Are you Liberal or Conservative or somewhere in between?

[Gravekeeper]

So Canada has set election dates?

I'm confused.

Essentially, yes. Though an election can be forced by a vote of No Confidence ( AKA enough of Parliment agrees our leader is being a dick ) or if the Queen thinks our leader is being a dick. In which case the Governer General ( The Queen's rep in Canada ) can force them to step down and dissolve Parliment. Essentially, unlike the American system, you can get tossed out for being a dick at any time by two countries >.>. Instead of having free reign for 4 years.

Additionally, our Prime Minister can choose to step down and call an election as well.

Also, the Canadian election cycle is very short compared to the US cycle. Typically around 2ish months on average from campaign to voting day. Hence we're not bombarded with stupidity like having 8 or 9 debates with an election still a year away and our media isn't constantly caught up in politics.

Political funding up here is extremely limited compared to the US. Political parties are actually subsidized with public funds based on how many ridings they are running candidates in. This is what allows us to have so a vast array of political parties instead of falling into a two party system. Anyone can form a political party here ( forming it only costs about $200 -.- ) as long as they commit to run in at least one riding. Private donations are limited to around $1100 / year per party or candidate and corporate donations are very limited. Also, any contribution over $200 publically discloses you as a doner.

Last election private donations only amounted to about 15 million ( out of 46 million ) total between all of the parties. But again, the total political funding of all of the parties in Canada last election was a mere 46 million. ;p

Comparitively speaking, Obama raised over $600 million in 2008.

[Nyoibo]

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.

Is that the full length wood stock?

[Panacea]

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 fundamental differences between the US system, and the system used by most of the rest of the world.

The US is a representative democratic republic. Our constitutional system is based on set terms.

Canada has a parlimentary system: if the government is not working effectively, it can be dissolved (ie disbanded) and new elections held.

These systems have their ups and downs. In the US system, you have certainty of your representatives; a scandal can't undo a government that is otherwise functional. OTOH, when the government becomes DYSfunctional (as it is now), we have to wait out the terms until the next scheduled election. This is our current situation.

Given the acrimony and partisanship we currently have in our politics, a parliamentary system would result in a round robin of disbanded governments and chaos. We'd turn into the North American Venezuela.

A parliementary system works in Canada because 1) Canadians are sane people by and large, and 2) they have a monarch who can pull their leaders up by the short ones when necessary.

Is that the full length wood stock?

I believe so. I mean, the stock runs the entire length of the gun, and is all wood. I'm not sure what one that does not have a full length stock would look like. Do you have pictures?

[Rapscallion]

Essentially, unlike the American system, you can get tossed out for being a dick at any time by two countries >.>.

Hmm, if you squint a bit, the US is effectively abotu fifty countries or states tied together in a fractious coalition, so potentially there's more involved there... Granted, one doesn't have the power to throw a dick out, but rumour has it that one put a dick in.

Rapscallion

[Hyena Dandy]

Essentially, unlike the American system, you can get tossed out for being a dick at any time by two countries >.>. Instead of having free reign for 4 years.

So, when was the last time that the Queen kicked someone out? I'm afraid I could be better at Canadian history.

[HYHYBT]

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

What stops them from staying in campaign mode *all* the time?

Granted, one doesn't have the power to throw a dick out, but rumour has it that one put a dick in.

Are you thinking of Representative Wiener, or something a bit less literal?

[lordlundar]

What stops them from staying in campaign mode *all* the time?

It becomes counter productive. Politicking outside of an election period simply shows all you care about is gaining power as opposed to trying to help the country.

As well, I do believe there's standing laws that prohibit campaigning outside of the election being called. The fines levied on a politician can be enough to kill the campaign before it even starts.

[Gravekeeper]

So, when was the last time that the Queen kicked someone out? I'm afraid I could be better at Canadian history.

1896. -.-

What stops them from staying in campaign mode *all* the time?

What lordlundar said. Also, political parties in Canada are limited by law as to how much they're allowed to spend on campaigning based on the number of candidates they are running and how large the ridings ( districts ) they're running in are. So you effectively cannot stay in campaign mode as you'd just be pissing away limited money and embarrassing yourself. Basically, our system is designed so that you can't win with money, and everyone is assigned a fair share of bling to campaign with.

Canadians also react extremely poorly to negative politics, so we don't have shitloads of crazy negative attack ads flying around because they're basically political suicide. As both the Conservative and Liberal Parties can attest up here. The Conservatives especially ran an awful attack ad back in 93 and the backlash cost them 149 seats in Parliment. Leaving them with 2.

Farkin' *2*.

You don't fuck with Canadian's sense of politeness and manners. >.>

[Nyoibo]

I believe so. I mean, the stock runs the entire length of the gun, and is all wood. I'm not sure what one that does not have a full length stock would look like. Do you have pictures?

Just looks strange in my opinion.

What stops them from staying in campaign mode *all* the time?

Here to an extent they are, they will constantly criticize the opposition and talk themselves up as if they were campaigning for election, however there are rules and regulations as to when they can run tv ads and put up posters and such, which are tightly controlled and there are fines handed out if they are breached.

It becomes counter productive. Politicking outside of an election period simply shows all you care about is gaining power as opposed to trying to help the country.

Unfortunately it doesn't stop them and there are enough morons out there who don't get that and vote for them anyway.

[Hyena Dandy]

1896. -.-

Thanks.

[KabeRinnaul]

Canadians also react extremely poorly to negative politics, so we don't have shitloads of crazy negative attack ads flying around because they're basically political suicide. As both the Conservative and Liberal Parties can attest up here. The Conservatives especially ran an awful attack ad back in 93 and the backlash cost them 149 seats in Parliment. Leaving them with 2.

I think a major part of why US politics are so negative and attack-focused is the fact that we're in a two-party system. Everyone "knows" that voting third-party is a "wasted" vote, so it comes down to either One or Two. In this situation, One doesn't have to tell us why he's good. He just had to tell us why Two is bad. If we're afraid to vote for Two, we're left with only one option, and wind up putting One into office.

I really want to see a couple more parties show up in this country and be seen as legitimate options. Even if that means the Tea Party becomes an actual political party. Anything to pull us out of the current red vs blue nonsense.

[Rapscallion]

Are you thinking of Representative Wiener, or something a bit less literal?

I was thinking about the voting irregularities involving Jeb and the other Bushes.

Rapscallion

[Panacea]

What stops them from staying in campaign mode *all* the time?

Even if the laws didn't prohibit it, the cost would be prohibitive. Even US political parties can't afford to do that.

That's why the GOP has been manufacturing political crises over the past year. They can't afford to campaign for two years, but create a crisis and get people all upset, and it might make them more amenable to GOP ideas.

This is essentially what Sarah Palin did when she quit being governor of Alaska. She knew in order to run for President in 2012 she had to stay relevant and in the public consciousness. So she had to stay in the news. She's done that very effectively.

I think the reason she chose not to run for office was she realized how much money she was making without having to actually produce anything. She's crazy like a fox, that one.

You don't fuck with Canadian's sense of politeness and manners. >.>

Too bad we can't import that.

I really want to see a couple more parties show up in this country and be seen as legitimate options. Even if that means the Tea Party becomes an actual political party. Anything to pull us out of the current red vs blue nonsense.

Good luck with that. The US has traditionally been a two party system. Third parties have never done well. Usually what happens is a third party becomes relevant and takes over as the 2nd party, while the former 2nd party fades into oblivion (example, the Whigs).

I don't think the Tea Party will manage that. They're too extreme in their view points in a country that is very much centrist. They'll hang on a bit (much like the Know Nothings did), then fade away into irrelevancy as soon as the economy gets better.

Just looks strange in my opinion.

It's a carbine. It's not the same model as the one I have. Carbines are shorter, lighter guns used by forces that need to be fast on their feet, like airborne troops or jungle fighters.

I said the name of my weapon wrong though: it's a Lee-Enfield Rifle No 4, Mark I. Looks very similar to the carbine you showed, but is longer and the stock goes almost all the way up the barrel, excepting a short bit for a bayonet. it also has a ramrod for cleaning.

[Andara Bledin]

This is essentially what Sarah Palin did when she quit being governor of Alaska.

She quit because she wanted to make money off her book, which wasn't allowed while she was still governor.

^-.-^

[Gravekeeper]

The US stays a two party system because its purely a money driven system. You can't be a politician in the US without cash and the amount of cash you have at your disposal denotes how far up the political ladder you can compete at. Which means either being filthy rich, or selling yourself out to be filthy rich.

In Canada, your campaign is publically funded and your private funding/spending is capped. So the playing field levels out and results in several viable parties. Historically this has given us around 4 major parties, with a 5th smaller party coming and going at times. Not to mention the variety of parties at a provincial level.

We do, for example, have three national Marxist/Communist parties. A couple of Libertarian parties, a Pirate party, several Marijuana parties and a Sex Party ( Yes, really. ). There are also satirical parties that are quite literally official parties capable of running candidates ( They tend to only run a few, and just hang around to poke fun at other parties shenanighans during elections ).

The Rhino party is a good example. Who, every election, vow to not keep any promises they make if elected. ;p

If I wanted too, even I could run in a federal election.