Are you Liberal or Conservative or somewhere in between?

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Ah, here's an example of the Canadian right wing to demonstrate my point about the American spectrum: The Canadian right wing just released an It Gets Better video.

That's how far left our right is compared to the US spectrum >.>

In America, the conservative politicians in that video would be labeled RINOs (Republicans in name only)

It's the kind of stuff that makes me miss home. Honestly GK, I think you'd go crazy down here with the way politics are.

If I put a mark on my wall every time I saw something that made me think "what the hell are you people thinking?" I'd have a pretty scuffed up wall by now.

[Gravekeeper]

It's the kind of stuff that makes me miss home. Honestly GK, I think you'd go crazy down here with the way politics are.

Watching it from afar is bad enough at times.

[Mytical]

That video was awesome. I guess it makes sense I am right wing. I have a very live and let live mentality, and believe that basic things like food, shelter, and medicine should be for everybody. That you should be treated like a human being regardless of circumstances.

[Gravekeeper]

I guess it makes sense I am right wing. I have a very live and let live mentality, and believe that basic things like food, shelter, and medicine should be for everybody. That you should be treated like a human being regardless of circumstances.

This is what I find so bizzarre about the political spectrum in the US. Your mentality, by the US measure, is left wing. But outside of the US, could be held by the right wing.

The other thing that always gets me about US politics is the constant....how do I put it? The government is always in a state of flux because both sides essentially vow to undo everything the other side does the next time they get in power. It feels like America in general, despite all of its bravado about Democracy, does not accept decisions made democratically.

If the majority decides something or elects someone, the minority never goes "Oh well, thats what the majority of Americans decided" and leaves it alone. They rail against it and come up with reasons why it can't possibly be the majority descision or why it was the wrong descision and how it must be undone.

Its like each political/cultural group in American can't seem to comprehend that the other groups exist and that their group doesn't speak for everyone. The Tea Partiers are a vivid example. They are actually a select minority, but believe they are "Real America" and that the rest of America has become un-American by falling away from the ideals that they themselves claim is America.

Conversely, ( Meanwhile. In Canada. -.- ) up north here the majority rule is accepted and we move on. Gay marriage is the best example of this. Obviously, many people rejected gay marriage based on their religious beliefs when it was first tabled. But they were the minority. Gay marriage was passed, and that minority went "Oh well, I don't believe in it, but the people have spoken" and we moved on from the issue. It was already decided.

When the Conservatives came into power, they didn't touch gay marriage. Our own Prime Minister does not believe in gay marriage because of his personal religious beliefs. But he would not revisit the issue because Canada had already spoken, and religious belief is considered private in Canada. Its considered a political faus pas to bring your religion into it if you're a politician here.

You can't stand up in Parliment and rant about God when the guy across from you is Sikh ( and wearing an awesome fabulous turbin to support anti-bullying ).

[lordlundar]

When the Conservatives came into power, they didn't touch gay marriage. Our own Prime Minister does not believe in gay marriage because of his personal religious beliefs. But he would not revisit the issue because Canada had already spoken, and religious belief is considered private in Canada.

Despite the Liberal party's fear mongering that the Conservatives would do exactly that.

[Gravekeeper]

Despite the Liberal party's fear mongering that the Conservatives would do exactly that.

I know, isn't it awesome? They're fear mongering that gay marriage will get taken away.

It's like Bizzarro world.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

You know what else is interesting?

In Canada, we have no mid-term elections. So if a party wins a majority, they get to keep it for all 4 years (most of the time). Now that could be seen as a negative if a party with a platform you're not too fond of gets elected...

BUT...

Imagine how things would be in America right now if the GOP hadn't won the House in 2010 and weren't able to get away with all the obstructing they're doing?

[lordlundar]

Imagine how things would be in America right now if the GOP hadn't won the House in 2010 and weren't able to get away with all the obstructing they're doing?

You mean if the Democrats were actually "ramming things through" as the GOP kept screaming instead of trying to get bipartisan approval like they were before the midterms?

There'd be shit getting done for a start...

[Panacea]

You know what else is interesting?

In Canada, we have no mid-term elections. So if a party wins a majority, they get to keep it for all 4 years (most of the time). Now that could be seen as a negative if a party with a platform you're not too fond of gets elected...

BUT...

Imagine how things would be in America right now if the GOP hadn't won the House in 2010 and weren't able to get away with all the obstructing they're doing?

Tell me about it. Ever since Obama was elected, I've been listening to Tea Party nuts rant on about how we have to "take our country back."

My response has always been, "I didn't realize we'd lost it." The TP crowd seldom has a good answer for that, other than insults.

After Obama was elected, liberals told conservatives the people had spoken and they needed to get over it.

After the mid term elections, the conservatives have been telling the liberals the people have spoke and they need to get over it.

I said both times that NO ONE had a mandate, and watch your step. Of course, I was ignored by my local crowd.

Unless there is a clear winner in both the House and Senate for one party or the other, nothing will get better. Who wins the White House is actually irrelevant. In order for things to move in any direction, one party or the other must gain total control of Congress.

I on the other hand, do not see why someone would need to have a gun in their house if they were not a hunter. I do not view them as something one should possess if one does not require it.

I respect your point of view even though I completely disagree with it.

I have three guns: two rifles and a shotgun. I have them because they are FUN!

I don't hunt and never have. My first gun was a handgun I bought for personal protection after someone tried to break into my house while I was home, and the cops didn't come (I've since sold it). The shotgun was a gift. The rifles I bought cheap and restored. I've spent many hours on private ranges shooting milk jugs filled with water or soda cans and watching them explode. Whee! Great fun

One of my rifles, ironically, is a Canadian Enfield Mark IV .303 from World War II. It's my favorite gun Easy to shoot, easy to clean, not much recoil.

[Gravekeeper]

I respect your point of view even though I completely disagree with it.

I have three guns: two rifles and a shotgun. I have them because they are FUN!

You're only targetting shooting though, I don't have a problem with target shooting. As it doesn't require you to have anything full auto, belt fed, armour piercing or loaded and under your coat on your way to work. -.-

Also you have long rifles, which are less restricted in Canada as there are valid reasons to own them in a lot of places ( Bears, cougars, maybe Bieber fans, etc ). There are two big no nos up here: A) Handguns ( Which are more likely to be used in crime and B) Guns in cities ( Where there are no bears or cougars ). You may own a handgun for target shooting, but it has to be keep pretty damn secure at your house or left at the range. And they're heavily restricted by size and caliber. ( No Desert Eagles. ;p )

I don't hunt and never have. My first gun was a handgun I bought for personal protection after someone tried to break into my house while I was home, and the cops didn't come (I've since sold it).

Incidents like this are why I relaxed my views on guns after discussing it with a few Americans on this site. Someone breaking into my house and the cops not coming would be completely unheard of where I live. Plus, in the meantime, the person breaking into my house is likely to be lightly armed if at all. So things are likely to be more medieval, and I have a claymore by the bed. -.-

[Andara Bledin]

Yeah, we don't have the funds to have an adequate police force. Because the places where they're most needed are full of poor people and the people who could most afford to help the situation are too busy holding onto their cash hissing "Mine!"

^-.-^

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah, we don't have the funds to have an adequate police force. Because the places where they're most needed are full of poor people and the people who could most afford to help the situation are too busy holding onto their cash hissing "Mine!"

Filthy, nasty hippies! They steals the precious from us.

[Panacea]

You're only targetting shooting though, I don't have a problem with target shooting. As it doesn't require you to have anything full auto, belt fed, armour piercing or loaded and under your coat on your way to work. -.-
You may own a handgun for target shooting, but it has to be keep pretty damn secure at your house or left at the range. And they're heavily restricted by size and caliber. ( No Desert Eagles. ;p )

I had a friend who had the Chinese version of the AK 47 with a drum (held 75 rounds). He bought a kit to turn it from semi auto to full auto (perfectly legal, he didn't make any modifications to the gun, it just helped the trigger hit a "sweet spot" that made it fire full auto).

We mowed down a sapling with it. Very cool, very scary, and I would never ever do it again.

Incidents like this are why I relaxed my views on guns after discussing it with a few Americans on this site. Someone breaking into my house and the cops not coming would be completely unheard of where I live. Plus, in the meantime, the person breaking into my house is likely to be lightly armed if at all. So things are likely to be more medieval, and I have a claymore by the bed. -.-

It was the most terrifying night of my life. It started literally minutes after my boyfriend dropped me off after a date. I had a dog, who was barking like crazy but didn't scare them off. I dug around looking for my roomies gun (she was in the police academy at the time) and couldn't find it, DID find her nightstick and fell asleep with it hours later.

I'd lived in that house for six years with a variety of roommates (some good, some bad, lots of happy memories). I moved out two weeks later to a very small farming town.

I sold the handgun because the recoil was too powerful for me. My wrists aren't very strong, so I couldn't control the gun very well. That, and it was a .45, made it unreliable for self defense so after moving cross country (it was loaded and in the car on the trip because I was traveling alone) I sold it. If I have to use a gun for self defense, I'll use my shotgun: the spread makes it less likely I will miss in the dark, if I do miss I'll do less damage to my house (which is MY house, and I don't want to damage it), and because it's a long barreled weapon I can control the recoil fairly easily.

I also have a claymore I can use in a pinch . . . a real one (well, a real reproduction--it is a real weapon, not a cheap knock off)

Yeah, we don't have the funds to have an adequate police force. Because the places where they're most needed are full of poor people and the people who could most afford to help the situation are too busy holding onto their cash hissing "Mine!"

^-.-^

Filthy, nasty hippies! They steals the precious from us.

[Hyena Dandy]

You know what else is interesting?

In Canada, we have no mid-term elections. So if a party wins a majority, they get to keep it for all 4 years (most of the time). Now that could be seen as a negative if a party with a platform you're not too fond of gets elected...

BUT...

Imagine how things would be in America right now if the GOP hadn't won the House in 2010 and weren't able to get away with all the obstructing they're doing?

So Canada has set election dates?

I'm confused.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

So Canada has set election dates?

I'm confused.

Actually no it doesn't.

In Canada, when a party is elected to power, the term they are elected to is I believe 5 years but it's usually customary to hold an election after four. This hasn't quite been the case in recent history.


In fact if my memory serves Canada has had four or five Federal elections since 2005.

In contrast, the U.S. has had only one.

There are a number of events in Canada that can trigger an election BEFORE four years. A vote of no-confidence for example, or the failure by the majority party to pass a budget. Also, I believe the ruling party can, at any time, choose to dissolve the government and call for another vote (though this rarely happens).

Unlike the U.S., Canada has no requirement in its constitution for elections to be held every four years.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both models but one thing I love about the Canadian system is since parties and politicians don't really know when the next election will be, they can't start campaigning and whatnot too far in advance and instead can focus on doing what we elected them to do: serve the country and their constituents.