Posted on 08/02/2005 10:27:42 AM PDT by quidnunc
I think Trudeau is one of those guys that people will look back upon a couple of hundred years from now by shaking their heads and asking, "Why the #$%^# did Canadians ever see anything in this guy?"
I'll give him this, though: He knew how to deal with terrorism.
Excellent essay..thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Would you care to weigh in, now, or in the future....your thoughts on "whither Quebec, and/or Canada?" Can the country hold together, or do you have to excise the cancer of Quebec. I mean can you, as a country, afford to let them keep having one referendum after another. After all, they only have to win once?
Yes, but they tend to defend it like Americans defend apple pies, baseball and Chevrolets. It's not that it has any inherent value, they're just proud it exists, period.
Canada can't hold together ultimately. It's too large, with too scattered a population, and too regionally diverse. And resentment is growing. But Quebec won't likely be the first to leave. They just threaten that as a trump card; extortion in short. They know they have a sweet deal.
I'd look for Alberta to be the first to leave. They have the means (the money), the cause (their money being stolen, and liberals crushing their conservative beliefs and their being underrepresented in Parliament) and soon they'll have the will (24% in favour, overlapping with 44% wanting to consider, + 9% additional wanting to join the U.S.) And if Alberta goes, other provinces will too. B.C., Yukon territory, Saskathewan, Manitoba, Quebec, possibly the Maritimes (since if Quebec leaves they are cut off). Plus, not all Ontario likes the way things are heading now.
In short, we can't afford to keep up the culture of super-tolerance that we have now and expect to hold together. Despite having simlar provinces in the States, the U.S. citizenry have a fierce patriotism that holds the country together. Most Canadians don't even have a lick of that; more of a vague preference for 'tolerance' and 'multiculturalism', without understanding what those actually mean.
To hold the country together, well, I'm not sure it can be done. The best bet would be to issue an ultimatum to Quebec: either shut up and accept equal treatment, or leave and pay us back what you owe us. Then start redefining Canada in terms of positives, redesign Parliament so its more fair (more seats for some rural areas and for the West), abolish or reform the Senate, lower taxes to stimulate the economy, slash the government, grow the military and go help rebuild some country somewhere with our military (and publicise it well). Somewhere politically correct, though, of course. Give more powers to the provinces, allow them more self-determination, and try to instil more patriotism in the youth.
I'd also try to cut down immigration (especially unskilled immigration), and assimilate those we have before taking on more. And also try to rebuild some rural towns.
This is just a wishlist, though, and not going to happen. At all. What you will see is growing politicization, in all spheres (from more hardcore socialists, to greedier centrists to angrier ignored conservatives, to rabid neonazis). Then you'll see more and more ridiculous demands. Then more and more angry noises about self-determination and separation. Then wham, separation in a few areas (likely Alberta first, as I said). At which point the economy is going to hurt in all regions, the U.S. economy will be adversely affected (trivia question: what country supplies the highest percentage of American oil of any one country? Hint: they also give a lot of uranium. If you said Canada, give yourself a pat on the back.)
Liked your comparisions, hmm, often wondered who Pierre Elliot Trudeau reminded me of- boys oh boys, he of the "lean and hungry look" in this case, Lenin, not Brutus.
Just a rhetorical question here though to all and sundry. As redoubtable Ted Byfield tells us, to whit, Canadians get a CBC,Liberal,multiculti, Toronto Montreal overview. This is by no means the real picture of Canada. The Liberals tell us it is.
I can recomend for starters, the Trans-Canada Highway 17. Drive east of Sudbury and continue up to Thunderbay. Stopping of course, to savour the small town communities. People might get a pleasant surprise- hopefully. Canada too big yet to be destroyed. Admitted, the beggers are having a good try. LOL
My mother's grandfather was one of them. In fact, he was a direct descendent of George Mason.
That defines my position pretty well. I'm proud we have it. I just want it reformed as well, as well as the opportunity for private care as well. Which makes me a far right extremist here in Canada. ;)
I had read before that Canada lost a disporportionate number in WWI compared to other allied countries (I think it may have been a snippet from Barbara Tuchman's book "The Guns of August"). Any idea why this is so?
In short, as a slew of celebrity lefties from Walter Kronkite to Peter Ustinov have admitted, they want a one-world government. Fortunately these people think human beings are inherently awful and disreproduce themselves our of existence. Leaving only those people in the world who choose to live their lives without the aid of a one-world government.
Canada wasn't truly a real country at this time. It was a dominion. It felt like it was part of the British Empire still. Also, everyone was very patriotic. God, King and Country and all that jazz. So huge numbers enlisted.
Then, Canadians were amongst the best soldiers (this is not just pride, they actually were). Everyone knew how to use a gun (because Canada is still untamed, and was even more then), how to hunt, how to move quietly and to sit still. Besides the German Red Baron and one Frenchman, the best flying aces were Canadian. Our native scouts were incredible. One guy, Price, killed 103 Germans by himself. With a knife. Our native snipers were also incredible. And our lines didn't break. Canadians, being farmboys, really were fighting with their friends on all sides. Plus, Canadians were inventive (we were the first, or amongst the first, to discover you could survive a gas attack by pissing on a rag or hankerchief and breathing through that: ammonia countered the gas). So naturally, the Canadians were overused. Combined with the fact that they didn't retreat, they got decimated. They were in the trenches, they went over the trenches and they got slaughtered. Sometimes units of 500 or 1000 would go out (as in one famous Newfoundland regiment). 1000 would go out, 126 would come back. And as battalions were regionally based (the entire battalion would come from one city, or three counties, or whatnot), some areas would get hit particularly hard while others wouldn't get hit at all.
Unlike most, Canadians were there from 1914 until the end of the war. 5 years of death and guts and gas. No rest, just a steady stream of new recruits to death or maiming.
Yep, liked yer bit of describing, er' with a little hyperbole thrown in. (cries from the back- speak English, darn you). Funny thing though, I have observed closely the workings of Western civilization. This from the lower echelon (big word again).
When the hippies of the sixties actually tried to tell the whole racket,ie; the 9-5 ethic or the 8-4 grind to go to hell, they did try to live separately. It did not work. The lazy dope smoking devils, left the cleaning and cooking to the MINORITY.
Had a terrible storm once in the local area, powerlines down. People came out at 3am. They fixed it. Nary a word of thanks from the press next day, except from yer deponent. The lineman looked puzzled when I thanked him though.
Oh bit of a screed here- sorry, but how in the Sam Hill, does Cronkite and Ustinov, think a Holiday Inn works? How do they think the whole bloomin' thing revolves?.
Blasted Socialists.
Wait a minute AR . You write an interesting history , very interesting ( I must say) on some points and I've heard of Henry Norwest who killed 115 enemy before being killed himself by a German sniper . I've heard of Pegahmagabow who survived the war and from a later war I've heard of Tommy Price but the only Price I ever heard of was the Price killed on the morning of Nov.11 1918 , the last Canadian casualty of the war.
However don't over look Pegahmagabow who was known as ."Peggy" . And btw , he used a rifle :)
Corporal Francis Pegahmagabow, an Ojibwa from the Parry Sound District who, as a sniper, personally killed 378 enemy and participated in some of the bloodiest engagements of the war at Mount Sorrell, Amiens, and Passchendale. At Mount Sorrell where the Canadian corps won its "first clear cut victory of the war" at the price of 9600 casualties in less than two weeks, Corporal Pegahmagabow led his company in an assault which led to the capture of 300 Germans.
IF the USA were ever unwise enough to elect a Hillary clinton, THIS is what you would end up with!!! It makes me sick as I watch her "attempt" to become a centrist on things like abortion, war etc. It is all bullchit and I hope the sheeple realize that.
Impressive Great War story!
Canadians got even tougher in WWII. For instance, they weren't quite so keen on taking German prisoners as in WWI.
I'm just about 100% certain that Canadian troops in Afghanistan are prepared for war.
Eloquently stated.
People don't know about him. And the dozens of other natives who volunteered . It doesn't suprise me though . His capture of 300 is in the history books , his killing of 378 has been removed in recent years and not mentioned . (The PC , peasekeeper myth )Tommy Prince is another from WW2 and Korea. . Eleven medals including a Silver Star from the Americans.
As for Warren . After 7 generations , my grandfather was gassed at the Somme and went on to fight again , my Uncle mouse holed at Ortona . another on Juno , another in the Battle of the Atlantic , another buried in England , my old Dad crawling through Italy and NW Europe. They all gave me the greatest gift one generation could give another . I remember and I've got nothing to apologize for . I'm nothing but Canadian . My short answer to Warren . He can kiss my arse.
Perhaps it's time to bring the old Canadian flag back. Didn't the Aussies and Kiwis keep their versions of the ensign?
Yeah, it's beautiful up there beyond Owen Sound. But those biting flies.........
I might be mistaken as to the name and/or war. Lemme look into it. And how could I forget Peggy! A great hero, the likes of which are rarely seen nowadays.
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