Land of the free (A positive article about Canada)

The Spectator ^ | ??/??/2003 | Paul Robinson

[IvanT]

Just thought in light of the fact that there is so much hatred and malice directed towards Canada, I'd post an article with a more positive spin. I know you all will hate it. Fire away!

[mitchbert]

Great find, Ivan. The pity is that so much of what's in it, particularly the military history, would come as a total surprise to the majority of Canadians.

[IvanT]

True, and expousing the virtues of socialism are off the mark, but all in all, there are some positives in there. I also still maintain we should've been involved in Iraq, but what's done is done.

[IvanT]

I doubt that 50% number is correct. That would make it, what, 140 million Americans attending church every Sunday? Highly doubtful.

[scriblett]

It'll be a frosty friday in H..l before I'll tell Chretien he was right !!

[Moose4]

When it comes to the perfect doughnut, Canada is the unquestioned world leader.

Ahem...two words. Krispy Kreme.

Guess we're going to have to kick Canada's ass in the donut department too...

}:-)4

[IvanT]

Just like you did in hockey at Salt Lake?

;)

[Alberta's Child]

Like Britain, Canada has become a decidedly secular country. It is also a model of multicultural integration. The critics who complain that it is too European only in economic terms — high-tax, low-growth, and stifled by socialist regulation — are simply uninformed. True, there is great regional variety, but Alberta has almost the lowest taxes in North America, and no provincial sales tax whatsoever.

With all due respect to the author, his statement is not a valid one because he has missed a very crucial point here. From an economic standpoint, Alberta isn't even part of Canada anymore and therefore can't be held up as an example of a "strong-growth, free market economy in Canada." Just about every single measure that the Alberta government has taken to lay the grounds for a robust economy has been done under strong opposition from Ottawa.

[headsonpikes]

Canada has the equivalents to your Red and Blue States and counties.

The cleft in society between those trending social statist and those who want to direct their own lives is almost identical in the two countries.

There is a greater proportion of regular church-goers in the States now, but visitors to Canada know that it's not really much different here, at all.

We even have miniature 'Bible Belts', although many of the worshippers are ethnic minorities; I'm thinking particularly of Mennonites and Dutch Reformed in the West.

There are many large evangelical churches, as well.

Canadians are as weird as Minnesotans, or Alaskans, or North Dakotans. ;^)

[IvanT]

Oh, Alberta seceded already? I must have missed that. ;)

[Alberta's Child]

Quote of the Decade goes to a guy who explained to people what it was like for an American to live in Canada:

"I didn't live in Canada -- I lived in Alberta."

--- Alberta's Child

LOL.

[eBelasco]

Just about every single measure that the Alberta government has taken to lay the grounds for a robust economy
Including sticking all that oil in the ground. That was a smart move.

[vin-one]

another liberal media report claiming no WMD's

According to the National Post newspaper, the Canadian government reviewed the so-called ‘dossiers’ on Iraq and dismissed the hype about weapons of mass destruction as unjustified by the facts. In retrospect, we can see that they were right,

it's only been a couple of weeks, spent looking for WMD's
and Saddam had 12 years to hide them
time will tell

[Grig]

Krispy Kreme has already opened it's first Canadian location and they are doing quite well.

Tim Hortons has switched to pre-made frozen donuts that they bake then serve. They are also smaller and don't taste as good as the old ones.

[Moose4]

Hey, you guys invented hockey, no wonder you won at Salt Lake. :) Still, Lord Stanley's Cup, this year like most others, will reside safely south of the 49th!

All kidding aside, it really is a shame to see Canada slide into the socialist country it's becoming. Canadians are great people with big hearts. It's especially sad to see what's happened to the Canadian military. Canada's had such a proud military history in both World Wars and on up through Afghanistan with the Princess Pats--it's maddening to see the leftists up there let the Canadian military fall apart through neglect. When are you guys going to have finally had enough and reverse the leftward slide?

Krispy Kreme still owns your donuts though. ;-)

}:-)4

[Grig]

Canada has a lot in it's history that it can and should be proud of, and a lot in it's present that is shamefull and painfull for a partriot to bear.

[Alberta's Child]

Including sticking all that oil in the ground.

And all the hay on the prairies, and all the trees in the foothills, etc.

Alberta's strength lies not in its natural resources, but in how it manages them. And it manages them in such a way that it minimizes the interference from Ottawa.

[americanSoul]

Let me see now, where can I start.

OK, our military history is a proud one, but it is history.

With the start of the reign of the Prince of Darkness, economic moron, intelectual poseur, accomplished sophist, America hater, marxist pur laine - Trudeau - (Carter and Castro both came to his funeral), our military has steadily declined. We now are reduced to having to depend on other nations for troop/equipment transport.

Additionally, he imposed what is essentially preferential treatment in all walks of life for francophones through his bilingualism/bicultural legislation. This had a devastating effect, especially on the military. Meritocracy went out the window.

We now depend on America for our national security.

Socialized medicine: people die on waiting lists, lack of modern equipment, Canadian educated MDs (the best and the brightest) leaving for the USA, and those that are able, are increasingly going to the US for needed and timely treatment.

Ivan, the Spectator is a socialist rag - it is definitely no Daily Telegraph.

As for Mark Steyn, in my book, to quote George Jonas in today's National Post, he is the Mozart of political columnists.

G-D Bless America.

[MalcolmS]

>>>Including sticking all that oil in the ground. That was a smart move. <<<

It's a little known fact that Oorg Klein, a distant ancestor of the current ruler of Alberta, imported and raised vast herds of dinosaurs, knowing one day that their decomposed remains would fuel his distant decendent's economic prosperity.

The same thing happened in Texas with a guy named Garglefrag 'W' Boosh.