10 questions for Canadians
1. I always hear the phrase, "healthcare is a right" in Canada. Well, in what strange world do you have the rights to someone else's services?
2. How come there is this stereotype in your country that it is the Wild West here? I always hear from Canadians that America is "scary" and act like we have shootings all over the place.
3. How come you don't cut all of your ties to the UK? I would think it's embarassing to not have full sovereignty, even if it is only a technicality.
4. How come you emulate Europe so much as far as government, thoughts, ideals? You see a lot of people who don't want to be like "America" but act so European.
5. How come there is so much corruption in such a civilized country? I always hear about this lumber stuff, adscam, and other high level corruption.
6. How come the speed limits are so low? I know I only go to Ontario really, but come on it is a wide open country, let's open up the roads a bit.
7. How come you can't buy beer on Sunday? I was dumbfounded when I rolled in to a convenience store to be told I couldn't buy beer there because of two reasons: beer only sold at a beer store or some shit, and can't be sold on Sunday. For the lefties accusing us of living in a theocracy, that's a pretty churchy law.
8. How come you have flappy heads? I don't know who started that in your gene pool but it looks weird.
9. How disappointed was the country when the hockey season was cancelled, and did you realize there were a total of 18 people in this country who cared?
10. Why not let Quebec go? They're just frogs anyway.
posted by Clupbert @ 8:19 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
Just remember that this is to Liberal and Socialist Canadians. Proper Tories totally agree with you :)
1. Shouldn't there be a minimum standard of living (even in a mixed economic system--and an increasinly capitalism, neoliberal one)? If your answer is no, you have so little compassion.
2. In a list of murders by firearm per capita, the US is number 8. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_wit_fir_cap . 29 of 39 school shootings since 1996 were in the United States. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0875649.html . The violence has always appeared monumental to Canadians because crime rates are so much lower here. The US is obviously NOT the Wild West, but it sure as hell isn't a walk in the park neither.
3. It's a part of tradition. I'm surprised that you even asked this question; the answer should be redundant. Besides, Canadians are less twisted in the hyper-individuality and so-called freedom in the US.
4. Where does this question come from? In part, the government structures we have are the result of BEING CREATED BY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES! I know you'd rather Canada be much more like the US, but that sure isn't going to happen. At the municipal level, which I believe is the most important level of government, Canada has many American influences (in particular; the non-partisanship, which wouldn't have happened in Canada because we didn't experience all the corruption and turbulence in the Northeaster US in the late 1800s). And really... are we always strive to be more like the US? Right.
5. I'm not claiming this country is perfect. If any Canadian is, they don't know shit. As Jarrett's response suggests, this question is to Liberal and Socialist Canadians (although those two categories are shit... essentializing socialism like that is ignorant). Do you really think people in those categories are satisfied with the way the country currently sits? Politically, this country is becoming more like the US with the spread of neoliberalism. In many ways I'd blame the corruption on that. Regardless, look at this chart. You can analyze the statistics on your own. http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph-T/gov_cor&int=-1
6. Speed or safety? I can only assume your response.
7. Firstly, I'm in a province where the sale of alcohol was privatized long-ago, so we don't have those stipulations. The provincial control of it is exactly you can't buy it on Sundays. Not for "churchy" reasons.
8. You have nice teeth.
9. Canadians really don't care like you're assuming. They talk about it constantly on the sports networks, but no one really gives that much of a shit. But, when hockey comes back, Canadians will surely continue to watch.
10. Racism. Good for you. I won't even go into this debate because you really reflect such a poor understanding that right-wing people (particularly in the Western part of the country, which I live in) would display.
I'll give a list of answers tomorrow, from a person w/ dual Canadian/American citizenship (well, me).
That is such a funny bunch of responses. No there shouldn't be a minimum "standard". Why is it not compassionate to say you have a duty and obligation to take care of yourself? What if I woke up tomorrow in Canada 2005 and did nothing, absolutely nothing. I laid in bed, what would you do for me? What if everyone did that? What if I did that in 12,000 BC, what would happen to me? Don't you feel it's wrong to force someone to do something for someone else? Why no choice in the matter? As for 2, All those murders by gunfire is in the cities. I live in suburbia and have never heard a gunshot in my life nor have I known someone to be murdered by a gun. Canada has a lower crime rate for a couple of reasons- no racial divide which unfortunately this country has a history of suppressing the rather large black minority which has created a whole pool of modern poverty and a vast majority of those firearm murders. Also it is colder in Canada and people do less of everything statistically, and that includes crime. Also you don't have the urban centers- unfortunately population growth and density is a curve and not a straight line so things like crime induced by population and population density increases per capita as the overall population increases.
3. I guess that individuality made us so much more successful than your country. We have contributed to the world in so many ways because of the infrastructure we created because of "hyper-individuality". You think we like being individualistic for selfish reasons, when the thing is we know that taking care of yourself is the best way to help everyone else because it is so much more efficient. It also creates a strong sense of originality and entrepreneurship which is why our country has invented so many things from the light bulb to the computer to just efficient business production.
4. It comes from the fact that you have the CBC which is so much like the BBC, you have a welfare state, and just embrace this whole european sissy ass culture (lately you've adopted the "hate speech" laws")
5. NO, sorry you are sadly mistaken. Neoliberalism or whatever you want to call it is ridiculous. The move toward socialism and communism causes the most corruption because it creates a system where people in power have absolute power because the government controls everything. When you have people who are in charge of a government that is in charge of people's lives, you will be able to mainpulate those people. IN our country, we have checks and balances and also a more free economic system where it is more advantageous to focus becoming wealthy in the open market, and not from government.
6. Why not make all the limits 10 km/h, that way no one will ever be involved in a bad accident. I mean, would you want to do that? Speed or safety my friend?
7. Why would the province pick Sunday? What a coincidence...
8. Are you mocking my teeth? Geez for someone who calls me a racist a little bit down, you think it is perfectly fine to judge someone for the way they were born. Could you preach to me some more about compassion and the need for equality (because this rigid social structure originating from entitlement of birth is surely not your view, is it?)
9. I get CBC and I even saw a reality show about hockey. I see constant updates about hockey on the news(even things like the world juniors) and great hockey players are gods. Maybe YOU don't care about it, but I know your country does.
10. Racism? Is that a joke, because the last time I picked up an anthropology book (which was recently), "french" was not close to considered a "race" of people. I think their race would be caucasian, and frog obviously refers to their culture. You have a poor understanding between the difference of racism and culturism. So kiss my ass you righteous bastard.
1. I don't really get it either, but that concept has been deeply ingrained in our culture for decades. Now, any time someone like Stephen Harper even says the words "two-tier healthcare" parents across Canada cover their childrens' ears. Personally, I'm all for two-tier healthcare, I think it would work just like express lanes on highways and benefit everyone.
2. Well, you guys do have a hell of a lot of shooting compared to here. But as Clupbert pointed out, there are reasons for that other than Americans being a bunch of cowboys (you do have a lot of cowboys though, you have to admit.) Also, you clearly have a lot of stereotypes about Canada too, like have you ever watched CBC's Talking to Americans? WOW.
3. It's tradition - a meaningless one, I think - but still tradition. That's just the way Canada is.
4. Europe is very rich in culture and history, and it's widely regarded as the paragon of civilization. I suppose that's why.
5. Fuck the Liberals, is all I have to say about that.
6. Because Canadians are terrible drivers.
7. Again, it's just a tradition. It used to be for religious reasons, I think, and now it's just cause that's the way it's always been. It's stupid, I know, but that's Canada.
8. I don't have a flappy head.
9. Very disappointed, I'd say. I personally didn't care that much, but all my guy friends did. There were even those sappy "bring back the NHL" commercials on TV. And no matter what anyone says, hockey is just as ingrained in Canadian culture as our healthcare system. I never ever watch it, but I was still all excited when our hometown team won the Memorial Cup.
10. Because Canada prides itself on being multicultural and bilingual and blah blah blah, plus if we lose Quebec we won't be bigger (area-wise) than the US anymore.
Yeah it was wrong for me to call you a racist... but you're just as big of a dummy for saying "culturist". That's not a goddamn word. An ethnic slur, yes. But I'll slap you in the racist category anyways. As for you living in suburbia... I am not surprised at all by your own feeling of entitlement, and belief in so-called "choice". With regard to health care... you are doing exactly what a "good" conservative does: essentializing. You can throw as much bull shit as you want about the "slippery slope" of socialism, but it ONLY shows your misinformed opinion. If you didn't do a damned thing, this country wouldn't do NEARLY as much for you as you suggest. Yes, some people will always abuse the system. But in a system that you appreciate, people are fucked far more often--and why is money the be-all and end-all in a capitalist society. I could tell you about the feminization of poverty until I'm blue in the face, for instance. Capitalism is NATURALLY sexist, phallocentric, and patriarchal. In a bullshit "supply and demand" market system, the unskilled labour is easily filled by women who often need to work part-time for various reasons (many for socialized reasons, childcare, care of other family members, etc. etc.). As a strong capitalist (or however you'd like to categorize yourself), you oppress too many people. There is no such thing as formal equality... and the MORE necessary substantive equality cannot exist in a market system. Another one of the great misunderstandings in American culture, and Canadian for that matter (but less so). I'm no socialist--but I'm also not a capitalist fool. How can free will, or so-called choice exist if so much is based on personal condition? I'm sure you'll dismiss this and suggest that there is a level of personal responsibility for everyone. A reflection of privilege. Frankly, I'm not terribly interested in convincing you because you are so far from my belief system that you and I can't possibly agree. Nonetheless, you need to understand that I'm not fool. I don't blame you for your beliefs... I get that you're from a certain situation and you believe certain things by no choice of your own. Thus, I'll stick with my seemingly pretentious postmodernism.
And what the hell does "flappy heads" mean?
Oh people that live in suburbia have a lot of money "eh"? Well I work and pay for my college, and bought my own car so you can kiss my "entitled" ass. What really that whole diatribe you just spilled out was against freedom. You don't want people to be free to make choices on their own because you don't like the overall effect their choices make. You think you know better and can fix everything. I think that is where the divide is. And my ideas don't just spring out of my rich suburban home shit for brains. My dad was a 20 year Navy guy, my mom also (both enlisted and poor), they divorced when I was 7 and so we became even poorer until my mom married my step-father when I was 10. We now live modestly at best. I gained my political identity about 6-8 years ago independently of my parents. They both voted for Gore, and we never talked about politics anyway. I mean it's amazing how much I get this from people that they don't want to argue the substance of the argument, but my background and their psychoanalyzation of why I think what I do. Look, capitalism is the most fair system and also advances quality of life far more than any system ever has. That poverty feminization bullshit is something pulled right out of some sociology bullshit book. Those effects are because of socialization, and that's what you should say "feminizes poverty". Because in a capitalist system, people are free to do what they want and thus socialization decides a lot more. Unlike your system where you want the government to control and coordinate all of our lives. Then everyone has to ascribe to the elitist political activists who end up obtaining positions in the bureaucracy. The bottomline is that my system is a system of freedom and yours is one of force. For yours to work, you must force a lot of people to do a lot of things they don't want to do. Sorry I like making my own choices, I know that pisses liberals off.
And as for flappy heads, has anyone in your country seen "South Park"? It's just a joke that they do to make canadians look different because they're not different than us at all except you have a majority of ignoramus' while we only have 48%.
And no people fuck the system more in yours than get fucked by the system in ours. Especially since the people who are "fucked" by the system here are fucked because it is their own fault. I have people in my family who live in poverty and have collected welfare. They dropped out of high school, and did a ton of other irresponsible shit to not prepare themselves for life (had babies out of wedlock when they're 16). Our system is just more fair and efficient than yours, admit it.
And thanks for the answers Sarah, little did I know that you thought the right way when I happened upon your blog, ha. Es macht mich sehr traurig dass dieser Arschloch solchen einen Dummkopf auf meinem Blog ist.
OH and culturist is a word but it has a slightly different meaning. I want to use it in a sense that one culture is better than another.
culturist
\Cul"tur*ist\, n. 1. A cultivator.
2. One who is an advocate of culture.
The culturists, by which term I mean not those who esteem culture (as what intelligent man does not?) but those its exclusive advocates who recommend it as the panacea for all the ills of humanity, for its effects in cultivating the whole man. --J. C. Shairp
Does it make you feel like a man to call me an asshole? You make me laugh... is the german some way to "bond" with a woman?
By the way, the feminization of poverty: to say it's from a sociology text book. Does that make what I say irrelevant?
And your sob story about your upbringing is irrelevant. Unfortunately, you will challenge what I say first before you question your own lifestyle. How you went from point a to point b. You talk about your parents, your money, etc. That is not the only source of privilege. Of course, I'm sure you'll never fully appreciate what I'm saying, but your common-place perspective is a result of so many factors that one cannot isolate the sources to a few factors. BUT, I'll try anyway because you won't listen otherwise: class, ethnicity, religion, education, employment, relationships with people (based on how much of an asshole you seem to be, this might be fucking you the most), relationship between important people in your life, etc. etc. etc. You are not unique.
I'm not a fucking fool about the feminization of poverty. A major part of my studies focuses on Women Studies, but you're too ignorant to comprehend the truth in what someone might get out of that.
So, having children out of wedlock is wrong? Barf. Social conservatism is so archaic. And sexist. Capitalism leaves single mothers behind. TO say that a woman deserves to be in poverty because she fucked up, truly is criminal. I'm sure you'll make some woman happy some day. And your poor children. hm.
And does it REALLY bother you that assholes are on your blog? But it gives you something to do, doesn't it? You're a clown.
I would say that you're a brilliant man. Brilliant enough to go to altavista or something. And this false reality you create by just supposing that there are all of these factors to one's identity is just poetic bullshit. Look pal, if we really want to play "logic" game, then all morals are completely made up in our mind. They are imaginary, mere illusions. So what does it matter if someone is disadvantaged or not, or in poverty or not? Actions and situations just exist and have no connotation to them such as positive or negative. If you want to talk about the real world, then let's do that. If you want to talk in generalizations, then what can I say? I am not unique- I don't appreciate women's studies- You seem pretty judgmental. Let's say what I say is all some contrived pre-thought out robotic and unoriginal spiel and I have no real comprehension of what I am saying. Why would you argue with me then? It doesn't make sense because obviously I am basically stuck in a snowball of inevitablity. It's like I don't even make my own choices, or I am not even conscious. Arguments with liberals always go this way. If you start to win the argument, they fall back on this trane of thought where they start playing with words, or that we can't possibly perceive reality, or some other anti-existentialist bullshit. Look, if you really believed that shit, then stop trying to change government. You should recognize that we're all just some mass of molecules tumbling forward through time and nothing we do matters. Jump off a cliff then, what the fuck does it matter?
I didn't say single mother either dipshit. I said this, "(had babies out of wedlock when they're 16). " They means two people. When two people have a baby, the father is as responsible for the child as the mother and the law says this. So I say they both are in trouble, not just women. But you seem to have this kick about women because you're a pussy liberal who wants to have some cause to devote himself to so that you feel important and englightened. What makes your morals better than mine? What makes you compassionate and me not? With what criteria are you judging me? Social conservatism is not archaic, it's just how human beings work. When you are able to support yourself, that's when you have children, it's just common sense. And believe it or not but penis' and vagina's fit together. I know it is a weird coincidence but it's almost like those two organs fit together and make babies because those two beings are best able to raise their creation. Call me psycho, that's just my crazy thoughts about it.
I knew there'd be a point where you'd again go with the slippery slope. And that is where this conversation ends. You can't see past your own cloudy bullshit. And why the fuck do you keep refering to me as a liberal? Do you have any idea what a liberal is? I am so far from liberalism--for someone with such defined views, there is so much that you don't have a clue about. Give your head a shake.
step 1: breakdown all axioms
step 2: play semantics
step 3: claim the other person is too ignorant to even "try" to argue with anymore
You have me all figured out. Kudos.
I win, haha, yes!!!! You are gracious in defeat you person with an inferior intellect!
You are my hero.
Thanks, you're my inspiration to end my life if I get alzheimer's. I will use your brain cell count as the mark to which I kill myself because I will know that at that point, I will just be a total retard.
...Er... wow...
I've made my set of answers.
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