value in the economy.  If you notice in the article you linked to , it places the blame on the cities liabilities.  It makes no mention of the reasons thtaht are responsible. Like the housing bust,  and banking crisis, caused by an unregulated market. Or the ridiculaously low tax rate that the upper classes and businesses pay in California.     The problem is that an unregualted free market ends up destroying itself, and minorities are needed to scapegoat for the problems caused by bad goverence and an unregulated free market.

So instead of doing things that would change things for the better, they instead decided to do things like stopo paying for cancer treatments?

A healthy economy requires healthy workers, a healthy environement and an ability tp regualte markets with an eye on long term substianability.

It also requires free flow of information and a ethic based in honesty.

Have you noticed that the tories are saying that Europe is in trouble due to benfits for workers.  In reality it is the courties in Scandnavua and Germany which provided the most benfits which are the healthiest economies.  Those countries like Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Greece which had a lot less benefits and social welfare for the workers, the poor and sick and provided for low taxes on the wealthy are those in crisis.

It does not make us superior, but just a little more focused o  long term consequences.

Mely, I do not believe anyone on this site reads the news outside Canada in any detail. Parochial, they call it.
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The site would benefit from having more people outside Canada (at least as far as politics goes).
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The odd dissenting voice that comes on from time to time is chased off with pitchforks.

Hello EO ......

I am an avid reader of news from outside Canada ...especially news concerning our neighbour to the south......

I have relatives down there and right now I have a 2nd cousin in Afghanistan.

I have also had a nephew from here in Canada that went there and has come back badly damaged psychologically.

I have to be careful with my views because often my passion tends to overwhelm my common sense and I could easily say things that would not be right.

Just thought you would like to know.....

Regards

Rita

i am very interested as well. Their Government is like an ongoing reality show.

Where did you get your information EO?  I read news from other places, including the US.  So do many others who post here.  I am aware of what is happening in Europe, the UK, and US - not so much though about Australia and New Zealand.  Thanks for pointing out that I need to rectify that.

To all:
I got that impression because almost all the threads started in Politics are about Canada. If I start a thread about something outside Canada, a few people might drop in but Graeme is the only one who will actually discuss it in any detail.
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I do realize it's not primarily a political site.

Perhaps I just brought my values with me, but being of Mexican descent and from California, um, yes, I read the news from there and understand the situation in the States. The main reasons the U.S. doesn't have socialized healthcare has little to do with race and much to do with the culture of individuality and distrust of the government, which is stronger than here in Canada. They also let the corporations, specifically the insurance industry, to get the upper hand early in the socialized healthcare debate ~100+ years ago, in the general U.S. trend that favours business and corporatations over the common good and popular movements (imo).

From the comments section of the article Aaron posted:

"I am sick of this hot weather! I'm moving to Ethiopia!"

hehe

I'm befuddled by people actually using the term ObamaCare, as if it is a real term...people live in slogans...sheesh

Hilary,

sounds like some people still have a sense of humour :3

Hi EasternOrthodox,

I read world news.

Here's my take.

There is my sphere of concern.  It is all the things I am concerned about and then there is my sphere of influence, which is all the things I can actually do something about.

When I stay inside where both my sphere of concern and my sphere of influence overlap I can accomplish something.  If I only invest time and energy in the area of concern beyond my influence it is a wasted effort.

Do I care about the people of Greece?  I do.  Do I have any power to impact upon the people of Greece?  My power is minimal if it even exists at all.  Can I, on my own, solve their problems for them?  No, I can't.  So do I talk about Greece's problems much?  Rarely.

Practical I call it.

Which user, from outside of Canada has been chased off?

Grace and peace to you.

John

Many people do not read the news but depend on the television news for their information.  Many of these watch American TV channels.  So, while they might not be getting much world news, they are certainly getting American news. 

Did people know that 50 years ago this week (Sunday) was when Saskachewan created the first medicare program in North America. 

\ Hospital insurence in Saskchewan had been created in the 40's by the CCF, but excluded other types of health care 

Here's to the CCF. 

hurray for Tommy Douglas

People forget, but when it happened there was a lot of resistentence.    The Doictors went on on strike for 23 days, and people died as a result.

Many people blamed Tommy and not the doctors when there friends and family members died.

Tommy introduced the law, but had resigned in order to become the first federal NDP leader by the time it came into effect.

Tommy faced threats against his life for the next 10 years, and antimedicare people would do things like put sugar in his gas tank.

Due to the reactionairies and their disapointments he ended up moving to BC to run for parliment.

There was the Green Lantern, who when He came out of the closet, the gay contingent here were all over Him, but recall He was shunned when it became clear that He was for the Iraq war...

Then there was Thor, who didn't believe in Global Warming

And Isis, who believed that a woman's place was barefoot on sand and baking loaves...

So at least 3 ;3

You are blessed to be able to communicate your particular ability in this regard to others :3

Ty for taking the time & effort to do so

Another factor is that the KK claimed States rights as their issue. Liberals took up the cause of the federal governement.

In Canada, our provinces were the agents of left wing change. (labs for new programs) Provinces were able to move on their own.  In the US the right opposed state mandated health care, while the left were organised around the federal governement.

In Canada, evrything from laws against racism and sexism (again Tommy's CCF)  laws against homophobia (Levesques PQ ) were first achieved at the provincial level.  The same can be said of public financing of political parties, and so on.  

The only progressive laws passed first at the federal level were pensions in the 20s. Which McKenzie King's Liberals enacted when they were a minority governement and needed the support of Woodworth and other socialist members of Parliment. Woodsworth went on to be the first federal leader to the CCF.  

Thus states rights in the US is equated with racism, while in Canda provincial rights are equated with progress.

Another thing is that many of the people (Woodsworth being the most well known  example)  behind the CCF were also the same people behind the creation of the UCC. Howver do to events inside the United Church the left were blocked from church based activism, and so the right wing (relatively) of the church went on to run the UCC while the left put most of their focus and time into the CCF.

It's a curious thing when you're an Aussie.......

As our European settlement is comparatively recent, most folks come from all over the world - but have strong links to their country of origin.

There is still a hint of feeling that we are an introduced species - and we belong elsewhere.

This is reflected in our media. We get radio programmes from the BBC, American and Canadian broadcasting, Dutch, German, etc.....

We also have a tv channel that gives us programmes from all over the world with English subtitles.

Our news programmes are at least 50% focussed on world news........

In more recent years there has been more of a focus on American news - but whereas Canadians seem to emphasise the differences in government health services, etc. here in largely secular Oz we, as a nation, seem fascinated with the level of Christian involvement in American politics.

We all see the world through our own national lens to some degree.......

I do find it ironic that both Australia and New Zealand are physically isolated from the rest of the world - and yet both countries have a world focus more so than most. Going overseas on a working holiday when young is almost a rite of passage........ 

Pilgrims Progress,

do all Aussies participate in some sort of Walkabout?

For you, Inanna -

Walkabout

A very warm welcome to all our American friends!

I hope they'll come and celebrate Canada Day with us

  ..........!!!!!!

Canadian National Canthem

!

I have read that some conservative Americans want to leave their nation based on their impression that under "ObamaCare" they will be forced via taxes to pay for abortions.

Rich blessings.

---

MC jae

Not everyone likes cabbage rolls, it seems...

Every morning I check the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and NPR in the US as well as the BBC and The Guardian from London and the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia for news. Your comment is somewhat insulting.

My comment was based on the threads and people who post in Politics.
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See my second comment, 06/29/2012.
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You may well be a foreign affairs expert, but you lack either the time or inclination to post in any thread in this area recently.
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I'm in a hole. Going to stop digging. Please resume your conversation, I am exiting thread.

There is a more suitable country for them to move to that Canada - one that actually has some of things they want for the US.  Let me see.........what country has........

no universal health care

few entitlements for general citizens

deep reverence for God

faith based government

marriage restricted to man/woman only

nuclear program

lots of oil drilling

strict restrictions on abortion

enforced dress code

death penalty

and where homosexualaity is illegal

How about they all move to this 'perfect, ideal' country called Iran??

kaythecurler ............. oh my!!!   LOL...............

You have certainly nailed it!!!

Hugs

Rita

kaythecurler,

and due to a fatwa issued by Khomeni, the government of Iran will pay for up to 1/2 of sex reassignment surgery costs :3

they can't lose

If I had said stuff like that about Iran people would have jumped all over me and said I was a racist Islamaphobe.

Mely - could you tell me a bit more about what you are thinking when you say things like that?  I can't see that I mentioned Islam.  I can't see that I said anything that isn't common knowledge about Iran.  People who want to live without universal health care, and with government involvement in their personal lives and choices (like some US citizens) are welcome to go live there.  In my opinion it would be a better match for them than Canada.  I really don't see that it makes any difference what religion is being followed.

True.  But it is also common knowledge that the Islamic Republic of Iran is run on Islamic principles under the guidence of its Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

I don't have a copy of the policitally correct play book.  I don't understand the rules.  

Is  it  ok to criticize the Islamic principles Iran is run on as long as you don't use the word "Islam"?    Or perhaps it is only ok as long as you are making fun of right-wing Americans?    

Many similar types of things confuse me.  It is ok for Muslims to say gays should be killed but it is not ok for conservative Christians to say they love the sinner but not the sin?

It is ok for Muslims to oppress women but not ok for Fundamentalist Mormons?  

I am a simple person but I have studied logic, so none of this makes any sense to me.    

Mely,

Kaythecurler made no judgements on whether Iran was good or bad -- she just made statements about what is.  She did not endorse or condemn those policies, just listed them.

It is the use of judgemental language or going from what is to speculation about what might be that tends to get pushback.

As far as I know, the extreme right wing in the US is making all the demands that she listed, and they happened to fit the policies of Iran.

This is not so much a matter of logic, but the careful use of descriptive language rather than proscriptive or judgemental language.

Just in case you check back -

I never claimed to be any sort of expert on foreign affairs. But you said nobody reads any politics outside Canada. A number of us have called you on that.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I used to post in politics and frankly got tired of being mocked, ridiculed and insulted by graeme anytime I disagreed with him on anything.

Rev. Steven Davis,
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I said nobody posts on topics outside Canada. And when I did, only Graeme read them.
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However you may have indirectly pointed to the cause: Graeme himself. He is capable of shocking rudeness and arrogance. The man needs a talking to. I have given up (for the second time!) posting here even though I was very careful to back up my facts with excerpts from quality newspapers. At one point, he went so far as to say he just believed whatever he wanted, regardless of source. He trashed all major newspapers and books written by highly regarded people.
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Oh yeah. Then he told me how stupid I am, indirectly, saying things like "You haven't understood a thing I've said.". As a final resort, he'll brag about how educated he his, blah blah blah. He did that to Lastpointe just a few weeks ago in his "Moncton clergy" thread (in R & F).
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A few weeks later qwerty, who does post much, made a sarcastic post in that thread on the "banning conservative Christians" thread. She's now left the site completely.
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I completely agree. There might be a big difference with him gone. But he has a little group of people who like him. Since admin has done nothing, I take it they agree with them.
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I was very discouraged when Revjohn came in on one discussion and judged simply that he and I were "talking past each other". So Wondercafe apparently thinks he's just fine.
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Thanks for "calling me" on what I didn't mean. Why don't you report Graeme to admin when he gets rude? Cripes, if you contradict Graeme he goes ape and blasts people right out threads!

Mely - I didn't intend to criticise Iran and I don't think I did.  I don't think I criticsed those US citizens who say they want to move to Canada to avoid the institution of universal health care in the US.  I merely acknowledged that there is a country other than Canada that might better meet their expressed needs.  Most people seem to know that Canada already has universal health care and it would therefore not be a good choice for them.  If they DON'T know that then coming here would be quite a shock for them. 

Deleted

I think you are starting to understand Canadian liberals and progressives.   Now I am not asking you to agree, but to understand why we found many of your posts to be distasteful, and  offensive,

What I am going to say is just to help you understand me, which may or may not be how other liberals and progressives think.

If you would add adjectives before Islam it would be less offensive and people would not close their minds to your posts. Irshad always says "Moderate", or some other modifing adjectives before she launches on her attacks.  

Also people in general are more willing to accept criticism about something when the person doing so has a deeper understanding of the topic.   That is becasue most people have heard criticism about a group they belong to to, that do not apply to them or many people like them.  

i.e. All Christians believe in a sky God, or all of Christianity, or all  gay men like to have multiple partners, or all Irish like to drink, or all women gossip, or all men are violent.   People who know alot about Christianity know that it is diverse,(however many do have beliefs that is similar to a sky God religion)  people who know a lot of gay men, know that many do not sleep around,(yet our culture in the past, by forcing us to hide, did prevent many men from forming long term relationship, that lead to sleeping around)  people who know the Irish, know they are not alll drunks( yet many in their culture do drink alot)    Yes men are more violent than women, and many enjoy violence more than women, but many do not as well, and so on.

Thus when I attack right wing Americans, I  do not find it offensive for these two reasons,. I am not attacking all Americans, becasue I used an adjective. Second I are more familar with the USA than I am  with countries in Asia.

Howevr I must be prepared than we we are interested in a subject, those who have less or no interest weill make no comments or make ill informed comments.  As EO has pointed out we do not discuss alot about foreign affairs aside from the US and the Middle EAst.  I and I believe many others like to talk about things with people who have at least some knowledge about these things and have given some thought to them.  Even if the agree or not, and perhaps more so if they disagree.  Thus while I am interested in Brazilian, and African culture and politics, I know that a few other people are as well, but not to the point that they feel comfortable talking about it. because each of the topics will be shaped by their context, and having various levels of awarenss changes the context for each person, , and thus what our words will mean to others. 

So her is my interpertation of how to reword your question to make it pass the play book test.

"Is it OK for Muslims to oprress women but not ok for fundementalist Mormons."

When I read that,  you saying to me that my muslims friends oppress and hate women. Yet my muslims friends are allin the same Islamic tent as Irshad Manji, and are actually less sexist and homophobic than many  UCC people.  So I could conclude you are attacking my progressive muslim friends, or that you are claiming (like amny moderate and extremist Muslims) that  they should not be muslims.

All I know is that among my progressive muslim friends disagree and are made uncomfortable when they are associated with mysogony,

Now if you were to add the adjective fundementalist in front of muslims, neither I nor more friends would have a problem. As in 

"Is it OK for fundementalist Muslims to oppress women but not ok for fundementalist Mormons."

 

I see your point.  But mainstream Islam oppresses women.  Your friends sound more like progressive or reformist Muslims than like mainstream Muslims.  By the way, if you look back at my posts I usually did put an adjective to modify the words Muslim or Islam.  

Fundamentalists Mormons (the type who live in Bountiful, BC, practice poligamy, wear old fashioned clothes, and keep to themselves) are a  small, distinct sect. They are very different from regular Mormons, who no longer practice polygamy and are part of mainstream society.  That is why I used the word "fundamentalist" to modify the word "Mormon".