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Mark Steyn: What's the Big Idea? (Mostly concerning Canadian politics)
The Western Standard ^ | December 20, 2004 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 12/22/2004 2:39:18 PM PST by quidnunc

If I had to choose one single episode that sums up the state of our politics, it would be that moment in the 2000 election debate when Stockwell Day, leader of the Canadian Alliance, held up his homemade "NO TWO-TIER HEALTH CARE" sign and Joe Clark, leader of the Progressive Conservatives, waggishly scribbled out the "NO."

Mr. Clark was implying that the sinister right-wing Alliance had a "hidden agenda." If only. Had the Tory leader wished to convey more accurately the state of our medical system, he'd have scribbled out the "TWO." And if, vis-à-vis our no-tier health care or any of the other problems facing this country, Stock and his chums really did have a hidden agenda, all I can say is they did an awfully good job of hiding it. The problem in 2000 was not that we had a divided opposition, but that we had a divided opposition competing to demonstrate how much it agreed with the ruling party.

Four years on, we're now told that Stephen Harper is making efforts to move the Conservatives toward the "political centre." Good grief. He wasn't exactly a flaming right-wing firebrand last time round, and I still get miffed when I think about his use of the quintessential weaselly left evasion, "a woman's right to choose."

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at westernstandard.ca ...


TOPICS: Canada; Editorial; Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: marksteyn

1 posted on 12/22/2004 2:39:18 PM PST by quidnunc
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To: quidnunc

Hmm, so who will leave the nation of Canada first, Alberta (for it being too leftist) or Quebec (for it not being French enough)?


2 posted on 12/22/2004 2:54:00 PM PST by swilhelm73 (Dowd wrote that Kerry was defeated by a "jihad" of Christians...Finally – a jihad liberals oppose!)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: quidnunc
bugmenot.com

jvqhstxqgcoheo@mailinator.com
buttwipe

4 posted on 12/22/2004 3:10:11 PM PST by AmishDude
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To: quidnunc
Hospital Hell (Dan Aykroyd on Socialized Medicine)
The New York Post ^ | 11-19-2003 | Richard Johnson

Posted on 11/20/2003 3:15:45 AM EST by Lancey Howard

November 19, 2003 -- DAN Aykroyd is no fan of the bureaucratic bungling and cut-rate care of socialized medicine. "One place you don't want to get sick is Quebec," the Canadian actor advised us after a screening of Denys Arcand's "The Barbarian Invasions." "It's all socialized. Believe me, you don't want to go to a hospital there."

5 posted on 12/22/2004 3:15:06 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: quidnunc
...the sinister right-wing...

Such an odd choice of words. Sinister means "of the left".

One expects perfection from our favorite wordsmith.

6 posted on 12/22/2004 3:32:07 PM PST by FreedomFarmer (*Mischief * Managed!*)
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To: quidnunc

bttt


7 posted on 12/22/2004 4:10:18 PM PST by knews_hound (Out of the NIC ,into the Router, out to the Cloud....Nothing but 'Net)
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To: swilhelm73

North Alberta and South Alberta, the 51st and 52nd United States of America anyone?


8 posted on 12/22/2004 5:46:13 PM PST by TheRatHunter
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To: shanscom

Anyone who believes Canada will break up is into pyramid worship.

Quebecers know only too well what their fate would be as an independent nation in english North America

As for France the Quebecois have more in common with the Cajuns than France.

As for Alberta they're oil patch wealth is running dry. New oil discoveries are in NWT and Dene run that show. So dream on Canada Dissolution Mongers.


9 posted on 12/23/2004 5:11:47 AM PST by beaver fever
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