Re: Stan's Canadian (mis)Information...

[sec@moscow.com]

> I feel compelled, as a proud Canadian citizen, to refute Stan's
> (sec@moscow.com) claims that Canada has become a dictatorship. I'm sure

yup, the PM never had anyone gassed by the RCMP when they 
were protesting the arrival of a Mass Murder from another country  

> you were all more than aware of this in any event, and brushed off his
> comment to the contrary as mere hyperbole, but I could not in all good
> conscience let the issue pass completely unrefuted. The leader of the
> Canadian government has even fewer implied powers than the lamest of
> lame-duck American Presidents; and even fewer explicit ones. I can't, of

uh huh, the PM doesn't control Parliament either (the party that 
wins the most "seats" in Parliament is the party that provides the 
Prime Minister, so you (almost) alway end up with (an American 
example) a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, and 
the Senate is a appointed, not elected position (despite the 
overwhelming majority of Canadians that either want it elected or 
just abolished.

> course, argue that we aren't more socialistic than the US; but of course,
> this has translated into free health-care for every Canadian citizen, and

Free? then where did my BCMed payments go every month 
(granted, lots cheaper than the US) and why was my niece left in 
her bed in a hallway for 32 hours? there are some advantages to 
the Canadian Medical system. like when the budget gets tight, the 
government just closed more hospital wards (or even complete 
hospitals), do Ambulance drivers still have to call around to see 
which ER can take there casualties?

> colleges (still retaining their high calibre) that are practically free by

ok, ya got me there, can't argue that one, Parks Canada does a 
magnificent job too, and living in North Idaho I dream fondly of 
Canadian highways  

> American standards. Likewise, the government as a whole may have more
> power over the lives of the people; yet, in Canada, the people still feel

not "may", does, does the phrase "not withstanding clause" ring a 
bell?

(note for American readers, when the "new" Canadian Constution 
was written, the govt wrote into it the "not withstanding clause"   
which allows the govt to override the Constitution by a mear act of 
parliament)

> like they comprise the government. "Government for the people, by the
> people, and OF the people". How many Americans still feel they have any
> say over what in their federal and State systems? Many feel left out of

funny, most Canadians I've ever met felt the same way, left out (like 
Sam Wagar?, remember him,  elected to run for the NDP party in 
his home town (surrey?), but the Head of the party wouldn't let him 
because of his religious beliefes? and I recall when a friend of mine 
was having trouble with UI (Unemployment Insurance) screwing him 
around on his job retraining, called his Member of Parliament and  
was told that his MP didn't have the time to deal with her 
constituants, and that wasn't ehr job anyways, and lets not forget 
that only one province (to the best of my knowledge, it may have 
changed without me knowing) has Politician recall (50% plus one 
of ELIGiBLE VOTERS if memory serves (if I am incorrect on that, 
please correct me, we don't get a lot of Canadian news down here)

there is a saying that was popular when I left 6 years ago

or my personal favorite, when I was teaching in BC, (alternative 
school, so I didn't need a degree) I was approached by a student 
who was studying for her GED, she showed me a question, and 
asked me if they wanted the "right" answer or the "real" answer, 
well, I didn't know, so I got the senior instructor, and he didn't know 
either, so we got out the answer book (written by a company in 
Chicago Ill), the question was "what is the Purpose of the Loyal 
Oposition" (the party that came in second in the number of seats in 
Parliament, sometimes a colalition of a couple of parties)

the possible answers were (as best I can remember the wording)  
A: "to help the party in power (may have been government) make 
the best government possible" B: to be honest, I forget, and C: "to 
embarras the government at every opportunity" 

guess which answer the test book held? they wanted answer C.


there was a popular saying when I left "no mater who you vote for, 
the govt gets elected"

> even their local system. (Present company excluded, of course, since you
> have all taken the time to become at least somewhat politically active by
> joining this list :)

it's late, I'm tired, and windows ate the first draft of my reply, so I 
will be brief right now.

when my wife and I were married in Canada (my wife is a Moscow 
Native), we were told she could not hyphenate her name to mine, 
now, I ask you, is it any of the governments business if she add's 
my name to hers? that is just a small sample of the kind of 
intrusive laws that Canada has intituted.

if Canada is so great, why are you here? (we won't go into the 
govt's blatent abbuses of power, the NOT free healthcare where you 
wait for years or get shipped to the states for surgery IF they can 
find you a hospital bed,  the low voter turnouts, the fact that more 
people think Elvis is alive than then Govt is doing a good job, the 
government run insurance companies (total govt monopoly, read, 
Nationlization) the fact that someone else voted using my name 
during a federal election, and that nothing was done about it when I 
reported it etc etc etc)

Stan